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Business to business relationships: the paradox of network constraints?

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  • Ballantyne, David
  • Williams, John

Abstract

The marketing significance of consumer and business relationships was reclaimed in the 1990s when relationship marketing came into its own as a field of marketing inquiry. This article contributes to the current debate about the scope of relationship marketing and especially the meaning of network relationships. This question is discussed in a business to business context, using the network approach of the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) group as a lens. We critique three relationship ‘paradoxes’ (Håkansson and Ford, 2002) which appear to place limits on managerial action in networks. These paradoxes are considered from alternative viewpoints in order to attempt a resolution to the logical conundrum they present. We conclude that Håkansson and Ford's paradoxes indeed signal a range of constraints on managerial independence but the situation is far from paradoxical. We offer suggestions for cognitive mapping of relationships within the knowable network at the level of the firm and call for an ontological shift in understanding firm-level strategies in the network context.

Suggested Citation

  • Ballantyne, David & Williams, John, 2008. "Business to business relationships: the paradox of network constraints?," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 95-107.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:aumajo:v:16:y:2008:i:1:p:95-107
    DOI: 10.1016/S1441-3582(08)70008-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wilkinson, Ian & Young, Louise, 2002. "On cooperating: firms, relations and networks," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 123-132, February.
    2. Wilkinson, Ian & Young, Louise, 2002. "Marketing theory in the next millennium: Looking backwards and forwards," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 81-85, February.
    3. Hakansson, Hakan & Ford, David, 2002. "How should companies interact in business networks?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 133-139, February.
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