Process-based relational perspective: A framework for buyer-supplier interactions

Buyer-supplier relationships and interactions between the two parties have long been a popular topic of industrial marketing and purchasing. This paper proposes a process-based framework for buyer-supplier interactions from a dyadic relational perspective, with focus on the buyer side, and derives managerial implications for business practice. This paper is based on the interaction approach of IMP group and argues that the purchasing and marketing processes are interactive and each step of the respective process is done in sync with the other processes. This process interaction is thereby illuminated at both strategic and functional levels. At the strategic level, purchasing strategies of the buying company are developed from the relational perspective. At the functional level, the characteristics of process interaction during the different purchasing process stages are analyzed, integrating two perspectives: direct and indirect interaction types and degrees of interaction involvement. Managerial implications are then discussed. followed by conclusions and further research suggestions.