Buyer-Seller Relationships: The Role of Expectations, Communication Behavior, and Appraisal Processes in Problem Solving

Abstract

The potential benefits of integrated supply chain management are significant, yet pressures to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship can be compromised by the pressures felt within partner firms. Moreover, creating and maintaining successful supply relationships is a complicated process that is very dependent on the interactions of people involved. This paper reports the results of an 18-month longitudinal study of three pairs of powder metallurgy part producers and their customers. Using 62 field interviews from participants at different levels of each organization, the paper develops a model of buyer-seller problem solving based on interpersonal relationship literature.