The explanatory foundations of relationship marketing theory: a comment

Purpose – In general, as part of the ongoing discussion about the importance of business partnerships in industrial markets, specifically the paper seeks to comment on the Hunt et al. paper in this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Hunt et al. argue that one reason for the prominence of business relationships and therefore partnerships between OEMs and suppliers is the growing importance of network competition. Using the framework of transaction cost economics, the preconditions for a partnership‐oriented coordination of OEMs and suppliers within a value‐creating network are discussed. Findings – It becomes obvious that not all types of suppliers are suitable for a partnership. Some are, some are not. This highlights that there is a need not only for a description of the potential drivers responsible for the existence and success of business relationships but also for hypotheses as to how the several identified drivers work and interact. Description is the first, but explanation must be the second step for giving managerial advices. Originality/value – This paper is a comment on the article “The explanatory foundations for relationship marketing theory” by Hunt et al.