A dialectical model of buyer‐seller relationships

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on building and testing a model of buyer‐seller relationships from a dialectical perspective. It aims to provide both academics and managers with a better understanding of the relationships among the key relational variables in business settings. The model distinguishes four levels of social complexity (individual, interaction, relationship, and intergroup level) and includes the key relational variable for each level.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 151 French professional buyers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the validity of the measures. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The empirical test includes linear, non‐linear, moderating, and mediating effects testing.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of the study relate to the sample of respondents and the measurement scales. More precisely, the sample is based on a unique company's customer data file and a single informant source. Results confirm the hypothesized model and its four‐level structure.Practical implicationsThis study demonstrates that buyer relational orientation as well as seller expertise influence the course of business relationships. Although the necessity to train salespeople is obvious, the importance of training buyers is not as well documented. This study shows that they both need to be trained to manage business relationships appropriately.Originality/valueThis research examines the relationships among the key relational variables within a framework of four successive levels of explanation. It provides an alternative approach to studying business relationships.

Linking improvisational behavior to customer satisfaction: the relational dynamics

“…Rather, its effect may apply to a more planned and scripted selling setting. This is a surprising finding considering oft-alluded to assertions of links between the quality and cordiality of the salesperson-customer relationship and customer satisfaction (Dampérat and Jolibert, 2009;Mullins et al, 2014). It appears that in a cordial relationship, customers expect salespersons to act in their favour anyway (Crosby et al, 1990), which renders their interpretation of the improvisational effort to redeem emergencies a matter of course rather than something special.…”

“…In contrast, and as expected, salespersons tend to improvise more with customers with whom they share cordial relations. A key part of the boundary spanning salesperson's role in a B2B relationship is to ensure that relations with customers are kept at a rewarding level of equilibrium (Dampérat and Jolibert, 2009). This is particularly so with customers with whom there is the assurance of future business, by virtue of the positive state of prevailing relationships.…”

“…Relationship cordiality refers to a buyer's assessment that its interaction with a seller is friendly and pleasant. According to Dampérat and Jolibert (2009), a B2B relationship is deemed cordial when an industrial buyer perceives working with a given salesperson to be friendly and easy. Cordiality is critical in B2B relationships because without it, business relationships fail or risk failure.…”

“…We view such a perception as a potential driver of improvisation. Cordiality harmonizes the buyer seller relationship and reduces the risk of conflicts (Dampérat and Jolibert, 2009). That being the case, salespersons improvising should feel less threatened by the possibility of conflict should their response fail in its objective of addressing the customer's needs.…”

The ‘transaction X-ray’: understanding construction procurement

“…For this reason, it was decided to recruit only buyers. Dampérat and Jolibert (2009) observe that such an approach will inevitably introduce a certain bias but contend that it may be possible to mitigate this through the choice of appropriate research methods.…”