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Managing strategic business relationships in retail operations: evidence from China

  • Wantao Yu
    ,
  • Ram Ramanathan
Research Output:
Contribution to journal
Article
 Peer-review

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to manage business relationships in retail operations. In particular, this study examines the links between business relationships with principal stakeholders, operations strategy, and performance. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon the stakeholder theory, this study employs a path analytic framework to understand the effects of business relationships on retail operations strategy and performance for a sample of retail companies in China. Findings The findings indicate that good relationships with customer and supplier could enable retailers to be more efficient in developing quality and flexible strategies, and that low cost and flexible strategies, in turn, influence business performance. However, the results suggest that the vital role that the Chinese government played in economic activities in the 1980s and 1990s has diminished gradually. It is appropriate to treat the good relationship with government bodies as a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for retail success in China. Originality/value This study seems to be the first in investigating the effects of business relationships on operations strategy and performance applying a stakeholder theory perspective.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output:
Contribution to journal
Article
 Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 372

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics (Volume 24, Issue 3)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 01/01/2012

Publication status

Published - 01/01/2012

ISSN

1355-5855

Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/244293
  • Scopus: 84986097825

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