Table A1 Overview of the characteristics... | Emerald Publishing

Table A1

Overview of the characteristics of the four relational interfaces

Dimensions	Standardized	Specified	Translational	Interactive	Relevant references
Type of relationship	Arm’s length relationship	Traditional subcontracting	Delegated design	Open ended interactions	Araujo et al. (1999), Le Dain et al. (2011)
Aim (innovation or efficiency)	Efficiency-focused, leveraging economies of scale	Efficiency with some customization but limited flexibility for innovation	Balanced between efficiency and innovation, allowing suppliers to contribute creatively	Innovation-driven, fostering co-creation and novel solutions	Araujo et al. (1999), Andersen and Gadde (2019), Araujo et al. (2016)
Type of service exchange	Standardized offerings	Customized offerings	Buyer informs its needs, and the supplier has freedom to develop the solution	Joint development	Araujo et al. (1999), Lind and Melander (2019)
Linking of activities in service exchange	The buyer and supplier do not need insight into the other’s contexts and resources	The buyer wants a customized solution and gives precise directions, leaving suppliers with restricted possibilities to develop the service	The buyer describes the service’s required functionality rather than giving detailed specifications; the supplier translates functional needs into a solution	The buyer and supplier jointly develop the specifications of what to exchange	Araujo et al. (1999), Holma et al. (2022), Andersen and Gadde (2019)
Organizing principle between actors	Ranges from simple to more advanced internal set-ups	Cooperation between several functions; cross-functional collaboration	Use of cross-functional teams; the buyer’s internal organization needs to match the supplier’s functions	Open-ended interaction in collaborative teams involving members from the buyer and the supplier	Araujo et al. (1999), Lind and Melander (2019)

Dimensions	Standardized	Specified	Translational	Interactive	Relevant references
Type of relationship	Arm’s length relationship	Traditional subcontracting	Delegated design	Open ended interactions	Araujo et al. (1999), Le Dain et al. (2011)
Aim (innovation or efficiency)	Efficiency-focused, leveraging economies of scale	Efficiency with some customization but limited flexibility for innovation	Balanced between efficiency and innovation, allowing suppliers to contribute creatively	Innovation-driven, fostering co-creation and novel solutions	Araujo et al. (1999), Andersen and Gadde (2019), Araujo et al. (2016)
Type of service exchange	Standardized offerings	Customized offerings	Buyer informs its needs, and the supplier has freedom to develop the solution	Joint development	Araujo et al. (1999), Lind and Melander (2019)
Linking of activities in service exchange	The buyer and supplier do not need insight into the other’s contexts and resources	The buyer wants a customized solution and gives precise directions, leaving suppliers with restricted possibilities to develop the service	The buyer describes the service’s required functionality rather than giving detailed specifications; the supplier translates functional needs into a solution	The buyer and supplier jointly develop the specifications of what to exchange	Araujo et al. (1999), Holma et al. (2022), Andersen and Gadde (2019)
Organizing principle between actors	Ranges from simple to more advanced internal set-ups	Cooperation between several functions; cross-functional collaboration	Use of cross-functional teams; the buyer’s internal organization needs to match the supplier’s functions	Open-ended interaction in collaborative teams involving members from the buyer and the supplier	Araujo et al. (1999), Lind and Melander (2019)

Source(s): Authors’ own work