SUPPLIER RELATIONAL BEHAVIOR - AN EMPIRICAL-ASSESSMENT

This study examines relational behavior in business markets, focusing specifically on the extent to which relational behavior by suppliers i nfluences the quality of their relationships with buyers as well as th eir sales performance with those buyers. Findings from a study involvi ng 454 organizations suggest that several relational behaviors have a significant influence on relationship quality, and that relationship q uality, in turn, has a significant influence on the share of business enjoyed by suppliers. Interestingly the effects of both relational beh avior and relationship quality depend on the age of the buyer-supplier relationship as well as the importance of the supplier's offering. (C ) Elsevier Science Inc., 1997.