is crucial and found that even though many researchers also have
concluded that this is important, an: “. . . astonishing dearth of empirical information in
this area . . . ” exists. He continues, stating that: “. . . there has been no exploration of the
implications of [negotiating] for buyer-supplier relationships in particular and no
analysis of its implications in the supply chain trading context”. Furthermore, “. . . the
lack of academic interest in negotiation shown by those investigating buyer-supplier
interactions is superficially puzzling”. As a consequence, Ramsay (2004) suggests that: