Adversarial vs Partnership Relationship in Business
Business relationships are relationships between different business entities, between suppliers and retailers of their products, between two or more companies selling the same products, and between business enterprises and their customers.
It is very important that a company maintain good business relationships with all the people that it deals with. To do this, the company must build their trust and confidence to ensure continued patronage and a steady business.
One must follow a partnership rather than an adversarial relationship in business. An adversarial relationship is one wherein businesses treat each other and their clients as adversaries, treating them as enemies instead of as partners. There is little or no trust between them, and their means of communicating with each other is very formal. They do not have direct contact and no direct involvement in each other’s activities. Instead of finding ways that are beneficial to both parties, they tend to blame each other when problems arise.
A partnership relationship in business, on the other hand, makes both parties work closely together to ensure that everything that they do will benefit both companies. The line of communication between both parties is open, and they cooperate with each other. It is a relationship based on trust and the belief that every action that each company takes is for the benefit of both. When problems arise, they solve them by acknowledging their mistakes and by finding solutions together.
As compared with an adversarial relationship, a partnership relationship involves long-term business agreements instead of having individual transactions and short-term contracts. While information is withheld from each other in an adversarial relationship; in a partnership relationship, it is shared to make problem solving easier.
However, when the business is based in a place where there is conflict and a business environment that is not transparent and prone to corruption, most companies opt for an adversarial approach to lessen the risks to their business. Businesses often grab every opportunity they have to achieve instant benefits in a short period of time rather than opt for a long-term relationship which can cause losses for them. The most conventional business relationship in the right environment, though, is a partnership relationship.
Summary:
1.An adversarial relationship in business is one wherein a company treats clients, customers, and other companies they deal with as enemies while a partnership relationship in business is one wherein clients, customers, and other companies are considered as partners.
2.In a partnership relationship, companies trust each other while there is little or no trust in an adversarial relationship.
3.Whereas information is shared in a partnership relationship, it is withheld in an adversarial relationship.
4.Adversarial relationships usually have short-term contracts and individual transactions while a partnership relationship is long-term.
5.There is an open line of communication in a partnership relationship, and both parties work closely together to achieve a common goal while there is no direct involvement between companies in an adversarial relationship.
6.In the right business environment, a partnership relationship is the appropriate approach, but in a risky and hostile environment, it is best to apply an adversarial approach.