van Hoek found that governance structure in the form of supervising inter-firm relations positively affects the perceived performance of the strategic buyersupplier relationships.
Also, enablers such as frequency, level, and content of communication among parties in the supply chain were found to be important factors affecting performance.
In a study of 3PLs, Stank )discovered that relational performance was the single most important factor influencing customer satisfaction. Similarly, Knemeyer found that the quality of partnerships between the focal firm and 3PLs affects perceptions of 3PL performance. In summary, the aforesaid studies point to the need for developing closer partnerships through relationship building for a mutually beneficial relationship between focal firms and their 3PLs. Thus, we hypothesize that: