Purchasing policy in Switzerland: An empirical study of sourcing decisions

The economic ties between the United States and Switzerland are strong, both in terms of investment and trade. Swiss direct investments in the U.S. amount to US$35 billion providing some 300,000 jobs in the U.S. The U.S. is the second most important export market for Swiss goods (after Germany). These very striking facts demonstrate how closely intertwined the economies of the U.S. and Switzerland have become in the twenty‐first century. The recent attention to purchasing decisions in a variety of commercial and government contexts has grown much faster than detailed understanding of how sourcing decisions are made and their implications for organizations. This article provides an overview of empirical research into sourcing decisions made in Swiss organizations and will be of international interest to practitioners and academics in both purchasing (customer and purchaser) and marketing. The research demonstrates that sourcing decisions are highly contingent situations and the variable is policy.