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Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine why a buying firm in a marketing channel may retaliate against its supplier. The objective of this paper is thus to understand the individual and organizational variables that may prompt a buying company to retaliate against its supplier following negative critical incidents (NCI). Design/methodology/approach – Data was collected from 171 retailers associated with one focal manufacturer and analyzed through PLS path modeling procedures. Findings – Results demonstrate that retaliation is the outcome of individual factors related to a buyer's cognitive (causal attributions) and emotional (anger) processes triggered by NCI as well as organizational forces (trust and dependence) related to more stable characteristics of the interfirm relationship. Originality/value – Compared with existing contributions, the proposed model adopts a multilevel approach and considers retaliation as the outcome of individual as well as organizational forces. On the individual level, echoing the rapidly growing idea that emotions, not just cognitions, are a relevant object of study within interorganizational relationships, this paper empirically investigates the effect of one negative emotion (anger) and of causal attributions in buyer-seller partnerships. On the organizational level, this research examines the influence of trust and dependence, two central variables in business-to-business marketing theory, which seem closely related to retaliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – For centuries, gratitude has represented an integral component of social relationships, yet it remains relatively overlooked by marketing scholars in the study of commercial relationships. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how gratitude helps to build, maintain and transform commercial relationships and to suggest noteworthy areas of investigation for those researchers seeking to help companies understand the role of gratitude in relationship marketing. Design/methodology/approach – Gratitude's role in relational exchange is explored by a review of relevant literature and two qualitative studies. Questions developed from the literature and exploratory interviews are then investigated in a main study through in-depth interviews with buyers and sellers of goods and services in both B2B and B2C contexts, leading to a grounded theoretical foundation. Generalizations and directions for future research are presented. Findings – Gratitude is a fundamental component of buyer-seller relationships and is critical for advancing relationship marketing theory and practice. Gratitude's changing role as relationship stages advance is described. Research limitations/implications – The research is of an exploratory nature. Confirmation of the generalizations by other studies is suggested. This research is largely consistent with that from a markets-as-networks perspective and moves relationship marketing research toward a more extended view. Practical implications – Gratitude should be included along with other relational mediators in discussions and investigations of relationship success, and practiced by those that seek to build, develop and enhance their buyer-seller relationships. Originality/value – This paper provides a much needed exploration of a new and important topic in relationship marketing and a call for gratitude to be studied and implemented in a variety of relational exchange contexts. Specifically, it is the first to address the importance of gratitude to both buyers and sellers in B2B and B2C goods and services markets. It also is the first to document the changing role of gratitude through relationship stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to explore relationship marketing and the existence of relationships in mass consumer markets from the consumers' perspective, with the focus on the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. Design/methodology/approach – Ten focus groups were conducted with consumers from a broad range of demographic and socio-economic backgrounds to enable in-depth exploration of the research issue. Findings – The study highlights the dominant negative attitudes that exist among consumers to relationship marketing as it is operationalised in FMCG markets. It is found that from the consumers' perspective relationships do not and cannot exist in these markets and that the nature of exchange in such markets is not relationship based. Consequently, the research concludes that there is a necessity to move away from relationship rhetoric in FMCG markets, and to explore the true nature of exchange in the quest for effective marketing strategies. The research also suggests that further research on relationship marketing should focus on situations where relationships do and can exist and consequently the boundaries of relationship marketing should be limited to only these situations. Originality/value – By offering the consumer perspective on relationships and relationship marketing this study broadens understanding of the phenomenon and makes an important contribution to the relationship marketing debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of the article is to investigate relationship quality in retail relationships as influenced by its antecedents (loyalty programme quality and personal interaction quality) and resulting in customer loyalty to the retailer. The focus is on loyalty programme members' perceptions and differences between segments of consumers with different levels of involvement in the product category. Design/methodology/approach - The method used was a consumer survey. Two waves of cross-sectional telephone interviewing with 116 and 410 members of a retail loyalty club were conducted. Structural equation modelling served for the estimation of relationships in an integrated conceptual framework among constructs of loyalty programme quality, personal interaction quality, relationship quality and loyalty, relevant to the development of retail relationships. Findings - The findings suggest that loyalty programme quality is important for relationship quality; however, efforts to assure personal interaction quality with customers are needed to improve relationship quality as well as customer loyalty. The study deepens knowledge of relationship quality's antecedents and consequences in the retail environment with regard to segments of customers with different levels of product category involvement. Research limitations/implications - The research is limited to members of a selected DIY retailer's loyalty programme, not accounting specifically for membership in multiple loyalty programmes. Future research could use different methodologies such as longitudinal studies to examine dynamic relationships among the constructs in the study. Practical implications - In the retail context, practical implications of the impact of loyalty programme quality and of personal interaction quality on relationship quality and customer loyalty are considered. Originality/value - The paper contributes to the understanding of members' perceptions and responses to relationship quality as well as to some mechanisms underlying customer loyalty in loyalty programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to provide an adequate instrument to measure involvement, its antecedents and its impact on behaviours relating to ethical product consumption, using the case of fair trade. Design/methodology/approach - Based on an in-depth analysis of the involvement literature and the specificities of ethical products, a model is derived using a hypothetico-deductive approach. It is then analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings - The new construct specific to ethical products is a strong predictor of involvement. In addition, the involvement in the ethical aspect of products is much stronger than the involvement in the product category to explain selected consumer behaviours. Research limitations/implications - It is likely that highly involved consumers are more prone to participate in such a survey, which limits the representativeness of the sample. Practical implications - Beyond the theoretical contribution for ethical consumption analysis, practical implications for fair trade marketing can be derived. A section of the article discusses how to improve fair trade products' communication, how to make those products more competitive, and who should distribute them. Originality/value - Current generic involvement models are insufficient to apprehend ethical consumers, who constitute a market in constant expansion. This research fills this gap by providing an original instrument which distinguishes the product-specific involvement from the involvement in the ethical values carried by the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study compatibility variations in buyer-seller relationships between Mainland Chinese firms and Hong Kong Chinese buyer firms that act as intermediaries to markets in the West. Design/methodology/approach - Data are drawn from 19 multiple in-depth case study interviews with Mainland and Hong Kong Chinese firms and buyer firms from the West. Findings - Compatibility dimensions that provide further evidence of factors that underpin the nature of classical-type exchange arrangements, vis-à-vis relational relationships, within Chinese buyer-seller interactions are identified. Compatibility variations based on political and legal factors are driven by interpretation and application of Chinese state laws at the business and provincial levels rather than at the national level. Mainland Chinese tend to exhibit authoritative vis-à-vis Confucian-based practices and a short-term orientation within interactions. Research limitations/implications - There is a need to expand the psychic distance composite to elucidate compatibility variations within the distinct provincial business regions of China. Quantitative studies to test for compatibility variability in China business practices across China are needed next. A better understanding of the nature of classical inclinations used by the Chinese is crucial, as is an understanding of how firms, both domestic and foreign, are able to leverage classical and relational relationships within Mainland China. Practical implications - Uncertainty associated with the entrepreneurial behaviours of Chinese businesspersons and a varying emphasis on traditional Confucian values in business result in a hybridisation of interactions across classical and relational types. Guanxi may be evolving beyond traditional social and personal trust as Mainland Chinese business relationships have advanced from the smaller scale CFB stage to the state-owned enterprise stage, and now to the larger and increasingly important world trade stage. Originality/value - The paper challenges shortcomings in research that has centred exclusively on the relational nature of Chinese business interactions, and it builds on previous research to study compatibility variations underpinning these Chinese interactions. It predicts a hybridisation of interactions amongst Chinese actors and provides a foundation for future quantitative research to study compatibility variations, and also classical-type business practices across China. Increased international market awareness may also be leading to the inclusion of an economic trust factor, driving classical-type Chinese buyer-seller relationships, as is more characteristic of arrangements found in Western exchanges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine suppliers' adaptation to a major buyer, and to contribute to the findings of past research. Design/methodology/approach - The research is based on a survey conducted among the suppliers to a major manufacturing firm as well as personal interviews with key personnel in the buying firm. Findings - It is found that the suppliers make major internal adaptations, and that the adaptations are beneficial for the suppliers. Originality/value - The research adds to present insights by demonstrating that adaptations are purposeful and interrelated, and demonstrates that autonomous adaptations, as suggested in past research, may be inadequate to explain the dynamics of buyer-supplier relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the practical application of dynamic capabilities theory to improve investment decisions in customer relationship management (CRM). Design/methodology/approach - Action research (AR) allows managers to raise the tacit knowledge of their dynamic capabilities to a level where they can be identified and developed. A framework and a process for managing dynamic capabilities in marketing are presented. Findings - The findings relate to the nature of dynamic capabilities in marketing and how they are managed. Practical implications - Marketing managers can improve the return on investments in CRM. Originality/value - The paper presents a method for applying dynamic capabilities drawn from the resource-based view (RBV) to practical marketing problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present a critique of the use of governance value analysis (GVA) for assessment of value creation in supply chains. Design/methodology/approach - The study presents a conceptual analysis of the assumptions, factors, and range of GVA as it applies to assessment of value creation in supply chains. Findings - GVA lacks comprehensiveness in assessing value creation in supply chains in that it ignores: certain important factors that affect value creation in supply-chain relationships; governance issues beyond transaction-specific investments; and cooperative value-creating activities among supply-chain members. Research limitations/implications - The critique calls into question the applicability of GVA in governing value creation, especially in the context of dynamic contemporary conceptions of supply-chain relationships. It is not recommendable to analytically treat cooperation in supply-chain relationships as transactional exchange. Originality/value - This is an original and timely critique of the presumption that GVA is an appropriate model for assessment of value creation in supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Many have applied the concept of congruence or fit in the context of person-organization, person-environment and person-person relationships and interactions. However, despite the significance of customer-employee interactions and relations in a services context, no research has investigated the effects of congruence between a customer's self-concept and employee-image on important relational outcomes such as relationship satisfaction, loyalty to employees and satisfaction towards service provider. The paper aims to fill this gap in the literature and to investigate the effects of self-employee congruence on customer satisfaction via the mediating effects of personal interaction, relationship satisfaction and loyalty to employees. The paper also seeks to investigate the links among personal interaction, relationship satisfaction and loyalty towards employees. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses a causal modelling approach and proposes a conceptual model after an extensive review of the literature related to consumer behaviour, organizational behaviour, relationship marketing and services marketing. The paper is based on a sample of 203 customers of bank users in Nigeria who completed a self-administered questionnaire. The paper uses confirmatory factor analysis and SEM to analyse and confirm the conceptual model proposed in this research. Findings - The paper demonstrates that self-employee congruence is an important antecedent of personal interaction, relationship satisfaction and loyalty to employees each of which is in turn positively linked to customer satisfaction towards the service provider. Research limitations/implications - The paper discusses implications for service marketers and for retail banking sector and highlights the significance of self-employee congruence for service design and delivery, advertising strategies and suggests future research directions. Originality/value - The paper is first of its kind to discuss the effects of perceived similarities between customers and employees on some important relational constructs such as personal interaction, relationship satisfaction, loyalty towards employees and towards customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The exchange of goods between individual consumers being facilitated by the internet: and "peer-to-peer" (P2P) systems is severely altering the business landscape. In broader terms, P2P exchanges are a form of what has occasionally been labeled "consumer-to-consumer" (C2C) exchange. What little work there is in business research which has examined both C2C and P2P exchange has to-date been largely anecdotal or conceptual. This paper aims to address these shortcomings Design/methodology/approach - A model of antecedents germane to the P2P phenomenon is formulated and empirically tested which includes the consumer's satisfaction with, extent of usage of, and future behavioral intentions toward P2P exchanges as the focal endogenous constructs of interest. Findings - The model is tested with perceptual and archival data from a survey of consumers active in one prevalent form of P2P exchange (i.e. the "swapping" of pirated music). The model explains significant variance in all three focal endogenous constructs. Research limitations/implications - The primary limitations include the study's exploratory nature and not being able to incorporate all potentially salient: constructs and variables germane to the P2P phenomenon within the context of the study reported here. Additionally, and from a sampling perspective, a more heterogeneous sample may benefit future research. Practical implications - The key insight emerging from the work is that: the wide prevalence of P2P exchanges occurring globally between consumers has more to do with unexplored aspects of the phenomenon (such as its convenience; the "connectedness" it makes consumers feel to others) and seemingly much less to do with traditional marketing mix variables. Originality/value - While much has been written in the practitioner ranks and popular press about the problem of P2P exchanges, this work represents one of the first empirical studies of the antecedent drivers of the phenomenon. As is articulated in the paper's concluding sections, from a more embracing frame of reference, P2P systems and "consumer-to-consumer" exchanges are not the dire threats many marketing managers believe them to be. Challenges remain, however, for marketers to determine how to best harness these powerful new systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The paper aims to describe and develop the constructs of trust and adaptation in supplier-customer relationships when associated with environmental (green) issues. Designlmethodology/approach — The study is based on empirical data obtained from the perspective of both supplier and customer companies involved in dyadic exchange relationships, using qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Findings — The paper uses an environmental context to show that, while having the potential to contribute to trust in dyadic relationships, adaptation can also undermine the trust that already exists between supplier and customer companies. Research limitations/implications — The findings are derived from two instances of successful environmental adaptation, one that resulted in failure and two that were ongoing. Both of the completed projects demonstrated little apparent difficulty, while the ongoing projects featured some conflict and frustration. These differences could be explained by the tendency to rationalise events after they have occurred, eliminating the ‘messiness’ that is inherent in dealing with collaborative efforts that involve some risk and conflicting interests. Future empirical work could perform action research in which efforts to adapt are directly observed and are discussed both during and after attempts to bring about change. Practical implications — The paper provides recommendations of how environmental adaptations can be realised successfully even though changes might challenge the basis of an existing relationship and the trust that might already exist within it. These recommendations might equally be used to guide other forms of adaptation. Originality/value — The paper broadens understanding of trust and adaptation by looking at a management issue that is of growing importance in supplier-customer relationships, namely the environmental impact of business activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — This study seeks to explain a buyer's response to a seller's violation of trust. Four negative responses (decline in trust, negative emotions, negative word-of-mouth (WOM) and reduction in repurchase intentions) and four explanatory variables (magnitude of violation, integrity versus capability-based cause of failure, perceived likelihood of repeated violations and stage of trust prior to the violation) were identified. The study develops and tests hypotheses regarding the possible influence of the explanatory variables on each of the four negative responses. Design/methodology/approach — An experiment was conducted in which business professionals were given one of 16 scenarios, varied by levels of the four explanatory variables, describing a violation of trust in a business-to-business service situation. Respondents were asked questions regarding their probable response. Four-way ANCOVA was used to analyze the results. Findings — The study finds that stage of trust and perceived likelihood of repeated violation had significant main effects on decline in trust, negative WOM and repurchase intentions. Integrity-based attribution influenced decline in trust, but magnitude of violation had no main effects. Three significant interactions were found. Research limitations/implications — Findings show the importance of first impressions and reputation. Care should be taken to assure customers that violations will not be repeated. A major limitation was that scenarios cannot induce the same intensity of thought and emotion that real situations do. Originality/value — Despite extensive literature in service failure and recovery, this is perhaps the first study to rigorously examine and seek to explain a buyer's response to a seller's violation of trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The paper aims to present a comprehensive framework for understanding consumer trust in a corporate brand, incorporating both the antecedents and consequences of trust. The paper also seeks to account explicitly for the differences in antecedents and consequences of trust found among customers and among non-customers. Design/methodology/approach — Data were obtained from 308 face-to-face interviews conducted in Germany. Structural equation modelling was used in order to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings — The results indicate that competence and credibility have a high explanatory power as antecedents of trust. Trust has a considerable impact on supplier selection for existing and new products, as well as on the word-of-mouth (WOM) behaviour of consumers. There are strong differences between customers and non-customers in terms of the antecedents and consequences of trust in a corporate brand. Research limitations/implications — In order to generalise the findings, the model needs to be tested with other samples and research objects. Marketing research into trust should focus on competence and credibility as important antecedents of trust. The findings propose that trust has positive effects on purchase intention and WOM behaviour. Marketing research should pay more attention to the role of trust in gaining new customers. Practical implications — Because of the positive influence on marketing success, managers should focus on trust-building activities that centre on competence and credibility primarily with current customers. However, trust also seems to be a good device to gain customers from competitors. Originality/value — The contributions of the paper are, firstly, a more complete framework of trust that analyses both antecedents and consequences of trust simultaneously. Secondly, the study allows a direct comparison of the difference in antecedents and consequences of trust between customers on the one hand and non-customers on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The paper aims to analyse the nature of business communication and its influence on relationships development between Hong Kong Chinese intermediaries sourcing from Mainland Chinese sellers involved in manufacturing for sale to Western buyer finns. Design/methodology/approach - A case study-driven methodology with purposeful sampling is applied to yield maximum variation in the sampling to elicit underlying tendencies and generative mechanisms that exist within and across the multiple cases of relationships. Findings - The paper finds that Mainland Chinese sellers and Hong Kong Chinese intermediaries tend not to have the close ties that might be expected. Mainland Chinese sellers constrained their use of social information, requiring Hong Kong Chinese intermediaries to use commercial information transfers to evaluate the trustworthiness of their Mainland Chinese partners. An ingroup/outgroup bias exacerbates the modesty bias of the Mainland Chinese and also hinders learning through the transfer of technical information within these Chinese interactions. On the other hand, Western buyers tend not to prefer social information interactions with their Hong Kong Chinese intermediaries, requiring these intermediaries to emphasise commercial information interactions to evaluate the trustworthiness of their Western buyers. Research limitations/implications - This research uses a restricted sample of case study respondents. Representative sampling across multiple contexts will assist in testing the generality of the findings. Practical implications - For the West to source increasingly attractive manufactures from Mainland China, Hong Kong intermediaries will remain fundamentally important even though this creates further interactions. The aggregate of these multiple exchange arrangements is less problematic than would be the case if Western business were to deal directly with the Mainland Chinese. Originality/value - This article sheds light on the nature of business communication interactions in a group of relationships between Hong Kong Chinese intermediaries and Mainland sellers, and buyers from the West. Implications for relationships development among the Chinese and Western actors are identified with propositions framed to guide further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — This paper aims to investigate the characteristics and parameters of salesperson learning within client relationships, thereby filling a noticeable gap in the knowledge of individual learning in a sales context. It also aims at advancing the discussion on the nature of learning and knowledge in sales and marketing. Design/methodology/approach — A grounded theory approach is used to investigate salesperson learning in a relational context. Data collection methods include interviews with 36 business-to-business sales personnel, reflexive exercises and field observations. Findings — The investigation shows that salesperson relational learning is personal, that it occurs in action, that it is contextual, natural, open-ended, and often unconscious. Antecedents of learning are personal dispositions such as openness to changing contexts and situated learning mechanisms; consequences of relational learning are personal methods of knowledge transfer as well as the transformation of the learner and the client relationship. Thus, a framework of salesperson relational learning is proposed. Practical implications — Sales managers should emphasise the continuity of learning, train people in situ and minimise turnover of sales personnel. They might also do well to acknowledge how these alternative modes can complement traditional, more formal sales management methods. Originality/value — This paper presents a grounded model that aids both researchers and practitioners in understanding salesperson learning in client relationships, thus advancing a new theoretical perspective on learning in sales and marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to explore possible contributions to the development of models to define business networks conceptually, and identify and delineate them empirically by integrating concepts and ideas from "market exchange theory" originating in the works of Alderson.
Design/methodology/approach - Following a conceptual discussion defining business networks as a type of exchange system, empirical data were used to exemplify and illustrate the theoretical development ideas. From data on 22 business firms collected in 1999-2001 in the form of transcribed interviews and other print documentation, a business network as a type of exchange system was identified comprising five business entities. This case serves as illustration to the remainder of the theoretical discussions throughout the paper.
Findings - Based on a conceptualisation of business networks as a type of exchange system and a notion of interaction encompassing exchange processes stemming from both market exchange theory and social exchange theory, it is suggested that business networks can be more consistently identified and delineated empirically using this theoretical base.
Research limitations/implications - The empirical case is merely illustrative, and more extensive empirical work is needed to further test the ideas of business networks as a type of exchange system. The implications to the study of markets-as-networks are that these ideas can be used as a basis for identification, delineation and analysis of business networks.
Originality/value - This paper extends Alderson's work by suggesting a fourth type of transformation: transformation in ownership, as well as by developing a typology with five resource types in the exchange system. Furthermore, it provides a conceptual tool that can be used by researchers to identify, delineate and analyse business networks and incorporates market exchange theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Established models of buyer-seller relationships do not reflect managerial emphasis on supplier performance evaluation when modelling business relationships. Proposes that relationship value should be included as a key constituent in such models. Aims to explore the construct's links with key constituents of relationship quality, i.e. commitment, satisfaction, and trust.
Design/methodology/approach - A two-stage research design was used. First, depth-interviews were conducted with ten senior-level purchasing managers in US manufacturing companies. Second, data were gathered in a nation-wide mail survey among 400 purchasing professionals.
Findings - The findings suggest that relationship value is an antecedent to relationship quality and behavioural outcomes in the nomological network of relationship marketing. Value displays a stronger impact on satisfaction than on commitment and trust. Value also directly impacts a customer's intention to expand business with a supplier. In turn, its impact on the propensity to leave a relationship is mediated by relationship quality. Contrary to previous research, trust does not appear in this study as an antecedent of behavioral outcomes, but as a mediator of the satisfaction-commitment link.
Research limitations/implications - Confirms the role of value as a key relationship building-block. Researchers should integrate this cognitive performance-based construct in models of business relationships. Limitations and research directions refer to the sampling procedure, the need to include the supplier's value perceptions, the possibility of conducting longitudinal research, and the opportunity to assess additional moderating variables.
Practical implications - When the goal is to increase business with an existing customer, managers should focus on relationship value. In turn, when managers are concerned with the risk of customers leaving a relationship, they should focus on relationship quality. Trust appears as an important ingredient in stabilising existing business relationships.
Originality/value - Stresses the pivotal role of relationship value in marketing. Contributes to a better fit between relationship marketing models and managerial practice in business markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Research on the behavioral aspects of buyer-seller relationships, although sizeable, is too heterogeneous and fragmented to yield complete and conclusive insights as to the inter-relationships of the basic parameters involved. This article attempts to put together extant knowledge on the subject under an integrated conceptual model comprising ten key behavioral constructs.
Design/methodology/approach - A total of 24 theoretically-anchored hypotheses are developed, indicating possible positive or negative associations among the constructs of the model. Based on input received from the 122 products of industrial goods, the proposed model is empirically tested using structural equation modelling.
Findings - Of the hypothesized associations examined, 16 were found to be statistically significant and in the right direction, two were significant but in the opposite direction, while the remaining six were not validated. The results confirm most of the findings of previous research on the subject, while some fresh insights on the interrelationships of the constructs used are also revealed.
Research limitations/implications - The results of the study have serious implications for industrial marketers, organizational buyers, management consultants, and business educators, who may use the empirically tested model as a diagnostic and monitoring tool in guiding business relationships in the proper direction.
Originality/value - The article concludes that an integrative approach to studying the behavioural aspects of industrial buyer-seller relationships can provide a more realistic understanding of the constructs at work, compared with a partial one which may conceal some of the effects of one construct over others and/or show misleading associations among constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper seeks to concern itself with the implications for the management of customer relationships of pursuing a multi-channel approach.
Design/methodology/approach - The case study method is used in analysing the situation of four organizations from the UK financial services industry. A conceptual framework covering structural, people and process elements is utilized to examine the challenges to be overcome in providing an integrated approach to customer management.
Findings - The addition of new channels alongside those already in existence opens up new areas of the organization to customer contact and creates significant challenges in relation to staff roles and existing processes for interacting with customers. Channel integration is a strategic issue potentially requiring structural changes to the organization and changes in the behavior of customers.
Research limitations/implications - This exploratory research suggests the need for studies in relationship marketing to take cross-disciplinary approaches in investigating what organizational forms operate most effectively in multi-channel environments. There is also a need to develop a better understanding of how different groups of customers use different channels and of how service quality dimensions operate in this environment.
Practical implications - Multi-channel customer management adds another dimension to traditional methods of segmenting customers and requires sophisticated understanding of the way that customers use channels. The addition of new channels offers a range of opportunities for interacting directly with the customer, raising new questions about how best to manage customer communications holistically.
Originality/value - The paper contributes to one's understanding of the implications for organizations in managing customers in a multi-channel environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – In the stakeholder marketing literature, there have been calls by several researchers to expand the stakeholder domain to incorporate a broader array of stakeholders. In developing this argument in this paper the authors aim to explore a set of stakeholder relationships in an international retailing context, notably those which exist between retail firms and investment banks. Design/methodology/approach – Theoretical ideas are subject to empirical scrutiny from 34 in-depth interviews with investment banks and senior retail executives from two retail multinationals. Findings – Exploratory findings suggest that US investment banks' ideals were at odds with European retail firms - and both occupied "different thought worlds". It is concluded that the relationships between financial stakeholders and the retail firm cannot be explained simply by reference to stylised economic interactions, but must also be examined in the light of the cultural contexts and different forms of market system within which different firms emerge, operate and interact. Originality/value – New strategies such as internationalisation stretch resources and capabilities to a point where retailers invariably will be exposed to different stakeholder issues and stresses. Towards this end, this paper contends that the significant international re-orientation under way in retailing must be understood within the wider context of stakeholder theory. The paper argues that the full potential of applying stakeholder marketing theory to the internationalisation process of retailers has yet to be realised. From this exploratory research, five research propositions are put forward that might serve as a guide to future research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This study examines the equivalence of the use of a customer satisfaction survey in four culturally divergent contexts. Design/methodology/approach – It is based on 6,776 responses collected from fast food customers in Greece, Jamaica, the UK and the USA. Findings – The results reveal that the similarities in the measurement of satisfaction in these contexts are more than the differences, and suggest that the development of measures to examine and compare consumer satisfaction across cultures and languages is, indeed, feasible. Research limitations/implications – The data reveal considerable promise that rather simple, cross-cultural measures can be identified and used to gain valuable insight about the viability of business products and services. This implies that researchers might be able to use the same instruments for measurement in different contexts. However, additional research is necessary to firmly support the suitability of the consumer-related measures across cultures that were the focus of this study. Practical implications –The findings of this study are particularly useful for multinational companies, which might want to measure and compare the level of their consumers' satisfaction in various countries. Originality/value – This paper adds to the literature assessing the challenges of cross-cultural research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary aims to stimulate debate about the role of relationships in marketing. It raises the question of when it is appropriate to use the term relationship, requests a distinction between ongoing interaction and relationship, cautions against a "one size fits all" marketing theory and calls for much more focused and innovative research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]