文档介绍：Robert W. Palmatier
Interfirm Relational Drivers of
Customer Value
This article integrates work and exchange theory to develop a model of customer value based on three
relational drivers: relationship quality (the caliber of relational ties), contact density (the number of relational ties),
and contact authority (the decision-making capability of relational contacts). The results suggest that the value
generated from interfirm relationships derives not only from the quality of customer ties (., trust, commitment,
norms), as is typically modeled, but also from the number and decision-making capability of interfirm contacts and
the interactions among relational drivers. Moderator analysis of customer characteristics suggests that increasing
contact density benefits sellers that have customers with high employee turnover rates, whereas building
relationships with key decisions makers generates the highest returns among customers that are more difficult to
access. The conceptual model of the impact of interfirm relational drivers on customer value receives support from
dyadic data across 446 business-to-business exchanges.
Keywords: relationship marketing, anizational relationships, business-to-business marketing, network
theory, customer value
he positive effect of strong customer relationships on ing firms and fall on the continuum between one-to-one
seller financial performance in business-to-business dyads and works of firms in terms of interaction
Tmarkets has been widely accepted by both plexity, work theory may provide insight into
managers and academics (McKenna 1991; Palmatier, Dant, these “missing” drivers of relationship performance. For
and Grewal 2007). Marketers spend their limited budgets on example, social exchange theory using a dyadic perspective
“building” strong customer relationships, and firms often suggests mitment and trust between two firms is
make costly acquisitions by “buying” new relationships. the key relational