An Exploratory Study of Satisfaction in Buyer-Seller Partnerships

Abstract

This qualitative study explores buyer-seller partnerships from both sides of the dyad. Multiple participants from the buyer and seller firms in three business-to-business partnerships were asked to describe how they perceived that partnership and why they perceived it that way. A conceptual framework with buyer and seller satisfaction as the focal consequence evolved from the data analysis. The categories that comprise the framework are defined and supported with exemplars from the data. The relationships between the categories are explored, and a higher level generalization of the framework is developed. Contributions to the field and managerial implications are identified and discussed, as are limitations of the study and opportunities for future research.