Drivers of relationship quality and business performance: evidence from a developing country

Abstract

Many studies on supply chain collaboration (SCC) have wholly focused attention on developed countries and rarely considered the significance in 3 rd world nations. Although SCC has been well researched, this research attempts to shift the attention to Nigeria, a developing nation with the largest economy in Africa. This paper examines the significance of supply chain collaborative activities and relationship quality in Nigerian beverage manufacturing industry, particularly for superior business performance. Results were collected from a total of 269 wholesalers of the largest beverage manufacturing firms in Nigeria. We examined the effects of collaborative activities and relationship quality between wholesalers and manufactures on the wholesalers' business performance. Specific collaborative activities and relationship quality measures that impact wholesalers' performance were revealed through regression analyses. Manufacturers and service providers in Nigeria continually seek knowledge on gaining competitive advantage and improving their organizational performance due to the highly unpredictable business environment that they operate in. Our study offers insights for practitioners both in Africa and the global environment regarding the value of collaborative activities and relationship quality between supply chain members as mechanisms for achieving outstanding business performance