Business-to-business electronic commerce relationships: The impact of B2B structure and other relational antecedents upon conflict and perceived success

This study is one of the first to examine conflict within the context of business-to-business electronic commerce relationships. B2B structure and other relational aspects of B2B relationships were studied to determine their impact upon the frequency (and type) of conflict experienced and on the success of these relationships, as perceived by B2B managers. Specifically, B2B structure, the length of the relationship (in general and as an e-commerce relationship), organizational power, uncertainty related to the B2B relationship, congruency of electronic commerce experience, congruency of information sharing, and goal similarity were examined with regard to their impact upon conflict and perceived success of the relationship. Managers and additional boundary-spanning personnel actively engaged in B2B relationships were interviewed. A total of 97 organizations participated, representing a broad range of industries in the United States.; Findings suggest that B2B structure is related to the amount of process conflict experienced; namely, B2B relationships that utilize a "community-oriented" relational structure exhibit higher levels of process conflict than B2B relationships that utilize a more straight forward buyer/supplier-oriented relational structure. In addition, findings indicate that B2B structure affects the relationship between organizational power and the general number of conflicts experienced. Specifically, in buyer/supplier B2B relationships, the traditional expectation---less conflict in unequal relationships of power---is evident. However, in community-oriented B2B relationships, conflict is more evident within relationships of unequal power. Uncertainty among boundary-spanning employees appears to be related to the amount of conflict experienced, the number of meetings held with regard to these conflicts, and process, task, and relationship conflict. Goal similarity is related to process conflict (both directly and indirectly through lowered uncertainty). Congruency of information sharing is also related to process conflict. With regard to the perceived success of the B2B relationship, results suggest that process conflict is related to the perception of success, as are goal similarity and congruency of information sharing.