Business Commons^™

The Configuration And Function Of Strategic Benefits, Stephen J. Kelly

Adjunct Professor Stephen J Kelly

This paper overcomes limitations evident in extant literature by examining the foundations of the relationship benefits concept and developing a theoretical model that is tested and validated. The findings indicate that salient relationship benefits evident in business-tobusiness relationships can be classified as cost, service, image and flexibility benefits, or more broadly, as strategic benefits that facilitate competitive advantage through the operationalisation of a cost leadership, differentiation or all-rounder strategy.