Title: Constituents of buyers' satisfaction in Puerto Rican business relationships

Authors: Juan Carlos Sosa Varela; Göran Svensson; Tore Mysen

Addresses: School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Turabo University, P.O. Box 3030, Gurabo, PR 00778-3030, Puerto Rico. ' Oslo School of Management, P.O. Box 1195, 0107 Sentrum, Oslo, Norway. ' Oslo School of Management, P.O. Box 1195, 0107 Sentrum, Oslo, Norway

Abstract: The objective of this study is to examine how relational, transactional and resource-dependence relationship dimensions influence buyers' non-economic satisfaction in Puerto Rican buyer-supplier relationships. The initial sampling frame comprises the 500 largest companies in Puerto Rico based upon revenue across multiple industries. Key informants on the buyer side were interviewed, using a mailed questionnaire. The response rate was 11%. A three step regression approach was conducted to analyse the results. The results indicate a high explanatory power of the tested dimensions affecting buyers' satisfaction. The analysis yields support to the argument that trust, cooperation, continuity and formalisation relate positively, and opportunism negatively, to buyers' non-economic satisfaction in Puerto Rican business relationships. This study of the constituents of buyers' satisfaction makes a contribution to theory since it proposes important relationship dimensions and measurement instrument for the benefit of other researchers and practitioners in the field.

Keywords: trust; relationship satisfaction; relationship quality; business relationships; cooperation; continuity; opportunism; buyers; suppliers; Puerto Rico; buyer-supplier relationship; customer satisfaction; formalisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJECRM.2012.048722

International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management, 2012 Vol.6 No.2, pp.193 - 215

Published online: 16 Aug 2014 *

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