The nature of interfirm partnering in supply chain management

This paper conceptually integrates the antecedents and consequences of strategic and operational partnering. We suggest a continuum exists from strategic to operational partnering depending on the level of antecedents, orientation, and implementation. This paper, thus, expands the theory of partnering by providing an inclusive picture of the "partnering" phenomenon with the environmental pressures, antecedents, orientation, implementation, and consequences of strategic and operational partnering for vertical relationships within retail supply chains.