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This paper aims to investigate the relation between technological innovation modes and their impact on eco-efficiency of industrial enterprises in China.

This paper first constructs a model to evaluate and measure the eco-efficiency of industrial enterprises in China from 2006 to 2010. Second, this paper compares the role of technological innovation modes – specifically, domestic independent innovation, foreign technology import and domestic technology transfer – in improving eco-efficiency of industrial enterprises in the Eastern, Central and Western regions of China by logarithmic regression.

The study finds that domestic independent innovation has a positive significant influence in improving eco-efficiency of industrial enterprises in the Eastern region; domestic technology transfer has a positive significant role in the Central region; and foreign technology import and domestic technology transfer positively affect the Western region.

This paper is the first to identify the role of technological innovation modes in improving eco-efficiency. The findings can help enterprises in the three regions adopt the most effective technological innovation mode. In addition, the results provide valuable insights into policy development to improve China’s overall eco-efficiency and to balance economic and industrial development among the three regions.

The paper aims to present how relationship value is created and how it influences the existing buyer‐supplier relationship and the buyer's performance. It seeks to introduce the construct of business relationship function to analyze why the business relationship is valuable and to investigate the links between business relationship function, relationship quality and buyer's performance. Moreover, it aims to investigate whether the availability of alternative suppliers changes the influence of business relationship function on relationship quality.

A questionnaire survey was conducted in 239 manufacturing firms in north‐west China, and the hyphotheses were tested using a structural equation model with LISREL software.

The results indicate that business relationship function has a direct as well as an indirect effect on buyer's performance through the mediating effect of relationship quality. The study also finds that business relationship function has a stronger influence on relationship quality than it does on buyer's performance. Moreover, the availability of alternative suppliers will weaken the influence of business relationship function on relationship quality.

This study concentrates on only the direct functions of business relationships and the indirect functions are neglected. Future studies should investigate the direct function as well as the indirect function, and the dynamic nature of business relationships should be considered.

The study suggests that managers should develop and maintain long‐term relationships through the fulfillment of business relationship functions. The role of function fulfillment is even more important when there is competition among alternative suppliers.

The study provides a sound agenda for future research on supply chain management and industrial marketing, and has important implications for practising managers, especially in the Chinese context and other similar developing countries.