ENTREPRENEURIAL RELATIONSHIP BUILDING SKILLS CONTRIBUTION TO THE QUALITY OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HIGH-TECH BUSINESSES DOI: 10.5773/rai.v9i3.603

Abstract

The dynamic and interdependent nature of contemporary businesses requires a more open-minded conceptualization of entrepreneurial behavior, especially in regards to the acquisition of capital. It also requires an approach that is based in the study of relationships. Many partnerships fail due to the inability of an entrepreneur to develop and maintain successful relationships with partners on an interpersonal level. By means of content analysis, we describe how relationship building skills can enhance the quality of interpersonal relationships in high-tech businesses in the Recife metropolitan area. The results reveal that competence in maintaining relationships and the performance of the partnership are important aspects in terms of the quality of articulation among agents in a network. The relative bargaining power between partners and efforts at consensus building between agents are fundamental elements for negotiating and maintaining healthy relationships. An entrepreneur’s stability and endurance within social networks occurs primarily from competence in building and maintaining relationships and through the development of alliances. This is shown to be a key element for a successful partnership.