Vertical innovation partnerships and relational performance: The mediating role of trust, interdependence, and familiarity

• Published in: Industrial marketing management 2021-08, Vol.97, p.84-96
• Main Authors: Servajean-Hilst, Romaric, Donada, Carole, BenMahmoud-Jouini, Sihem
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atmosphere; Collaboration; Familiarity; Interdependence; Trust; Vertical innovation partnership
• ISSN: 0019-8501; 1873-2062
• DOI: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.06.015

Which relational atmosphere would allow clients and suppliers to fully benefit from their innovation partnerships? Adopting an interactionist approach, we hypothesized that elements of a partnership atmosphere mediate the relationship between partnership type and relational performance. Based on taxonomic analysis of 160 cross-industry vertical innovation partnerships (VIPs) with differing contractual, relational, and organizational arrangements, we identified four VIP types: free, project-based, elaborated, and exclusive. Our results did not support a direct effect from VIP types on performance. However, we found that a trustful atmosphere enables achieving and exceeding expected benefits in both project-based and exclusive VIPs, whereas a familiar atmosphere enables achieving and exceeding expected benefits only for exclusive VIPs, and interdependence allows exceeding benefits only for project-based VIPs. •Vertical innovation partnerships follow 4 types of governance arrangements: free, project-oriented, elaborated, exclusive.•None of them are directly related to performance when the atmosphere between the firms are not appropriate.•Trust is associated to performance for VIPs with clear contractual and relational boundaries: project-oriented and exclusive.•Interdependence between client and supplier only helps project-oriented VIP to reach gain beyond expected benefits.•Familiarity between partners creates the conditions for both expected and non-expected benefits for exclusive VIPs.