Abstract

Fichman & Goodman (1996) argue that understanding the relationships between customers and suppliers in industrial markets requires a multilevel analysis. The levels of analysis are individual evaluations of transactions between firms, the dyadic relation between a customer and supplier, and the network of relationships in which these dyadic relations and transactions are embedded. One must consider all three levels of analysis to fully understand the dynamics of customers-suppliers relationships. The construct of trust can enrich our understanding of the processes occurring at these levels. We consider how trust is defined, if trust requires a multilevel analysis, and integrating trust in the analysis of customer-supplier relations. We conclude with some examples of how a multilevel analysis of trust and customer-supplier relations can benefit our understanding of interorganizational relations. # Much of this work is based on work I have done with Paul Goodman. The errors ...

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