Relational capabilities can be defined as superior skill(s) to manage resources shared between companies. From the process perspective they can also be defined as superior skills to manage the resources that play a part in a single process shared between companies. Relational capabilities are steadily created as a result of a lasting relationship between two or more companies (hotel-hotel, hotel-supplier, hotel-hotel-supplier, supplier-supplier). The characteristics of relational capabilities are related to their being idiosyncratic to the relationship between companies, to the great difficulty in imitating them due to their gradual generation over time, the high transaction cost that dispensing with a partner and finding a new one would involve, and the generation of additional rents. Any new relationship represents a new process of adaptation and integration at different levels, such as the cultural level, the definition of shared values, operational values, team work, transfer of knowledge, joint planning and taking of joint decisions.
The main questions to be asked are: “How are relational capabilities developed in the outsourcing of activities in hospitality?”, “How can opportunities to develop relational capabilities be identified?” and “How can the extent of the development of relational capabilities be evaluated?” With regard to the first question, Dyer and Singh (1998) consider that the sources of relational rents depend on specific assets in the relationship, shared knowledge and routines, complementary resources and capabilities and efficient governance of the relationship. However, for those relational rents to materialize in something practical and tangible, we consider it necessary to follow a process comprising the following stages (see Figure 1).