Bringing Relationship Marketing Theory into B2B Practice: The B2B-RP Scale and the B2B-RELPERF Scorecard

This study presents a new measurement scale to assess the performance of a relationship between two firms. The Business-to-Business Relationship Performance (B2B-RP) scale is presented as a high order concept. When tested in a sample of nearly 400 SMEs purchasing managers operating in a B2B e-marketplace, our findings reveal that greater relationship performance results in better 1) relationship policies and practices, 2) relationship commitment, 3) trust in the relationship, 4) mutual cooperation, as well as 5) satisfaction with the relationship. The multi-dimensional scale shows strong evidence of reliability as well as convergent, discriminant and nomological validity. Findings also reveal that B2B relationship performance is positively and significantly associated with loyalty. While building on this scale, the authors develop the B2B-RP Scorecard intended to be included in periodic reports. At the managerial level, both the scale and the scorecard are expected to help disclose relationship performance, and act as useful instruments for periodic planning, management, controlling, and improvement of B2B relationships.Relationship Performance; Relationship Marketing; B2B-RP Scale; B2B-RELPERF Scorecard; Electronic Markets

An exploratory study of Australian agribusiness organisations and their selection of e-business models for conducting B2B e-commerce

The increasing importance and complexity of selecting appropriate e-business models has seen the need to develop a framework to assist businesses in this process. Through depth interviews and case studies, this paper explores the behaviour of Australian agribusiness organisations in their choice of e-business models for conducting B2B e-commerce. The results show that the choice of model is a complex multi-stage process

An Empirical Analysis of the Determinants of Success of Food and Agribusiness E-Commerce Firms

E-commerce's value creation in agricultural and food markets will only occur to the extent that e-commerce firms exist throughout the supply chain. The problem is that e-commerce firms throughout the agricultural and food supply chain have faced a serious challenge in staying in business. Many have been forced to exit the market, and only a few have survived to develop into functional web-based businesses. The objective of this research study is to identify characteristics that are associated with successful e-commerce firms throughout the agricultural and food supply chain. Relevant e-commerce and agricultural e-commerce literature suggests several characteristics that influence the success for agricultural and food e-commerce firms. A limited-dependent variable technique, logistic regression, is used to relate websites' characteristics to their probability of survival.e-commerce, food chains, survival probability, logistical regression, Agribusiness,

The Relationship between Buyer and a B2B e-Marketplace: Cooperation Determinants in an Electronic Market Context

In this article, the authors argue that cooperation may be achieved by adding technology dimensions to the core product. Given the growing importance of real time information exchange and interactivity, a better understanding of the use of technology to the establishment and development of the buyer-supplier cooperative relationships is essential for knowledge advancement. Using a sample of nearly 400 SMEs purchasing managers, this paper reveals that in an electronic market context, cooperation is positively affected by termination costs, supplier policies and practices, communication and information exchange, and negatively affected by product prices and opportunistic behavior. Moreover, both relationship commitment and trust play a major role in mediating the relationships between these five determinants and cooperation.relationship marketing, trust, cooperation, electronic markets, e-commerce

Trust Across Borders: Buyer-Supplier Trust in Global Business-to-Business E-Commerce

This study focuses on trust formation and development in global buyer-supplier relationships. Trust affects all business relationships, especially global business-to-business (B2B) transactions due to the distances between buyers and suppliers. We use information signaling theory to examine how information indices and signals affect buyers’ trust in suppliers in global B2B commerce. Specifically, we examine how buyers’ trust is affected by (1) their perceptions of the national integrity and legal structure of suppliers’ country, and (2) third-party verifications of suppliers on B2B exchanges. Because buyer-supplier relationships usually evolve over time, we study how the effects of indices and signals change as the number of transactions between the partners increases. A survey of global organizational buyers finds that perceptions of national integrity, legal structure, and supplier verifications are all positively related to buyers’ trust. However, the number of prior transactions between buyers and suppliers moderates the impact of perceived legal structure on buyers’ trust

E-Markets and Changing Trends

This paper discusses the role of e-markets as intermediaries in the Australasian B2B e-space. The discussion and findings of this paper are from a research project that investigated the business and operational issues of these intermediaries as highly volatile business entities in 2002 and an evaluation of these same e-markets in 2005 to determine the changing trends. This paper presents business opportunities, revenue models from intermediary services, factors contributing to success and the challenges e-markets faced in 2002 and in 2005

Codes of Conduct and Marketing Strategies in Kenya’s Horticultural Sector

The global demand for product quality and safety in Western European markets has motivated rapid growth of production and marketing codes of conduct between business partners. However, though the Kenya Horticultural Crops Development Authority’s code of conduct on contractual guidelines has promoted business to farm business (B2B) relationships between exporters and smallholders, the relationships have received little empirical analysis. This paper uses case analysis based on strategic marketing framework to examine the B2B’s purpose, target and competitive, growth, promotion, distribution, and pricing strategies. The analysis reveals that the B2B strategies are based on supply chain governance constructs: written and verbal contracts. The purpose of the contracts is to manage procurement of high quality and safe produce which in itself is contingent on the European Union market served. On targets, written contracts seem efficient with organized producers and verbal contracts with independent producers. As competitive edges, written contracts are orientated toward differentiation strategy and verbal contracts, low-cost strategy. Growth in written contracts is through market penetration and diversification in verbal contracts. However, sharp differences exist on distributional, promotional and pricing strategies. Keywords: code of conduct, contracts, marketing strategies, horticulture, Keny

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Business Complaint Management Expectations

This paper is in closed access until 9th Dec 2016.Copyright © Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. This study explores the complaint management expectations of 72 British and 74 German organizational buyers using automated online means-end laddering and a Hierarchical Value Map presentation. It conceptualizes the links between expected complaint resolution attributes by the buyer (i.e., means) and the buyer's value perceptions (i.e., ends). Unlike previous research, we highlight similarities and differences in the drivers behind and attributes of complaint management expectations across two countries (Germany and the United Kingdom). Even in countries appearing to be similar economically and culturally, we find differences in the desired attributes. British buyers, for example, emphasize softer complaint resolution attributes compared to Germans. Our study is the first to present a model of complaint management expectations incorporating the role of culture, and it provides managerial directions on standardization and adaption of complaint resolution attributes. Furthermore, it evaluates justice dimensions (especially interactional justice) and their impact on perceptions of complaint management