Research on Ending Exchange Relationships: A Categorization, Assessment and Outlook

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.

The bonding effects of relationship value and switching costs in industrial buyer–seller relationships: An investigation into role differences

“…First, searching for alternatives takes a different meaning from a supplier's standpoint. Sellers are more likely to search for alternative customers in order to stabilize, broaden or complement their customer base, rather than to switch and "replace" existing customers (Tähtinen & Halinen, 2002). Hence, overall intentions to search for alternatives would be stronger for sellers than for buyers.…”

Mixed interpretations of sales proposal signals

“…Third, scholars have exhorted that more post-hoc assessments of buyer decisions are needed after relational outcomes are determined because buyers' attitudinal evaluations and behavioral intentions do not seamlessly align with their actual behaviors (Tähtinen and Halinen 2002). However, past research investigating relational outcomes (e.g.…”

“…Since sellers' and buyers' perspectives regarding relationships do not seamlessly converge (Autry, Williams, and Moncrief 2013;Chakrabarty, Brown, and Widing 2013;Tähtinen and Halinen 2002;Tuli, Kohli, and Bharadwaj 2007;Wathne, Biong, and Heide 2001) and the buyer's perspective on sellers' relationship development efforts is sparsely present in the literature, scholars have often posed challenging questions such as what is really important to buyers (Gonzalez, Douglas Hoffman, and Ingram 2005) and why do buyerseller relationships falter or sustain over time (Guenzi, Pardo, and Georges 2007;Morgan and Hunt 1994). Drawn from these lingering challenges, our research asks the questions -how do buyers attend to and interpret seller signals while evaluating sales proposals and how do various contextual conditions influence the valence of these signals.…”

“…As a consequence, conceptual ambiguity exists because sellers' and buyers' perspectives regarding relationships do not seamlessly converge (Tähtinen and Halinen 2002;Tuli, Kohli, and Bharadwaj 2007;Wathne, Biong, and Heide 2001). Consequently, not all of sellers' seemingly well-intentioned relational activities may be viewed in a positive light by buyers.…”

“…choice of seller) are separate evaluations. Therefore, research is needed that uncovers buyers' assessments of seller signals after relational outcomes have been determined (Tähtinen and Halinen 2002) in order to identify how buyers evaluate and rationalize specific elements of the seller's bid signals, which, in turn, results in their actual selection or rejection decision.…”