https://www.mdu.se/

mdu.sePublications
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
The impact of discontinuity on firms' business relationship behaviour
Uppsala University.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9009-3575
Mälardalen University, School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7438-2764
Uppsala University.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3322-437X
2012 (English)In: European Business Review, ISSN 0955-534X, E-ISSN 1758-7107, Vol. 24, no 2, p. 134-150Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Purpose: With a comparative aim, the purpose of this paper is to challenge the general assumption behind relationship longevity. The question under attention is whether firms' relationship of a discontinuous nature is different from continuous relationships and if so what this diversity entails. In the essay, a conceptual view is developed and tested statistically. The ambition is to add new knowledge to the field of business relationships. Design/methodology/approach: The essay's theoretical foundation rests on relationship theory and employs the four relationship behaviour elements of trust, commitment, cooperation and adaptation. Differences/similarities in the effects among these elements are tested for two types of relationships, i.e. those of continuous and discontinuous exchange, using data from 353 Swedish firms. Findings: The results show that a firm's behaviour in continuous relationships rests on incremental change, in the sense that the relationship elements of trust, commitment, cooperation and adaptation display sequential and progressive effects. This supports the common notion of a gradual strengthening of the business relationship resulting in longevity. Contrary to this, a firm's behaviour in discontinuous relationships is guided by the level of trust, which thus forms the base for the remaining elements. The absence of incremental change in the relationship behaviour and the pivotal role of trust mean that these relationships are weaker and are faced with interruptions and interference from competitors. Thereby business firms are confronted with different marketing challenges. The differences in the relationship behaviour of the two types signify that the view of relationships indeed needs advancement. Originality/value: Falling from a continuous to a discontinuous business relationship is becoming more common due to reasons such as market crises, business or firm crisis or because of the nature of the businesses as such. While earlier research studied the relationships' continuity and discontinuity separately, this paper enriches the earlier efforts and compares the two types. Understanding the differences between the two types of relationship can enrich the knowledge, not only for researchers but also for business managers.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2012. Vol. 24, no 2, p. 134-150
Keywords [en]
Adaptation, Business cycles, Channel relationships, Commitment, Cooperation, Market crisis, Project marketing, Sweden, Trust
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-17897DOI: 10.1108/09555341211204008Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84857733208OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-17897DiVA, id: diva2:588351
Available from: 2013-01-15 Created: 2013-01-15 Last updated: 2017-12-06Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textScopus

Authority records

Hadjikhani, A.Lindh, CeciliaThilenius, Peter

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Hadjikhani, A.Lindh, CeciliaThilenius, Peter
By organisation
School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology
In the same journal
European Business Review
Social Sciences

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 100 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf