Typology of business relationships using buyers’ and suppliers’ perceptions

This paper focuses on the perception of the business relationship values in a dyadic approach. An overview of the related literature provides a good basis for conceptualization. The Integrated Business Relationship Value Model was chosen as a concept of the research; therefore, this paper presents the validation of the constructs of this model using the PLS-SEM software for the sample of 174 respondents. Based on the model, a survey regarding the economic and social values of the relationship was conducted with the supplier and buyer side of the dyads. The results of the analysis provide a description of the perceptions of both sides of the relationship based on the economic and social value constructs. The results also provide a segmentation of the sample based on value perceptions. We found three segments of behavior using the dual perception approach: (1) In “matching segment” relationships, the perception of the relationship is similar on the both sides; (2) In “happy supplier segment” relationships, the perceptions are different, and the relationship is more valuable for the supplier; (3) In “happy buyer segment” relationships, the relationship is more valuable for the buyer. This article contributes both the conceptualization and the typology of dyadic relationships. The results show that approximately 48 percent of the investigated relationships are mismatched, which indicates a need for greater focus on the evaluation of relationships in practical business management processes.