Satisfaction In Business Relationships Research Articles

Satisfaction in Business Relationships Between Companies and Dark Side Behaviour: A Literature Review

Buyer-seller relationships play a pivotal role in relationship marketing, as their effective management can yield significant benefits for companies. Satisfaction is the linchpin that sustains these business relationships over time, yet it can be influenced by various factors, particularly negative behaviors known as “dark side” behaviors. These behaviors encompass actions such as concealing information, opportunism, exploiting the counterparty, causing confusion, sharing customer information without consent, providing misleading information, breaching privacy, levying unjustified charges, and withholding information from customers. The primary objective of this research is to explore the link between dark-side behaviors and satisfaction in business relationships among companies. To achieve this goal, we conducted a comprehensive systematic literature review, scrutinizing 43 articles that aligned with our search criteria. After careful selection, we focused on 30 articles published between 2010 and 2023. Within these articles, we identified the prevailing theories, authors, research methodologies, and limitations, and we also unearthed promising avenues for future research. In conclusion, our findings indicate that there isn’t a singular interpretation of the term “dark side” in commercial relationships. Thus, there is a pressing need to develop tools and frameworks that can pinpoint specific manifestations of dark side behaviors, especially those driven by personal or corporate gain, regardless of the potential harm they may inflict on a business partner within a collaborative relationship.

Trust and commitment as mediators between economic and non-economic satisfaction in business relationships: a sales perspective

Purpose This paper aims to test trust and commitment as mediators between economic and non-economic satisfaction in seller business relationships in contrast to previous studies on buyer business relationships. Design/methodology/approach Based on a cross-industry sample of Norwegian companies with sales or marketing managers/directors or key account managers. Key informants were selected to participate who adhered to specific criteria, such as their designations should be sales or marketing managers/directors or key account managers. Findings Trust and commitment mediate between economic and non-economic satisfaction in seller business relationships in line with what has been previously tested and retested across contexts and through time in buyer business relationships. Research limitations/implications This study helps in establishing an extended foundation to assess the structural properties between economic and non-economic satisfaction, as well as trust and commitment, in business relationships based on seller and or buyer perspectives. Practical implications The tested seller business relationship research model provides a corporate foundation for assessing the seller perspective of business relationships. It also provides a corporate foundation for combining the seller perspective with that of the customer perspective. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first study based on seller business relationships that validates the research model reported in multiple previous studies based on buyer business relationships.

Causes and outcomes of satisfaction in business relationships

PurposeThis study includes relationship marketing concepts (i.e. trust, commitment, and satisfaction) as precursors to transaction cost theory outcomes (i.e. specific investments, opportunism, and formalization) which are rarely, if ever, included together. Trust and commitment lead to satisfaction and satisfaction in turn leads transaction cost outcomes. The paper aims to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe random sample is 600 small‐ to medium‐sized Norwegian manufacturers. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling was used to examine the responses from 212 key informants.FindingsThe strongest positive associations are from the relationship marketing portion of the model including trust satisfaction and commitment satisfaction. The highest negative association in the model is satisfaction opportunism. Contrary to predictions, satisfaction did not have a significant association with either specific investments or formalization.Research limitations/implicationsBoth relationship marketing and transaction cost theory concepts are examined because it is likely that business success may be motivated by both theories. Limitations of the study are that it only includes small‐ and medium‐sized companies in Norway. Second, it does not cover all business‐to‐business relationships (i.e. only manufacturer‐supplier relationships are included). Finally, additional concepts should be included (i.e. dependence, cooperation, and control).Practical implicationsThe results suggest that managers should work developing high levels of satisfaction in business relationships to dampen the likelihood that business partners will be opportunistic. In this regard, working on a relationship serves as a safeguard against possible future risks (e.g. opportunism).Originality/valueThis study is a seed for future research about the causes and outcomes of satisfaction in business relationships.

Antecedents and postcedents of satisfaction in business relationships in Canada

This paper reports the findings of an investigation of whether trust and commitment influence satisfaction, and whether satisfaction then influences specific investments, opportunism, and formalisation. Using data collected in a survey of Canadian managers and executives, a model derived from marketing theory and previous empirical research was tested. The model includes both relationship marketing concepts and transaction cost theory concepts, an approach rarely encountered in existing studies. Satisfaction in an exchange relationship is formed by keeping promises in an iterative process, and serves as a safeguard against possible future risks (e.g., opportunism). Finally, we discuss the limitations of the study.

RELQUAL's impact on satisfaction in Norwegian business relationships

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a RELQUAL‐construct and to test its impact on satisfaction in Norwegian business relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based upon a survey and random sample of small and medium‐sized companies in Norway. Initially, respondents were contacted by phone and a total of 581 surveys were mailed. A total of 212 surveys were returned, a response rate of 36.5 percent.FindingsTwo principal findings are: business relationships characterized by commitment/continuity and coordination/cooperation indicate a higher degree of a company's perceived satisfaction of the supplier; and business relationships characterized by opportunism/distrust and dependence indicate a lower degree of a company's perceived satisfaction of the supplier.Research limitations/implicationsThe RELQUAL‐construct and its impact on satisfaction in business relationships appears to be accurate for those Norwegian business relationships studied, but only further work in examining other companies will verify its universal applicability if it is to be seen as a valid and reliable measurement for other companies' business relationships too. Suggestions for further research are provided.Practical implicationsThis study is of managerial interest to executives since it provides a framework of dimensions to be considered in corporate efforts in maintaining satisfactory levels of relationship quality in business relationships.Originality/valueThe RELQUAL‐construct makes a contribution to theory since it proposes a higher order‐construct and measurement instrument for the benefit of other researchers and practitioners in the field.

'Antecedents' and 'postcedents' in relation to satisfaction in Taiwanese business relationships

The research objective is to test whether satisfaction in business relationships may constitute a mediating construct between trust and commitment on the one hand, and coordination, cooperation and continuity expectancy on the other. The structural relationships are summarised in an AMP-model (i.e., antecedents, mediator and postcedents), the sample at that time consisted of attitudes among leading executives in small and medium-sized companies in Taiwan. The tested structural relationships of the AMP-model complement previous theory and research of antecedents and postcedents in relation to satisfaction in business relationships. One contribution is that the empirical findings indicate that satisfaction in studied buyer-supplier relationships may be seen as a mediating construct between antecedents (such as trust and commitment) and postcedents (such as coordination, cooperation and continuity). Research limitations and suggestions for further research are provided.

The roles of service encounters, service value, and job satisfaction in achieving customer satisfaction in business relationships

Along with variables like the service process, perceived service value and customer satisfaction, job satisfaction of service employees plays a vital role in customer evaluation of service result. However, there has been little in-depth research into the nature of this relation, in particular in the context of B2B relations. In the sphere of an organization providing financial intermediation services to the banking sector and on the basis of a literature review, hypotheses are developed which establish the mediator role of service value and the moderator role of job satisfaction of service employees when delimiting customer satisfaction. Reliability and validity analysis give satisfactory results and our conclusions establish firstly that service encounter directly and significantly affects perceived service value which is the final antecedent to customer satisfaction and secondly, that the level of employment satisfaction moderates its effect on service value.

Variations in relationship strength and its impact on performance and satisfaction in business relationships

Develops a summary construct, relationship strength, composed of interfirm trust, relationship commitment, and relationalism and supports the role of relationship strength in achieving positive relational outcomes, like relationship satisfaction and performance. The survey sample comes from a national population of hospital material managers who make decisions regarding purchases from a small group of large medical/surgical supply firms. Structural models support improved fit provided by relationship strength over a model containing the individual constructs comprising relationship strength. Managerial and academic implications of relationship strength include improved strategic planning and actionable information on improving relational outcomes.