An Empirical Investigation on the Dyad Perspective of Buyer-Seller Relationships in Australian Regional Agribusinesses

Abstract

The research reported in this study investigated how agribusinesses in Australian regional setting evaluate their existing business relationships and identifying the areas for improvement. These areas were examined in terms of the variables of the five-stage buyer-seller relationships development process from the existing literature and this was achieved through a series of 24 in-depth interviews conducted with 12 agribusinesses from a dyadic perspective. The findings revealed that at the early stages of the relationship, organisations were concern with achieving product and service quality whilst trust, commitments, co-operation, social and structural bonds were regarded as more critical in the later stages of the relationship, to the development of a close long-term relationship. The research findings also highlighted eight areas for improvement in a buyer-seller relationship that could vary in their relevance and importance at each level of the relationship. Keywords: Buyer-Seller Relationships, Business-to-Business, Agribusiness, Australia