Social exchange theory in B2B relations: An exploration of the mechanisms generating cooperation – A dyadic multiple case study

    Project Details

    Academic description

    In a world dependent on global trade, understanding how to
    maintain and improve the complex B2B networks required
    is vital. For example, investigations concerning strong
    buyer-supplier relationships (Palmatier, Dant, & Grewal,
    2007, Morgan & Hunt, 1994; Yen & Barnes, 2011).
    Importantly, many researchers adress that value is not just
    transferred from the supplier to the buyer, but is created in
    the relationship (Goffin et al., 2006; Hald et al., 2009; 2010;
    Hartmann et al., 2014, Tanskanen 2015). Consequently,
    researchers have increasingly been attentive to the
    exchange asymmetry occurring in such relationships due to
    differences in what value creation means among the buyer
    and seller in the B2B scenario although the research is still
    at it early stage and how the roles interact remains unclear
    (, Cropanzano & Mitchell ,2005 ;Tanskanen, 2015). Pertinent
    to our intended study, Lussier and Hall (2018) investigated
    antecedents for cooperation in B2B relationship from a
    dyadic perspective, suggesting that future research could
    investigate sector-specific relationships focusing on
    bespoke characteristics that affect various B2B
    stakeholders’ perceptions of how cooperative other
    stakeholders are.
    Our proposal builds from the work of Tanskanen (2015) and
    Lussier & Hall (2018) by applying Social Exchange Theory
    (SET) to explore mechanisms leading to asymmetry in
    exchanges within the context of a producer distributor
    network in the emerging and prosperous 3D printing
    industry. Multiple-case dyadic study of China-based global
    top 3D printing material manufacturer ESUN and its worldwide network of over 40 distributors is proposed.
    Short titleSET in B2B relations
    StatusFinished
    Effective start/end date1/09/2131/10/22

    Funding

    • Academy of Marketing

    UN Sustainable Development Goals

    In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This project contributes towards the following SDG(s):

    • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

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