B2B Context Research Articles

Organizational intention to adopt big data in the B2B context: An integrated view

Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI), institutional theory, configuration theory, and technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, the study proposes a model incorporating factors in technological, organizational and environmental contexts that may influence an organization's decision to adopt big data strategies. Using survey data collected from Chinese companies, eight factors in three categories are tested utilizing a structural equation modeling (SEM) and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). The empirical results show that the factors relative advantage, technological competence, technology resources, support from top management, competitive pressure, and the regulatory environment all have a significant impact on the organizational adoption of big data. These findings contribute to the development of a better understanding of precisely how the big data diffusion process across industries functions in B2B practice.

Corporate brand identity co-creation in business-to-business contexts

Traditionally, corporate brand identity was considered to be directed and controlled by managers. However, more recent research has begun to recognize the limits of this view, which has led to the emergence of a stakeholder-driven, dynamic perspective, in which multiple stakeholders co-create diverse corporate brand meanings. This perspective argues that while managers have influence over the essence of the corporate brand, other stakeholders imprint and share their own interpretations. To better understand the process of corporate brand identity co-creation, we used a case study method with multiple cases, involving five small and medium sized business-to-business (B2B) corporate brands. We specifically chose B2B corporate brands, because they are often built on long-term and close relationships with diverse stakeholders, serving as a solid ground for illustrating the process of co-creation. To obtain the necessary depth of insight, we conducted 37 semi-structured interviews. Our research shows that corporate brand identity co-creation in B2B contexts is an ongoing dynamic process where multiple internal and external stakeholders engage in four different but interrelated performances: communicating; internalizing; contesting; and elucidating.

In pursuit of an effective B2B digital marketing strategy in an emerging market

In business markets, firms operating in developing economies deal with burgeoning use of the internet, new electronic purchase methods, and a wide range of social media and online sales platforms. However, marketers are unclear about the pattern of influence of firm-initiated (i.e., paid media, owned media, and digital inbound marketing) and market-initiated (i.e., earned social media and organic search) digital communications on B2B sales and customer acquisition. We develop and test a model of digital echoverse in an emerging market B2B context, using vector autoregressive modeling to analyze a unique 132-week dataset from a Brazilian hub firm operating in the marketplace. We find empirical evidence supporting our conceptual framework in emerging markets. Underscoring the importance of a market development approach for emerging markets, the findings show that owned media and digital inbound marketing play a bigger role in influencing customer acquisition. Impressions generated through earned social media complement owned media, but not paid media. These insights highlight the notion that while sources of digital echoverse may remain the same across countries, its components exert a particular pattern of influence in an emerging market context. This is expected to encourage managers to rethink their digital strategies for B2B customer acquisition and sales enhancement while operating in emerging markets.

Interfunctional coordination: the role of digitalization

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate interfunctional coordination (IC) in a B2B context. More specifically, it explores the role of digitalization as a strategic driver for an effective IC.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a qualitative methodology, three studies have been integrated: Study 1 (focus group with 5 participants), Study 2 (31 in-depth interviews with top executives) and Study 3 (online focus group with 9 experts).FindingsOne finding is that digitalization is the main driver for IC and can be considered strategic. Other findings show that digitalization can enhance IC, but it was also found that digitalization can have negative side effects on IC.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the understanding of the importance of digitalization on IC and also contributes to the conceptualization of IC as a dynamic capability.

Group Buying between Competitors: The Determinant of Power Structure

Competing firms may engage in group buying to benefit from quantity discount from the common supplier. There are two prevailing power structures in industry practice: Nash group buying in which two competing firms possess similar powers, and Stackelberg group buying in which one firm serves as the leader to initiate group buying contract. We investigate how the competitors' power structure affects their group buying behaviors and the performances of all stakeholders (including the supplier, the two firms, and the end consumers). Our paper is the first to study the impact of power structure on group buying between competitors in B2B context. We employ a game-theoretic framework in which two firms facing Cournot competition can group their purchase if it is beneficial over individual purchasing. As part of the framework, we model firms' group buying based on their endowed power structures. For each power structure, we derive equilibrium firm behaviors and characterize the conditions under which firms have a group buying incentive. We compare the group buying behaviors and performances across different power structures and demonstrate the determinant of power structure: Different power structures may fundamentally alter firms' group buying incentives. Furthermore, different power structures lead to different joint performance and neither form of group buying can dominate the others. Our results suggest that either Nash or Stackelberg group buying between competing firms may achieve Pareto improvement over individual purchasing in the sense that all the parties are better off. One distinctive insight is that when the two firms are highly asymmetric in their market bases, Nash group buying is unattainable due to severe co-opetition conflict and only Stackelberg group buying may be possible. Moreover, under certain conditions, the smaller-firm-led Stackelberg group buying (i.e., the smaller firm moves first and acts as the leader) can be Pareto optimal among all power structures.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Inter-Organisational Trust in a B2B Context

Purpose: The purpose of the paper to reveal the linkage between the customer perception of the supplier’s CSR and inter-organisational trust in a B2B context.Methodology/Approach: The paper conceptualises the customer perception of CSR activities as a latent second-order factor composed of three dimensions: CSR towards environment and community; CSR towards employees; and CSR towards customers. Three-dimensional understanding of inter-organisational trust, is applied in this paper. A quantitative study was conducted.Findings: As it was expected, the findings revealed that the customer perception of supplier’s CSR, namely CSR towards environment and community, towards employees and customers, generates inter-organisational trust that could be divided into competence trust, benevolence trust and integrity trust.Research Limitation/implication: Seeing that the paper uses a sample from a single country, it has a limitation due to its restrictive generalisability (especially having in mind that the research was done in a low-trust societal context). Moreover, the paper does not incorporate the characteristics of organisations, and the future research could elaborate on the issues of how the perceived CSR and its impacts on inter-organisational trust vary depending on organisational financial performance, market share, and so forth.Originality/Value of paper: The paper challenges the researchers and managers to move towards more sophisticated assessments concerning the way the customer perception of CSR affects inter-organisational trust in a B2B context, which might lead to improved organisational performance and sustainability.

Social media influence on the B2B buying process

PurposeThis study aims to explore if and how business-to-business (B2B) companies can use social media to influence the buying process.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses an exploratory approach into the existing literature related to the B2B buying process and its relationship with social media.FindingsThe study shows that companies in a B2B context can use social media as a means of influencing the stages of the buying process by means of using one or more of the seven functional blocks of social media.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings demonstrate the relation that exists between each stage of the buyer process in a B2B organization and the functional blocks of social media. This study opens the door for further research into the influence of each of these blocks on the buying process stages and the roles involved.Practical implicationsThis study identifies how social media’s blocks influence the different stages and how organizations can use that to their benefit.Originality/valueFew studies have investigated the use of social media in a B2B context. However, not many have looked into the influence of social media in the B2B buying process and buying center. This study looks into the relationship between the buying process stages and social media’s functional blocks as related to the different roles of the buying center.

Multi-sided platforms in B2B contexts: The role of affiliation costs and interdependencies in adoption decisions

Multi-sided platforms, enabling interactions between different user sides, hold an important place in the contemporary economy. Current literature, focusing on established and successful platforms, has neglected to study B2B multi-sided platform adoption mechanisms. In this article, we analyze these mechanisms by investigating the case of dematerialization platforms for B2B transactions between the multiple actors involved in public works contracts. Various qualitative materials, including 28 semi-structured interviews, were gathered over a thirty-month period. Adopting a business user perspective, this study contributes to the literature on multi-sided platforms in various ways. We show that platform adoption, in project-based B2B contexts, is mainly constrained by a high level of affiliation costs and the existence of tight-interdependencies between users' activities at project level. Thus, a consecutive adoption path would result in negative cross-group network externalities and undermine the platform's attractiveness. Conversely, a concurrent adoption path would activate positive network externalities and encourage platform adoption decisions.

A framework to manage business-to-business branding strategies

PurposeIn the past decades, a growing body of studies has assessed the importance of brands in business-to-business (B2B) markets. However, until date, a comprehensive understanding of B2B branding strategies is lacking. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to select and manage B2B branding strategies.Design/methodology/approachThis study’s arguments are developed in line with MacInnis’s (2011) guidelines on conceptual contributions in marketing.FindingsAs a result of the arguments of this study, a framework is developed to identify the relationships between the types of B2B contexts and effective B2B branding strategies.Research limitations/implicationsDespite deriving from an extensive analysis of the literature, the framework requires future empirical validation. Moreover, the relationship linking a supplier to its customer is unique, and hence, each supplier should carefully select a branding strategy depending on the specific situation.Practical implicationsThe suggested framework provides actionable insights to inform managers’ decisions about the most effective B2B strategy for their firm, based on the relational complexity (number of customers, intensity of co-production and co-creation, and dyadic vs multiple-actor view).Originality/valueThis is the first study to provide a comprehensive model of B2B branding strategies. Therefore, it contributes to both advance theoretical knowledge and managerial practice.

How social media usage influences B2B customer loyalty: roles of trust and purchase risk

PurposeIn the digital era, business-to-business (B2B) salespersons are encouraged to communicate with buyers on social media platforms and shape customer loyalty. However, the effect of social media usage and its mechanism remain unexplored. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how salespersons’ social media usage influences B2B buyers’ trust beliefs and purchase risk, and therefore, customer loyalty.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conduct an online-survey, use partial least squares structural equation modeling to analyze the data, and adopt SPSS PROCESS macro 2.13 to test mediation effects.FindingsSalespersons’ social media usage can enhance buyers’ trust beliefs on salespersons’ ability, integrity and benevolence, but only the latter two can improve customer loyalty. Social media usage does not directly affect purchase risk, and only benevolence can reduce purchase risk. Serial mediation models reveal that the effect of social media usage on customer loyalty is mediated by buyers’ trust beliefs on salespersons’ integrity/benevolence and purchase risk.Originality/valueFirst, the authors confirm the effect of social media usage on customer loyalty in B2B context and refute the fallacy of social media uselessness in B2B practices. Second, the research shows that buyers’ trusting beliefs on salesperson’s ability and integrity do not significantly influence perceived risk. The finding is different from the stereotypical judgment in B2C scenarios. Third, the authors distinguish differently weighted influences of buyers’ trusting beliefs on salesperson’s ability, integrity and benevolence, and highlight the role of salespersons’ altruism attributes in shaping customer loyalty.

GMS for Sustainability Performance in the Apparel Manufacturing Industry: A Conceptual Framework

Recent research shows that traditional business tactics do not support an organization’s goal to be environmentally-friendly as is expected by today’s stakeholders. The increasing demand by stakeholders to go green has pressured firms to adopt ‘green marketing’ as a viable organizational strategy. This study offers a conceptual model demonstrating the influence of green marketing strategy (GMS) on sustainability performance in the apparel manufacturing industry, specifically in the B2B context. By achieving sustainability performance in terms of economic, environmental and social parameters, an organization can simultaneously consider the needs of the environment, society and company. Despite numerous empirical researches on various environmental strategies, there is a dearth of literature regarding GMS and the sustainability performance of the apparel manufacturing industry. Hence, through this proposed model, the authors argue that comprehensive implementation of green marketing throughout the business operations would play a substantial role in attaining sustainability performance.

Sustainable marketing strategy in food and drink industry: a comparative analysis of B2B and B2C SMEs operating in Europe

PurposeThe paper aims to make a contribution by providing a comprehensive understanding of the scope of the implementation of sustainable marketing tools in SMEs operating in the food and drink industry in Europe. The focus will be put on the identification of differences between companies operating in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) context.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical basis is a survey of 770 European SMEs, of which 369 operate in Western European countries (including UK, Germany and Spain) and 401 in Central and Eastern Europe (including Poland, Croatia and Russia). The respondents in the particular countries were stratified according to company size, measured by the number of employees. The research covered 316 micro companies, 5 small companies and 209 medium ones. The questionnaire was completed by the managing directors of the enterprises (CEOs) or heads of the marketing departments (CMOs). The research was conducted between April 2016 and January 2017. An in-depth analysis of the findings helped to identify differences between the two groups of SMEs, i.e. operating in the B2B and B2C context, in terms of the extent of sustainable marketing implementation. The non-parametric U Mann–Whitney test was used to examine the significance of the differences between the two groups of companies.FindingsThe research results suggest that both groups of B2B and B2C companies implement sustainable marketing tools to some extent. However, in most cases, B2B organizations do it to a significantly greater extent. Nevertheless, these activities relate mainly to those tools, which are directly visible to customers, both institutional and individual, such as packaging, product ingredients or certificates. To a lesser extent, they involve marketing activities of an internal nature, such as production process and the level of energy, water or resources used.Originality/valueTo the best knowledge of the author, this is the first empirical research study on the implementation of the sustainable marketing concept in SMEs operating in European countries. The study is a comparative analysis of the phenomenon between B2B and B2C companies, which has not been previously researched.

Corporate Image and Customer Responses to Organisational Transformation in B2B Context: An Empirical Research in Vietnam

Marketing researchers have largely focused on corporate image and customer responses to stimuli and events in their environment. However, little academic attention has been paid to the relationship between them. Besides, only a little attention has been given to the context of organisational transformation. The aim of this research, therefore, is to investigate these issues by testing the hypotheses about the relationship between corporate image and different customer response types (controllability attribution, attitude and relationship commitment) in B2B market under the specific context of organisational transformation in Vietnam’s transition economy. Using the structural equation modelling approach, the research found that corporate image has a strong impact on customer relationship commitment and is influenced by customer controllability attribution as well as attitude towards organisational transformation. This research also remarks the role of controllability attribution by showing that it has influence on both corporate image and customer attitude towards organisational transformation.

Modeling (and Learning from) Inventory Inaccuracies in E‐retailing/B2B contexts

ABSTRACTPractical experience and scientific research show that there is scope for improving the performance of inventory control systems by taking into account the discrepancies between the actual physical inventory levels and those recorded in the information system (IS). Such discrepancies, which are often referred to as inventory (record) inaccuracies, are a major concern in contemporary supply chains where commitments to orders are usually made based on IS records only. Empirical data obtained in two case studies motivate the development of a multiperiod inventory control model that explicitly accounts for the differences between physical inventory levels and IS stock records. Numerical experiments help derive some key managerial insights. We find that previous important results on the behavior of the optimal order quantity in the retailing environment do not necessarily apply in an e‐retailing/Business‐To‐Business (B2B) context. We adjust and apply the zero balance walk technique to the e‐retailing/B2B case and deduce a simple and efficient learning mechanism about the errors’ distributions. We close with an agenda for further research in this area.

Trucks and Brand

This paper identifies the key aspects of purchasing a heavy truck / multi - axle truck in India and the role of brand image for a potential truck buyer. It considers the two largest brands of Indian heavy truck industry, Tata and Ashok Leyland and develops a logistic regression through a series of rank weighted purchase scores derived from some key buying factors to determine the purchase decision of a particular brand of heavy truck. It also proposes an adapted version of Keller's CBBE model in B2B context – ‘Trucker's CBBE Model.'

The influences of contract structure, contracting process, and service complexity on supplier performance

PurposeTo build a more comprehensive understanding of factors affecting the success of service contracting, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influences of service complexity, contract structure and contracting process on the buyer-perceived supplier performance in business-to-business (B2B) services.Design/methodology/approachA research model is developed based on transaction cost economics and the research on service contracting. The model is tested by the survey data collected. Professional focus groups on LinkedIn are used to generate the list of potential respondents. The sample consists of 177 purchasing professionals from 25 countries.FindingsThe results indicate that three major contract dimensions and follow-up management practices positively influence buyer-perceived supplier performance. Furthermore, service complexity amplifies the effects of incentives designed in the contract and the buyer’s follow-up contract management on perceived supplier performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample consists of respondents from 25 countries and provides good geographic coverage. However, the results should be generalized with caution because not all countries were represented equally.Practical implicationsThe study suggests a framework and guidelines for purchasing managers to improve the design and management of service contracts to secure good performance from their supplier.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to understanding the performance-enhancing aspects of designing and monitoring service contracts in B2B contexts. It also adds to the knowledge of the role of service complexity in successful B2B service purchasing.

Toxic Collaborations: Co-Destroying Value in the B2B Context

Service research and marketing theory have found value co-creation to be a key element in the business-to-business (B2B) context. Value can also be co-destroyed by the same actors who interact to create it. However, very few studies have examined service provider-customer work practices when value co-destruction (VCD) occurs. In this qualitative study, we approach VCD by combining social interactions and resource integration practices with a notion of value that reveals its multiform nature. We adopt a value definition that enables us to show that the notion of co-creation and co-destruction should be viewed conceptually as representing a value variation space rather than as being dichotomous or mutually exclusive. Our research allows practitioners to recognize and contrast VCD, as it emerges and impacts their B2B relations.

Quantifying value co-creation: examining the relationship between realised value facets and customer experience in a B2B context

Value co-creation has become central and one of the most researched topics among marketing scholars worldwide. This study discusses the relationship between value realisation facets and customer experience that emerges from a value co-creation process. With assumptions of a positivist paradigm, this study is responding to the call for quantification of value co-creation concept by developing a multidimensional scale to measure value co-creation in the context of information and communication technology (ICT) industry. Multivariate data analysis techniques like exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Cronbach's alpha and multiple regressions were used to check the reliability and validity of scale and test the hypothesis. The study finds that experience value (EV) is significantly and positively influenced by monetary value (MV), relationship value (RV) and functional value (FV). Moreover, it was also found that customer is more inclined towards RV and FV than that of MV to evaluate EV.

Quantifying value co-creation: examining the relationship between realised value facets and customer experience in a B2B context

Quantifying value co-creation: examining the relationship between realised value facets and customer experience in a B2B context

An Integrated Smartphone and Tariff Plan Selection for Taxi Service Operators: MCDM and RStudio Approach

This paper aims to suggest a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach in the business-to-business context in order to evaluate the smartphone options and tariff plans offered by mobile service providers in respect to the taxi service operators’ preference order. With the expert questionnaire filled by decision makers (DMs) of taxi service operating firms and real data collected from heterogeneous data sources, three MCDM techniques are utilized in the selection process: an analytic hierarchy process is utilized to set the relative weights of the smartphone and tariff plan evaluation criteria. Furthermore, the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solutions and graph theory and matrix approach (GTMA) are applied to select an ideal smartphone and its relevant tariff plan for taxi service operators. The GTMA weights are obtained by the proposed self-written algorithms in RStudio software. The results show that the most ideal smartphone for taxi service operators is Lenovo A2016 (LTE) offered by Azercell mobile service provider. In addition, the most suitable tariff plan along with the smartphone is “Optimist Talk” with 3000 on-net and 300 off-net minutes, 300 SMS, and the 3000-MB Internet, which costs only 29 AZN per month. This paper fills the gap in the literature that no former studies combined above-mentioned three MCDM techniques to select an ideal smartphone as well as tariff plan, which are offered by mobile service providers. In addition, using three techniques, particularly the R script implementing the dynamic-programming concept to calculate the assessed index scores for GTMA, significantly contribute to DMs in the B2B context to find an ideal solution not only in the mobile service but also in other domains.