Conflict in Business-to-Business e-Commerce (B2B): A Study of B2B Relational Structure and Perceptions of Conflict, Power, and Relationship Success

Abstract

This field study investigates how the relational structure of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce relationships affects perceptions of conflict, power, and success in e-commerce relationships. Data from interviews with employees in 82 U.S. organizations reveal that employees in community-oriented B2B structures perceive themselves as experiencing more process conflict than do employees in buyer/supplier-oriented structures. Also, employees in community-oriented B2B structures perceive more organizational power. Furthermore, the B2B e-commerce relational structure was found to moderate the relationship between perceived organizational power and the number of reported conflict incidents. Specifically, in buyer/supplier structures, power differences were associated with low conflict and in community-oriented structures power differences were associated with high levels of conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]