Technological turbulence, supplier market orientation, and buyer satisfaction

The channel literature suggests that building a close relationship with key partners is one of the key strategies that channel members use to overcome the challenges of a changing environment. However, such a strategy may be ineffective when high technological turbulence exists in the buyer's market. This study focuses on the buyer's perspective in channel relationships and examines the buyer's satisfaction with outcomes resulting from engaging in relationships with a supplier. The results show that a buyer's performance is enhanced when a buyer develops a close relationship with a supplier whom it perceives to be market oriented but that a close relationship becomes detrimental to performance when technological turbulence increases. These findings suggest that managers need to be aware of the effect of technological turbulence and be alert in managing close relationships even with market-oriented suppliers.