Industrial manufacturer–customer relationships: The discriminating role of the buying situation

An attempt is made to establish a link between the alternative buying situations that an industrial seller may encounter and the atmosphere governing working relationships with customers in each situation. Based on a study conducted among 122 Greek industrial producers, it was revealed that indeed the atmosphere governing their relationships with organizational buyers differs markedly by buying situation. Analytically, it was found that, as opposed to new buying situations, those of a routine nature are characterized by greater dependence, trust, and understanding, but lower distance and uncertainty. Moreover, the more unchanged the buying situation is, the higher the level of adaptation, commitment, communication, and cooperation in the working relationship, while conflict is higher under conditions of modified rebuy. Furthermore, the level of both social and financial satisfaction derived from the working relationship tends to be higher in the case of straight rebuy than in modified rebuy or new-task buying situations.