This paper is a commentary to the paper by Hammervoll published in this issue, which discusses the management of value creation in exchange relationships. Hammervoll's paper conceptualizes three particular types of interaction: unilateral supplier learning, unilateral supplier development and bilateral learning, and reports on a Norwegian survey to identify links between relationship governance, value creation initiatives and value creation. This commentary discusses the conceptualization and operationalization of these interaction types, identifying potential limitations and making suggestions for further research.