The Effects of Value Creation and Relationship Quality Co-Alignment on a Firm’S Performance in Business Markets

This study intends to contribute to a better understanding of how value creation co-aligns with relationship quality, and how this co-alignment affects a firm’s performance. To examine this question a theoretical framework is developed following a configuration theory approach. The unit of analysis is the dyadic relationship between manufacturers and their main distributor. The empirical results reveal that: (i) not all the manufacturers have the same orientation towards their creation of value for the main distributor; and (ii) that the co-alignment between their creation of value for the main distributor and the dimensions of relationship quality yields stronger distributor loyalty. This was not the case, however, with manufacturer’s business performance for which no such relationship was found.