Focusing on the issue of power as the main building block of relationships between business buyers and sellers, this book explains the complex nature of power with its multidimensional and multi-directional character.
As a complex construct, inter-firm power is treated as a matter of perception as well as in terms of total and relative power. The book analyses extensively the issue of power asymmetry with its dynamics and its consequences for business-to-business (B2B) relationships, particularly analyzing the dynamic mechanism of power. Various theoretical domains or research streams regarding managing an asymmetrical business relationship by the weaker partner are also examined. Based on the studies of other scholars as well as on the authors' own research, this book shows how weaker suppliers or buyers deal with high-power partners in business relationships and the approaches of more powerful parties to asymmetrical relationship development. Additionally, the book presents the specific nature of power in international B2B relationships, including its connection to culture and conflict, as well as how to handle power in managing export performance within international B2B relationships.
It is written for scholars and students who are interested in academic research concerning B2B marketing and B2B relationship marketing domains, specifically those who are interested in literature dealing with supply chain management, key account management, relationship portfolio management, distribution channel management and the network approach.
Dariusz Siemieniako is Associate Professor at Bialystok University of Technology and Kozminski University, both in Poland. His research focuses on interorganizational relationships versus social issues and also on B2B marketing, including power issues and collaborative innovation development. He published in quality journals including: Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research and Journal of Marketing Management. Dariusz serves as an associate editor or board member for several journals and, he is the founder and coordinator of the CID Group, an informal international network of researchers and journal editors. He was associated with Griffith University, Australia (2013-2019), most recently as Adjunct Associate Professor. He has 7 years of business practice working as a CEO, Board Member and Director of Business Development for several companies operating in international environment on B2B markets.
Maciej Mitręga is a professor at the University of Economics in Katowice, where he serves as chair professor of the Discipline Board for Management Science and head of the Organizational Relationship Management Department. The majority of his work focuses on dynamic capabilities, but he also studies a wide range of topics in strategy and business-to-business area. You can find his articles in periodicals such as the International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Long Range Planning Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research and International Marketing Review. In some of these journals Maciej serves as guest editor or board member. In 2010-2011, Maciej worked at Manchester Business School as a Marie Curie Research Fellow.
Hannu Makkonen is Professor of Marketing at School of Marketing and Communication at the University of Vaasa. His research interests lie in the areas of innovation management, innovation ecosystems, and value creation logics in industrial networks and relationships. His previous work has been published in e.g. Industrial Marketing Management, Technovation, Journal of Business Research, Marketing Theory, Journal of Service Management, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Management Decision, Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, Journal of Business Market Management, and Journal of Financial Services Marketing.
Gregor Pfajfar is an associate professor in the field of international business at School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana. His main area of research focuses on distribution channel conflicts and relationships in B2B markets, international marketing strategies, export performance and collaborative consumption. As a visiting professor he gave lectures at internationally high-ranked universities in England, Canada, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Croatia. He was a project leader or a team member for several applied projects in field of international business for selected international companies like P&G, IBM, BMW, Henkel, Gorenje, Elan, etc. His work was published in Industrial Marketing Management, International Marketing Review, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Business and Industrial marketing, European Journal of International Management, Journal of East European Management Studies among others.
