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The Burden Of Relationships Or Who's Next
In: Turnbull, P W; Yorke, D; Naudé, P. IMP Conference (11th): Interaction, Relationships And Networks: Past - Present - Future; 07 Sep 1995-09 Sep 1995; Manchester Federal School of Business and Management, Manchester, United Kingdom. IMP; 1995.
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Abstract
Intercompany relationships have recently attracted a great deal of attention in the business literature. Benefits to companies from developing "close relationships" with customers, suppliers and other counterparts, possible allies, are usually emphasized. These benefits are certainly important and deserve to be explored further. At the same time one cannot avoid noticing that there is a lack of studies of the problems or difficulties with close relationships. Of course, there are a large number of studies analysing market solutions, i.e. the case with no relationships, but that is another question. We mean that business relationships entail costs and problems that warrant some attention. While business relationships can be a valuable resource for a company they bring in, at the same time, severe limitations to what the company can do. Close relationships can easily turn into a burden for one or both of the involved partners (as we so well know from own personal experience). Relationships, thug, have both a huge benefit and a huge burden potential. In order to understand relationships better we have to look at both sides. The paper explores and illustrates the "burden" of relationships focusing both on basic factors and episodes that make the burdening consequences large and acute. It is argued that the burden of relationships is the other side of the benefit potential. It means that the risk for a relationship to become a burden can never be escaped, it is the automatic consequence of the development of a fruitful relationship. And the potential burden is no argument against the need to develop relationships but it is important to realize in order to have realistic expectations.