A Framework for Addressing Minority Suppliers as an E-Business Strategy

Abstract

Financial returns from a corporate website are improved by broadening the site’s audience to include minority (e.g., small and women-owned) suppliers. Firms believe that it is good for business if their supplier base has the same racial and gender composition as their customer base. This chapter directly addresses supply chain relationships, diverse suppliers, and investment returns by examining how large corporations use their public websites to communicate with small, minority-owned and women-owned trading partners. The chapter is based on findings from a large-scale study of corporate, public websites. The researcher visited all of the public websites of the Fortune 500 to understand Web-based supplier communications, and analyze how large firms use their public website to communicate with minority suppliers.