An Application of Actor Network Theory (ANT) in Business-to-Business Procurement Platform

Abstract

Actor network theory is a prominent theory on establishing connection between actors in a whole process. In this study, the application of the theory examines and establishes the connection between six actors that consist of human and nonhuman actors. Human actors are mainly the customers and wholesale operators, while nonhuman actors consist of digital platform, software, and application that are used to automate the process. This study is using a qualitative approach where researchers use an ethnographic case study approach. The researcher stays in the business-to-business procurement business for about 6 months and makes a series of observations on the process and network that connect one actor to another. The observation data is organized into several themes and presented in this chapter. The study contributes to the application of ANT in business-to-business procurement, especially wholesale procurement.