ABSTRACT
As argued in Chapter 1 , buyer and supplier enter a relationship agreement because they both expect reciprocated benefits from their relational exchange. A dilemma now arises because in business reality, delivery and return often diverge temporarily (Blois 1998 : 257). This means that a supplier may deliver a specified good or service, but has to contend with the fact that the customer will provide an equitable response at a later point in time. Likewise it might happen that a buyer has to make payment in advance, without knowing if the supplier will deliver the ordered goods in the agreed upon amount with the agreed upon specifications and at the agreed upon date. Therefore becoming engaged in a reciprocal exchange process, framed by an evolving business relationship, entails that both parties are willing to trust each other (Ring and van de Ven 1992 : 487-9).
