Customer attractiveness - The relevance of attraction in dyadic relationships in a business context

Abstract

Main purpose of this research paper is to deepen in buyer supplier relationships and its correct management by means of an extensive literature review and a compound model. More specifically, with the assistance of a worldwide data and a statistical computer program it is developed a conceptual scheme of five terms delimited in business to business context. This thesis falls within the International Purchasing Survey project which at present time works with Politecnico di Milano among other universities. As a matter of fact, this project collects information from markets and later interprets it to solve ongoing difficulties of firms. By doing so, this institution makes significant efforts to contribute to a better understanding of purchasing and its related details. Though this collaboration it is possible to acquire a verified list of aspects buyers should attach importance whether they desire to improve their relationships and achieve several positive effects in performances. Particularly, to do reach this goal, it has been proposed a set of constructs (i.e. attraction, trust, adaptation, communication, innovation) and analyzed its appropriation considering how partners interact in this kind of environments. Note that this article is built assuming its inclusion in a global collection of other studies and as a consequence it bears in mind the possibility of future revisions or amplifications by other researchers. Concrete methodology employed consists in (1) exploration of the area of analysis by testing suppliers’ relevance in success of buying companies, (2) reflexion on the concept and elements of attraction, (3) revision of trust, adaptation, communication and innovation in a fixed structure, (4) definition of the research framework, formalising hypotheses as well as model and describing data, measures and methods of analysis and (5) closure with results and conclusions. After all investigations, it has been corroborated the implementation of particular drivers to be perceived as attractive and positive effects of attraction to achieve innovation. Consequently, this thesis reinforces role of attraction illustrating its potential and at the same time encourages buyers to apply strategies in this direction.