A typology of supplier relations: from determinism to pluralism in inter-firm empirical research

In a survey of 196 buyer–supplier relationships in the UK printing industry, eight constructs regarding performance, trust and governance were operationalised. The paper presents the results of a correlation analysis and a cluster analysis. Both yield meaningful results, but the typology of supplier relations obtained by cluster analysis gives more pluralistic and practically relevant insights than the deterministic findings of correlation analysis. Buyers are classified as one of three types: traditional wary traders, committed flexible partners or controlled routine partners. There is a significant positive correlation between performance and trust, of which variance in governance is independent. Implications for management and further research are discussed.