This study characterizes the resource-constrained context in which firms operate through the lens of supplier dependence and uses this to explain the need for resource control, though it does not directly observe managers' information acquisition, opportunity assessment, or decision-making motives. High levels of supplier dependence may also be associated with asset specificity, supply risks, or other organizational constraints. Future research could integrate acquisition announcements, managerial interviews, and data on target screening processes to examine whether firms indeed identify targets through bridging relationships and how the context of dependence influences their willingness to act.

This study characterizes the resource-constrained context in which firms operate through the lens of supplier dependence and uses this to explain the need for resource control, though it does not directly observe managers' information acquisition, opportunity assessment, or decision-making motives. High levels of supplier dependence may also be associated with asset specificity, supply risks, or other organizational constraints. Future research could integrate acquisition announcements, managerial interviews, and data on target screening processes to examine whether firms indeed identify targets through bridging relationships and how the context of dependence influences their willingness to act.