The elusive written contract: dependence, power, conflict and opportunism within the Australian food industry

In this chapter, we explore buyer-supplier relationships within the Australian food industry. From a buyer-supplier perspective, this industry can be considered increasingly adversarial. Fifty in-depth dyadic interviews were conducted with suppliers and their trade partners. Using this research, we will investigate the role of relationship complexities, and specifically dependence, power, conflict and opportunism. Furthermore, we provide real-life examples of how buyers and suppliers cope with and react to relationship issues; and, finally, illustrate the implications of this research, namely, that managers and policymakers should pay attention to the less savoury aspects of relationship development in an attempt to build sustainable partnerships.