Satisfaction in Business Relationships Between Companies and Dark Side Behaviour: A Literature Review

Abstract

Buyer-seller relationships play a pivotal role in relationship marketing, as their effective management can yield significant benefits for companies. Satisfaction is the linchpin that sustains these business relationships over time, yet it can be influenced by various factors, particularly negative behaviors known as “dark side” behaviors. These behaviors encompass actions such as concealing information, opportunism, exploiting the counterparty, causing confusion, sharing customer information without consent, providing misleading information, breaching privacy, levying unjustified charges, and withholding information from customers. The primary objective of this research is to explore the link between dark-side behaviors and satisfaction in business relationships among companies. To achieve this goal, we conducted a comprehensive systematic literature review, scrutinizing 43 articles that aligned with our search criteria. After careful selection, we focused on 30 articles published between 2010 and 2023. Within these articles, we identified the prevailing theories, authors, research methodologies, and limitations, and we also unearthed promising avenues for future research. In conclusion, our findings indicate that there isn’t a singular interpretation of the term “dark side” in commercial relationships. Thus, there is a pressing need to develop tools and frameworks that can pinpoint specific manifestations of dark side behaviors, especially those driven by personal or corporate gain, regardless of the potential harm they may inflict on a business partner within a collaborative relationship.