Salesperson social media use in business-to-business relationships: An empirical test of an integrative framework linking antecedents and consequences

Abstract

This study presents an empirical test of an integrative framework based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, capturing what drives salesperson social media use in business-to-business relationships and under which circumstances social media use affects customer loyalty. The authors test the framework by drawing on a unique hierarchical dataset with data from three sources (over 30 sales managers, over 150 salespeople, and almost 400 customers). The most important finding is that the social media’s effect on customer loyalty depends strongly on the context. Salesperson social media use increases customer loyalty only for high-status customers and customers with small buying centers.