BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION

The B2B relationship with a quality approach

Luca Giraldi - Elena Cedrola

Objectives. This paper proposes a qualitative approach, based on heuristics, to assess the quality of B2B relationships between SMSs, according to the Relational Capability (RC) framework proposed by Alves et al. (2016).

Methodology. A total of 56 Relationship Quality Descriptors were defined. Each descriptor was extrapolated from the definitions of RC features proposed in the literature.

Findings. The proposed approach was applied to the case study of a real relationship between SMEs. The experimental results suggested that it could support the understanding of how specific characteristics of a relationship can affect the success of jointly produced products.

Research limits. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of this methodology. The limitation of this approach lies in the lack of weights used in the scoring of descriptors. Because some descriptors or dimensions are probably more important than others, further studies have to be carried out to better analyse mutual relations of the considered RC domains and the respective features, and to understand their relative importance in determining the quality of business relationships.

Practical implications. The proposed approach can be helpful to enhance the analysis and understanding of the nature of relationships and underline the aspects most related to power-dependence situations, which may compromise synergy between partners and negatively affect the success of the alliance.

The originality of the study. Despite several studies that have attempted to propose constructs and scale items useful to measure the RC, no method has yet been proposed that can support the general evaluation of the RC according to an RC framework.

#B2B #business relationship #business relationship assessment #dyadic relationships #relational capabilities #the relationship between SMEs