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Purpose: This study aims to examine the role of salespeople's skills in relative and absolute SP in business-to-business (B2B) settings of services firms. This conceptual logic reported in meta-analytical works, that salespeople's skills relate directly to their sales performance (SP), is questioned. Design/methodology/approach: his research relies on existing theory and previous studies on SP drivers and SP measures. The literature identifies a set of common denominators on the role of salespeople's skills regarding their SP, all of which are tested in this study. Based on a deductive approach and questionnaire survey, 732 service firms in Norway were targeted. A total of 389 questionnaires were returned, generating a response rate of 53.1%. Findings: A total of 10 out of 12 hypothesized relationships in the research model dealing with the relationship between SP drivers and SP turn out to be non-significant. The hypothesized relationship in the research model between relative and absolute SP is also supported. Research limitations/implications: The results reported in this study, based on a large sample of service firms, empirically confirm that the direct effect is generally overestimated. Empirical evidence is provided that sheds additional light on the role of salespeople's skills in relative and absolute SP in B2B settings of services firms. Practical implications: This study offers meaningful and relevant insights into the monitoring of SP drivers to practitioners in B2B sales settings of services firms. Salespeople need to learn about gathering knowledge in training programs about each customer and their specific situation. Firms should strive to recruit salespeople who possess the appropriate skills, taking into consideration their customers and specific situations related to them, such as experiences from competitors. Salespeople may be organized around similar customers and similar customer situations, rather than geographical assignments. Originality/value: Overall, this research contributes insights into the role played by salespeople's skills in relative and absolute SP in B2B settings of services firms. In particular, the research contributes additional insights into the non-existent role of interpersonal presentation and communication skills, adaptiveness of sales approach and sales behavior skills and product/technology-related knowledge skills in salespeople's relative and absolute SP in B2B settings of services firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies have strengthened their long-term inter-organizational partnerships throughout the supply chain to neutralize competitive pressures and risks in uncertain environments. On this basis, this research aims to propose and test a model of partners' behavior aimed at the maintenance of long-term collaboration. By using confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and rival model testing, the theoretical model proposed attempts to identify, from a seller's perspective, the critical variables of partners' behavior. It also seeks to understand the effect of satisfaction between trust and commitment (as antecedents associated with relationship quality) and sales formalization, sales opportunism, and sales-specific assets (as postcendents linked to relationship efficiency). Our findings verify the nomological framework and demonstrate that the partnership quality variables affect relationship efficiency, through sales satisfaction. However, the results of our research cannot confirm the relationship between satisfaction and specific assets. This research is relevant as it deals with inter-organizational partnerships from a seller-oriented approach, and it is based on a combination of Relationship Marketing Theory and Transaction Cost Theory to demonstrate that the inter-organizational partnership quality variables exert a direct effect on the partnership efficiency variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper uses an ongoing business-to-business (B2B) relationship perspective to establish the interrelationships between trust, commitment, and relationship satisfaction (as relational constructs) and specific assets, formalization, and opportunism (as transaction cost variables) from a buyer's perspective, framed within micro-enterprises in the business banking industry in South Africa. Data were collected via self-administered online questionnaires from 381 micro-enterprise customers of one of South Africa's major banks. We first used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the measurement model before structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to estimate the hypothesized relationships between the study constructs. The measurement and structural models fitted the data well. The research was approached using the dual theoretical lenses of relationship marketing and transaction cost theory to investigate relationship satisfaction from a buyer's perspective. The results support the notion that, in a B2B context, relationship satisfaction is an outcome of trust and commitment, with commitment being the stronger predictor. Relationship satisfaction, in turn, was positively related to both specific assets and formalization (the relationship with formalization being the strongest), and a negative relationship between relationship satisfaction and opportunism. Since our results found commitment to be a stronger predictor of relationship satisfaction than trust (contrary to much previous research that found the opposite to be true), the paper concludes with several commitment-related suggestions for banks. Although much research exists on trust, commitment, and satisfaction, to our knowledge this study is the first using dual theoretical lenses (relationship marketing and transaction cost theory) to investigate relationship satisfaction from a buyer's perspective among micro-enterprise customers in a banking context. The insights gained from our study therefore not only address this under-researched area (micro-enterprises), but also contribute toward expanding our understanding of forming (and maintaining) banking relationships with the customers of the smallest-sized businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to test a nomological network of the precursors (perceived price, price fairness, and service quality) and the multi-dimensional outcomes (economic satisfaction and non-economic satisfaction; behavioral and attitudinal loyalty) of micro-enterprise customers' perception of value. Structural equation modeling was used to test a research model and two rival models from data collected from 381 micro-enterprise banking customers. The results show that, by charging fair prices, banks will increase not only micro-enterprises' positive perceptions of price and service quality, but also their perceptions of value. Positive value perceptions result in greater economic and non-economic satisfaction. This then results in loyalty in both the attitudinal and behavioral senses. Economic satisfaction should first be attained before micro-enterprise customers will be non-economically satisfied and show attitudinal loyalty before behavioral loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to show how to improve supply chain performance through the relationship between firms and their customers. In doing so, this study examines the impact of a firm's relationship commitment and customer integration on supply chain performance. The aim is to detail a way to increase supply chain performance through the relationship between companies and their customers. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical analysis was based on a survey on 205 corporate-Egypt multi-industry businesses including manufacturing, retailing, wholesaling and shipping services firms. Data collection was through a questionnaire survey distributed to 1,264 senior managers with responsibilities in the field of supply chain, logistics, purchasing, marketing and operations and with a 16% response rate. A conceptual model was designed, and hypotheses were analysed with covariance-based structural equation modelling. Findings: This study makes a significant contribution to the supply chain management (SCM) literature by examining the influence of firms' relationship commitment on supply chain performance in the supply chain management context by means of the disaggregation of customer integration into two dimensions: integration with customer (IWC) and integration by customer (IBC). The findings indicate that firms' relationship commitment does not relate directly to supply chain performance, but rather indirectly through integration both with and by customers. Research limitations/implications: This paper outlines a conceptual model in which firms' relationship commitment relates indirectly to supply chain performance. The model also sheds light on the fact that IWCs precedes IBCs in supply chains. This finding suggests that firms should focus on customer integration to improve supply chain performance. Practical implications: This study offers a particularly refined understanding of the reasons behind and situations in which supply chain integration (SCI) enables firms to gain superior supply chain performance. In fact, firms focusing on customer integration may improve their supply chain performance, thus enhancing the value of the supply chain. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by considering a relational view of the SCI-Performance path. In particular, by disaggregating customer integration into IWCs and IBCs, this paper verifies customer integration acting as a mediator between relationship commitment and supply chain performance in supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the direct and indirect effects between economic, social and environmental dimensions of triple bottom line (TBL), based on a questionnaire survey and cross‐industrial sample in Sweden. The analyses apply partial least squares structural equation models. The study tests the direct and indirect effects between economic, social, and environmental dimensions of TBL and offers additional validity and reliability to establish the measurement and structural properties between the dimensions of TBL. The study extends earlier findings by explicitly discussing how the three TBL goals relate to each other and shows how the dynamic capability view can be a fruitful lens to investigate business sustainability. Some differences in sustainability business practices caused by differences in national cultures are identified. Sustainability reporting in a strong uncertainty avoidance (UA) country happens in accordance with regulations and laws. Conversely, for weak UA cultures, reporting and compliance with regulations are ways to build trust with stakeholders. That is, reporting is more transparent and widespread in weak UA countries. The study also provides a foundation to guide companies' actions of business sustainability. The model shows companies how to establish the order of actions undertaken across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. In addition, it clarifies that the economic dimension exerts an effect on the social and environmental dimensions. The model also grasps long‐term economic performance by including competitiveness and brand value, while earlier research mainly has focused on more short‐term measurements as return on assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the study is to assess proposed relationships in a model across different settings, where satisfaction is a mediator between quality constructs in a seller-customer relational setting in B2B markets. The positioning of satisfaction as a mediator is between trust and commitment as antecedents of satisfaction, and cooperation, continuity, and coordination as postcedents of satisfaction in seller-customer relationships. The study was quantitative in nature, supported by an exploratory research approach. Data was collected based on a population of companies across Norwegian industries, as reflected in the Norwegian database Sales Navigator on LinkedIn. To enable research on seller-customer business relationships, key informants who adhered to specific criteria (e.g., that they were sales or marketing managers/directors or key account managers) were selected to participate in the study. A total of 841 potential key informants were identified and contacted telephonically to verify whether they qualified to participate in the survey and, if not, to identify an appropriate person who fit the criteria at the same firm. A total of 523 informants adhered to the stipulated criteria to participate in the study, with a total of 213 informants who completed the questionnaire satisfactorily. This resulted in their responses to be used for data analysis purposes, representing a valid response rate of 40.7%. Respondents were requested to name one key business customer with whom they engaged in the last year, and to be mindful of this respondent when answering the questionnaire. To secure privacy, respondents did not have to identify the customer. Furthermore, the respondents were asked to answer the questions to the best of their ability to ensure quality responses to each item in the questionnaire. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire began with a competency check to ensure respondents were suitable to participate in the study. The respondents were asked, "Please consider how knowledgeable and experienced you are concerning your business and your business dealings with this customer." They then had to answer the following two statements: a) "I have a lot of knowledge about this customer"; and b) "I have a lot of experiences with this customer," which were measured using a five-point Likert-type scale, ranging between (1) strongly agree and (5) strongly disagree. Almost all respondents (99.5%) indicated that they had extensive knowledge about the customer, while 94.5% indicated that they had wide-ranging experiences with the customer. The application of a five-point Likert-type scale was secured to determine the degree to which respondents agreed or disagreed with the items included in the questionnaire relating to trust, commitment, satisfaction, coordination, continuity and cooperation in seller–customer relationships. The SPSS/Amos 24.0 software was used to conduct the multivariate analysis. Firstly, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, followed by structural equation modeling. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to assess the measurement properties of each construct, while structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the proposed hypotheses in the precursor and outcome research model. The tested research model adheres to the cutoff points for satisfactory convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity, as well as to the minimum requirements for construct reliability. Furthermore, it was determined that trust and commitment have a positive and significant influence on satisfaction in a seller-customer context, while satisfaction positively and significantly influences coordination, continuation, and cooperation in seller-customer relationships in a B2B setting. The tested model validates the hypothesized relationships between trust, commitment, satisfaction, coordination, continuity, and cooperation from a seller's perspective in a B2B setting. Moreover, the model confirms the sequential logic of quality constructs in seller-customer business relationships. Furthermore, the findings reported on the seller-customer research model raise the question for further research on the seller's perspective in relation to the sequential logic of quality constructs in business relationships. Extensive research has been undertaken based on the buyer's perspective, while the seller's perspective requires additional research. The findings indicate consistency between the measurement and structural properties based on sellers' and buyers' perspectives in business relationships. Evidently, further research is required to verify the validity and reliability beyond the studied Norwegian seller-customer business relationships. A crucial research implication is that existing items to measure trust, commitment, satisfaction, cooperation, coordination, and continuity in buyer-supplier relationships (i.e., a buyer's perspective) appear to be valid and reliable – after the minimal replacement of the word "supplier" with the word "customer" – to measure the same construct in seller-customer business relationships (i.e., a seller's perspective). This offers further opportunities to test other constructs and related items used that are based on a buyer's perspective to verify their validity and reliability in seller perspective contexts. Finally, the study provides opportunities to assess the mutuality of satisfaction, trust, commitment, cooperation, coordination, and continuity in buyer-supplier and seller-customer business relationships. The findings assist sellers in a B2B setting to better understand the quality factors that are vital for business-to-business customers when building long-term relationships with industrial sellers. In addition, these quality factors are perceived as important by sellers across industries in Norway. Therefore, the study established that it is important to make the seller aware of the positive consequences of trust (e.g., through information and education). Secondly, when the seller understands the positive consequences of trust, the seller can use them as an argument in discussions with a customer focusing on the benefits (e.g., cooperation, coordination, and continuity) of keeping a satisfied and committed business relationship, and so trust is maintained between the seller and the buyer. It was furthermore established that mutual trust creates a relationship rewarding both parties (i.e., a win-win situation). Conclusively, it is argued that trust is the basis of positive consequences (e.g., commitment and satisfaction) that stimulates the seller's self-confidence, and most likely leads to improved sales performance through cooperation, commitment, and continuity of the business relationship. The majority of studies measuring quality constructs in B2B relationships are positioned from the buyer's perspective in a B2B setting. This study established a foundation to assess the relationship quality of a firm's inbound and outbound business relationships from a seller's perspective in a B2B context. Furthermore, the study provides an understanding of the seller's perspective toward the quality constructs required for long-term relationship building. Since the majority of B2B studies are conducted from a buyer's perspective, a seller's perspective is required increasingly to better manage the long-term relationship building process in B2B markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]