Relationship portfolios and capability development : Cases from the moulds industry

Abstract

A number of authors within business marketing andpurchasing, have stressed that the heterogeneity of relationships in customer andsupplier portfolios are a source of managerial problems andopportunities. This paper looks at the use and development of firms’ capabilities in the context of relationship portfolios. Two case studies about producers of moulds are used to illustrate how their contrasting trajectories in terms of degree of specialisation can be relatedto the variety foundand sought in their portfolios of relationships. Our study suggests that portfolio interdependencies are best understood in the context of the development of idiosyncratic capabilities, which include interpretations and experiences in using and influencing that variety.