ITHACA, N.Y. -- Trust and effective communication are more important to food-service purchasing agents than good service, price or brand, according to a new study from the Center for Hospitality Research at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

"Strong partnerships between purchasers and suppliers have come to be viewed as a competitive advantage for food and beverage purchasers who are looking for long-term economic success," says Judi Brownell, professor of organizational communication at Cornell. "This partnership is cemented by trust, communication and personal connections. Turnover in supplier representatives, therefore, is emerging as one of the most troublesome challenges facing purchasers today."

With Dennis Reynolds, Cornell assistant professor of food and beverage management, Brownell surveyed 73 food-service purchasing agents from several segments of the food-service industry nationwide. The study was sponsored by Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) and Richmond Events, an organizer of strategic business forums on cruise ships based in London and New York. The four-part survey included open-ended questions regarding which supplier behaviors and characteristics were most important to purchasing agents in developing strong partnerships. The findings are published in a 30-page CHR report, "Strengthening the Purchaser-Supplier Partnership: Factors That Make a Difference," which is available online at no cost from Cornell at http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/chr/ .

"Trust may be the single most important ingredient in making the purchaser-supplier partnership work," says Reynolds. "Trusted suppliers are described as communicating effectively, listening well and demonstrating a willingness to work collaboratively to anticipate and solve problems." They also were perceived as being straightforward and enjoyable to interact with.The researchers found that more than 55 percent of the purchasers surveyed communicated in person with their suppliers at least once a month and nearly half also communicated by e-mail at least once a week.

The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell's Hotel School conducts and sponsors research studies aimed at improving the hospitality industry's fundamental operating knowledge. For more information, see the CHR web site at http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/chr, or call (607) 255-9780.

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