The effects of balanced and asymmetric dependence on supplier satisfaction: Identifying positive effects of dependency

Studies argue that balance in dependence is critical to supplier satisfaction in buyer-supplier relationships. We examine whether asymmetric relationships can also lead to supplier satisfaction, arguing that traditional analysis methods are unsuitable for thoroughly analyzing this issue. With polynomial regression and response surface analysis combined with dyadic data, we test the relationship between (1) balanced dependence (i.e., the buyer and supplier are equally dependent on each other) and supplier satisfaction and (2) asymmetric dependence (i.e., either the supplier or buyer is the dominant party) on supplier satisfaction. The results indicate that mutual dependence is positively related to supplier satisfaction, but surprisingly, asymmetric dependence can be related to higher levels of supplier satisfaction.