Paper info

ASYMMETRICAL AND SYMMETRICAL CUSTOMER-SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS: CONTRASTS, EVOLUTION AND STRATEGY

David Ford and Rhona Johnsen

The paper was published at the 17th IMP-conference in Oslo, Norway in 2001.

This paper offers a typology that distinguishes between three types of customersupplierrelationships, namely asymmetrical customer-dominated and supplierdominatedrelationships and more symmetrical relationships. A conceptual frameworkthat identifies strategic relationship alternatives for small and medium-sized firms inasymmetrical relationships is presented, and the type of knowledge, learning andcapabilities that may drive the development of more symmetrical relationships areidentified and discussed. The framework draws on the relationship and networkconcepts of the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) group (e.g. Ford et al,1997; Håkansson, and Snehota, 1998; Håkansson, 1987)