Abstract: | ABSTRACT Relationships lie at the center of many marketing activities, and in certain cases are a central focus of a firm's marketing strategy. This review further develops the use of marriage as a useful metaphor for understanding many marketing relationships. Specific attention is given to the nature of a marriage relationship and to the critical transitions and different trajectories that define marriages. Dwyer, Schurr and Oh (1987) point out that far too little is known about these aspects of marketing relationships. We provide a complementary perspective on the issues that will help relationships survive and prosper. Drawing upon work in the area of marriage and family studies, we introduce several aspects of relationship trajectory and discuss implications for marketing conduct and scholarly research. |