How do relationship characteristics create relationship value? Evidence from high-tech SMEs

Relationship value in the business market and its positive impacts on firm performance have discussed in industrial marketing (Tzokas & Saren, 1999; Ulaga & Eggert, 2006; Wilson & Jantrania, 1994). Furthermore, many scholars such as Wilson & Jantrania (1994) have urged for more research to elucidate the characteristics of relationship value, by extension, the sub-dimensional relationship value. However, there is still lack of empirical studies about different dimensions of relationship value and discussion of their mediator roles between relationship characteristics and firm relationship performance. We can assume that firms can have insights into a variety of dimensions of relationship value created through the different dimensions of relationship characteristics with partners and each dimension of relationship value can have associated with the overall performance of the firm. In particular, since SMEs in the high tech industries face on a shorter span of product life cycle, higher uncertainties or limited resources, SMEs need to build alliance partnerships with their suppliers or buyers to reduce risks and to have competitive advantages. Therefore, understanding of how high-tech SMEs have built interactional relationships with alliance partners and how different relational characteristics create different types of relationship value is critical in SMEs context. In addressing the above mentioned assumption, the study contributes to the literature in three ways. First, by investigating the influences of different types of relationship characteristics on the creation of different dimensions of relationship value among high-tech SMEs, this study stresses the importance of dimensions of relationship value which prior theoretical literature has indicated but they were not spelt out with good size of empirical evidence yet. The results of the analysis provide high-tech SMEs with practical implications by suggesting how they can create each dimension of relationship value by choosing and developing each dimension of relationship characteristics with alliance partners. Second, with theoretical implications, the study contributes to a knowledge body of literature on relationship value based on a resource-based theory by developing the measurement items for four types of relationship value and adding empirical evidence from technology-intensive SMEs. Finally, this study fills an important gap in relationship marketing literature by providing an in-depth investigation of how SMEs can achieve overall performance