As suggested by Olsen and Ellram (1997), the links between the characteristics of the
relationship such as trust, cooperation, and the performance of the relationship need
further research. Considering the key issues discussed earlier, five prominent dimensions of the buyer-supplier relationship: trust, communication, interpersonal relationship (guanxi), cooperation, and power-dependence, will be explored in the following discussions. Therefore, this study makes an important contribution to the relational literature and supply chain management literature through the investigation of the phenomena of retailer-supplier relationships and their impact on supply chains in the Chinese context.