Enhancement of trust in the export management company-supplier relationship through e-business

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to posit that the supplier-export management company relationship suffers from mutual trust deficit, which if lowered can act as a catalyst toward mitigating their relational problems. The study offers e-business strategies to enhance trust between the parties. Design/methodology/approach - This study is a conceptual work. It looks at the supplier-EMC relationship problem from a balanced stance, deciphers the underlying causes, and offers responsive e-business strategies to enhance trust between the parties. In this context, the study first describes the supplier-EMC relations over time prior to the spread of e-business. Building upon the buyer-seller relationship and e-business literatures, the study generates specific propositions addressing the use of e-business to enhance trust between the suppliers and EMCs. Findings - Taking a balanced perspective, this study posits that the supplier-EMC relationship suffers from mutual trust deficit, which if lowered would act as a stepping stone toward mitigating their relational problem. Research limitations/implications - This study provides a new opening into the supplier-EMC relationship problem for scholars. Some areas of future research entail the use of e-business tools to build relational commitment between the suppliers and EMCs, and how the impact of e-business spawned changes in the EMCs' relationship with their customers in the foreign countries. Originality/value - This study significantly advances the EMC literature in several ways. First, it connects the EMC literature with the e-business and B2B relationship literatures. Second, it highlights the increasing versatility of EMCs engineered by the global e-business proliferation and how suppliers can use EMCs' services to their advantage. Finally, the study supplements the ongoing research on EMCs and adds to the increasing set of applications of e-business.