The buyer–seller relationship: a literature synthesis on dynamic perspectives

Abstract

Purpose Contemporary scholars contend that the buyer–seller relationship is dynamic in nature, so it grows, matures and declines over time. However, most studies that adopt the dynamic perspective debates its conceptualization and how dynamic effects are captured. This scholarly discourse has led to multiple dynamic perspectives and resulted in fragmented and scattered literature on the subject. This study aims to synthesize the large body of research on dynamic perspectives in a systematic way. Design/methodology/approach This paper follows a systematic review approach to extract and review 192 research articles from four electronic databases: Web of Science, EBSCOhost Business, ScienceDirect and Emerald. Based on the inclusion criteria that the articles examine time-dependent relationship development in light of a generalizable dynamic perspective, 61 articles were selected for the final examination and reporting. Findings This review reveals that most research on the buyer–seller dynamic relationship follows at least one of four perspectives: the relationship lifecycle, relationship age, relationship velocity and the asymmetric–dynamic perspective. Each perspective offers a distinct conceptualization of relationship development and has certain advantages that enable researchers to capture information about relationships’ growth trajectory in a unique manner. Practical implications Firms need a set of diverse strategies for their customers, depending on the state of the relationships’ development, as strategies that pay off at initial levels may fail at later stages. This study helps managers select an appropriate dynamic perspective that best aligns with their customers’ stage of relationship development so they can devise customized relationship-management strategies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this article is the first attempt to organize the discourse of a large body of research on dynamic perspectives, and therefore it helps academicians and practitioners to choose the dynamic perspective that best suits their objectives and research settings. This review documents key research areas that have been overlooked and highlights opportunities for future research.

Impact of digital technology on velocity of B2B buyer-supplier relationship development

“…Its effect on sales performance is also greater than that of the level of commitment (Palmatier et al , 2013). In their study of the dynamic perspectives of buyer-seller relationships, Hussain et al (2020) identified the relationship velocity perspective. They found that the velocity perspective of buyer-seller relationship development can empower marketing managers to devise appropriate strategies to increase performance as relationships develop.…”

“…In particular, they focus on the rate and direction of change in commitment. Additional support for examining the impact of DT on the speed of relationship development is provided by psychological research, which indicates that people project trends and make decisions based on them (Johnson et al , 2005; Sahin et al , 2016; Hussain et al , 2020).…”

“…Commitment speed increases when organizations detect positive business opportunities. The importance of velocity in relationship development was also noted by Hussain et al (2020). Cagliano et al (2021) stated that as digital supply chain technologies evolve, other issues related to the structure and behaviors of SCs should be studied.…”

The role of co-creation experience in engaging customers with service brands

“…Consumer-brand relationship is becoming the mainstay of marketing research (Centeno et al, 2019;Coelho et al, 2019;Hussain et al, 2020), where EBA helps brands to maintain sustainable relational bonds with customers (Torres et al, 2020). EBA is conceptualized as the emotion-laden relationship of consumers with the brand that minimizes their switching behavior (Torres et al, 2020;Vlachos et al, 2010).…”

Digitalization of the buyer–seller relationship in the steel industry

“…Megatrend of digitalization has altered also buyer–seller relationships. Buyer–seller relationships, under different theoretical concepts such as relationships, channels, and supply chains, have been, and continue to be, one of the central areas of research in industrial marketing (Reid and Plank, 2000; Hussain et al , 2020). Several scholars have researched how different digital technologies and tools alter and influence different aspects of buyer–seller relationships (Mathews and Wilson, 1974; Stern and Kaufmann, 1985; Salo, 2012; Salo and Wendelin, 2013).…”