Buyer-Seller relationships: Similarity, relationship management, and quality

TLDR

Trends of increased diversity in domestic markets and globalization require marketers to interact with dissimilar others. This study draws on similarity‑attraction theory and examines the effects of similarity on relationship management behaviors and relationship quality. The study finds that similarity in buyer‑seller work attitudes, sex, life stage, and personality differentially facilitates open communication, relationship investment, and relationalism, and that similarity’s impact on relationship quality is mainly indirect via relationship‑management facets, with management implications discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Abstract

Trends of increased diversity in domestic markets and globalization require marketers to interact with dissimilar others. This study draws on similarity-attraction theory and examines the effects of similarity on relationship management behaviors and relationship quality. Similarity in buyer–seller work attitudes, sex, life stage, and personality are found to have differential effects in facilitating open communication, relationship investment, and relationalism. The effects of similarity on relationship quality are found to be primarily indirect, through facets of relationship management. Management implications are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.