Power in Business Relationships: Dynamics, Strategies and Internationalisation

Focusing  on the issue of power as the main building block of relationships  between business buyers and sellers, this book explains the complex  nature of power with its multidimensional and multi-directional  character. 

As a complex construct, inter-firm power  is treated as a matter of perception as well as in terms of total and  relative power. The book analyses extensively the issue of power  asymmetry with its dynamics and its consequences for  business-to-business (B2B) relationships, particularly analyzing the  dynamic mechanism of power. Various theoretical domains or research  streams regarding managing an asymmetrical business relationship by the  weaker partner are also examined. Based on the studies of other scholars  as well as on the authors' own research, this book shows how weaker  suppliers or buyers deal with high-power partners in business  relationships and the approaches of more powerful parties to  asymmetrical relationship development. Additionally, the book presents  the specific nature of power in international B2B relationships,  including its connection to culture and conflict, as well as how to  handle power in managing export performance within international B2B  relationships. 

It is written for scholars and  students who are interested in academic research concerning B2B  marketing and B2B relationship marketing domains, specifically those who  are interested in literature dealing with supply chain management, key  account management, relationship portfolio management, distribution  channel management and the network approach.