Value‐creation initiatives in buyer‐seller relationships
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and explore important value‐creation initiatives in buyer‐seller relationships (BSRs).
Design/methodology/approach
Following a literature review and the presentation of an appropriate conceptual framework, an exploratory study of 14 BSRs in a variety of European industries is undertaken using in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with key informants.
Findings
The findings justify a distinction being drawn between two types of value‐creation initiatives: those that are important in transaction‐based arrangements (in which efficiency is paramount); and those that are important in interaction‐based relationships (in which effectiveness is paramount). Of the ten value‐creation initiatives identified in the literature review, seven were found to be of importance in the BSRs of the present sample.
Research limitations/implications
Despite genuine attempts to select a heterogeneous sample, most of the data did come from sellers. Future studies could look more deeply into buyer data to explore these issues in BSRs.
Practical implications
The paper provides managers with practical guidance on the selection of appropriate value‐creation initiatives in various types of BSRs.
Originality/value
The paper reports the first known empirical study of value‐creation initiatives in BSRs.
Keywords
Citation
Hammervoll, T. and Toften, K. (2010), "Value‐creation initiatives in buyer‐seller relationships", European Business Review, Vol. 22 No. 5, pp. 539-555. https://doi.org/10.1108/09555341011068930
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited