Alternative retailer-partner relationships: the role of satisfaction

Although some researchers examine the influences of the relationship between a retailer and its partner, they tend to focus on presenting the differences of impact levels among the influences, or their changeability, despite agreement among researchers that a longitudinal perspective of focusing on process models advances understanding of the relationship and its practical implications. Consequently, this research attempts to build an alternative model of understanding Business-to-Business ('B2B') relationship process, where satisfaction is a key mediator between antecedents of both commitment and trust. This empirical testing supports the alternative theorisation of the role of satisfaction as a cornerstone of building a successful relationship by showing that satisfaction is directly related to trust when all of these constructs are considered collectively. This study provides a possible alternative of B2B relationship process, which enables marketers to capture the mediating role of satisfaction between antecedents and outcomes in the development of the relationship process.