By Peter Petersen.
As purchasing professionals the economy directly effects what we do. The more educated we are about what the economy is doing, and what affects, it the more informed decisions we can make.

There are many sources to go to for information on the economy, The Wall Street Journal, many business periodicals and our own NAPMR Report on Business. The Manufacturing NAPM Report on Business is in its 68^th year of providing information on economic conditions in the manufacturing environment. The Manufacturing NAPM Report on Business has been the source of several leading economic indicators used to evaluate the status of the economy by the government, financial and business community. In 1998 NAPM developed the Non-Manufacturing Report on Business to cover that sector of business that does not fall under manufacturing, such as banking, insurance and wholesale trade, etc.

This valuable tool available to us allows us to follow trends, identify and interpret business cycle and allows us to examine business activities. The NAPM Report on Business is released on the first day of the month to the world. As members of NAPM we receive it monthly in the Purchasing Today Magazine and it is also available on the Internet through NAPM.

By Peter Petersen
This months speaker is Stephen E. Jewett Director of Governor Hull's Southern Arizona Office, and is formerly the publisher of the Territorial Newspapers in Tucson. He will be addressing the general status of economic development in the Tucson Area. He will give us an insight into wage rates, types of employment, both the good and the bad news.

As Director of the Governor's Southern Arizona Office, He is responsible for resolving constituent problems involving residents of Southern Arizona and those agencies in the executive branch of state government. He is also Governor Hull's policy advisor on emergency and military affairs. Steve serves as the liaison between the governor and the Adjutant General, the National Guard and the Division of Emergency Management.

Steve is involved in the Tucson community, and actively participates in a number of civic organizations that include DM-50, the Tucson Airport Authority, the Arizona Town Hall, and Rotary. He currently serves as President of the Southern Arizona Water Resources Association and is President of the Catalina Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is deeply involved with the Greater Tucson United Way in 1993 he served as Campaign Chairman and was Chairman of the Board of Directors from 1996 to 1997.

Steve is a retired Air Force Officer. In Vietnam, he was a highly decorated DC-130 pilot and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with 5 oakleaf clusters.

He was selected as Tucson's "Man of the Year" for 1996 and "Small Business Leader of the Year" for 1994.

Steve graduated from the University of Arizona with BS in Accounting and from the University of Utah with an MS in Human Resource Management.

Steve and his wife Elisabeth have three sons Jeffrey 27, Christopher 22, and Martin 20.

Name __________________________________________________________________________________

Company _________________________________________________ #Attending____________________

Phone #_________________________________________________________________________________

Preferred
Entree(s) ________________________________________________________________________________

By Ralph L. Long, C.P.M
All NAPM District Council meetings were held on the same day this weekend in various regions across the country. This allowed President Dick Rich to teleconference with all DNA's at one time. His primary concern was the goal of doubling the membership by 2003. NAPM's leadership feels a larger organization will be able to represent the profession better, offer better benefits and place a higher value on the certification programs. NAPM will be working on several marketing programs and soon will be asking for our help in getting new members.

The second major goal at the national level is to complete the Governance study. It is now in the 2^nd phase of 3. The first phase was a review of how things got done in today's environment and how the membership perceived the organization was moving. The 2^nd phase will be to place these findings into proposals and potential areas that need improvement as seen by the committee. Finally the 3^rd phase will be to develop recommendations for changes in the organization and policies to implement the findings. The timetable for completion of the study is Spring 2000. Specific changes and recommendations will be discussed with the entire membership prior to implementation according to President Rich.

District 1 news includes the election of J. Michael Forman, C.P.M. as Assistant Director. Mike has held almost every position in the Northern California Affiliate and was Assistant Director of District 1 during the 97/98 term. He'll do a great job for all of us in District 1.

Other news from District 1 includes some details about the Summer Workshop at the Oakland Civic Center. The dates are July 16/17 and the workshop will be a joint meeting with Districts 11 and 13. That will mean as many as 300 people will attend compared to our usual 80 to 100. Format will be the same as last year with several options each meeting period. These workshops are full of information, networking and just plain fun. If your interested in an expense paid visit to Oakland and a great professional development experience, ask any Board member how you qualify to attend.

The next District Council Meeting will take place at the Summer Workshop. If you would like to know more about any of the information above just give me a call or stop me at the Dinner meeting. Until next time…

The next program in the 1998-99 NAPM Satellite Seminar Series – "Legal Perspective: Protecting Your Organization by Understanding Rights, Responsibilities, and Obligations" – which will be broadcast Thursday, June 3, 1999.

(Tempe, Arizona)- When it comes to purchasing offshore, should Purchasing and Supply Managers expect major differences among the ethical activities of suppliers in different countries? Not according to a new study that explores ethical issues in global buyer-supplier relationships. The Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS) took part in the research and analysis of ethics issues overseas.

Because purchasing and supply managers can have significant influence over a firm's reputation, their behavior can, and does, affect how the firm is viewed by suppliers and other outside organizations. The Ethical Issues in Global Buyer-Supplier Relationships, written by Craig R. Carter, Ph.D., of The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, defines ethics as it relates to issues in global buyer-supplier relationships. Seven research questions pertaining to ethical perceptions and effectiveness were posed and answered in the study. More than 132 surveys from buying firms, and 88 surveys from suppliers, were collected for the study. Respondents from the buying firms were asked to focus their responses on their relationship with a particular supplier, and forwarded the questionnaire to the chosen international supplier.

The study examines how ethical activities differ when purchasing from one country to the next. The objectives of the research were threefold:

1. To determine what factors impact the level of unethical activities.
2. To determine whether differences exist between the perceptions of buyers and their supplier counterparts in terms of unethical activities involved in global buyer-supplier relationships.
3. To determine the level of impact unethical activities has on outcomes such as satisfaction with and effectiveness of the buyer-supplier relationship.

A full text copy of Ethical Issues in Global Buyer-Supplier Relationships by Craig R. Carter, Ph.D., or any other CAPS report is available by faxing CAPS at 602/491-7885. CAPS is now on-line at (http://www.capsresearch.org/).