Analysis of the Buyer-Seller Dyad: The Social Relations Model

Research into the interaction of a salesperson with a buyer would seem to be relatively simple, but in fact there are a number of theoretical and methodological challenges. The author describes several of these challenges, particularly the nonindependence of observations and the existence of effects at both individual and dyadic levels. An analytical approach, the Social Relations Model, is presented which takes these phenomena into account. The model's application is illustrated with an investigation of the relationship between a salesperson's communication competence and performance.