B2B Service Research Articles

Influencer marketing in B2B services: a holistic approach for the container shipping industry

Influencer marketing in B2B services: a holistic approach for the container shipping industry

Ethicality in B2B Service Delivery: Examining the Impact of Individual and Organisational Ethics on Firm Performance Through Ethical Leadership and Climate

Ethicality in B2B Service Delivery: Examining the Impact of Individual and Organisational Ethics on Firm Performance Through Ethical Leadership and Climate

ANALISIS KINERJA RANTAI PASOK PADA PROSES SOURCE, TRANSFORM, DAN FULFILL DENGAN METODE SCOR DAN AHP PADA TELKOM WITEL BANDUNG

Telkom Witel Bandung is a telecommunications and networking service provider serving the Telkom Bandung area. The company has experienced staff reductions and organizational changes following the transformation to B2B services, which have impacted the execution of High Speed Internet (HSI) projects. Performance measurement of the supply chain was conducted using the Supply Chain Operation Reference (SCOR) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods. The evaluation focused on three core processes: source, transform, and fulfill. Performance indicators were derived from KPI validation by employees and managers at Telkom Witel Bandung, resulting in 26 selected indicators with attributes including reliability, responsiveness, agility, cost, profit, and environmental. Indicator weighting was performed using AHP with Expert Choice 11. Analysis of normalized actual data revealed that five indicators with scores below 90 (Excellent) require improvement. The total performance score of 117.461 indicates that Telkom Witel Bandung’s performance is classified as very good.

Performance of Ground-Based Global Navigation Satellite System Precipitable Water Vapor Retrieval in Beijing with the BeiDou B2b Service

Performance of Ground-Based Global Navigation Satellite System Precipitable Water Vapor Retrieval in Beijing with the BeiDou B2b Service

The Rise of Human–Machine Collaboration: Managers’ Perceptions of Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Enhanced B2B Service Recovery

AbstractThis research analyses managers’ perceptions of the multiple types of artificial intelligence (AI) required at each stage of the business‐to‐business (B2B) service recovery journey for successful human–AI collaboration in this context. Study 1 is an exploratory study that identifies managers’ perceptions of the main stages of a B2B service recovery journey based on human–AI collaboration and the corresponding roles of the human–AI collaboration at each stage. Study 2 provides an empirical examination of the proposed theoretical framework to identify the specific types of intelligence required by AI to enhance performance in each stage of B2B service recovery, based on managers’ perceptions. Our findings show that the prediction stage benefits from collaborations involving processing‐speed and visual‐spatial AI. The detection stage requires logic‐mathematical, social and processing‐speed AI. The recovery stage requires logic‐mathematical, social, verbal‐linguistic and processing‐speed AI. The post‐recovery stage calls for logic‐mathematical, social, verbal‐linguistic and processing‐speed AI.

Impact of transformational leadership on service delivery behaviours of frontline service employees

This study examines how transformational leadership translates into critical service behaviours of FSEs in a B2B services context. A sequential mixed-method approach has been employed to formulate and examine the research questions. Semi-structured interviews of FSEs (N = 25) have been analyzed using the Gioia method – a variant of grounded theory. Based on the findings of study 1, a conceptual model has been developed and tested quantitatively employing PLS-SEM in study 2 (N = 469). Recommended robustness checks and guidelines have been followed to report accurate findings. The higher-order themes identified from the Gioia method reveal that transformational leadership influences the prescribed service delivery behaviour (PSDB) and proactive customer service behaviour (PCSB) of FSEs. The findings also suggest a potential influence of affective commitment and role-breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) on FSE behaviours. The quantitative study results suggest that transformational leadership's influence on PSDB is partially mediated by affective commitment, and the influence of transformational leadership on PCSB is fully mediated by affective commitment and RBSE. This study examines the effect of transformational leadership on FSE behaviours in the B2B services sector of India which is growing remarkably in the global landscape. The study has undertaken a more contemporary approach towards the conceptualization of transformational leadership. Additionally, the mixed-method approach enhances the reliability and validity of the research.

ОМНИКАНАЛЬНОЕ УПРАВЛЕНИЕ КАК КЛЮЧЕВОЙ ПРИОРИТЕТ ЦИФРОВОЙ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЙ СЕКТОРА B2B ДИСТРИБЬЮЦИИ И СЕРВИСНОГО ОБСЛУЖИВАНИЯ

This paper studies the importance of determining priorities for the digital transformation of business. With new trends and technologies enabling omni-channel digital consumer experiences, B2B dis-tribution and service organizations need to adapt management practices and tools to today's digital environ-ment. This study identifies trends in the digital transformation of organizations in the B2B distribution and service sector. This is achieved by analyzing the current state of the digital transformation of organizations in the B2B distribution and service sector and identifying issues and key priorities in the digital transfor-mation of B2B organizations. The study investigates the organizational and economic relations arising in or-ganizations in the B2B sector. The paper analyzes and systematizes approaches to strategy development for the digital transformation of organizations, revealing that the most important approach for organizations in the B2B distribution and service sector is based on dynamic capabilities. A dedicated approach made it pos-sible to identify the digital technologies for realizing the internal and external capabilities of an organization. The hypothesis of the study is the assumption that with the digital transformation of the economy, omni-channel management has an impact on the efficiency of distribution systems in the B2B distribution and ser-vice sector. The paper shows that the organization of sales using digital technologies is at a low level and this allows us to conclude that there is a lack of integration in product distribution channels. The introduction of omni-channel management in the product distribution system, which allows for seamless interaction with consumers through digital and physical product distribution channels, is proposed as a key area of digital transformation. As a key direction for the digital development of the B2B distribution and service sector, the article proposes omni-channel management as part of the concept of dynamic capabilities allowing for the integration of distribution channels and influencing the external and internal capabilities of the organization.

Proposing a sales performance motivational framework for B2B sellers in services firms

This study tests a framework of business-to-business (B2B) sellers’ sales performance motivations in services firms. An exploratory-descriptive research design was used and data was collected from 389 respondents working in the services-orientated business sector of Norway. The study's results verify that B2B service sales are complex contexts and situations for B2B seller services firms and their B2B customers to handle. Many elements are required to reach a final deal. Therefore, services firms must maintain seller motivation throughout the B2B services sales process, which is usually hard and may involve psychological wear-out. Consequently, this study examines and verifies an important area of sales performance indicators, namely B2B sellers’ motivations in services firms, and explains B2B sellers’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.

How a Perceived Utilisation of IT-enabled Information shapes Customer Satisfaction in B2B arkets

Abstract Background Despite the recognised benefits of IT, we still know very little about how the perceived utilisation of IT-enabled information by suppliers is linked to customer satisfaction in B2B markets. Objectives To address this gap, this study develops a research model, which is then tested through a web-based survey of transport firms’ customers. Methods/Approach A web-based survey was conducted in Slovenia. The target population for this study was all export firms that utilise transport services. Results The study makes two key contributions to B2B marketing literature. First, results show that the more a supplier is perceived to utilise IT-enabled information in the service process, the less emphasis its customers place on prices when it comes to determining their satisfaction. Second, the results suggest that customers view the utilisation of IT-enabled information by suppliers of B2B services as a value-adding capability that boosts service quality perceptions. Conclusions Interestingly, although we expected that perceived utilisation of IT-enabled information would also increase the importance of service quality in forming customer satisfaction, the results suggested that this was not the case. Drawing on service quality literature, the study offers possible explanations.

B2B service sales on a digital multi-sided platform: Transformation from value chains to value networks

Business-to-business (B2B) service suppliers mobilize a platform approach to enhance their competitive advantage, service selling, and long-term relationships. These emerging platforms in established value chains have been insufficiently studied on a strategic level, especially regarding value orchestration. The aim of this article is to examine how digital multi-sided platforms (DMSPs) change platform owners' value chains toward joint value creation from a sales approach, including sales strategy, sales structure, and customer relationships. Our longitudinal multiple case study was conducted on four platform owners adopting a DMSP as part of their service selling. The findings show how the transition from value chain toward value orchestration in a network shifts the platform owner's focus to develop a common sales strategy with strategic network actors. The restructuring of sales with platform resources allows platform owners to manage larger networks with fewer resources and utilize enhanced interaction to create commitment in network relationships. We put forward three propositions and a framework to illustrate the interdependence of the value chain changes under examination. Additionally, this study offers various managerial implications for companies when utilizing platforms and provides avenues for further research.

Impact of B2B Service Quality on Customers’ Loyalty in the Egyptian Radiology Imaging Sector: The Mediating Role of Customers’ Satisfaction.

Impact of B2B Service Quality on Customers’ Loyalty in the Egyptian Radiology Imaging Sector: The Mediating Role of Customers’ Satisfaction.

Drivers of contract renewal over time: a framework of analysis in B2B services

ABSTRACT Despite the wealth of research into Business-to-Business customer relationships, there are a number of gaps in the literature, where most studies have used cross-sectional research designs. In this study, we explored customer relationships over a three-year period, using data from a large Fortune 100 industrial services provider. Our longitudinal research design compared the drivers of customer satisfaction and contract renewal decisions over time, and provides a holistic framework for viewing customer relationship drivers and their effects at an aggregate level. While some drivers were quite stable, others changed significantly between quarters. The main implications of this study are that firms should closely manage their supplier–customer relationships by tracking the drivers over time to enable service responsiveness to changing customer needs. From a theoretical perspective, the data also indicate that researchers should be cautious in drawing concrete conclusions from cross-sectional studies, as many drivers are dynamic over time. Future researchers are encouraged to develop more longitudinal research designs.

Buyer perceptions of corporate brand extension attractiveness and fit in B2B services

This study explores buyer perceptions of corporate brand extension attractiveness in B2B services, focusing on influencing roles of corporate image, extension fit, and other sources of extension appeal. Two case companies are explored qualitatively in the facility service and industrial consultancy industries, including 28 semi-structured interviews with buyers of the corporate brand's original services and service extensions. Corporate brand heritage, breadth and extension frequency influenced brand extension attractiveness. Image fit and service fit were identified as dimensions of brand extension fit, while other sources of attractiveness related to service characteristics and the buying context, including buyer-seller relationship strength and the characteristics of the buying process. By exploring buying experience over time, the dynamic natures of brand extension attractiveness and fit are discussed. This study contributes to brand extension research by identifying novel sources of brand extension attractiveness to guide future studies, and by adding new understandings of the benefits and risks of business growth through extending brands in B2B service markets.

The motivational influence of collective efficacy and charged behavior and the moderating effect of risk-taking propensity on new product development team innovativeness

PurposeThis study examines the motivational processes of charged behavior and collective efficacy driving interdependence and agency in new product development (NPD) teams and the moderating impact of team risk-taking propensity as affective, cognitive and behavioral social processes support team innovation.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 92 NPD teams engaged in B2C and B2B product and service development. Mediating and moderating effects are examined using partial least squares structural equation modeling, referencing social cognitive and collective agency theories as the research framework.FindingsThe analysis validates collective self-efficacy and charged behavior as interdependent motivational–affective processes that align cognitive resources and govern team effort toward innovativeness. Teams' risk-taking propensity regulates behavior, and collective efficacy facilitates self-regulated motivational engagement. Charged behavior cultivates the emotional contagion, team identification, cohesion and adaptation required for team functioning. Team potency fosters cohesiveness, while team learning improves adaptability along the innovation journey. The resulting theory asserts that motivational drivers enhance the interplay between cognitive and behavioral processes.Practical implicationsManagers should consider NPD teams as social systems with a capacity for collective agency nurtured through interdependence, which requires collective efficacy and shared competencies to generate motivational purpose and innovativeness. Managers must remain mindful of teams' risk tolerance as regulating the impact of motivational factors on innovativeness.Originality/valueThis study contributes to research on the motivational–affective drivers of NPD charged behavior and collective efficacy as complementary to cognitive and behavioral processes sustaining team innovativeness.

Designing Employee Experience for Customer and Talent Retention: A case of B2B services in the energy sector

French industry in general, and the country’s energy sector in particular, is facing a massive shortage of qualified talent. The employee experience is becoming a key issue in the ability of companies within the sector to both operate their services, and gain (and retain) their customers.

How Much Does Domestic Location Matter for B2B Firms’ Export Intensity? A Variance Decomposition Study

Business-to-business (B2B) firms leverage the advantages of their domestic location to export goods and services. However, little empirical research has examined the extent to which domestic location effects explain variation in B2B firms’ export intensity, despite their potentially critical role. In this study, the authors explore this question with a variance decomposition analysis, an approach that allows them to quantitatively examine the relative contribution of domestic location and other effects on B2B firms’ export intensity. Their analysis uses a large longitudinal sample of 7,465 European B2B firms over 15 years (2004–2018). Splitting domestic location effects into the home country and subnational region (a geographic space within a country) effects, they find that each explains a substantial portion of the variation in export intensity. Notably, the results show that the examined effects are more critical for small and medium-sized enterprises than for larger B2B firms. Domestic location factors also matter more for B2B manufacturing firms than for B2B service firms. The findings enhance scholarly and managerial understanding of the application and predictive power of domestic location effects in explaining firm internationalization through exports.

Does polychronicity among sales employees develop B2B service recovery? A dual assessment through ambidextrous leadership

PurposeThis research explores the determinants and consequences of salesperson polychronicity in a business-to-business (B2B) sales environment. Additionally, the study examined the link between the antecedents and consequences of salesperson polychronicity using resistance to change (RC) and manager trust in salesperson (MT) as moderators.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework was developed by testing eight hypotheses based on data collected from 378 salesperson-manager dyads.FindingsThe authors find that opening leader behavior is positively associated with salesperson polychronicity, while closing leader behavior negatively influences salesperson polychronicity. In addition, salesperson polychronicity positively affects service recovery performance and customer-directed organizational citizen behaviors (OCB). Finally, the RC and MT significantly and positively moderate the linkage between the antecedents and consequences of salesperson polychronicity.Originality/valueThis study is original because this is the first study to address polychronicity as an individual trait in a B2B environment where multitasking behavior is of paramount importance.

Benchmarking meta-analytical conceptualizations of B2B seller skills against empirical evidence in services firms

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to benchmark meta-analytical conceptualizations of business-to-business (B2B) seller skills against empirical evidence in services firms.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a deductive approach and questionnaire survey focusing on a range of services firms from different industries and corporate sizes. A total of 389 questionnaires out of 732 were returned, generating a response rate of 53.1%.FindingsThe study aims to provide empirical evidence and structures relating to B2B sellers' capabilities in a seven-dimensional conceptualization, all of which can be used in services firms to improve their seller efficiency. Each seller skill dimension performs a different function in the sales services process.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors conclude that the verified meta-analytical conceptualizations of B2B seller skills seem valid and reliable in services firms. Nevertheless, further research needs to be carried out, based on other company characteristics as well as industries.Practical implicationsIt reduces the risk perceived by customers in B2B services settings through cultivating the sellers' capabilities, based on the seven-dimensional evidence of seller skills to enhance sales performance.Originality/valueThe study contributes to existing theory and previous studies by offering a foundation on which to structure sales performance indicators in services firms. Specifically, it contributes to structuring B2B seller skills across a selection of principal dimensions in B2B services settings.

PPP/INS Tight Integration with BDS−3 PPP−B2b Service in the Urban Environment

To provide continuous and reliable real-time precise positioning services in challenging environments and poor internet conditions, the real-time precise corrections of the BeiDou global navigation satellite system (BDS-3) PPP-B2b signal are utilized to correct the satellite orbit errors and clock offsets. In addition to this, using the complementary characteristics of the inertial navigation system (INS) and the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), a PPP-B2b/INS tight integration model is established. With observation data collected in an urban environment, the results show that PPP-B2b/INS tight integration can ensure a decimeter-level positioning accuracy; the positioning accuracies of the E, N, and U components are 0.292, 0.115, and 0.155 m, respectively, which can provide a continuous and secure position during short interruptions in the GNSS. However, there is still a gap of about 1 dm compared with the three-dimensional (3D) positioning accuracy obtained from Deutsche GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) real-time products, and a gap of about 2 dm compared with the GFZ post-precise products. Using a tactical inertial measurement unit (IMU), the velocimetry accuracies of the tightly integrated PPP-B2b/INS in the E, N, and U components are all about 0.3 cm/s, and the attitude accuracy of yaw is about 0.1 deg, while the pitch and roll show a superior performance of less than 0.01 deg. The accuracies of the velocity and attitude mainly depend on the performance of the IMU in the tight integration mode, and there is no significant difference between using real-time products and post products. The performance of the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) IMU and tactical IMU is also compared, and the positioning, velocimetry, and attitude determinations with the MEMS IMU are significantly worsened.

The Trend of Omnichannel Trade Fairs. Are B2B Exhibitors Open to This Challenge? A Study on Portuguese Exhibitors

ABSTRACT Purpose Omnichannel is a trend also reaching events and their participants. So naturally, the trade fairs will be confronted with this reality of digital transformation. Given that exhibitors generally have the primacy of deciding to participate or not in a trade fair, this study aims to take this further, developing a representative model of exhibitors’ perception of an omnichannel trade fair. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative approach through a survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used on the data collected from 306 Portuguese B2B exhibitors. Within the SEM method, the multi-group causal analysis was also used to analyze the moderating role of the type of exhibitors (between industries and B2B service). Findings A new model is described, incorporating the causal relationships between exhibitors’ perceived compatibility with omnichannel trade fairs and consequent engagement and loyalty. The model reveals the exhibitors’ understanding of omnichannel compatibility with the trade fair’s context, positively influencing their engagement and loyalty. The results also reveal no significant differences between the types of exhibitors (industries and B2B service). Research implications Trade fairs continue to be excellent business-to-business (B2B) marketing tools, and the intensity of the use of digital technologies at events will lead to new challenges and opportunities. But few studies have investigated this topic. Thus, this research investigated the exhibitors’ perception of omnichannel trade fairs and their consequences on engagement and loyalty. Therefore, this research is a relevant contribution to the literature on B2B trade fairs and raises new research lights Practical implications The great differential of omnichannel is precisely in integrating online and offline channels. This positive opening of exhibitors to omnichannel trade fairs extends multiple opportunities and challenges for exhibitors, organizers, and visitors. “Omnicanalization” of trade fairs will imply a convergence strategy that integrates all connectivity channels between the three parties. Originality/value This study’s findings address the gap in trade fair literature concerning the lack of an omnichannel approach, which is a fresh and pertinent perspective.