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 influences the quality of their relationships with buyers as well as their sales performance with those buyers. Findings from a study involving 454 organizations suggest that several relational behaviors have a significant influence on relationship quality, and that relationship quality, in turn, has a significant influence on the share of business enjoyed by suppliers. Interestingly the effects of both relational behavior 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.