AMTP Proceedings 2026

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

Spring 2026

Abstract

This conceptual paper examines the strategic role of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in the context of buyer-supplier relationships, and how MSPs create value for customers by enabling dynamic capabilities, relational governance, and organizational learning. Drawing from institutional theory, the resource-based view, and relationship marketing, the paper synthesizes literature on the supply chain’s evolution from transactional cost savings to strategic partnerships. It highlights how service providers such as MSPs, facilitate capability transfer, adaptability, and institutional alignment. This perspective is particularly salient in the post-2020 environment, where pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, renewed trade protectionism, and geopolitical fragmentation have challenged traditional assumptions underlying cost-based outsourcing (Buckley, 2020; Gereffi, 2020). The contribution lies in reframing supply chain management decisions as culturally embedded, relational and strategic processes that foster innovation and resilience beyond traditional models.

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