Double Trouble or Dynamic Duo? Navigating Upstream and Downstream B2B Relationships in Supply Chains
(A2025-130135)

AUTHORS

Mornay Roberts-Lombard, Department of Management & Entrepreneurship, University of the Western Cape; Jyh-Liang Guan, National Ilan University, Taiwan; Göran Svensson, School of Communication, Leadership and Marketing, Kristiania University College, Oslo

ABSTRACT

The study investigates the collaborative circumstances surrounding key relationship quality dimensions such as cooperation, coordination, continuity, opportunism, and conflict in B2B relationships. A dual approach has been applied by considering the B2B relationships of focal firms in the context of a specific supplier and customer in Taiwan. Two key informants have been used in each focal firm. The study established that there are many similarities between the perceived collaborative circumstances in focal firms’ upstream and downstream B2B relationships, while there are marginal differences in the studied Taiwanese supply chains. As such, the study provides industry practitioners with actionable strategies to manage supply chain relationships efficiently in an increasingly complex marketplace. It applies a not often used dual approach to shed light on focal firms’ collaborative circumstances upstream with suppliers and downstream with customers.