Communication, interactivity, and satisfaction in B2B relationships

This study examines how traditional and new communication media impact satisfaction in business-to-business (B2B) relationships. We develop a conceptual model and empirically investigate hypotheses linking personal face-to-face (F2F), digital, and impersonal communication to buyer and supplier contacts, rationality, social interaction, and reciprocal feedback, and these interactivity dimensions to relationship satisfaction. Structural equation models are estimated with data from the commercial printing and graphic design industry. The findings indicate that personal has a stronger positive association than digital communication with dyadic contact (buyer and supplier contacts), social interaction, and reciprocal feedback, but a weaker positive association than digital with rationality. Digital has a stronger positive association than impersonal communication with dyadic contact, rationality, and reciprocal feedback, but a weaker positive association than impersonal with social interaction. Only rationality and reciprocal feedback have positive associations with satisfaction. Dyadic contact, however, has a negative association with satisfaction that is stronger for personal than digital communication.