Access to Technical Assistance: A Case Study of Suppliers in the Malaysian Automotive Industry

Technology transfer has been an important area in supplier development as suppliers are expected to develop their capabilities with their technical partners. The literature has focused on supplier development programmes implemented by automakers for their suppliers. However, less focus has been on the suppliers who received them, particularly the dependent suppliers: suppliers whose major buyers account for 20% or more of their sales. Thus, the aim of this paper is to examine the experiences of the dependent suppliers with their technical partners, which was part of the supplier development program that was implemented by their major buyers. This study was based on interviews with seven supplier organisations in the Malaysian automotive industry. Findings suggest that both positive and less positive experiences were received by the dependent suppliers, and possible explanations were discussed. Keywords: Supplier development, technical assistance, technology transfer, automotive industry, qualitative study, multiple-case study.