Relationship marketing in supply chain: an empirical analysis in the Brazilian service sector

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the scope of relationship marketing research in a service and developing market context. This is achieved through the development and testing of a theoretical model including antecedents (quality, opportunistic behavior and switching cost), mediators (satisfaction, trust and commitment) and consequences (propensity to maintain, cooperation and communication).Design/methodology/approachThe study comprises data collected from a range of service firms in a national survey conducted in a Brazilian service provider. The authors sent a cover letter, accompanied by an electronic questionnaire, to suppliers of a tourism company. Confirmatory factor analysis and partial least squares were used to test the model.FindingsThe results show that trust and commitment have strong effects on the final outcome variables of propensity to maintain, cooperation and communication. Trust mediated two of the antecedents, i.e. transaction quality and opportunistic behavior. Commitment only mediated trust on the final outcomes.Practical implicationsManagers of supply relationships are encouraged to develop trust to limit potential negative aspects of the relationship. Combined with trust, commitment is the second half of the two key relationship drivers and should also be fostered.Originality/valueThe perspective of the supplier is a new perspective on the effects of trust and commitment. Contextually, a service provider in an emerging market, Brazil, provides unique extensions to the existing literature.