Dominance and collaboration in logistics triads: the case studies from New Zealand

Abstract The study focuses on understanding how different supply chain stakeholders' power dynamics influence supply chain relationships' stability and dynamics in a logistics triad. The study uses a qualitative research approach (multiple case studies) to collect data from the perspectives of logistics service providers (LSPs), suppliers, and customers. Having unique resource/service capability helps the LSP dominate long-term triad relationships by controlling its partners and impeding changes in embedded dyads. The identified theoretical and empirical outcomes provide insights to academics and practitioners to understand the supply chain relationship dynamics based on LSP's dominant power. This study's originality primarily focuses on the dominant player—LSP—to influence triadic supply chain relationships, which is significantly different from the traditional view—the dominant power controlled by suppliers or customers.