DRIVERS OF RELATIONSHIPS AFFECTING B2B FIRMS IN AN E-COMMERCE
ENVIRONMENT
Irene Samanta
Assistant Professor
Technological
Institute of Piraeus, Greece
E-mail: irinisamanta@gmail.com
Professor Mike Danson
School of Management and Languages Heriot-Watt University,
Scotland
E-mail: m.danson@hw.ac.uk
Submission: 10/11/2013
Revision: 24/11/2013
Accept: 06/03/2014
ABSTRACT
The advent of the internet has created numerous opportunities for B2B
marketing professionals to enhance current marketing practices, including
electronic relationships. However, the investigation of e-relationships and the
factors that influence e-relationships in an internet environment is scant.
Further, there appears to be no investigation of this phenomenon within the
context of Greek B2B Medium-sized firms (MSF). Τhe
research problem investigated in this research is: “Which drivers in B2B e-commerce use affect inter-firm
relationships in medium-sized B2B
firms?”. A framework for B2B e-commerce relationships in a changing and
globalized environment was synthesized and integrated with the literature about
relationship marketing to arrive at the following research issues: “How do
relationship marketing drivers affect the management of B2B e-relationships?”
An explanatory quantitative research approach was used and quantitative
data was collected from B2B firms in Greece, which represents a case of
e-commerce progress during the last six years. Regarding social exchange, some
important differences emerge where cooperation between B2B e-commerce firms is
concerned. Suppliers engaged in electronic commerce are more committed and
oriented to a long-term relationship than buyers, based on both previous and
current experience with them. Confidence in the relationships, consistency and
honesty with their obligations and the exchange of reliable, trustworthy
information and advisory services between firms are important factors in the
development and establishment of their e-relationships.
The main contribution of this research is the development of
e-relationships in medium-sized Β2Β firms. That framework is the first
rigorously researched step towards understanding the importance of these
powerful streams of relationship drivers in total, and the business activity of
e-marketing and electronic relationships.
Keywords: B2B relationships, trust, adaptation,
commitment, e-commerce.
1.
INTRODUCTION
B2B
internet marketing has received widespread attention as one of the key drivers
in sustaining an organization’s competitive advantage. On the other hand, the
development of internet usage has experienced transformations, particularly in
the area of the expectations of organizations for creating value within a
supply chain. This allows businesses to extend their relationships with
customers, suppliers, retailers, brokers, co-producers, employees and
shareholders and achieve a more personalized relationship with them (SAMIEE,
1998). The development of such personalized relationships is a key goal of
marketing, because they tend to be more sustainable. In the second decade of
the new millennium, e-commerce is marked by innovations which are making online
transactions easier (FORESTER RESEARCH, 2010).
Firms
are investing their newfound profits in emerging technologies, such as
sophisticated analytical and personalization tools that enhance the online
experience for existing customers. The result is that businesses no longer view
the Web as a low-cost sales channel but as a way of improving customer service
and retention. As online commerce continues to grow overall, customer
expectations for B2B e-commerce are also changing rapidly. Companies serving
business buyers are realizing that the old ways of conducting business are no
longer sufficient. B2B companies that wish to grow and become more profitable
are looking to adopt e-commerce.
As
Forrester Research explains, “e-commerce platforms have a relatively low cost
but high return on investment in the spectrum of enterprise IT projects and
support a new or maturing revenue stream that meets the needs of a changing
customer” (FORRESTER RESEARCH, 2010).
Regarding
Greece, a new report by the World Economic Forum ranks countries in the period
2010-11 with respect to the introduction and utilization of new information
technologies, networks and telecommunications; Greece occupies the 64th
position among 138 countries. Greece is still technologically far from the
northern countries that monopolize the research and technology industry,
spending large sums of money. More specifically, Greece has low access to the
new economy in B2B transactions and the society of information of all the
countries in the European Union, given that it has low expenditure on research
and technology.
Greece,
although it lags behind other European countries regarding the penetration of
new technologies, is starting to show signs of development in B2C transactions
(http://www.go-online.gr, date of accessing
11/12/2011). The penetration of broadband internet in the Greek population,
2,252,653 individuals in 2011 are online, certainly contributes significantly
to developing B2C transactions, and this is because the prices of broadband in
the country are relatively low compared with the rest of Europe (www.tradingeconomics.com,
date of accessing 13/12/2011).
In
order to meet the expectations and changes in the business environment in an
economic crisis period, the contemporary medium-sized companies in Greece have
to react frequently and quickly to this new business environment by accepting
an innovation culture and undertaking actions in response to business
pressures. As a conclusion, the new economy seems to be changing the world
dramatically. It is creating new possibilities for development in countries
such as Greece. It is creating a global economy obliging everyone to be
properly prepared to confront the pressures of international competition. The
responsibilities of both the state and the business world are immense and any
delays will have a negative effect on both industry and government.
However,
for a framework for the role of business today in a changing globalized
environment, the shift from the “old” to the “new” world of B2B relationships
in an e-business context, the strategic features of buyer–supplier
relationships and relationship marketing in the extant literature were
integrated and synthesized with the literature to arrive at the research
objective below: to investigate the impact of e-relationship marketing drivers
on the management of B2B e- relationships. To address this objective, the paper
first reviews the literature on B2B medium-sized firms of e-commerce before
considering business relationships and e-relationships especially.
The
quantitative research methodology is introduced next with 120 businesses
surveyed divided into 60 traditional and 60 e-commerce businesses with 30
buyers and 30 sellers in each group. The data are explored using regression
analyses to examine relationships, commitment, trust and adaptation, and then
policies and practices. The conclusions are enhanced by considering the
implications for management and how the research can be extended.
2.
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.
The effect of e-commerce in B2B medium-sized
firms
In
the 1980s, market analysts had predicted that the influence of e-commerce would
be more pronounced on Business to Business (B2B) rather than Business to
Consumer (B2C) transactions (KLEIN; QUELCH, 1997; SAMIEE, 1998). Forrester
(2006) estimated that, by 2008, B2B online exchanges would account for around
55% of worldwide e-commerce. The global nature of e-commerce would serve to
increase both the number of potential B2B relationships and a company’s
customer base, which may contribute to achieving a sustainable competitive
advantage.
In
this context, the organizational structure of B2B medium-sized firms could
adjust or change to suit the changing environment with a strategic vision for
utilizing internet technologies (EID, et al., 2006; ALBRECHT, et al., 2005).
Also, Barry et al., (2008) support the view that the way in which a business
adapts to the changes in the business environment and addresses each of these
marketing strategies has an impact on its B2B relationships and it is therefore
important that this is sufficiently assessed by the organization (DEMARTINO, et
al., 2006). Within such a strategy, in order for B2B firms to plan successfully
and achieve materialization of the activities of electronic marketing, a
specific purpose is needed (SAMANTA, 2006).
Some
purposes behind having an electronic presence can be the modulation of
relationships between buyer–seller and the rest of the members of the
distribution network, and cooperation with other industries (SAMANTA, 2008).
Consequently, firms must either choose to continue to exist using their present
strategy, following the standards of the second industrial revolution, or adapt
their operations to the new era, and this implies operating in markedly
different ways.
So,
Samanta (2008) states that firms moving from traditional commerce to e-commerce
have to recognize that operating in an e-context is characterized by high
competition comprising high frequency and informality of communications, short
product life cycles, product design sophistication, consistent high quality,
cost reductions, and customization and standardization. Managers conducting
business online have and require more complete information in order to make
effective decisions under circumstances of high competitive intensity.
Therefore, firms need to constantly monitor market shifts and diversify
products or processes proportionately.
As
Quelch and Klein (1996) noted, firms who want to undertake e-business
internationally have to redefine their operations, strategies, and business
models in order to develop the opportunities offered by the internet to their
full potential. Duggan and Devenery (2000) and Samiee (1998) claim that an
organization must conceive and comply with e-business, management procedures
and communication forms and strategies, with the applied aim to associate
innovation with business targets, and the application of innovation values into
the firm’s internal environment.
Nevertheless,
in a study by the OECD (2006), it was found that 60% of B2B e-companies
experienced difficulties arising from differences in business practices across
countries. Therefore, B2B online enterprises should not underestimate the
potential complexities (e.g. geographic, infrastructural, political, cultural,
etc.) of success in global markets. There is a growing trend for some companies
to refuse to transact with companies that do not use e-commerce in their
operations, which shows the importance of using e-commerce in a B2B
relationship (STOCKDALE; STANDING, 2004).
According
to Porter (2001), the weakness of integration of the electronic with the
natural activities of the strategic frame of operational development comprises
one of the main causes of the failure of electronic markets. Moreover, many
industries have not succeeded in understanding the strategic environment of the
internet and have tried to operate their electronic expressions with mechanisms
of the natural market, a fact that led quickly to operational failures.
2.2.
Trends driving relationships
In a globalized
market, information technology has made the development of electronic
relationships possible. In the complex network of processes of globalization,
local and global activities are linked together and operate in several
directions. Globalization has thus transformed traditional business models
through the advances in information technology (IT), networks and
relationships.
Castells
(2005) argues that this ‘new economy’ is fundamentally distinct from the
traditional model, in that success now depends upon the effective use of
information (knowledge), the implementation of global concepts (business
organized on a global scale) and the creation of networks among economic agents
(including interaction among various business networks). It has become clear
that the traditional concept of business is no longer viable and needs revised.
Innovation
and technological developments have significantly affected business concepts,
models and paradigms. Peppers and Rogers (1995) claim that the marketplace is
undergoing a technology-driven metamorphosis. In the past, firms were able to
maintain their customers through traditional face-to-face interaction. However,
because businesses now operate across international borders they are no longer
able to satisfy the instant service requirements of customers and suppliers.
Technology serves as a powerful tool to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of firms. However, as Berry (1983) argues, that technology should
empower its users with greater control in achieving their aims.
Thus,
the focus should be the creative adoption of technology to enhance the value of
a firm’s offerings. Hence, technological innovation must be translated into
marketing foresight that enables a firm to ‘think like a customer’, thus
creating services that drive the marketplace. In this respect, interactivity, a
key attribute of the internet, provides unique opportunities in the field of
marketing (DEIGHTON, 1997). Speed and efficiency are key benefits for buyers
who are increasingly engaging in self-service technologies, as opposed to the
more time-consuming face-to-face alternatives.
Computer-mediated
business transactions on the internet provide numerous opportunities for
procurement and other services, including marketing, communication and
distribution. Globalization has fundamentally reshaped marketing strategies via
the internet and B2B firms today use the internet to extend their relationships
with tens of thousands of entities, including customers, suppliers, retailers,
brokers, co-producers, employees and shareholders, and try to maintain
personalized relationships with them all.
2.3.
Managing buyer–supplier relationships
Nurturing
and managing customer relationships have emerged as important strategic
priorities in most firms, first because loyal customers are far more profitable
than customers who are price sensitive and perceive few differences among
alternative offerings and, second, because a firm that is successful in
developing strong relationships with customers secures important and durable advantages
that are hard for competitors to understand, copy or displace. Therefore, the
ability of an organization to create and maintain profitable relationships with
its most valuable customers is a durable basis for a competitive advantage.
Building
and maintaining lasting customer relationships require organizations to pay
careful attention to detail, meet promises and respond swiftly to new
requirements (BOWMAN; NARAYANDAS, 2004).
The
new era of business marketing is built upon effective relationship management.
Many business marketing firms create what might be called a collaborative
advantage by demonstrating special skills in managing relationships with key
customers or by jointly developing innovative strategies with alliance
partners. These firms have learned how to be good partners, and these superior
relationship skills are a valuable asset. Buyer–supplier relationships can be
managed with the involvement of the consideration of different relationship
types as not all relationships have the same intensity. Descriptions of certain
relationship types are helpful in the context of the relationships label, such
as competitive/collaborative, adversarial/allied, and tactical/strategic and
short/long (WRIGHT, 2004).
2.4.
Factors influence e-relationships
Developing
the theoretical issues and the constructs that may influence B2B
e-relationships leads to several factors being identified: communication,
trust, satisfaction, commitment, dependence and adaptation. These constructs
have been empirically tested in a non-e-commerce environment. Each is now
defined for the specifics of this research below.
2.4.1. Trust
Trust
is an important factor in B2B relationships because these relationships are
often very important and fragile (HARKER, 1999). Ultimately, as building relationships
has become the key in marketing, trust is becoming imperative (DWYER, et al.,
1987). Essentially, trust refers to transactions between partners’ confidence
and reliability (BELL, 1995; DWYER, et al., 1987; ROTTER, 1967). Many
relationship marketing researchers have defined trust (ANDERSON; WEITZ, 1992, ANDERSON,
et al., 1994, DONEY; CANNON, 1997; MOORMAN, et al., 1993).
In
these definitions, trust is viewed as the belief that a partner will perform
actions that will result in positive outcomes for the firm and not take
unexpected actions that may result in negative outcomes. Trust is considered
the keystone of strategic partnerships, and it seems to be a mediating or
intermediary element in buyer–seller relationships (DWYER, et al., 1987; SPEKMAN,
1988). A conceptual study (GWINNER, et al., 1998) and empirical studies (GARBARINO;
JOHNSON, 1999; RATNASINGAM, 1998) have found trust to be the essential issue of
the relational approach and consider it key to the development of the notion of
commitment in buyer–seller relationships.
Trust
is also viewed as a key element in establishing lasting relationships with
customers and in maintaining a company’s market share. It is also important to
note that trust is not always two-way or mutual; just because partner A trusts
partner B at one point in time does not mean it is reciprocal (HARKER, 1999).
As in
all relationships, the nature of trust can change over time and also from
situation to situation. By contrast, technology trust has been defined as the
subjective probability by which an organization believes that the underlying
technology infrastructure and control mechanisms are capable of facilitating
inter-organizational transactions according to its confident expectations (RATNASINGAM;
PAVLOU, 2003).
As
technology use has increased in B2B networks, technology trust has become an
important issue that must be addressed. Some of the requirements to ensure
technology trust include confidentiality, integrity, authentication,
non-repudiation, access controls, availability and best business practices (RATNASINGAM;
PAVLOU, 2003).
2.4.2. Satisfaction
Satisfaction
is important in an exchange relationship (HAN, et al., 1993; WILSON, 1995) and
marketing success. Process-oriented theories posit that satisfaction is the
result of the comparison between expectations and actual performance (STRAUSS;
FROST, 1999). In turn, outcome-oriented theories are asserted that satisfaction
is an end-state that does not always rely on expectations being met (SPRENG, et
al., 1996). Perceived value refers to the perceived level of product quality
relative to the price paid and is achieved when the proper function is secured
for the proper cost (ZEITHAML, et al., 1996). In this study, satisfaction is
defined as the buyer's general level of satisfaction based on all experiences
with the seller.
2.4.3. Commitment
Closely
linked with trust and satisfaction is commitment, the third variable that
operationalizes relationship marketing that attracts much attention in the
literature (MORGAN; HUNT, 1994). In an exchange relationship, mutual commitment
is the key construct for developing and maintaining a stable and enduring
long-term relationship (GANESAN, 1994; JAP; GANESAN, 2000; WETZELS, et al.,
1998). In other words, a relationship is more likely to thrive if both parties
are committed to it and see it as an important part of future strategy (ANDERSON;
WEITZ, 1992; PICK, 1999; SPEKMAN, 1988; WEITZ; JAP, 1995).
Commitment
is recognized as an ingredient of successful long-term relationships (DWYER, et
al., 1987; MORGAN; HUNT, 1994; GUNDLACH, et al., 1995). It is so important that
it is claimed to be the “focal point of explanation in marketing, as the
discipline moves further away from the transactional view of exchange and
embraces the relational view” (GUNDLACH, et al., 1995: 78). Morgan and Hunt
(1994) define commitment as the desire of an exchange partner to maintain a
valued relationship and the belief that the relationship is worth working on to
ensure that exchange continues indefinitely.
There
seem to be three views on the definition of commitment: calculative, temporal
and affective. Calculative commitment is based on inputs such as investment and
the allocation of resources specifically for the relationship between two
businesses (WILLIAMSON, 1985). In other words, a firm is motivated to continue
the relationship because it cannot easily replace its current partner or obtain
the same resources and outcomes outside its current relationship (KUMAR, et
al., 1994).
Temporal
commitment occurs as a result of an expectation of continuity. Long-term
relationships lead to a four-shortening in the learning curve, require simpler
structures and consume less time (HEIDE; JOHN, 1990; GUNDLACH, et al., 1995).
Affective commitment represents an exchange partner’s affection for, and
obligation to, its partner and indicates that the tie to the organization is
not simply based on economic motivations. It is brought about by a person
sharing, identifying with or internalizing the values of the organization (MORGAN;
HUNT, 1994).
2.4.4. Adaptation
The
level of adaptation of one partner to another is considered to be an important
feature of the relationship because, in a business relationship, exchange
partners often adapt to each other for limited resources, specialized
knowledge, information and marketing assistance (ANDERSON; NARUS, 1990; BERRY;
PARASURAMAN, 1991; GUNDLACH; CADOTTE, 1994; SMITH; BARCLAY, 1997).
Adaptation concerns the firm’s need to maintain the
relationship in order to achieve its desired goals (CANNON; HOMBURG, 2001;
GANESAN, 1994). The definition proposed by Ganesan (1994: p. 3) is appropriate
in this research because it fits its context: “the degree to which a firm needs
to maintain its relationship with an exchange partner in order to achieve desired
goals”.
2.4.5. Relationship policies and practices
Relationship
policies and practices represent one of the most important dimensions during a
relationship process (JAP; GANESAN, 2000). By establishing clear relationship
policies and practices, the supplier becomes motivated to behave in a way that
is beneficial to the relationship as a whole, and as a result, “emerging
exchange partners start setting the ground rules for future exchange” (DWYER,
et al., 1987: p. 17).
Despite
the well-recognized significance of such policies, few studies have examined
company behaviors and practices specifically or the mechanisms by which they
strengthen a relationship. Nevertheless, it is recognized that relationship
policies and practices should include ethical values, such as the supplier
showing respect for customers, because they contribute to the development of
the relationship between firms and customers (MORGAN; HUNT, 1994).
Having
identified the constructs of communication, trust, satisfaction, commitment,
dependence and adaptation as being key drivers in B2B e-commerce relationships,
it was necessary to explore their importance empirically. The context to
undertake this was Greece in the mid-2000s, a period when the economy was
expanding and enterprises were developing innovative and new ways of working in
a large and growing European market.
3.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The
research focused on those B2B medium sized firms that have moved into and
operate in e-commerce, examining the marketing and logistics elements. Quantitative,
numeric data were collected, using a face-to-face-based survey of one hundred
and twenty (120) B2B firms. To identify the potential B2B firms, two hundred
and twenty five (225) firms were contacted. Using a snowball approach, every
company that agreed to participate as a buyer or as a seller was asked to
propose other firms to take part. At the end of the process, the sample
comprised one hundred and twenty (120) companies.
The
split amongst those is as follows: 60 make use of e-commerce (60-e-commerce)
and the remaining 60 do not make use of e- commerce (60-traditional). Amongst
the 60-e-commerce companies 30 are buyers and 30 are sellers/suppliers. We have
the same type split amongst the 60-traditional companies. The model of the
sample logic, which was used for the second stage of quantitative research, is
presented in detail in Figure 3.1.
A
number x of firms that operate in an e- commerce environment and
an equal number
y of firms that
work in a
traditional environment were selected, so x = y. The companies selected
for the variable x should contain an equal number of buyers and sellers;
therefore, x/2 = e-commerce sellers and the remaining x/2 = e-commerce buyers.
Similarly, companies that belong to the section y should contain an equal
number of buyers and sellers; therefore, y/2 = traditional sellers and the
remaining y/2 = traditional buyers. Since the minimum acceptable number of
cases for statistical analysis using SPSS is thirty, the numbers x/2 and y/2
should be equal, each with 30.
This
means x/2 = y/2 = 30, so the minimum total number of e-commerce cases must be
60 (x/2 + x/2) and correspondingly the number of y should be 60 (y/2 + y/2). As
a result of the above model, the total sample involved 120 firms x + y = 120
(Figure 3.1). (Figure 3.2) presents the methods and procedures of the
second-stage quantitative research.
|
x |
y |
||
|
x/2 Sellers |
x/2 Buyers |
y/2 Sellers |
y/2 Buyers |
|
X = e-commerce |
Y = Traditional |
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
Figure 3.1: Model of the logic research sample
Quantitative
data collection Sample
model Relationship Traditional E-commerce commerce Firms Firms Firms Firms Buyers Sellers Buyers Sellers 30 30 30 30 Numeric data Quantitative data
analysis Data screening SPSS
quantitative
software
v.16 Mean, standard
deviation, valid
percent, t-test
Figure 3.2: Methods and
procedures of the quantitative research
For
the 5-degree Likert scale questions to which the companies answered whether
they use e-commerce or not,
an independent sample
t-test check was
made in order to
determine whether there is differentiation between the answers of the various
“groups” of companies that are analyzed below. As we mentioned in relation to
the research methodology, the 120 businesses are divided into 60 traditional
and 60 e-commerce businesses.
In
each of these 2 groups there are 30 businesses that are buyers and 30 that are
sellers. The means with typical standard deviations for all the questions to
all the businesses and the sub-categories Traditional, E-commerce, Buyers
traditional, Sellers traditional, Buyers e-commerce and Sellers e-commerce are
presented in detail. Therefore the research examines the hypothesis below:
H1:B2B relationships of Buyers traditional differ from Sellers traditional
H2:B2B relationships Buyers e-commerce differ
from Sellers e-commerce
H3: B2B relationships Sellers traditional differ from Sellers e-commerce
H4: B2B relationships Buyers traditional differ from Buyers e-commerce
Although
the job titles of the respondents ranged from general manager to financial
manager, purchasing/sales manager and
marketing manager, all were mainly responsible for their MSFs purchasing or sales operations. In terms of
profile, 20% of the respondent firms had fewer than 6 months of business
experience with the supplier/buyer, 30% varied between 6 and 12 months and the
remaining 50% had more than 12 months of experience.
In
this last group, 70% had more than 2 years of experience. This indicates that
though the job description of the respondents' positions may be wide ranging,
all appear to have significant knowledge about the specific purchasing or sales
activities of the firm. However, although the respondents' profile suggests a
high degree of confidence in the sample, we considered it important to test for
possible nonresponse bias. By assessing the differences between the early and
late respondents (ARMSTRONG; OVERTON, 1977), we found no significance
differences.
According
to the classification of the Industrial and Commercial Chamber of Piraeus for 2008
the population of medium sized firms in Greece was 2342 MSFs (Table 3.1). The
sample of companies located in the greater area of Piraeus (Attica) was 1525 MSFs. The sample was formulated on the
basis of 1525 MSFs. After an assessment of the sampling methods analyzed above,
the systematic method was selected as most applicable for the present study.
Each element had en equal probability of selection.
The
entire population (N=1525 MSFs) was numbered and MSFs firms operate in
traditional and e-commerce were 201 firms 13,2%
of population. The rest of the population (N=1324) was numbered and MSFs
firms operate in traditional environment in 2004 were 1324 firms 86,8% of population. The questionnaire was
addressed to the high level management (CEO, general director, sales managers, marketing
managers). The number of employees was among 50 and
150 persons.
Table 3.1: Medium sized firms in Greece 2004
|
Total MSFs in Greece |
Commercial |
Industrial |
Services |
A/O
(Others) |
|
2.342 |
534 |
984 |
742 |
82 |
|
MSFs in Greater area of
Piraeus (Attica) |
||||
|
1.525 |
414 |
483 |
579 |
49 |
The
amount of time to complete the survey was restricted to 15–20 minutes. The use
of sensitive questions was kept to a minimum. Finally, to establish trust with the respondents, the introduction of the
survey explained why the study was important and a promise of confidentiality
was made.
3.1.
The Validity and Reliability of responses
In
this research, social effect was minimized by
emphasizing the confidentiality
and the benefits
of honest answers
in the introduction part
of the survey. Respondents were
representative of the main industry and economic activities in the primary
sector (25%) and industrial sector (75%). For
this research, reliability was achieved, and the instrument was pretested
and modified before being administered.
3.2.
Research Instrument
Using
a 5-degree Likert scale[1], companies were asked to address the themes of relationship
commitment, satisfaction with cooperation, trust, adaptation, and policies and
practices (Table 4.1):
Table
4.1: Questions for relationships
|
The questions for Relationship Commitment (adapted from Anderson
and Weitz, 1992) |
Cronbach's α |
|
Our relationship with
the supplier is a long-term partnership |
.86 |
|
We would not drop the supplier because
we like being associated with it |
.69 |
|
We want to remain as a customer of the supplier because we have pride in being associated with a firm that carries a technological image |
.87 |
|
The questions for Satisfaction
with the cooperation (adapted from Cannon and Homburg, 2001) |
|
|
Overall, we are satisfied with the supplier |
.88 |
|
We are pleased with what the supplier does for us |
.71 |
|
If we had to do it again, we would still
choose to use the supplier |
.88 |
|
The questions for Trust (adapted from Morgan and Hunt, 1994) |
|
|
In our relationship, the
supplier/buyer is someone to whom
I give my confidence |
.91 |
|
In our relationship, the
supplier/buyer is someone
who has high integrity |
.91 |
|
In our relationship, the
supplier/buyer is someone
who Is perfectly truthful |
.91 |
|
In our relationship, the
supplier/buyer is someone
who gives us reliable information
and advice |
.91 |
|
The questions for Policies and Practices (adapted from Heide and John,
1990) |
|
|
The supplier/buyer has policies that show respect
for the customer |
.81 |
|
The supplier/buyer has practices that make solving
problems easy |
.82 |
|
The supplier/buyer solves my firm’s problems quickly |
.61 |
|
To accomplish its own
objectives, sometimes supplier/buyer… |
|
|
Promises to do things without doing
them later |
.90 |
|
Fails to provide
us with the support
that they are obliged to |
.70 |
An
independent sample t-test check was made in order to determine whether there is
differentiation between the answers of the various “groups” of companies that
are analyzed below. For each of the four groups of 30 businesses, the means and
standard deviations for all the questions to all the businesses ‘Traditional’
and ‘E-commerce’, and the sub-categories ‘Buyers traditional’, ‘Sellers
traditional’, ‘Buyers e-commerce’ and ‘Sellers e-commerce’, are presented in
detail.
4.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
4.1.
Satisfaction with cooperation/relationship
The
questionnaire refers to “satisfaction with cooperation”, “relational commitment”,
“trust” and “adaptation” concerning the activities built amongst businesses in
relation to customers/suppliers. Companies indicated on a scale from one (1) to
five (5) whether they agreed or disagreed with each statement.
In
regard to “satisfaction with cooperation”, Table 4.2 presents in detail the
means with standard deviations for all the questions to all the businesses and
the sub-categories Traditional and E-commerce, and Buyers traditional, Sellers
traditional, Buyers e-commerce and Sellers e-commerce.
The
only exception lies with the statement “We work closely with our
customers/suppliers with regard to the quality of products/services” where
traditional and e-commerce firms present lower averages (3,40) in this
statement. Nearly 50% of the companies asked strongly agreed with this
statement. It is also worth noting that nearly 60% agreed with the statement
“We work closely with our customers/suppliers with regard to stock retention”;
that was the largest acceptance percentage that occurred for any single
statement.
Table 4.2: Satisfaction
with cooperation (traditional–e-commerce, traditional sellers– buyers,
e-commerce sellers–buyers) Sample size (N=120)
|
|
Traditional–E-commerce |
Traditional Sellers–Buyers |
E-commerce
Sellers–Buyers |
|||
|
Variables |
Mean Score |
St. Dev. |
Mean Score |
St. Dev. |
Mean Score |
St. Dev. |
|
We cooperate to a great extent with our clients/suppliers as regards
the stock retention |
3.80 |
3.80 |
3.95 |
0.680 |
3.64 |
0.826 |
|
We cooperate to a great extent with our clients/suppliers as regards
communication and technology |
3.73 |
0.769 |
3.74 |
0.768 |
3.72 |
0.933 |
|
We cooperate to a great extent with our clients/suppliers as regards
the planning of processes |
3.73 |
3.73 |
3.41 |
0.918 |
3.40 |
0.990 |
|
We cooperate to a great extent with our clients/suppliers as regards
the forecasting and programming of the production |
3.92 |
0.851 |
4.03 |
0.946 |
3.81 |
0.937 |
|
We cooperate to a great extent with our clients/suppliers as regards
the quality of the products/services |
3.41 |
3.41 |
4.26 |
1.001 |
4.34 |
0.637 |
4.2.
Relational commitment
The
next section considers “relational commitment” (Table 4.3). It is noted here
that the most frequent response from the questionnaire participants is that
they strongly agree with the statements offered. This indicates that the
statements describing relational commitment reflect the views of the majority
of companies.
|
|
Traditional–E-commerce |
Traditional Sellers–Buyers |
E-commerce Sellers–Buyers |
|||
|
Variables |
Mean
Score |
St. Dev. |
Mean
Score |
St. Dev. |
Mean
Score |
St. Dev. |
|
We hope to work with our customers/suppliers for a long time |
4.51 |
0.582 |
4.53 |
0.599 |
4.42 |
0.680 |
|
We have a strong sense of commitment to our
customers/suppliers |
4.36 |
0.703 |
4.29 |
0.726 |
4.34 |
0.863 |
|
Our relationship with our customers/suppliers is
based on a long-term view |
4.42 |
0.746 |
4.50 |
0.600 |
4.24 |
0.953 |
|
We look forward to remaining partners with our customer/supplier and we are proud to
work with a technologically acute
business |
4.26 |
0.824 |
4.29 |
0.676 |
4.27 |
0.639 |
Table 4.2:Satisfaction
with cooperation (traditional–e-commerce, traditional sellers– buyers, e-commerce
sellers–buyers) Sample size (N=120)
The
results support the accepted view, identified in the literature review above,
that commitment is a critical factor in industrial exchanges between companies.
The levels of commitment are found to be positively related to the level of the
propensity to maintain the relationships for a long time. As a whole, the
results reinforce the importance of long-term commitment as an antecedent of
behavioral intentions concerning the development of B2B e- relationships. In
particular, commitment and trust are the main mediators in the model proposed,
following the Morgan and Hunt (1994) model.
4.3.
Trust
As
far as “trust” is concerned, it is apparent from the response frequencies
(Table 4.4) that the majority of companies agree with the statements addressing
issues of trust amongst businesses. It is worth noting that over 70% of the
companies claim that the customer/supplier trusts their business when
responding to the following question: “How would you grade the level of trust
that your company maintains in its relationship with its customers/suppliers
based on both previous and current experience?” Over 50% of the companies agree
with the rest of the statements made in this section of the questionnaire.
Table 4.4:
Trust (traditional–e-commerce, traditional sellers–buyers, e-commerce sellers–
buyers) Sample size (N=120)
|
|
Traditional–E- commerce |
Traditional Sellers–Buyers |
E-commerce Sellers– Buyers |
|||
|
Variables |
Mean
Score |
St. Dev. |
Mean
Score |
St. Dev. |
Mean
Score |
St. Dev. |
|
Our customers/suppliers are consistent and honest with their
obligations |
4.14 |
0.742 |
3.54 |
0.734 |
3.69 |
0.836 |
|
We trust our customers/suppliers |
3.88 |
0.659 |
3.84 |
0.670 |
3.68 |
0.730 |
|
Our relationships with our customers/suppliers are completely
trustworthy |
3.61 |
0.732 |
4.00 |
0.816 |
3.92 |
0.651 |
|
Our customers/suppliers provide us with reliable information and
advisory services |
3.60 |
0.743 |
3.50 |
0.628 |
3.93 |
0.583 |
|
How would you grade
the level of trust that your company maintains in its relationship with its
customers/suppliers based on both previous and current experience? |
3.81 |
0.556 |
3.69 |
0.503 |
4.12 |
0.613 |
An e-commerce relationship occurs
when there is a situation of high partner trust and high technology trust.
Because the firm trusts the partner and the technology, it will seek to extend
the benefits provided by the e-commerce solutions. Their discussions focus on
identifying future investments and opportunities for sharing and realizing
joint gains. The firm may reveal future competitive intentions and share
additional information. Previous positive relationships are easily transferable
across firms and enhance the credibility between firms.
Positive
repeated behaviors of partners increase the focal firm’s satisfaction and
enable goodwill partner trust to develop. Anderson and Narus (1994) found a
close connection between cooperation and trust. They suggested an iterative
process or virtuous circle in that cooperation leads to trust, which in turn
leads to a greater willingness to cooperate in the future, which then generates
trust and so on.
4.4.
Adaptation
In
the section referring to “adaptation”, the frequencies of the responses
received suggest that the majority of companies agree with the statements
presented to them relating to this theme (Table 4.5). It is worth noting that over
60% of the participants answered affirmatively to the following statement: “Our
production system is adapted to the requirements of our customers/suppliers”.
It can be seen that the means of responses do not differ for these questions.
Inter-firm adaptation seems to help to build a better competitive position
through a stronger customer–supplier relationship.
Table 4.5:
Adaptation (traditional–e-commerce, traditional sellers–buyers, e-commerce
sellers–buyers) Sample size (N=120)
|
|
Traditional– E-commerce |
Traditional Sellers– Buyers |
E-commerce Sellers–Buyers |
|||
|
Variables |
Mean Score |
St. Dev. |
Mean Score |
St. Dev. |
Mean Score |
St. Dev. |
|
Our production system is
adapted to the requirements of our customers/suppliers |
4.14 |
0.598 |
4.16 |
0.586 |
4.28 |
0.825 |
|
We have made significant
investments in equipment that is linked to our relationships with our
customers/suppliers |
4.21 |
0.832 |
4.07 |
4.14 |
0.840 |
3.87 |
|
Transactions with these
customers/suppliers require specialized technology |
3.79 |
0.928 |
3.71 |
0.889 |
3.72 |
0.559 |
4.5.
Relationship policies and practices
This
leads on to how policies and practices are evolved and the extent to which
there have been changes (if any) once companies’ cooperation has been achieved
through e- commerce. As shown in (Table 4.6), the companies that participated
in the research agreed to a certain extent with the first three statements, and
the means do not differ between different groups for these questions. The
inter-firm adaptation helps to build a better competitive position through a
stronger customer–supplier relationship.
Table 4.6:
Relationship policies and practices (traditional–e-commerce, traditional
sellers–buyers, e-commerce sellers–buyers) Sample size (N=120)
|
|
Traditional–E-commerce |
Traditional Sellers–Buyers |
E-commerce Sellers–Buyers |
|||
|
Variables |
Mean Score |
St. Dev. |
MeanScore |
St. Dev. |
Mean Score |
St. Dev. |
|
Our suppliers/customers have practices that make solving problems easy |
3.61 |
0.643 |
3.50 |
0.701 |
3.38 |
0.671 |
|
Our suppliers/clients solve the problems of our business quickly |
3.25 |
0.764 |
3.13 |
0.833 |
2.63 |
0.723 |
|
The supplier/client fails to
provide the support which he is obliged to |
2.67 |
0.780 |
2.71 |
0.838 |
4.49 |
0.569 |
Table
4.7 contains the t-test check for Buyers traditional differ Sellers traditional. The statistical
hypothesis that we want to check is whether the mean values of the two company
groups for each factor are the same. We define a trust level of 5%. If the
significance values are lower than 0.05, the means have an important
statistical difference. We can see that the means differ for the questions
regarding “Pressure from competition on the company”, “Clients asking for lower
product prices” and “Pressure to lower the operating cost”; they have a
significance <0.05 and therefore the means for these questions show an
important statistical difference between Buyers traditional and Sellers
traditional.
B2B
e-commerce seems to be driven by global forces. We find that for B2B
e-commerce, competitive forces are the greatest driver of adoption. Global
competition and participation in production networks create strong pressure to
adopt e-marketing and logistics practices through e- commerce. The global
competitive pressure is driving greater convergence in business practices
through the integration of production networks and supply chains.
Competitive
pressure seems to be the strongest driver of e-commerce in most of the
responses. The globalization of business and competition pressures firms to
adopt new technology to streamline their processes and expand their markets.
Market liberalization and deregulation facilitate the internationalization of
businesses through opening the economy to greater foreign as well as domestic
competition and to global suppliers and customers. This in turn creates
pressure on local companies to adopt e-commerce to remain competitive. In the
process, business practices become more standardized across borders.
The key
inhibitors of B2B
e-commerce are the
business environment and
culture, national culture and political institutions. The organizational
readiness to embrace e- commerce is often low due to business cultures that do
not support innovation and the use of new technology (chapter 8).
Table 4.7: Independent
samples test (a) Sample size
(N=120)
Table
4.8 contains the t-test check for Sellers traditional vs. Sellers e-commerce.
The statistical hypothesis that we aim to check is whether the mean values of
the two company groups for each factor are equal. We define a trust level of
5%. Wherever the significance values are lower than 0.05, the means have an important
statistical difference. We can see that the means differ for the statement “We
cooperate to a great extent with our clients/suppliers as regards the stock
retention” because the significance level is <0.05 and therefore the means
for those questions differ considerably among the Sellers traditional and the
Sellers e-commerce as well as between the Buyers–sellers traditional and the
Buyers– sellers e-commerce. Similarly, the means differ for the statement “our
relations with our suppliers/clients are very reliable”.
Table 4.8: Satisfaction with
cooperation independent samples test (a) Sample size
(N=120)
5.
CONCLUSION
The
general finding of this thesis is that enterprises active, in both physical
markets as well as in electronic ones, use the internet to replace their
existing strategy rather than as an opportunity to establish a new strategy. We
confirmed that organizations tend to respond defensively rather than
strategically to the challenge of the electronic market.
In
e-marketing, the management of B2B e-relationships seems to matter, as
cooperation with clients/suppliers impacts strongly as regards the quality of
the products and the stock retention compared with traditional commerce. This
is because e-marketing can contribute in terms of the speed of the
implementation of Just-In-Time (JIT) processes and trades, thus keeping buyers
in stock at lower levels. A main characteristic of e-commerce is also
standardization, meaning the buyer can search for and find a specific product.
As
regards cooperation among buyers and sellers in the planning of processes,
communication and the forecasting and programming of production are important
to the same extent. Nevertheless, some important differences emerged in their
cooperation in e-commerce; the research revealed that sellers behave
differently to buyers. This means that sellers are engaged more in cooperation
with buyers in the exchange of information and communication through
technological means and in stock retention, and generally their behavior is reliable.
As
regards cooperation among buyers and sellers in the planning of processes,
communication and the forecasting and programming of the production are
important to the same extent. Some important differences emerged in their
cooperation in e- commerce, as we found that sellers behave differently to
buyers. This means that sellers are engaged more in cooperation with buyers in
the exchange of information and communication through technological means and
in stock retention, and generally their behavior is reliable.
All
businesses want to have relational commitment with their partners for a long
time and even believe that this commitment will lead to benefits if one of the
partners is working with a technologically acute business. We also found that
suppliers engaged in electronic commerce are more committed and oriented in a
long-term relationship than buyers are. The confidence in relations between
firms is an important factor in the development and establishment of their
relationships.
Therefore,
businesses operating in an environment of e-commerce consider it to be a
crucial factor. This includes being consistent and honest in their obligations
and the exchange of reliable and trustworthy information and advisory services.
E-commerce sellers must differentiate themselves from their partners in
e-commerce. It is argued that the level of trust that the company maintains in
its relationship with its customers/suppliers is based on both previous and
current experience. This suggests it is very important for companies to
collaborate in an e-commerce environment.
We
argue that the level of trust that the company maintains in its relationship
with its customers/suppliers is based on both previous and current experience.
This statement confirms that it is very important for companies to collaborate
in an e- commerce environment. The level of trust that governs their
relationships should be promoted in order to establish an electronic
relationship.
Both
the firm's ability to allocate resources and to adapt their business processes
to meet the individual needs of partners forms a special relationship, which
has a good chance of being maintained in the long-term when operating in an
environment of e-commerce. In our research, all the companies seem to have accepted
both these aspects and considered it to be important for their adaptation to
customer requirements and equipment investment in order to satisfy their needs.
However, some seem to be reluctant to adapt to the required specialized
technologies, but this is reasonable if one considers that Greek companies are
still under-developed in terms of investment in new technologies. Therefore,
companies do not seem to differ on the early stage because of e- commerce.
Regarding
the practices and procedures followed by companies to enhance their
relationships, it seems that B2B companies operating in traditional
environments have a certain number of appropriate practices and flexibility to
make quick decisions to solve problems easily and quickly when they arise. On
the other hand, companies operating in electronic environments seem to carry
out the obligations they have undertaken.
The
practice of problem solving appears to be entirely appropriate and there is a
lag in immediate decisions when a problem occurs. In general, the policies and
practices of B2B companies in problem solving seem to present no difficulty in
general, except for traditional businesses that are happy after their partners
keep their obligations. This seems reasonable since, in traditional trade,
relations are face-to-face and subject to negotiation.
6.
MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
The
research allows the idea to be suggested and reinforced that the B2B
relationship process needs to be regarded by academics and practitioners as a
long-term rewarding process, even in an electronic and real time environment.
The main determinants of customer cooperation rely mainly on trust and
commitment. Commitment development requires the previous achievement of trust.
As a
starting point, this reality enhances the importance of establishing adequate
marketing activities that lead to customer trust, such as relationship policies
and practices, communication and meaningful information exchange facilities,
and the fulfillment of all forwarded promises, not forgetting that suppliers
need to pay special attention to their pricing policies. In the electronic
market context, e-marketing is required to perform new roles, such as a buyer
support service that is associated with trust, commitment and cooperation.
Suppliers
should also be aware that as the relationship process develops, customers make
significant investments in learning about a firm’s products and business
practices as well as in supporting infrastructure that is only available from
specific firms. These investments represent very good reasons for buyers’
commitment development (resulting in higher product purchases and meaningful
information exchange) and a stronger cooperative long-term relationship with
the supplier.
7.
LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
There
are some limitations to consider regarding the results of this research. First,
buyers and sellers’ views are offered as a starting point to understanding the
determinants of B2B relationships in an e-business environment. The research
relies on the responses of the buyers and sellers only from medium-sized firms
in Greece, providing an incomplete view of the relationships. Since
buyer–supplier relationship research in the electronic market context is still
at an early stage and yet has been heralded from two decades (MORGAN; HUNT,
1994), these views are presented as a preliminary to understanding how they can
develop and adapt an e-marketing strategy as well generate trust and commitment
in their relationships (JAP; GANESAN, 2000).
Nevertheless,
future research is strongly encouraged on a bigger sample, separately assessing
sellers’ and buyers’ views. In particular, a survey from a wider area in Greece
would explore whether non-capital region businesses are different and whether
the financial crisis and austerity cuts have impacted on the research findings.
A third potential area to explore generalizability would be to include the
service sector. It is hoped that by shedding light on the use of new
information and communication technologies, this study will trigger further
works on the improvement of B2B relationship theory and practices in a B2B
e-context.
REFERENCES
ALBRECHT, C.; DEAN, D.; HANSEN, J. (2005). Marketplace and Technology Standards for B2B
E-commerce: Progress, Challenges, and the State of the Art. Information and Management, v. 42 n. 3, p. 865–875.
ANDERSON, E.; WEITZ, B. (1992) The use of
pledges to build and sustain commitment in distribution channels, Journal
of Marketing Research, v. 29, n. 1, p. 18-34.
ANDERSON, E. W.; FORNELL, C.; LEHMANN, D. R.
(1994) Customer satisfaction, market share and profitability: Findings from
Sweden, Journal of Marketing, v. 58, n. July, p. 53–66.
ANDERSON, J. C.; NARUS, J. A. (1994) A
model of the distributor's perspective of distributor- manufacturer working
relationships, Journal of Marketing, v. 48, n. 4, p. 62–74.
BARRY M.; DION P.; JOHNSON W. (2008). A Cross-cultural Examination of Relationship
Strength in B2B Services. Journal
of Services Marketing, v. 22, n. 2, p. 114–135.
BELL, J. (1995) The internationalisation
of small computer software firms: A further challenge to 'stage' theories', European
Journal of Marketing, v. 29, n. 8, p. 60–75.
BERRY, L.; PARASURAMAN, A. (1991) Marketing
Services: Competing Through Quality. New York, N.Y.: Free Press.
BERRY, L. L. (1983) Relationship marketing, Emerging
Perspectives on Services Marketing, American Marketing Association,
Chicago.
BOWMAN, D.; NARAYANDAS, D. (2004) Linking
customer management effort to customer profitability in business markets, Journal
of Marketing Research, v. 41, November, p. 433.
CANNON, J.; HOMBURG, C (2001) Buyers-supplier
relationships and customer firm costs, Journal of Marketing, v. 65, n.
1, p. 29–44.
CASTELLS, M. (2005) Global governance and
global politics, PS: Political Science and Politics, v.
38, n. 1, p. 9–16.
DEIGHTON, J (1997) Commentary on
'exploring the implications of the for consumer marketing, Journal of Academy of
Marketing Science, v. 25, n. 4, p. 347–353.
DEMARTINO, B.; KUMARAN, D.; SEYMOUR, B.;
DOLAN, R. J. (2006) Frames, Biases,
and Rational Decision-making in the Human Brain. Science, n. 313, p. 684–687.
DONEY, P. M.; CANNON, J. P. (1997) An
examination of the nature of trust in buyer-seller relationships, Journal
of Marketing, v. 61, n. 2, p. 35–51.
DUGGAN, M.; DEVENERY, J. (2000) How to
make Internet marketing simple, Communication World, v. 17, n. 4,
p. 58–61.
DWYER, F. R.; SCHURR, P. H.; OH, S. (1987)
Developing buyer–seller relationships, Journal of Marketing, v. 51, n.
2, p. 11–27.
EID, R.; TRUEMAN, M.; AHMED, A. M. (2006) B2B International Internet Marketing: A
Benchmarking Exercise. Benchmarking:
An International Journal, v. 13 n. 1/2, p. 200–213.
FORRESTER RESEARCH (2010) Trends
2010: e-commerce platform
and technology, March.
GANESAN, S. (1994) Determinants of long-term
orientation in buyer-seller relationships, Journal of Marketing, v. 58 n. 2,
p. 1-19.
GARBARINO, E.; JOHNSON M. S. (1999) The
Different Roles of Satisfaction, Trust, and Commitment in Customer
Relationships. Journal of Marketing v. 63 (April), p. 70–87.
GUNDLACH, G. T.; ACHROL, R. S.; MENTZER,
J. T. (1995) The structure of commitment in exchange', Journal of Marketing,
v. 59, n. Jan, p. 78–92.
GUNDLACH, G.; CADOTTE, E (1994) Exchange
interdependence and inter-firm interaction:research in simulated channel
setting, Journal of Marketing Research, v. 31, n. Nov, p. 516–532.
GWINNER, K. P.; GREMLER, D. D.; BITNER M. J.
(1998) Relational benefits in services industries: The customer’s perspective. Journal
of the Academy of Marketing Science, v.26, n. 2, p. 101–114.
HAN, S. L.; WILSON, D. T.; DANT, S. P. (1993)
Industrial Marketing Management, Buyer-seller relationships today,
v. 22, p. 331–338.
HARKER, M. J. (1999) Relationship
Marketing Defined? An Examination of Current Relationship Marketing Definitions.
Marketing
Intelligence and Planning, v. 17, n. 1, p.13–20.
HEIDE, J. B.; JOHN G. (1990) Alliances in
industrial purchasing: The determinants of joint action in buyer-supplier
relationships. Journal of Marketing Research, v. 27 (February), p.
24–36.
JAP, S. D.; GANESAN S. (2000) Control
mechanisms and the relationship life cycle: Implications for safeguarding
specific investments and developing commitment. Journal of Marketing Research,
v. 37, p. 227–245.
KLEIN R. L.; QUELCH A. J. (1997). Business to Business Marketing on the
Internet. International
Marketing Review, v. 14, n. 5, p. 345–361
KUMAR, N.; HIBBARD, J.; STERN, L. (1994) The
nature and consequences of marketing channel intermediary commitment, MSI Working Paper.
MOORMAN, C.; ZALTMAN, G.; DESHPANDE, R
(1993) Relationships between providers and users of market research: The
dynamics of trust within and between organisations, Journal of Marketing Research,
v. 29, n. August, p. 314–328.
MORGAN, R. M.; HUNT, S. D. (1994) The
commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, v. 58, n. 3, p. 20-38.
OECD (2006) OECD Information Technology Outlook, Paris.
PEPPERS, D.; ROGERS, M. (1995) A new
marketing paradigm: share of customer, not market share, Planning Review, v.
23, n. 2, p. 14–28.
PICK, P (1999) Building customer-supplier
relationships in electronics, Long Range Planning, v. 32, n. 2, p. 263–272.
PORTER, H. (2001) Strategy and the
Internet, Harvard Business Review, v. 79, n. 3, p.63–78.
QUELCH, J. A.; KLEIN, L. R. (1996) The Internet and International Marketing. Sloan Management Review, Spring,
p. 60–75.
RATNASINGAM, P (1998) The importance of
trust in electronic commerce, Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, v.
8, n. 4, p. 313–321.
RATNASINGAM,
P.; PAVLOU, P. (2003) Technology trust in internet-based interorganizational
electronic commerce, Journal of Electronic Commerce in
Organizations, v. 1, n. Jan– March.
ROTTER, J. B. (1967) A new scale for the
measurement of interpersonal trust, Personality, v. 35, n. 4, p.
55–65.
SAMANTA, I. (2008) Innovation Culture Assists
Knowledge Management in new e-Ra, in Book WEB 2.0 The
Business Model Publisher, Springer De
SAMANTA, I. (2006) The reinforcement of competitiveness of medium sized firms, Applied Research Review Periodical
Scientific publication of Technological Institute of Piraeus, v. XI, n. 2, ΙSSN 1106-4110
SAMIEE, S. (1998) Exporting and the Internet: a conceptual perspective, International Marketing Review, v. 15 n.
5, p. 413–426.
SMITH, J. B.; BARCLAY D. W. (1997) The
effects of organizational differences and trust on the effectiveness of selling
partner relationships. Journal of Marketing,
v. 61, p. 3–21.
SPEKMAN, R. E. (1988) Strategic supplier
selection: Understanding long-term relationships.Business Horizons,
v. 31, p. 75–81.
SPRENG, R.; MACKENZIE, S. B.; OLSHAVSKY, R.W.
(1996) A reexamination of the determinants of consumer satisfaction, Journal
of Marketing, v. 60, n. 3, p. 15–33.
STOCKDALE, R.; STANDING, C. (2004) Benefits and Barriers of Electronic
Marketplace Participation: An SME Perspective. The Journal of Enterprise Information Management,
V. 17 N. 4, p. 301–311.
STRAUSS, J.; FROST, R. (1999), Marketing
on the Internet: Principles
of Online Marketing. Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
WEITZ, B. A.; JAP, S. D. (1995) Relationship
marketing and distribution channels, Journal of the Academy of Marketing
Science, v. 23, n. 4, p. 305–320.
WETZELS, M.; DE RUYTER, K.; DE BIRGELEN, M.
V. (1998) Marketing service relationships: The role of commitment, Journal
of Business and Industrial Marketing, v. 13, n. 4/5.
WILLIAMSON, O. E. (1985) The
Economic Institution of Capitalism: Firms, Markets, Relational Contracting, The Free Press, New
York.
WILSON, D. T. (1995) An integrated model
of buyer-seller relationships. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, v.
23, n. 4, p. 335–345.
WRIGHT, R. (2004), B2B Marketing, A Step by Step
Guide, Prentice Hall, Essex.
ZEITHAML, V. A.; BERRY, L. L.;
PARASURAMAN, A. (1996) The behavioural consequences of service quality, Journal
of Marketing, v. 60, p. 31–46.