How Relationships End: A Review and Research Agenda of Buyer–Supplier Relationship Dissolution

Abstract

Buyer–supplier relationships and their evolution have long been central to supply chain research. A critical element of the relationship lifecycle is dissolution. Understanding how and why buyer–supplier relationships dissolve offers valuable insights for managing these, particularly under stress. This paper presents a structured literature review of buyer–supplier relationship dissolution and related phenomena. The findings reveal a field largely focused on internal drivers—such as poor performance, dissatisfaction, and opportunism—while underemphasizing contextual and coping mechanisms that shape relationship trajectories toward dissolution. To organize these insights, we adopt family stress theory as a guiding framework, highlighting the interplay of stressors, relational resources, and response strategies in shaping dissolution pathways. Based on this synthesis, we identify conceptual gaps and propose a future research agenda centered on escalation dynamics, cumulative stress, multi‐actor perspectives, and the role of relational and contextual moderators. In doing so, the study contributes to a more theory‐informed understanding of relationship dissolution in the supply chain domain.