Behavioural Aspects of the Exporter‐Importer Relationship:The Case of Cypriot Exporters and British Importers

Abstract

Some light is shed on the behavioural aspects of the working relationship between developing country‐based exporters and developed country‐based importers in manufactured consumer markets. The interest is focused on the issues of exercised power, conflict and co‐operation which comprise the atmosphere of a business relationship and the resulting satisfaction/dis‐satisfaction derived from it. Thirty‐four Cypriot exporters and 21 British importers provided the research sample. The exporter‐importer relationship was shown to be characterised by low levels of conflict, high levels of co‐operation and the exercise of asymmetrical power, directed by the importers to the exporters.