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Purpose: This study aims to investigate how indigenous socio-cultural (ISC) practices within informal networks, such as guanxi and wasta, provide benefits beyond mere access. Specifically, the authors explore their global impact on B2B relationships, focusing on reciprocity. A multiregional sample extends research on ISC practices in B2B relationships by examining contingency effects of informal network ties. Design/methodology/approach: The authors surveyed 404 buyers in two developed (Hong Kong and Portugal) and two emerging economies (Kuwait and Colombia), and also categorized by strong and weak informal network ties. Using structural equation modeling, the authors examined a relationship marketing (RM) model from a typology (Clubs, Sociocracies, Clans and Compadres) for assessing contingency effects. Findings: The study reveals that in developed economies with strong formal institutions, negative aspects of favor reciprocity norms intensify unless informal networks are driven by strict sociomoral obligations. This supports research indicating that contractual governance competes rather than complements relational governance. Moreover, trust-building processes are crucial in regions with low uncertainty tolerance to mitigate adverse effects. Practical implications: Suppliers from developed nations need more than cultural communication insights when engaging in business in emerging markets. We acknowledge changes buyers may expect adherence to reciprocity rules embedded in the ISC practices of their informal networks. Originality/value: This study pioneers a typology of social structures to analyze ISC practices across buyers with varying formal institutional strength and informal network ties. It sheds light on institutional dynamics, trust-building processes, and nuances surrounding both positive and negative aspects of reciprocity practices. Furthermore, it broadens the scope of RM to Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on a relationship marketing approach, this paper aims to study the influence of social media use on salesperson performance and its underlying mechanisms from the perspective of salespeople in B2B settings. Design/methodology/approach: To test the proposed model, the authors used structural equation modeling with a sample of 196 French B2B salespeople. Moreover, to explore the moderating effect of emotional management between social media use and relationship quality, the authors used the Hayes macro PROCESS for SPSS and the Johnson–Newman's floodlight method. Findings: The authors confirm the direct role of social media use on salesperson performance, and its indirect role through the parallel mediation of social proximity and relationship quality. The empirical study provides evidence for the moderating effect of emotional management on the relationship between social media use and relationship quality. Practical implications: Companies should promote the use of social media to increase both the sales and creative performance of salespeople. Moreover, salespeople with low to moderate abilities to manage other people's emotions benefit strongly from the use of social media, as this directly increases their relationship with their customers. Originality/value: The research complements the conceptualization of salesperson performance as a combination of sales performance and sales creativity and shows that emotional management is an asset for social media users to develop valuable business relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There are numerous studies on satisfaction, but not enough on dissatisfaction when its consequences can be harmful. This study aims to examine different unsatisfactory situations during customer–supplier relationships in industrial markets combining the appraisal theory with the critical incident technique to identify potential problems and strategies to minimize their effect. Design/methodology/approach: This research follows an exploratory qualitative approach based on 18 in-depth interviews with managers from business-to-business firms. The information obtained was object of a textual and conceptual analysis using the analytical software ATLAS TI 9.0. Findings: The results show that negative cognitions have greater influence than negative emotions, and those dissatisfied customers may respond by expressing complaints, ending transactional relationships, reporting the other party legally, asking for explanations or continuing commercial relationships, even though they are dissatisfied. This will depend on the severity of the critical incident and the negative cognitions and emotions perceived. Proactivity and understanding of this situation will allow for understanding what specific actions to take to resolve conflicts and mitigate the negative effects among the parties. Originality/value: This paper focuses on dissatisfaction, instead of satisfaction, in industrial markets through the appraisal theory. Furthermore, it applies the critical incident technique to understand the cognitions and emotions related with dissatisfaction in the commercial relationships. Finally, it provides ideas on what are the main source of dissatisfaction and how to manage them to anticipate and better manage those incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on an ensemble sample of multinational enterprises (MNEs), this study aims to explore the effect of the interactions between Chinese parent firms' knowledge (including both technological and marketing knowledge), equity control and cultural distance on the business performance of their overseas branches under different subsidiary roles. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a data set compiled from 138 listed Chinese manufacturing enterprises and their 231 overseas subsidiaries to test the hypotheses regarding the interactive effects of transferred knowledge types and the subsidiary's control mode. Findings: The empirical results suggest that the moderating effects of equity control and cultural distance vary with the types of the parent firm's knowledge and subsidiary roles. Specifically, equity control positively regulates the relationship between technological knowledge and subsidiary performance while negatively moderating the relationship between marketing knowledge and subsidiary performance. Cultural distance appears to negatively regulate the relationship between marketing knowledge and subsidiary performance. This binary relationship is shown to be more significant for the implementer subsidiaries. Originality/value: Drawing on the literature on inter-firm governance and knowledge-induced innovation mechanisms, the authors develop a theoretical contingency framework to derive some managerial implications for inter-firm and infra-firm knowledge transfer in light of MNEs' performance integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate moderators affecting the impact of salesperson acquisition-retention (AR) ambidexterity on sales performance based on the motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) framework. Design/methodology/approach: The authors collected triadic data through 391 questionnaires from salespeople, 50 questionnaires from sales managers and archival data about each salesperson's performance. Hierarchical linear modeling was applied to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results indicate that salesperson AR ambidexterity positively affects sales performance. The positive effect is strengthened by capability control but weakened by outcome control and activity control. The authors also find that sales experience and market attractiveness hurt the effectiveness of salesperson AR ambidexterity. Research limitations/implications: First, this study does not examine the mediating mechanism underlying the effect of salesperson AR ambidexterity. Second, sales-service ambidexterity is another ambidextrous variable for salespeople. Future research can consider AR and sales-service ambidexterity together. Practical implications: First, managers should be cautious when encouraging experienced salespeople to conduct AR ambidexterity. Second, managers need to use capability control to motivate salespeople with AR ambidextrous behaviors. Third, AR ambidexterity could be not required in a market with many opportunities. Originality/value: Although some studies have examined the effectiveness of salesperson AR ambidexterity, they reveal inconsistent findings, which suggest contingent conditions on the effectiveness of salesperson AR ambidexterity. However, the attention on the contingent conditions is limited. Therefore, this paper systematically investigates the contingent conditions from the MOA framework. The findings provide some insights into when salesperson AR ambidexterity is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to hypothesize that the implementation of information technology (IT) in industrial business relationships entails both positive and negative effects for the relationship's continuation. The purpose is to study the digitalization of business relationships with a focus on effects on commitment in context with uncertainty and cooperation. Design/methodology/approach: Hypotheses are tested with data from 353 customer relationships in the industrial market. The model suggests the impact of IT on business relationship commitment. Findings: The results show that IT use in industrial relationships has a direct impact on commitment, as well as an indirect effect via uncertainty and cooperation, which both can increase as a result of IT use. When IT use increases uncertainty, it negatively impacts commitment, and when it increases cooperation, the effect on commitment is positive. Research limitations/implications: IT use in industrial relationships has a direct impact on commitment, as well as an indirect effect via uncertainty and cooperation, which both can increase as a result of IT use. When IT use increases uncertainty, it negatively impacts commitment, and when it increases cooperation, the effect on commitment is positive. Practical implications: Awareness of the effect of IT use and the factors involved entails working with cooperative activities to counteract the negative impact there may be if the IT leads to increased uncertainty. Companies need to have knowledge regarding the effect of IT use in each of their business relationships to manage them according to their given situation. Originality/value: This study contributes to industrial marketing by demonstrating that digitalization can increase uncertainty and cooperation (differently), and they have different effects on commitment, thus that there is a "bright," as well as "dark" side to it, evident in the business relationship dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of how relational embeddedness offers marketing channel partners both benefits and hazards. The nonlinear effect of relational embeddedness on channel opportunism is investigated. Influence strategies (i.e. coercive and noncoercive influence) are also examined as mediators of this nonlinear effect. Design/methodology/approach: Survey data are gathered from a sample of 149 manufacturers in China. The hypotheses are tested through regression analysis. Findings: The results support the hypothesis that relational embeddedness has a U-shaped effect on opportunism, and that this relationship can be mediated through noncoercive influence strategies. The results also indicate that coercive influence has an inverted U-shaped effect and noncoercive influence has a U-shaped effect on opportunism. Research limitations/implications: This research serves as a launching point for further investigations into the "black box" of the double-edged effects of relational embeddedness. Other channel behavior constructs can be explored in future studies. Practical implications: Firms should be aware of the benefits and pitfalls associated with relational embeddedness in marketing channels. They should be alert to using influence strategies when managing channel opportunism. Originality/value: This study addresses the dilemma of embeddedness in marketing channel relationships and reveals its causes and mechanisms by exploring the mediating effects of influence strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article extends knowledge of market orientation (MO) and strategic collaboration by analyzing MO-collaborations in the context of firm performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach: A proposed framework built on the Knowledge and resource-based theory was tested using Structural Equation Modelling with data collected from 171 SMEs. Findings: This research study supported the direct impact of market orientation on performance as well as the mediating role of collaboration in this focal relationship and assumed it would have a significant role in SME's performance. Practical implications: These findings have noteworthy implications for managers. Managers can focus on potential collaboration in order to acquire the needed assets. Owners-mangers should closely evaluate the FTAs, economic corridors, and regional cooperation agreements like BRI as these sources can lead them to collaboration with international partners. Additionally, it provides insight for entrepreneurs, business practitioners, and stakeholders of SMEs that are already operating or plan to increase their market share. Originality/value: The study findings give interesting bits of knowledge to academia, entrepreneurs, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Given that market orientation and collaboration must proceed in parallel to improve firm performance, Assets like MO provide valuable knowledge and information about partners, which will lead to further valuable information to help the SME succeed. This study further extend the KBV theory recommendation that information and knowledge on collaboration works better and integration will be more successful in 'resource rich' firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine how contractual mechanisms, trust and ethical levels impact opportunism in marketing channel relationships between manufacturers and distributors. Because the type of interactions, short-term or transaction-based vs long-term or relation-based, may also affect the level of opportunism, the study includes two scenarios to assess the impact of interaction type. Design/methodology/approach: Survey data from 145 distributors were collected with 69 being transaction-based and 75 being relation-based interactions. Findings: The sole use for transaction-based and relation-based interactions is not a significant deterrent for opportunistic behavior by a distributor. Ethical level is negatively related to opportunism in transaction-based interactions, perhaps because of calculative commitment. Trust positively moderates the relationship between contractual enforcement and opportunism in transaction-based interactions. Under relation-based interactions, the opposite occurs as trust reduces contractual enforcement efforts, and thus, opportunism is reduced as well. Ethical level negatively moderates the relationship between contractual enforcement and opportunism in transactional and relational based interactions. Originality/value: Researchers have called for a more holistic approach to better understand phenomena. This study addressed that call by being the first to include contracts, trust, ethical level and opportunism within the context of the transaction and relation-based interactions between a manufacturer and a distributor. Contractual enforcement is not a significant deterrent of opportunism for transactional or relational interactions. Trust is negatively related to opportunism only in transaction-based interactions; perhaps, the threshold for acting opportunistically may be lower because of the short-term nature of the interaction. The ethical level is negatively related to opportunism in transaction and relational interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to contribute industrial marketing literature by examining the relationship between market orientation and performance based on multiple perspectives and measures. Although the relationship between market orientation and firm performance has been examined in prior research a gap in the literature exists, as this relationship has not been examined from separate perspectives of managers, salespersons and customers. In addition to this gap in the literature, a further gap exists as these multiple assessments of market orientation have not been examined relative to both subjective and objectives measures of industrial firm performance. Design/methodology/approach: The research is based on data obtained from 111 sales branches of a Fortune 500 industrial supplier. Findings: The results indicate that managers, salespersons and customers all indicate a positive relationship between market orientation and perceived performance. Market orientation and actual branch performance were not related when assessed by any of the three respondent groups. Only salespersons were able to significantly relate perceived firm performance to actual performance. Research limitations/implications: These findings add a new dimensions to the existing stream of literature on the industrial marketing orientation and performance relationship. Originality/value: These findings add new dimensions to the existing stream of literature on the industrial marketing orientation and performance relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the abundance of B2B loyalty programs (LPs), the research on their interplay with relationship marketing is scarce. The purpose of this paper is to investigate a LP (a relational practice) on a transactional business market to test if and how a B2B LP affects relationship outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on dyadic research in a multi-theory framework. Data were collected from 200 small and medium enterprises that purchase office supplies from a company and merged with the company's internal records.The formative-reflective measurement model is estimated using structural equation modeling – partial least squares (SEM-PLS). Findings: Relationship quality (RQ) directly affects sales and customer share of wallet. The effect is strengthened by customer activity in a LP. RQ results directly in a longer tenure and willingness to recommend only for members of a LP. Research limitations/implications: RQ is driven mainly by customer's evaluation of prior experience with a supplier, while a LP is based on a forward-looking promise of a reward. The results of the study point to the level of customers' activity in a LP as a boundary condition of the program's efficacy. Practical implications: RQ affects both attitudinal and behavioral outcomes but through distinct mechanisms. Once a supplier is a preferred one, LP membership strengthens the attitudinal outcome of a relationship. The effect of RQ on company performance is magnified by the level of customer activity in a LP but not by the membership status. Originality/value: The theoretical framework integrates transaction costs, relational contract and relational exchange theories to investigate a LP on a transactional market. The study adds to the scant literature on LPs in business-to-business and provides evidence for similarities and differences in comparison to consumer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between companies' marketing innovation and environmental orientation and to determine how this relationship differs between manufacturing and service companies. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses secondary data from the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) to look at 6,435 Spanish companies during the 2013-2015 period. To examine the contingency effect of the activity sector, the sample is divided into two subsamples: manufacturing companies and service companies. Partial least squares path modeling is used to test and validate the research model and proposed hypotheses. Findings: The results show there is a statistically significant negative relationship between marketing innovation and environmental orientation. Significant differences were also found between manufacturing and service companies depending on the companies' activity sector and size. Practical implications: The analyzed manufacturing and service companies still use traditional marketing and have yet to embrace the "green marketing" or "marketing 3.0" concept. The marketing innovations a company undertakes should be positively, rather than negatively, related to its environmental orientation. In today's companies, the two actions must go hand in hand. Originality/value: Most studies on environmental orientation have focused on its relationship with technological innovation. In this sense, it is important to analyze its relationship with marketing innovation as well, as nowadays, when consumers are deciding between different companies' products, they look for "companies with values." Companies thus need to engage in environmentally oriented marketing innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Corporate sports hospitality (CSH) is a relationship marketing tool whereby customers and other stakeholders are invited by a company buying CSH from a club to attend a sports event. The CSH product involves premium seating and optional services such as catering. This industry has been perceived to be in decline, especially in times of economic downturn. The purposes of this paper are a quantification of the CSH industry's value and the development of a formal CSH management process for both companies and clubs. Design/methodology/approach: A case study from the highest division in Belgian football (soccer) is conducted, involving interviews and quantitative data collection as the primary data source, in addition to secondary data and insights from the literature. As opposed to literature, this paper uses a holistic approach, combining the perspective of the club and the CSH buying company with attention for customers. Findings: CSH returns account for an important share of club revenues (>10%), despite the smaller market compared to the American major sports leagues. Since a club experiences the strongest competitive impact from substitutes and other clubs in the league, and CSH is often managed on an ad hoc base, disposing of a formal management process is crucial for both clubs and companies. For companies buying CSH, not only return on investment but also return on other objectives matters. Moreover, CSH is at least as effective to deepen existing business relationships as to create new ones. Research limitations/implications: The paper provides clubs and companies with a theoretic background and practical key performance indicators (KPIs) to base their managerial decisions on. Although external validity to other Belgian venue-based sports can reasonably be assumed, translating the findings to other countries or non-venue based sports requires caution. Originality/value: Little academic research about the CSH industry is available. Specific KPIs to define objectives and measure output, as well as feedback loops for clubs and companies, are developed. The proposed CSH management process follows the same high-level steps, but with different specific actions per actor, leading to a better understanding of similarities and differences of both processes, and a better co-creation of the CSH event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the topic of embodiment as a gap in meaning-making within the literature on business relationships in IMP and business marketing academic discourse. Referring to the theories of embodiment, the authors question the dominant worldview of Cartesian dualism which marginalizes the influence of the body in meaning-making and explore relevant implications of an embodiment agenda for research and practice. The aim is to demonstrate that embodiment has a vitally important influence in the construction of meanings. Design/methodology/approach: The paper provides a review of theoretical and empirical literature on embodied cognition and theories of embodiment to construct a cooking metaphor as an analogical vehicle for exploring meanings within business relationships. Findings: The authors use a cooking metaphor to explore how meaning is created in human interaction. Body and mind blended together produce meaning through the catalyst of discourse and semiotics. Cognition is described as a mixture of rational and non-rational processes involving blended elements of embodied perceptions and psychological ideas stirred and heated in a semiotic "sauce" of discourse (language, communication, information, power/knowledge). Originality/value: The contribution of the paper is in proposing that both body and mind influence the creation of meanings in business relationships blended through the mediation of language and discourse. The authors aim to advance a "practice" and "linguistic" turn in the business marketing discourse by proposing that embodied, discursive and cognitive processes are more effectively conceived as blended influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to show how institutional factors affect buyer–supplier relationships. Specifically, the authors examine a model of relationship quality and its antecedents across rule-based, relation-based and family-based governance environments. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual model and accompanying research hypotheses are tested on data from a survey of 169 US (rule-based), 110 Brazilian (family-based) and 100 Chinese (relation-based) managers and buyers. Structural equation modeling is used to test the relationship quality framework and the hypothesized moderation of governance environment. Findings: Results suggest that the informal institutions which shape a nation's governance environment impact the relationship building process between buyers and suppliers. Communication quality was found to influence relationship quality more in developed economies where relationships are protected and managed under rule-based governance. Interaction frequency was found to be more relevant in emerging market firms characterized by relation-based societies. relationship benefits are applied more to relationships in emerging markets operating under family-based governance. No differences were found across governance environments for the influence that conflict resolution has on relationship quality. Practical implications: Results provide insight into how the fairness and effectiveness of political and economic institutions surrounding a buyer's nation of operation impact "rules of the game" differently for developed and emerging market firms. Originality/value: This study extends research on cross-cultural relationship marketing to more than just communications context and cultural heritage. Results demonstrate that a buyer's quest for legitimacy impacts its sensitivity to what supplier behaviors matter the most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Inter-firm integration is a multidimensional concept. This study aims to examine the performance effects of two aspects of inter-firm integration, coordination integration and authority integration, and their co-alignment with strategic and contextual factors. Design/methodology/approach: The author conducted a quantitative empirical study using survey data of Japanese manufacturing companies' relationships with their wholesalers to test hypotheses based on a literature review. Findings: Coordination integration has a positive performance effect. There is co-alignment between high (low) coordination integration and high (low) product uniqueness. High (low) coordination integration is associated with high (low) demand uncertainty. High (low) authority integration is consistent with high (low) behavioral uncertainty. Research limitations/implications: This study contributes theoretically to marketing channel and business-to-business marketing literature by holistically examining the linkages among governance forms, marketing-strategic factors, exchange-contextual factors and inter-firm performance. A limitation of this study is that the research data were collected in only one country, Japan. Thus, country-specific factors might affect the analytical outcomes. Practical implications: Appropriate co-alignment among governance, strategies and contexts significantly influences performance. The findings have significant implications for manufacturing firms' channel strategies. Originality/value: This study tests the influences of two distinct dimensions of inter-firm integration on inter-firm outcomes, which few previous studies address. It comprehensively examines the linkages among governance forms, strategic factors, environmental factors and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the processes of interconnectedness in cross-functional relationships involved in customer value enabling. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted in three Brazilian companies from different industries. The critical incident technique was used for data collection and analysis. Content analysis was used to characterize the critical incidents within functional area networks. Findings: Six main critical incidents were identified within the studied relationships: process, urgency, lack of trust, capacity and demand imbalance, motivation and challenge. The results show situations in which the collaborative behavior of the actors generates customer value facilitation. Research limitations/implications: The firms studied are small and medium, located in an emerging economy and are resource-constrained. Further research could be performed in organizations in other countries with different sizes and resources. Future studies could also include customers within the analyzed functional networks to evaluate value-in-use behavior. Practical implications: Process, as a critical incident, may be composed of several elements that could affect the processes of value creation. Moreover, the adjustment between production capacity and demand should focus on avoiding propagation of functional problems through the processes. This focus may facilitate spontaneous community behavior and customer knowledge renewal. Originality/value: This paper generates new qualitative bases to characterize the interconnectedness within functional networks within the perspective of relationship marketing. The study of the internal functions and processes revealed several particularities that are not evidenced in the extant literature, which is concentrated in relationships among companies. The quality of the relationship among the members of a functional network may affect the effectiveness of the promises of customer value, more specifically in value enabling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The identification of customer needs through relationship management and their transformation into marketing innovation are two key processes in customer value creation. When combined, they can improve a firm's competitive position, not only in terms of profitability but also by reducing costs and promoting the use of technology. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the link between managerial relational capability and marketing innovation in customer value creation, and to look at how that value creation affects competitiveness.Design/methodology/approach We analyze 450 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the furniture industry in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara (Mexico). To this sample is applied a confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model to analyze the impact of management capabilities in relationships and marketing innovation on customer value creation and to determine how the value created affects competitiveness.Findings The results show that management capabilities in customer relationships and in the way they convert knowledge of customer needs into specific choices in the market have a positive effect on customer value creation, as well as on financial performance, cost optimization and the use of technology, all of which can be used as indicators of competitiveness.Originality/value The study covers customer value creation in an emerging economy, that of Mexico, and relates it to business competitiveness from a holistic point of view which goes beyond profitability by also including cost reduction and the use of technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This study aims to contribute to the scholarly fields of supply chain management (SCM) and service-dominant logic (SDL) by conducting a systematic literature review on business-to-business (B2B) marketing and SCM studies.Design/methodology/approach After the collection and refinement of 127 articles on SDL and SCM interface, descriptive and thematic analyses were applied to discover the current situation and the existing research streams in the literature.Findings The SDL-SCM literature focuses on five main research streams which are value co-creation and value-in-use, integration and relationship management, resource sharing, servitization and service supply chains. Each of them are explored in depth, and future research opportunities are proposed.Research limitations/implications The research is limited with the selected articles. Future scholarly attention to the intersection between SDL and SCM will enhance the knowledge on these fields.Originality/value The study contributes to both of these fields by summarizing the existing scholarly research and proposing research opportunities for scholars. It is one of the first efforts to systematically review the interface between SCM and SDL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]