TY - JOUR
T1 - Evolution of B2B relationship stages in China
T2 - A study of confucianism philosophy
AU - Liu, Paul C.Y.
AU - Yuan, Russa
AU - Luo, Jun
AU - Balaji, M. S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - This study aims to explore the development of business relationships from an interactional perspective, which challenges the conventional time-based view in Western contexts. Twenty in-depth interviews with Chinese SME managers reveal the uniqueness and importance of the operationalization of Confucian virtues, the guiding principles, and mechanisms for social interactions and trading practice, in developing Chinese business to business (B2B) relationship stages (i.e., discernment, authentication, stabilization, and decoupling). Given the role of Confucian virtues and their dynamics for the development of business relationships, we further argue that the evolution of a relationship depends on the shifts in concerns of transactional and relational governances among business partners. Our propositions advance the literature by showing that distinct constructions of Confucian virtues mark a vantage point for business operators and practitioners in formulating effective B2B relationship strategies in China, and raising future research questions of the impacts from sub-evolutions in Confucian virtues on B2B relationships.
AB - This study aims to explore the development of business relationships from an interactional perspective, which challenges the conventional time-based view in Western contexts. Twenty in-depth interviews with Chinese SME managers reveal the uniqueness and importance of the operationalization of Confucian virtues, the guiding principles, and mechanisms for social interactions and trading practice, in developing Chinese business to business (B2B) relationship stages (i.e., discernment, authentication, stabilization, and decoupling). Given the role of Confucian virtues and their dynamics for the development of business relationships, we further argue that the evolution of a relationship depends on the shifts in concerns of transactional and relational governances among business partners. Our propositions advance the literature by showing that distinct constructions of Confucian virtues mark a vantage point for business operators and practitioners in formulating effective B2B relationship strategies in China, and raising future research questions of the impacts from sub-evolutions in Confucian virtues on B2B relationships.
KW - B2B relationship
KW - Confucianism
KW - Five virtues
KW - Relational governance
KW - Transactional governance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85123589246&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.04.008
DO - 10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.04.008
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85123589246
SN - 0019-8501
VL - 96
SP - 1
EP - 17
JO - Industrial Marketing Management
JF - Industrial Marketing Management
ER -