This research is about the ending of business relationships: what that is, why it happens, and how an extant relationship dissolves. Ending of buyer-seller relationships has very recently attracted increased research attention. This article adds to the existing knowledge by developing a process model to understand, in particular, how dissolution advances in a professional service context. The model aims to attend the major shortcomings of existing research and distinguishes three conceptual categories: the type of relationship and its ending, the factors that influence the process, and the ending process per se. It is concluded that the ending process is always both temporally and contextually embedded and to a significant degree actordriven; a picture of idiosyncrasy rather than deterministic development. The article ends by discussing managerial implications and making suggestions for future research.

Interorganisational buyer-seller relationships have been primarily studied from the perspective of relationship development and the benefits accrued from relationships. There is a lack of research concerning problems with relationships and relationship dissolution. The dissolution of a business relationship can be either desirable, freeing badly deployed resources, as indicated by the customer portfolio approach, or harmful, involving costly legal disputes and the loss of company reputation. By employing a theory-driven case study approach we examine the exit strategies available for the disengager in dissolving interorganisational buyer-seller relationships. We show that the quality of dissolution is affected by the disengager's choice of exit strategy. Managerial suggestions are provided for achieving``beautiful exits'', i.e. such communication strategies which minimise damages of the dissolution to the disengager, the other party, and the connected business network.

No abstract

No abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss business relationships drawing to an end, and the reasons why company managers should attempt to restore the relationship instead of terminating it.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies a qualitative method and in‐depth interviews with companies in the North Sea oil industry.FindingsThe paper offers two contributions. First, it suggests an empirically grounded categorization of attenuating factors, i.e. the reasons to restore a relationship. Second, the categorization is extended to attenuating analysis, through which the value of the troubled relationship can be clarified. Thereafter, if the relationship is considered worth restoring, the managers may actively engage in restoring actions.Research limitations/implicationsBecause this study is limited to one business setting, future research applying the attenuating analysis to other industries by using action research is suggested.Practical implicationsThe study improves the awareness of inter‐organizational risk, enhances the manager's ability to assess the risk of losing a core relationship, and implements a method to reduce this risk. Troubled but valuable business relationships can be saved by applying the suggested attenuating analysis.Originality/valueTo one's knowledge, this is the first study that both systematically identifies the reasons for not leaving a business partner, and provides a practical framework for restoring a relationship based on the attenuating factors.

No abstract

This paper reviews and assesses previous research concerning the ending of exchange relationships. In recent years, the different aspects of ending, for instance exiting a relationship, switching relationships and the dissolution or termination of a relationship, have received increasing attention from researchers. Both the volume of published articles and the number of emerging theoretical approaches in the area have been growing. We welcome this development and wish to take part in it by providing an analytical overview of the state of this research. In a strongly evolving research area such a review is particularly needed in order to disseminate ideas across theoretical boundaries and to guide theory development. With regard to the 48 published articles on relationship ending, we will examine five major issues: the focus of research, its disciplinary background, terminology used, methodological approach and key findings. Avenues for future research are suggested on the basis of the analysis.

No abstract