Conflated exchange interactions between Chinese and Western firms

We report an expository study that identifies themes of both classical exchange and interactions that are relational in the one context and how these conflate to form triadic structures within business networks. While the literature suggests that relational triadic exchange interactions form the basis of inter-firm networks, it does not differentiate triadic exchange across classical and relational forms. From case study evidence, we propose a typology of triadic inter-organisational forms. Indeed, the study of Chinese business relationships has under-stated the prevalence of market-oriented classical exchange within a relational context. To understand better exchange in this complex international marketing context, and the additional demands this places on relationships management, it is important that we understand the causes and nature of the fuzziness of these opaque inter-firm network structures