Technology, Trust and B2B Relationships

Abstract

Technology has altered business processes, and the use of self-service technologies changes the nature of service delivery. The importance of developing and fostering relationships with customers has long been regarded as important within services marketing (Berry, 1983) and also within B2B relationships (Ford, 1990). In the 1980s and 90s, a shift in marketing focus has seen an increased emphasis on relationship marketing (Morgan and Hunt, 1994). This chapter reviews the results and implications of recent exploratory research conducted with a small sample of Australian business bank customers (n=20). This research makes a contribution toward answering the research question “what impact does the use of self service technologies have on relationships within a business-to-business context?” Utilising a banking context, this research explores how the use of Internet banking impacts on relationships between the bank and its business customer. In exploring this research area, a greater understanding of banking relationships and business banking customers has been identified.