Enhancement of trust in the export management company‐supplier relationship through e‐business

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to posit that the supplier‐export management company relationship suffers from mutual trust deficit, which if lowered can act as a catalyst toward mitigating their relational problems. The study offers e‐business strategies to enhance trust between the parties. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a conceptual work. It looks at the supplier‐EMC relationship problem from a balanced stance, deciphers the underlying causes, and offers responsive e‐business strategies to enhance trust between the parties. In this context, the study first describes the supplier‐EMC relations over time prior to the spread of e‐business. Building upon the buyer‐seller relationship and e‐business literatures, the study generates specific propositions addressing the use of e‐business to enhance trust between the suppliers and EMCs. Findings – Taking a balanced perspective, this study posits that the supplier‐EMC relationship suffers from mutual trust deficit, which if lowered would act as a stepping stone toward mitigating their relational problem. Research limitations/implications – This study provides a new opening into the supplier‐EMC relationship problem for scholars. Some areas of future research entail the use of e‐business tools to build relational commitment between the suppliers and EMCs, and how the impact of e‐business spawned changes in the EMCs' relationship with their customers in the foreign countries. Originality/value – This study significantly advances the EMC literature in several ways. First, it connects the EMC literature with the e‐business and B2B relationship literatures. Second, it highlights the increasing versatility of EMCs engineered by the global e‐business proliferation and how suppliers can use EMCs' services to their advantage. Finally, the study supplements the ongoing research on EMCs and adds to the increasing set of applications of e‐business.