Service guarantees as a base for positioning in B2B

Research in marketing has shown that service guarantees can contribute to gaining a competitive advantage. However, studies of perceived benefits have mostly been investigated in a consumer marketing context while prior research in B2B has been limited. Given the peculiarities of B2B marketing we investigate the value of service guarantees for industrial customers. We report findings from two studies of attitudes to service guarantees and their effects on purchase intentions and customers' willingness to pay a price premium. Our findings based on conjoint analysis show that service guarantees can deliver added value to B2B customers with implications for positioning strategies. Buyers in B2B markets are encouraged to consider the potential positioning effects of service guarantees for their organization.     

B2B content marketing for professional services: In-person versus digital contacts

We study whether marketing can have a new role, one that is better aligned with the sales force, by adapting content marketing (CM) in B2B professional services organizations. CM activities can be in-person events such as conferences, which involve personal contacts with clients, or digital, such as webinars (i.e., digital events) or posting firm-generated content on branded websites (i.e., digital content). Fitting random-effects negative binomial regression models with four years of panel data from a large, international, consulting service provider, we show that the number of sales leads and won opportunities from its key accounts are positively affected by the frequency of an account's employees attending digital events and consuming digital content, but not in-person events. Moreover, we find that CM affects sales leads for both low- and high-level account employees. These findings suggest that CM can be effective in bringing sales leads and won opportunities to B2B professional service providers and can play a complementary role to the existing sales force.     

Incorporating human resource management initiatives into customer services: Empirical evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms

The existing operations management literature has extensively investigated the associations between customer satisfaction and firm performance. However, how to improve customer satisfaction through employee empowerment, service reward, and service training has rarely been investigated. In this research, we tied human resource and service operations management to each other and examined the relationships among employee empowerment, service reward, service training, employee satisfaction, customer service and customer satisfaction based on empirical study of 214 Chinese manufacturing companies. Using structural equation modeling, we found that both employee empowerment and service training have significant impacts on employee satisfaction and customer service, while service reward only has significant impact on customer service. We also found that both employee satisfaction and customer service have significant impact on customer satisfaction. However, the impact of employee satisfaction on customer service is insignificant. The findings suggest that employee empowerment, service reward and service training are important considerations for operations managers to boost employee satisfaction and customer service, which in turn improve customer satisfaction. We provide empirical evidence that employee empowerment, service reward and service training play significant roles in increasing customer satisfaction in the context of manufacturing businesses.     

The adoption of technological innovations in a B2B context and its impact on firm performance: An ethical leadership perspective

The introduction of the digital economy has opened much discussion on the various business models that challenge traditional thinking in B2B marketing. This includes technological innovation in the digital space which has brought about theoretical changes in the way marketing is applied, more so in the B2B environment where communication is essential in the alignment with various stakeholders. Several discussions on ethical leadership in the digital economy have provided some insights into addressing increased complexity in a society where markets are connected (physically) yet disconnected (proximity) and this has led marketing practices going astray. Our paper proposes the relevance of ethical leadership and its role in the application of technological innovation by arguing that technological innovation has a positive impact on firm performance and that ethical leadership plays a critical role in moderating this effect. We use a dynamic panel data system Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) approach to examine secondary data from 465 IT service companies and demonstrate that ethical leadership plays a critical role as it enables innovation through technology, and this has an impact on the firm's performance.     

Linking authentic leadership to salespeople's service performance: The roles of job crafting and human resource flexibility

To build the sustainable service excellence, organizations should fuel sales employees’ drive to serve customers and recover service failures to their utmost satisfaction. The primary aim of our study is to delve into the role of authentic leadership in fostering customer-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and service recovery performance among sales employees. Respondents for our surveys comprised employees and managers from sales departments of pharmaceutical companies in Vietnam. The data analyses justified the positive relationships between authentic leadership and customer-oriented OCB as well as service recovery performance in a business to business (B2B) context. Job crafting served as a mediator for the links between authentic leadership and customer-oriented OCB as well as service recovery performance. Furthermore, human resource (HR) flexibility was found to play a moderating role for the effect of authentic leadership on job crafting among sales employees.     

Service quality versus service experience: An empirical examination of the consequential effects in B2B services

The present study investigates the role of service experience in B2B services vis-a-vis service quality. In particular, the study addresses the question: how do the relative effects of service quality versus service experience in a B2B setting influence the immediate (satisfaction and perceived value) and subsequent customer outcomes (loyalty and word of mouth)? To this end, three surveys were conducted (with a combined sample size of 626) of customers of financial consultancy services. The collected data is subjected to factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test the study hypotheses. Major findings indicate a stronger influence of service experience on satisfaction and perceived value as compared to service quality. Results also show a stronger indirect effect of service experience on loyalty and word of mouth (via satisfaction) compared to service quality. In addition, service experience was found to influence both perceived utilitarian and hedonic value derived from service while service quality was found to influence only utilitarian value. The findings underline the importance of service experience in a B2B setup.     

Market orientation, employee development practices, and performance in logistics service provider firms

Although the utilization of logistics service provider firms is growing exponentially in business-to-business markets, little is known about what enables some of these firms to perform better than others. Building on the resource-based view of the firm, this research proposes that market orientation and certain employee development practices (service-related training, coaching, and empowerment) influence both employee and organizational performance. The hypotheses are tested using data from 123 large logistics service provider organizations. A multi-survey design was utilized wherein managers as well as the frontline service employees who interact directly with customers represented each organization. The findings suggest that (a) market orientation influences organizational and employee performance, (b) coaching moderates both links, (c) service-related training moderates the link with employee performance only, and (d) empowerment does not moderate either link.     

Effect of service-related resources on employee and customer outcomes in trade shows

Despite widespread recognition of trade shows as a vehicle to provide services to visitors by exhibitors, there is a paucity of research in this area of special interest. Drawing on the resource-based view, we develop a research framework to examine the effects of service-related resources on exhibitor's personnel attitudes and visitor responses. We collected on-site data from 151 exhibitor's personnel and 366 visitors during a trade show. These responses were matched at the exhibitor level to test the research framework. We found a positive effect of service leadership and service technology in developing a customer-oriented service strategy with satisfied employees. Additionally, we demonstrate that service leadership positively moderates the effect of service technology on customer orientation. In contrast, service leadership negatively moderates the effect of empowerment on customer orientation. This suggests that similar firm resources do not complement each other perhaps because they are substitutable. Finally, we show that service-related resources not only affect customer orientation but also influence job satisfaction of exhibitor personnel and visitors responses such as interaction quality, satisfaction, and word-of-mouth intentions.     

Study on the influencing of B2B parasocial relationship on repeat purchase intention in the online purchasing environment: An empirical study of B2B E-commerce platform

With the meteoric progress of digital technology and the advent of network economy, there has been increasing interest in the business model of purchasing with B2B network among B2B e-commerce platforms and customer firms. Based on the perspective of parasocial relationship and dual-process theory, this study constructs a model of cognitive and emotional influences on customer firms' behavior, and analyzes the influence of features of entrepreneur endorser and online purchasing platform on B2B parasocial relationship, and how this relationship can affect repeat purchase intention. Furthermore, this paper examines the moderating effect of trust in the relationship between B2B parasocial relationship and repeat purchase intention. Findings indicate that perceived interactivity and trustworthiness of entrepreneur endorser and the service and product quality of online purchasing platform have a positive impact on B2B parasocial relationship. B2B parasocial relationship has a significant and positive impact on repeat purchase intention, while trust moderates the relationship between B2B parasocial relationship and repeat purchase intention.     

Relationship between leader�Cmember exchange and organizational citizenship behaviors: Examining the moderating role of empowerment

This study addresses the moderating role of empowerment on the relationship between leader?Cmember exchange (LMX) quality and subordinates?? organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Using hierarchical multilevel analyses, we found that LMX is positively related to OCB. Likewise, we found that team-level empowerment climate is positively related to individual-level feelings of empowerment, which, in turn, positively moderate the positive effect of LMX on OCB.     

Pensions as Psychological Contracts: Implications for Work Outcomes

Drawing on psychological contract theory, we develop predictions regarding the moderating influence of the meaning employees assign to their marginal quit costs, as well as on the role of stayer perceptions and saver effects, on various work outcomes under a defined-benefit pension. Results show pension incentives can have favorable or unfavorable effects depending on whether employees perceive them as supportive relational contracts or as low-trust transactional contracts. Implications for research and policy are discussed.     

Can food waste behavior be managed within the B2B workplace and beyond? The roles of quality of green communication and dual mediation paths

Food waste is becoming increasingly a crucial issue to organizations, but little is known about workplace food waste reduction among frontline employees in the business-to-business (B2B) context regardless of the salience of frontline employees with such a behavior as green intermediaries in B2B supply chains. Our research seeks to fill this gap by investigating how and when quality of green communication in the B2B workplace influences frontline employees' workplace and household food waste behavior, as well as the relationship between these two types of food waste behavior among frontline employees. The dataset for this study came from sales employees in manufacturing companies based in Vietnam. The results unveiled the roles of employees' green role identity and harmonious environmental passion as the dual mediation paths for the relationship between quality of green communication and employees' intention to reduce food waste, which in turn attenuated both their workplace and household food waste behavior. The positive relationship was noted between employees' workplace food waste behavior and their household food waste behavior. The results further demonstrated the boundary condition role of household leftovers reuse routines to enhance the link between intention to reduce food waste and food waste behavior. The implications are discussed on initiatives for reducing B2B frontline employees' food waste behavior, thereby transforming them into green agents in B2B supply chains.     

Applying a relationship marketing perspective to B2B trade fairs: The role of socialization episodes

This study addresses the business-to-business (B2B) trade fair from a relationship marketing perspective. The main purpose is to comprehend buyer and seller interactions in the context of the trade fair, evaluating their impact on relationship quality and on the development of the relationship in the long-term. A research model is proposed with the underlying rationale that socialization episodes (i.e., social and information exchange) at B2B trade fairs are important catalysts for relationship quality and development. An empirical study was conducted to test the theoretical model. Data was collected at an international trade fair in Portugal and gathered information about visitor-exhibitor interactions. Findings reveal that the typical atmosphere of the B2B trade fair setting encourages socializing behaviors useful to generate bonds and commitment and, ultimately, enhances the relationship quality. Product importance moderates the relationship between information exchange and relationship quality, and relationship age moderates the relationship between social exchange and relationship quality. The study draws managerial implications for exhibitors, visitors and trade fair organizers and proposes avenues for future research.     

Creating trust and commitment in B2B services

In an ever-changing environment, business relationships are becoming increasingly complex. This particularly applies to the business-to-business (B2B) service sector due to its intangible nature. The combination of personal and organizational relationships further increases this complexity. However, trust can reduce uncertainty and complexity and help maintain commitment. Based on structural equation modeling and a sample of 1692 participants, this study provides insights into the drivers of trust in organizations and salespersons and their impact on commitment. The results show that both are important, but trust in a salesperson far surpasses the effect of trust in an organization. Furthermore, reputation and service quality influence trust in an organization, while social skills and low selling orientation affect trust in a salesperson. In summary, to the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to provide a comprehensive trust model in the B2B service market, and it might serve as a guide for future research.     

It Won't Fit! For Innovative Products,Sometimes That's for the Best

The degree of overlap (i.e., fit) between product development organizations' resources and the product development projects pursued has powerful performance implications. Drawing on organizational learning theory and the resource‐based view, this research conceptualizes and empirically tests the interrelationships between the levels of fit, innovativeness, speed to market, and financial new product performance. After reviewing the research literature relevant to resource fit and new product performance, the level of innovativeness is posited to be an important moderating and mediating factor, which is validated by analysis of data gathered from 279 product developing firms. Technological fit has a negative direct effect on both technological and market innovativeness, while the use of existing marketing resources (i.e., a high degree of marketing fit) positively impacts technological innovativeness. This suggests, consistent with findings from market orientation research, that a deep, long‐held customer understanding can promote technological innovativeness. The moderating hypotheses proposed are also well supported: First, a high degree of marketing fit has a more positive impact on performance for market innovative products (e.g., products which address a new target market or use a nontraditional channel for the firm). Drawing on a deep customer understanding is more critical to performance for market innovative products. Conversely, the benefits of marketing fit are limited where market innovativeness is lacking. Interestingly, the counterpart moderating role of technological innovativeness on technological fit's performance effect is not significant; the level of technological innovativeness does not significantly impact the performance impact of technological fit. There are also significant moderating effects across dimensions. Our results show that the financial benefit of using existing marketing resources is lessened for technologically innovative products. Technological innovations necessitate drastic adaptation of marketing resources (i.e., channel and brand); firms drawing only on existing marketing resources for a technologically innovative new product will incur reduced profit. Similarly, the positive implications of using existing technological resources are limited for products which are highly market innovative. Generally, resource fit is seen to have an (oft‐overlooked) dark side in product development, though several of our findings suggest that marketing resources are more flexible than are technological resources.     

Countervailing effects of value and risk perceptions in manufacturers' adoption of expensive,discontinuous innovations

Both value and risk perceptions are germane to industrial firms' adoption decisions involving discontinuous innovations. Yet a surprisingly limited number of studies examine how these two considerations jointly influence the innovation adoption phenomenon. We intend to fill this gap by studying the countervailing and context-dependent effects of value and risk perceptions on industrial firms' intention to adopt discontinuous innovations.A conceptual model is proposed and tested with data collected from influential decision makers in pharmaceutical manufacturers on their decision to adopt the modular facility technology, a costly, discontinuous facility construction innovation. The findings confirm the offsetting roles of value and risk in affecting adoption and reveal the moderating effects of external market pressure in that both value and risk assume greater roles in affecting adoption as external market pressure increases. Furthermore, our results show a positive effect of external market pressure on value, and negative effects of external market pressure and internal adoption readiness on risk.Our study contributes to the innovation diffusion and industrial marketing literatures by: (1) studying the joint and countervailing effects of value and risk perceptions on adoption decisions by manufacturers, (2) considering the contextual influences on industrial adopters' value and risk perceptions, and (3) gathering data from influential decision makers for a major capital investment decision.     

Artificial intelligence as an enabler of B2B marketing: A dynamic capabilities micro-foundations approach

Over the past few decades research has predominantly focused on the technical aspects and theoretical challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI). With the deluge of data and the increase in processing power, businesses are now facing the challenge of how to deploy AI that generates business value. In this direction, there is still nascent research on how AI can be leveraged in for B2B operations, and particularly marketing. To address this gap, this study draws on the dynamic capabilities view of the firm and specifically on the micro-foundations approach and builds on three selected case studies of large organizations in Norway that use AI for B2B marketing purposes. The study identifies a number of AI-specific micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities, essentially highlighting how organizations can use AI to manage B2B marketing operations in dynamic and uncertain environments. This study also identified several key cross-cutting elements emerging from the data, demonstrating how some key concepts are inter-related and how they affect overall business value.     

The power of emotional value: Moderating customer orientation effect in professional business services relationships

Just recently, the literature has established the existence of a dark side with regard to customer orientation (CO) in terms of sales performance. However, no clear position is presented about the possible dark side of CO when it comes to B2B relational outcomes, preventing managers from knowing when to accentuate/suppress CO activities. The aim of this study is to examine the relational consequences of suppliers' CO seen through the customers' lenses, and to investigate the moderating role of perceived emotional value in a professional service relationship context. A conceptual model anchored in value and relationship marketing theories is tested on a sample of 226 professional service firms' business customers, using the PROCESS routine. The study finds that perceived CO is related to satisfaction with the relationship and with relationship performance in an inverted U-shaped form, while satisfaction is positively related to relationship performance. We show that, although preferring to receive CO from their supplier, customers might want a relationship that is not as intense/comprehensive as the one that the supplier aims to achieve. The study unfolds emotional value as a moderating mechanism that can prevent the diminishing effect of CO activities.     

R&D employee tenure in MNC subsidiaries: the role of institutional distance and experience

Long tenure of research and development (R&D) employees helps organisations to utilise employees' knowledge over a sustained time period and strengthen their competitive advantage. It also allows organisations to benefit from the training investments made on their R&D employees. Thus, identifying the determinants of R&D employees' tenure is crucial for designing effective R&D employee retention strategies. This paper analyses the factors explaining R&D employees' tenure in the subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs). Building on institutional theory, we claim that formal and informal institutional distance between MNCs' home and host country might lead to R&D employees' short tenure in subsidiaries. We further suggest that R&D employees' international experience and MNCs' host country experience play a moderating role. We find support for our hypotheses by mobilising an original database that combines patent data and the LinkedIn profiles of 939 R&D employees in 256 MNC subsidiaries in India.     

Technology readiness in a B2B online retail context: An examination of antecedents and outcomes

This paper develops and empirically tests a model that examines the role of technology readiness (TR) in the business-to-business (B2B) context. The research investigates how retailers' TR, and its antecedents, impacts their evaluation of a credence based B2B service, namely web solution service providers (WSSPs). It responds to previous research calls by extending the TR construct from the business-to-consumer (B2C) perspective that is traditional in the extant literature into the B2B domain. The findings of a survey conducted with 133 firms in the retail industry are that TR is an important contributor to the eventual achievement of service quality and satisfaction. The contributions of this study are; first it develops and validates a measure of TR in a B2B context; second it investigates the antecedents of TR in this domain, demonstrating the impact of past inexperience, industry trust and switching costs on firms' level of technology readiness to adopt online operations; and third, it finds that service quality and satisfaction are outcomes of TR. The key management implication for WSSPs is the need to address the TR levels of existing and potential clients if they wish to deliver successful e-business solutions to them. Their clients' TR can be better managed by making the offering more easily understood, building relational rapport, reducing risk perceptions and adopting a client centric perspective throughout the process.