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The Interplay between Power, Affective Trust, and Opportunism in Supply Chains: An Integrated View of Transaction Cost Economics and Social Exchange Theory

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates the relationship between supplier power, affective trust, and supplier opportunism in buyer-supplier relationships. Drawing on transaction cost economics (TCE) and social exchange theory (SET), we propose that different types of supplier power influence the affective trust that purchasing agents place in their supplier agents, and that affective trust, in turn, negatively impacts both weak-form and strong-form supplier opportunism. We employ regression-based mediation analysis using the PROCESS module in SmartPLS 4 to test our hypotheses with survey data gathered from 548 purchasing agents in Vietnam. Our findings reveal that referent and legitimate powers positively influence affective trust, whereas coercive power has a negative effect. Surprisingly, reward power had no significant effect on affective trust. Furthermore, affective trust negatively impacts strong-form opportunism but positively impacts weak-form opportunism. These findings have important implications for academics and practitioners in managing buyer-supplier relationships.

Source: Operations and Supply Chain Management An International Journal

DOI: 10.31387/oscm0660540

Authors: Thoa Xuan Thi Pham, Nguyen Ngoc Anh

Institutions: FPT University, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, VNU International School

Language: English

Topic: Quality and Supply Management

Subfield: Management Information Systems

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: FPT University

OpenAlex ID: W7223050738

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