The Impact of Relationship Marketing on the Development of the Intellectual Capital of a Company.

The intellectual capital of a company has three components: the human capital, the structural capital and the relational capital. The objective of this article is to determine the role and the actions of the relationship marketing on the development of the intellectual capital of a company, especially on the relational capital. Relationship marketing is the result of a radical transformation of the marketing vision in a company, by moving the focus of its activity in the identification, keeping and development of good relationships with all its stakeholders. The implementation of the relationship marketing at a company level imposes a change of mentality at all decision levels. All these changes lead to the development of the relational capital of a company, which has become in the contemporary economy, one of the most important intangible assets of a company. After the conceptual clarification, based on a wide literature review, there is presented the methodological basis of a qualitative, explorative research, which was done in 12 multinational companies in Romania. The main objective of the research was the relation between the actions of the relationship marketing and the development of the relational capital of a company. With the help of a conversation guide based on a in depth semi-conducted interview, there were tested eight hypotheses regarding the way in which the managers of the Romanian companies understood the role and the position of the relationship marketing in the increase of profitability for a company and for the development of the relational capital of an organization. The results of the research confirm the fact the decision makers understood the role of the actions of the relationship marketing for the profitability of a company, but they see only punctual connections between these and the development of the relational capital. There are no operational instruments for the connection of the relational capital and knowledge management in the questioned companies. Based on the results of the research, in the end of the article there are suggested some directions for action for increasing the value and impact of the relationship marketing for the development of the relational capital of a company. These directions focus on the development of a systemic thinking, based on a medium and long term vision of a company as well as the creation of an appropriate organizational frame which should keep and improve its relational capital (data base of customers or other stakeholders, an efficient customer relationship management and a supplier relationship management, a complaint and reclamation management which should improve the relationship with the customer, a platform which should stimulate and gather new innovative ideas, results of the relation with the stakeholders of the company). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]