Reflection on Contemporary Issues in Relationship Marketing: Evidence from a Longitudinal Case Study in the Building Materials Industry

This article examines a number of issues in relationship marketing through the perspective of the competence-based view of the firm. It draws on data from a 53-year case history of a firm in the Irish building materials industry. Relationship marketing emerges from this data as a significant market-related competence helping the firm to enjoy a preeminent position in the marketplace over five decades.

Discussion focuses on the dynamic nature of relationship marketing in the company – how the intent, thrust and characteristics of relationship marketing evolved over 53 years and five eras of the firm's history. In this context, customer loyalty is observed to have an enduring and at times idiosyncratic character. Further, relationship marketing is found to be enmeshed in other competences and capabilities of the firm, and to have an important tacit dimension. Finally, aspects of best practice in the firm are considered in the light of contemporary conceptualisation about relationships and marketing.     

Branded lives: The production and consumption of meaning at work

Over the last number of decades, as a result of regulatory, technological and changing consumer dynamics, many service organisations operate in an increasingly competitive and dynamic external environment. These changes have led to service companies trying to both recruit and retain profitable customers. In order to compete effectively, do companies focus on transaction and relationship marketing activities only or on the balanced delivery of both? Apart from a small body of work (Brodie et al. 1997; Coviello et al. 1997; 2002), the literature has treated transaction and relationship marketing in an isolated and non-integrated fashion. In particular there has been limited consideration of the pertinent issues facing service organisations trying to integrate these two perspectives in practice. This article describes an in-depth study of a service organisation's transaction and relationship marketing activities. In this study theory was used in the development of a conceptual model. This model was used as a framework to guide the study and data collection using one retail bank case. The data were analysed in relation to the transaction and relationship marketing focus and activities of the bank. The findings indicate that resource investment in some aspects of transaction and relationship marketing activities, in practice, was unbalanced compared to the resource investment in a wide range of support activities. The study has implications for research and theory and to those attempting to deliver both transaction and relationship marketing in the context of dynamic and competitive environments.     

A Cultural Perspective of Relationship Orientation: Using Organisational Culture to Support a Supply Relationship Orientation

Relationship marketing theory maintains that firms can engage in a multitude of relationships oriented towards key stakeholders such as customers and suppliers. This study explores one type of relationship orientation from the viewpoint of the relationships firms have with their suppliers, referred to as a Supply Relationship Orientation (SRO). We take an organisational culture perspective positing that an SRO is manifested through the basic assumptions, values, artifacts and behaviours of the organisation and introduce a measurement tool for SRO. Based on a study of buyers' perceptions of their firms' relationship orientation towards suppliers, the results indicate that an organisational culture perspective of relationship orientation appears valid and enhances previous studies of relationship orientation by providing support for being culturally embedded     

Customer Relationship Management: from Strategy to Implementation

This article examines Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, from the perspective of strategy formulation and implementation. We commence by reviewing the origins and role of CRM and highlighting the importance of adopting a cross-functional approach to CRM strategy formulation. We examine alternative approaches to CRM strategy development and, using an 'interaction research' approach, propose a model that addresses both CRM strategy and implementation. We identify four critical implementation components of a successful CRM programme and examine these in the context of five key cross-functional CRM processes. The model structure is used to help identify a research agenda     

The antecedents of relationship commitment in the management of relationships in business-to-business (B2B) financial services

The importance of commitment in the management of long-term marketing relationships is well accepted in the marketing literature. There is, however, uncertainty regarding the antecedents of relationship commitment. The study on which this paper is based focused on four possible antecedents of relationship commitment, namely trust, communication, shared values and attractiveness of alternatives.

The study was conducted in the South African business-to-business (B2B) financial services industry. A web-based approach was used to survey 300 relationship managers, while data from 400 B2B clients were collected using a telephone survey. The relationship-manager data were analysed with regression analysis, while structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the client data.

The uniqueness of the study is the simultaneous consideration of the perceptions of both relationship managers and clients. As far as could be ascertained, a study of this nature has not yet been conducted in the B2B financial services industry. Based on the perceptions of both relationship managers and clients, the contribution of this study is the confirmation of the important roles of trust, communication, shared values and attractiveness of alternatives in the management of commitment to a relationship from both a customer and a provider perspective.     

How does Relationship Management Infrastructure influence performance?

The contribution of Relationship Management Infrastructure (RMI) to positional advantage, customer, market and financial performance was tested in major, organisational customer relationships through structural equation modelling. The results support a direct, significant contribution of RMI to positional advantage, however the anticipated direct contribution of RMI to financial performance resulting from efficient and productive relationship infrastructure was not supported. The contribution of RMI to the variance in customer, market and financial performance was indirect. Explanations of these findings are proposed.     

Toward an Understanding of Internet Adoption at the Marketing/Entrepreneurship Interface

The aim of this research is to explore those competencies within the entrepreneurial small firm, (ESF), which will determine if it is to adopt and fully exploit the potential of the Internet in developing and maintaining relationships with its customers. A key relationship, and one that is a major focus of much of the relationship marketing literature, is that between the supplier, in this case the ESF, and the customer or buyer. In this research, using a qualitative methodology, the authors examine the nature and character of the challenges faced by 30 entrepreneurial individuals in their relationship-oriented utilisation of the Internet. As a first stage of a larger research programme it explores the competencies likely to determine the extent of Internet adoption. The paper offers insights to a more complete competency spectrum for Internet marketing in the ESF.     

Academy of Marketing Conference 2007 "Marketing theory into Practice" Hosted by Kingston Business School

The Chairs of the 2007 Academy of Marketing Conference would like to welcome you to the Journal of Marketing Management Special Conference Issue, dedicated to the theme "Marketing Theory into Practice".     

中国人口科学研究的过去、现在与未来

科学来源于实践,是因为实践中必然会遇到各种各样的困惑和矛盾,需要科学给予指导.这种来源于实践的社会需要,又构成推动理论、科学向前发展的动力.     

中国人口科学研究的过去、现在与未来

新世纪 ,新千年 ,我们为我国步入低生育水平国家行列、人口控制工作取得举世瞩目的成就而欢欣鼓舞的同时 ,却发现我国的人口学发展正处于一种“尴尬”的境地。有人认为人口学研究处于“萎缩”的趋势 ,也有人认为人口学研究面临“第二个春天”。我们常常说人口学不等于计划生育 ,那么 ,人口学到底是一门什么样的科学 ?人口学是朝阳学科还是夕阳学科 ?我国的人口学研究到底该如何发展 ?这些都是我们每一个从事人口学研究工作的人需要认真思考的问题。2 0 0 1年 9月 2 4日 ,《市场与人口分析》编辑部在北京大学交流中心组织召开了“中国人口学现状、问题与发展”学术论坛。来自北京大学、中国人民大学、清华大学、中国人口信息研究中心、中国社会科学院、首都经济贸易大学、中国人口学会等教学与研究机构的 2 0多位人口专家应邀参加了座谈。这是新世纪关于我国人口科学发展问题的首次专题学术研讨会。会上有鲜明的观点 ,有激烈的争论。与会者认为是近年来不可多得的一次富有学术和争辩气氛的研讨会。本编辑部现将会上发言整理成文并按发言次序摘要刊登。刊登时除努力表达清楚作者的观点和认识外 ,还尽可能地保留了作者发言时的语气。本编辑部热切希望能通过论坛这一形式 ,一方面尽可能地表达诸多学者从不同     

Protectionism： Past,Present ＆ Future

Historically, protectionism was associated with economic theories such as mercantilism （that believed that it is beneficial to maintain a positive trade balance）, and .import substitution. During that time, Adam Smith famously warned against the interested sophistry of industry, seeking to gain advantage at the cost of the consumers. Virtually all modem day economists agree that protectionism is harmful in that its costs outweigh the benefits, and that it impedes economic growth.     

Entrepreneurial Marketing in the Public Sector: The Lessons of Headteachers as Entrepreneurs

This article argues that headteachers of primary schools have been at the forefront of the marketing/entrepreneurship interface since attempts to introduce competitive market forces into the maintained education system. It examines primary school headteachers' marketing strategies and compares them to those of owner managers of small firms. Case studies of ten schools illustrative of a variety of provision and market conditions provided the empirical data over a five year period. The headteachers shared many of the marketing problems of owner-managers of small firms. Headteachers found that the most effective marketing strategies consisted of: i) marketing to improve relationships with existing parents, staff and governors as an essential precursor to any external marketing effort; ii) parental involvement in the school which improved the likelihood of word of mouth recommendations; and iii) influencing such recommendations by marketing to improve parental and other involvement in the school. As word of mouth is also the most important source of new business for small firms, there are opportunities for lessons from the public to the private sector.     

Marketing as Cooking: The Return of the Sophists

This literature-based paper is concerned with the range of marketing in general and the world of marketing practice in particular. It notes the ahistorical nature of much reflection on marketing, shifts to the characteristics of modern marketing management and then turns to the Ancients. The emergence and subsequent ebb and flow of rhetoric are covered briefly and then the case is argued that rhetoric should be a core concept for understanding and enhancing marketing practice. The location of rhetoric in the critical literature is acknowledged but the primary knowledge claim is that rhetoric as a framing device and as an instrument for managerial action is central to a full appreciation of marketing reality.     

From Cattle and Coke to Charlie: Meeting the Challenge of Self Marketing and Personal Branding

Since the late 1990s, self marketing and personal branding have become increasingly popular as subjects of self-improvement books, Web sites and consultancy services, especially in the USA. To date, little of this interest appears to have permeated the discipline of marketing, either in terms of formal research, textbook contents or academic curricula. This paper examines the theoretical basis of self marketing and personal branding, identifies some of the conceptual, practical and ethical problems it poses for the discipline, and points to some of the challenges facing higher education in attempting to create a curricular framework within which marketing professionals can learn how to market and brand themselves effectively.     

The meaning of commitment in professional service relationships: a study of the meaning of commitment used by lawyers and their clients

Several authors have identified the importance of commitment in successful business relationships. However, few studies have considered the meaning of commitment, especially within the context of customer-supplier relationships.

Most studies of commitment within the marketing literature use existing conceptualisations developed within the psychology and organisational behaviour literatures. The purpose of this paper is to explore the meaning of commitment in a customer-supplier relationship context, and to compare this with traditional conceptualisation of commitment.

This study investigates the meaning of commitment used by both lawyers and their clients, within the context of their relationship. The findings show that the meaning of commitment used in professional relationships may be more complex than its traditional conceptualisation and should be extended to include at least three additional components including: 'partnership commitment', 'impression management commitment' and 'personal commitment'. It is argued that it is inappropriate to 'borrow' the conceptualisation of the construct of commitment from other disciplines, without considering the market-based context in which it is used. Implications for professional service relationships include that professionals and clients would benefit from sharing a similar meaning of commitment and this meaning may be influenced by the culture, systems and processes of their organisation.     

The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution: Past,Present, and Future

The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution is a methodology for the modeling and analysis of strategic conflicts. An historical overview of the graph model is presented, including the basic modeling and analysis components of the methodology, the decision support system GMCR II that is now used to apply it, and the recent initiatives that are currently in various stages of development. The capacity of this simple, flexible system to provide advice to decision-makers facing strategic conflicts is emphasized throughout, and illustrated using a real-life groundwater contamination dispute.     

Factors for Success in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems

The importance of effective customer relationships as a key to customer value and hence shareholder value is widely emphasised. In order to enhance these relationships, the application of IT to marketing through customer relationship management (CRM) software, e-commerce and other initiatives is growing rapidly. This study examines the factors that influence the successful deployment of CRM applications, with particular emphasis on those factors which are distinct from other areas of application. Using the analytic induction method, success factors were derived from five in-depth case studies. Resulting factors underemphasised in previous literature include: the need for project approval procedures which allow for uncertainty; the need to leverage models of best practice; the importance of prototyping new processes, not just IT; and the need to manage for the delivery of the intended benefits, rather than just implementing the original specification.     

Relationship Governance Structures and Performance

Managing and implementing supplier relationships is an interest shared by both academics and practitioners. A growing focus of attention is on the outcomes of these relationships since they have been shown to deliver enhanced performance. However, variations in performance across different relationship types remains less understood. To rectify this, in our study, buyer-supplier relationship outcomes are measured by a performance metric that includes both financial and non-financial elements. The results are drawn from a survey of UK buyers in the engineering, electronics and telecommunications sectors and show that differences can be found in performance outcomes for a variety of governance structures. The findings are discussed in reference to the relationship management implications of the variation in performance found, and further research avenues are described.     

公允价值应用:过去、现在与未来

<正>历史成本由于在决策相关性方面的不足,使其一直备受理论界与实务界的诟病。特别是上世纪80年代美国2000多家金融机构因从事金融工具交易而陷入财务困境后,历史成本在重大风险预报方面的缺陷更显突出。基于此,国外准则制定机构于90年代后开始考虑在会计准则中引入公允价值计量模式。