An exploratory study of factors associated with relational exchange choices of small-, medium- and large-sized customers

Abstract

This paper investigates factors (exchange performance outcomes, perceptions of technological uncertainty and resource availability uncertainty) that are associated with customer choices to engage in relational exchanges with suppliers of process control equipment, and how these factors differ for small-, medium-and large-sized customers in the paper industry. The study involves a survey of 372 paper mills that investigates how these factors differ across differently sized customers. The results indicate that the variables associated with relational exchange choices are different for small-, medium-and large-sized customers, and suggest that marketing managers should develop alternative sales and marketing strategies and product and service offerings to effectively create relational exchanges with different segments of customers.

Pricing, purchasing and product performance factors associated with the relational exchanges of different sized customers

“…In developing relational exchange strategies, suppliers must understand the different performance factors associated with different customers' decisions to enter into closer customer‐supplier relationships and cannot assume a common set of performance factors are associated with all their customer relational exchanges. As noted by Fink et al (2009), a better understanding of customer needs should form the basis for relational strategies. This is particularly important to suppliers who have not always reaped performance improvement through relational exchange strategies (Fink et al , 2007).…”