Construction of meanings in business relationships and networks

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address an issue related to the role of interaction processes in the development of customer-supplier relationships in business markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Focusing on the role of cognition in interaction behaviours in business relationships, the authors examine two research streams that offer perspectives on interaction processes akin to the IMP – the socio-cognitive perspective and the practice-based approach to markets and marketing.

Findings

The two research streams analysed contribute to understanding the link between cognition and interaction behaviours by pointing to the construction of meanings as an important factor in interaction behaviours and indicating storytelling as a tool to construct meanings among the actors.

Originality/value

This paper is among the few studies that focus the attention on communication processes in business relationships and networks.

Citation

La Rocca, A., Snehota, I. and Trabattoni, C. (2015), "Construction of meanings in business relationships and networks", IMP Journal, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 163-176. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMP-05-2015-0017