Social Exchange Theory and Research on Business-to-Business Relational Exchange

Customer attractiveness, supplier satisfaction and preferred customer status: Introduction, definitions and an overarching framework

“…The core explanatory mechanism of social exchange theory revolves around the relational interdependence that develops over time through the interactions of the resource exchange partners; thus, this theory is particularly suited to a business-to-business context (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005;Dwyer, et al, 1987;Hallen, et al, 1991;Lambe, et al, 2001). …”

“…The discrepancies between the supplier's expectations and the value that is actually obtained through an exchange relationship determine the level of satisfaction that is experienced by the supplier (Wilson, 1995). Because there are costs that are associated with participating in an exchange relationship, social exchange theory suggests that parties will only remain in the relationship as long as satisfactory rewards continue to surpass a minimum comparison level (Homans, 1958;Lambe, et al, 2001). In accordance with this reasoning, the importance of supplier satisfaction in the discussion of what factors determine the suppliers' decisionmaking processes should be emphasized.…”

“…Both Cl and Cl alt must be considered with respect to the development and maintenance of sound relationships, as the outcomes of a relationship (considered as a whole) must be superior to the outcomes that are available from alternative partners (Anderson & Narus, 1984). Over time, each party in the exchange relationship compares the outcomes from their interactions to the outcomes that are available from exchange alternatives (Lambe, et al, 2001). Thus, supplier satisfaction is revealed as a necessary but not sufficient condition for the determination of the customer's status.…”

The evolution of university–industry linkages—A framework

“…Research-oriented UILs fit this categorization, in that they unite a research provider and customer, who collaboratively work toward mutually beneficial outcomes. Many evolution models, commonly divided into stages and states theories (Rao and Perry, 2002), rely on social exchange theory (Blau, 1986;Thibaut and Kelly, 1959), which states that actors evaluate their contributions and the outcomes of an initial interaction to determine the extent of future interactions and whether they will develop relational norms, trust, and other relational success drivers (Lambe et al, 2001). …”

The competition for supplier resources

“…As stipulated in social exchange theory, interactions between partners are regulated on norms of reciprocity that are based on the expectations of giving and receiving relational benefits (Lambe, Wittmann & Spekman, 2001). In this way, customer attractiveness can help buying firms obtain better resources because the extent to which suppliers expect value from a relationship might induce them to allocate resources to that relationship.…”