Aurifeille, J.Medlin, C.Aurifeille, J.Svizzero, S.Tisdell, C.2007-07-102007-07-102006Leading economic and managerial issues involving globalisation, 2006 / Aurifeille, J., Svizzero, S., Tisdell, C. (ed./s), pp.93-1031594545650http://hdl.handle.net/2440/35971As a step to understand how business partner's differences influence their relationship performance, a new quantitative methodology for examining partnerships is proposed. It is based upon two models for each firm: a “self-model” that reflects how a firm’s characteristics explain its perspective of relationship performance, and a “contributive-model” that reflects how they influence the partner’s view of relationship performance. A clusterwise regression approach is then used to analyse the similarities/dissimilarities among the models at work in “dyads”, that is: partnerships composed of two firms. This allows definition of four interaction modes: merging, teaming, sharing-mutual and sharing-dominated. The method is tested empirically on international dyads with “relationship performance” as the dependent variable and relationship variables as the predictors (ie. trust, commitment, time perspective, relationship experience and economic goal). As expected the main results indicate that some similarities among partners management models are more profitable. Such a result suggests that as firms use business relationships to globalise they should be careful about the types and degree of standardisation they seek to impose.en© Nova Science PublishersBook chapter002006315600023856770000751108Medlin, C. [0000-0003-0567-2538]