Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the relationship implications of additive manufacturing (AM), which has the ability to produce layer-by-layer three-dimensional complex products by adding material in comparison to traditional manufacturing processes which remove material – for industrial marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
After presenting the literature on customer relationships and digital technologies in business-to-business, the study uses a “zoom-out” and “zoom-in” perspective to review the extant literature on AM and then makes study propositions for industrial marketing.
Findings
Through the adoption of AM technologies, the study suggests that firms can improve their level of servitization through customized products, offer more sustainable value propositions and empower their customers through the sale of digital files, which can be considered as levers to strengthen relationships with customers.
Research limitations/implications
This paper makes several propositions regarding the relationship implications of AM for industrial marketing that further research should test.
Practical implications
This paper highlights the relational benefits that adopting AM may represent for companies.
Originality/value
While AM which is considered as an industrial revolution has generated a wide body of research in engineering and operations and technology management sciences, its impact on industrial marketing remains understudied.
Cet article explore la conduite des transmissions d’entreprises familiales en contexte africain, en se focalisant sur la pratique sénégalaise. Le processus développé par Cadieux (2004) est mobilisé pour servir de grille de lecture aux neuf cas de succession étudiés. En prenant appui sur ce découpage théorique et sur la coexistence des secteurs formel et informel, nos résultats dévoilent en priorité une absence de préparation de la transmission (absence de plan de relève) et se différencient dans leur rapport au processus lui-même, au niveau de l’initiation (sélection du successeur par filiation, hérédité ou mérite), de l’intégration (stratégies d’entrée empirique, coranique ou académique du successeur) et des conditions de sortie aux étapes de la transition et du désengagement (retrait du prédécesseur à sa propre mort). Ces spécificités mises à jour sont telles qu’elles appellent une relecture contextualisée du processus. De fait, notre apport théorique réside dans la proposition d’un processus de succession, en lien avec les influences culturelles des réalités sénégalaises.
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