Authors: Ghasem Zaefarian; Peter Naude; Stephen Henneberg
Abstract: This study applies a configuration theoretic approach to understand the interplay
between business relationship structure and resource acquisition strategy, a crucial topic of
business marketing practice. It is hypothesised that business relationships make their greatest
contributions to both relationship performance and overall firm performance when the
structure of a business relationship is accurately aligned with the strategic intent behind
developing that relationship. Hypotheses are tested using the data collected from 658
marketing managers of services industries in the US. A profile deviation analysis indicates
that the more similar configurations of relationship characteristics are to those of the top
performing firms for their given resource acquisition strategy type, the higher is both their
relationship performance and their overall firm performance. Several managerial implications
are provided.
Key Words: Configuration Theory, Business Relationship, Strategic Fit, and Resource
Acquisition Strategy
Journal: ( – )
Web Address:
Publish Year:
Conference: Glasgow, Scotland (2011)