Thinking about relationship marketing: where are we now?

Abstract

Relationship marketing (RM) has emerged as a new marketing idea for many firms in Western countries. The aim of this paper is to review the evolution of RM ideas. Definitional difficulties are sorted out, a typology of many of the relationships is developed, structural and social bonds are identified and whether RM is a paradigm shift for marketing theorists and practitioners is debated. This paper argues that RM is not a paradigm shift, but rather an appropriate marketing approach when management considers product/service, customer, and organization factors. The paper’s contribution is its comprehensiveness and up‐to‐date review of the evolution of core RM ideas.

The evolution of university–industry linkages—A framework

“…Modified models thus highlight the constant chance of negative transitions and relationship dissolution and recognize the two-way character of relationships (Voss and Voss, 1997). In contrast to stages theory, states theory asserts different relationships can develop between any states or stay at one phase for an undetermined period of time (Rao and Perry, 2002), which reflects the complex and unpredictable nature of relationships and their development over time.…”

“…Research-oriented UILs fit this categorization, in that they unite a research provider and customer, who collaboratively work toward mutually beneficial outcomes. Many evolution models, commonly divided into stages and states theories (Rao and Perry, 2002), rely on social exchange theory (Blau, 1986;Thibaut and Kelly, 1959), which states that actors evaluate their contributions and the outcomes of an initial interaction to determine the extent of future interactions and whether they will develop relational norms, trust, and other relational success drivers (Lambe et al, 2001). …”

The Impact of Internet Use on Inter-Firm Relationships in Australian Service Industries

“…These can range from formal, organisational contacts through to informal, personal ones. Social bonds are often non-economic and more personal than organisational bonds (Buttle and Ahmad, 1999;Rao and Perry, 2003). In contrast, technical bonds are forged when two organisations adapt to each other in some economic or technical way such as product or process adjustments (Wilson and Mummaleni, 1986).…”

Process design principles in service firms: Universal or context dependent? A literature review and new research directions

“…In contrast, it has been argued that, in the case of professional services (Schmenner, 1986;Silvestro et al, 1992;Kellogg and Nie, 1995), the service provider and the customer develop a close, longterm relationship typified by a multiplicity of touch-points before, during, and after service delivery. Customised service concepts are often associated with a relationship-based strategy which consists of building long-term partnerships (Rao and Perry, 2002). In their case study of a large electricity supplier, Ponsignon et al (2011) find that offering a customised service concept to high-profile customers involves developing a personalised relationship with the customer's representatives.…”

“…Typically, standardised service offerings provided by efficiency-driven service factories are associated with a transaction-based customer contact strategy (Kellogg and Nie, 1995;Silvestro, 1999). These service contexts are characterised by limited contact points between the customer and the organisation, and encounters are typified by short time exchanges (Rao and Perry, 2002). In contrast, it has been argued that, in the case of professional services (Schmenner, 1986;Silvestro et al, 1992;Kellogg and Nie, 1995), the service provider and the customer develop a close, longterm relationship typified by a multiplicity of touch-points before, during, and after service delivery.…”