Judy Zolkiewski

Do Relationship Portfolios and Networks Provide the Key to Successful Relationship Management

The importance of effective planning and management of an organization’s array of customer and supplier relationships is self‐evident, yet relatively little research has been published which develops our academic or managerial understanding of the conceptual and practical problems inherent in this issue. This paper is written from an interaction and network perspective and critically reviews existing customer and supplier portfolio analysis and considers the implications of using such an approach for the management of relationships. The notion of relationship portfolios in the context of network theory is reviewed and the authors suggest that portfolios provide an alternative method of network conceptualization and analysis and that such portfolios may be a key factor in successful relationship management.

Relationships Are Not Ubiquitous in Marketing [invited commentary]

This commentary aims to stimulate debate about the role of relationships in marketing. It raises the question of when it is appropriate to use the term relationship, requests a distinction between ongoing interaction and relationship, cautions against a “one size fits all” marketing theory and calls for much more focussed and innovative research in this area.

Environmental sustainability: a value cycle research agenda

This article considers how adopting an environmentally sustainable agenda impacts on the management of an organisations supply chain and highlights areas for future research. The article argues that the current fragmented/functional approach to sustainability and the conceptualisation of the supply chain as a bounded unidirectional flow of value does not provide the holistic approach that is required to meet the sustainability needs of tomorrows business. A value cycle paradigm that facilitates the development of a multi-disciplinary research approach is developed and used to examine the extant literature for the principal issues that will need to be addressed. Future research concerned with developing environmentally sustainable business models must focus on the identification and management of the information flows at the interfaces between the customer, marketing, design, operations, logistics and external agents in the supply network. New networks required to support more sustainable forms of consumption will necessitate a fundamental reassessment of how and where value is added, consumed and recovered. In contemporary businesses, environmental sustainability is becoming a strategically important objective requiring holistic multi-disciplinary approaches. The extent to which the sustainability agenda extends conventional business models is demonstrated providing insights into areas of the value cycle that require further research.

Motivations for servitization: the impact of product complexity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the commonalities and differences in manufacturers’ motivations to servitise. Design/methodology/approach – UK study based on interviews with 40 managers in 25 companies in 12 sectors. Using the concept of product complexity, sectors were grouped using the Complex Products and Systems (CoPS) typology: non-complex products, complex products and systems. Findings – Motivations to servitise were categorised as competitive, demand based (i.e. derived from the customer) or economic. Motivations to servitise vary according to product complexity, although cost savings and improved service quality appear important demand-based motivations for all manufacturers. Non-complex product manufacturers also focus on services to help product differentiation. For CoPS manufacturers, both risk reduction and developing a new revenue stream were important motivations. For uniquely complex product manufacturers, stabilising revenue and increased profitability were strong motivations. For uniquely systems manufacturers, customers sought business transformation, whilst new service business models were also identified. Research limitations/implications – Using the CoPS typology, this study delineates motivations to servitise by sector. The findings show varying motivations to servitise as product complexity increases, although some motivational commonality existed across all groups. Manufacturers may have products of differing complexity within their portfolio. To overcome this limitation the unit of analysis was the strategic business unit. Practical implications – Managers can reflect on and benchmark their motivation for, and opportunities from, servitisation, by considering product complexity. Originality/value – The first study to categorise servitisation motivations by product complexity. Identifying that some customers of systems manufacturers seek business transformation through outsourcing.

Mapping industrial marketing knowledge: A study of an IMP conference

The paper describes exploratory research into the nature of the International/Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) conference papers with particular focus on content. A qualitative analysis of the Proceedings of the 16th Annual IMP Conference is presented. The results provide insights into the diversity of academic thought that fuels the development of the IMP network and allows us to begin charting the development of knowledge structures within past IMP conferences. Of particular interest are, first, the tentative knowledge structure that emerges, second, the depth of analysis that emerges from using multidimensional coding, and third, the utility of the process of successive categorisation.

Relationship portfolios and guanxi in Chinese business strategy

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate relationship portfolio management in a Chinese context. It has an electronic component manufacturing company active in Chinas business‐to‐business markets as its focus.Design/methodology/approach – As the research was exploratory, a qualitative approach to data collection was taken. This involved taking a case study approach and conducting a number of individual depth interviews with a range of sales engineers and sales managers.Findings – The findings showed that although some of the relationship portfolio dimensions used in Western research were mentioned by the interviewees, the most important dimensions in a Chinese context are sales volume, customers strategic importance, and trust. Additionally, emphasis on a network perspective is needed and it was found that although guanxi is important in a Chinese business context, it is a supporting factor rather than a dimension of customer assessment.Research limitations/implications – The research was exploratory in...

The arrival of technological changes at the business net: A learning process

Purpose – This study aims to explore the process of the arrival of technological change and how the learning process impacts on network evolution.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses longitudinal, case‐based qualitative research to illustrate the network dynamics underpinning two technological generations.Findings – The arrival of technological change not only is a pivotal event concerning a firms long‐term competitiveness, but also challenges the firms ability to manage its portfolio of relationships and balance its position in the evolution of business nets. Such an arrival process can be viewed as a learning process, where the firm learns how to devise appropriate strategies based on its inter‐organizational interaction history to cope with the rapidly changing environment, for example technological changes.Originality/value – The findings illustrate the value of analyzing technological change from a network perspective. They illustrate the complexity of the process and show that, despite coo...

Marketization and the delivery of UK health services: Three case studies

Abstract In 1991, radical changes to the way the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) was funded were introduced. The service was marketized (but not privatized) through the introduction of a purchaser/provider split which created a quasi-market. This transition has resulted in many changes to the way services are delivered. Our research suggests that business marketing principles, especially relationship management, are key to the development of both new services and in effecting improved service delivery. The current changes in the US health care market can also be seen to be resulting in a move away from business-to-consumer markets towards business-to-business operations. As a consequence of this, it can be seen that relationship management needs to become a key tool for health service managers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Interactively developed capabilities: evidence from dyadic servitization relationships

Purpose – The paper challenges the focal firm perspective of much resource/capability research, identifying how a dyadic perspective facilitates identification of capabilities required for servitization. Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory study consisting of seven dyadic relationships in five sectors. Findings – An additional dimension of capabilities should be recognised; whether they are developed independently or interactively (with another actor). The following examples of interactively developed capabilities are identified: knowledge development, where partners interactively communicate to understand capabilities; service enablement, manufacturers work with suppliers and customers to support delivery of new services; service development, partners interact to optimise performance of existing services; risk management, customers work with manufacturers to manage risks of product acquisition/operation. Six propositions were developed to articulate these findings. Research implications/limitations – Interactively developed capabilities are created when two or more actors interact to create value. Interactively developed capabilities do not just reside within one firm and, therefore, cannot be a source of competitive advantage for one firm alone. Many of the capabilities required for servitization are interactive, yet have received little research attention. The study does not provide an exhaustive list of interactively developed capabilities, but demonstrates their existence in manufacturer/supplier and manufacturer/customer dyads. Practical implications – Manufacturers need to understand how to develop capabilities interactively to create competitive advantage and value and identify other actors with whom these capabilities can be developed. Originality/value – Previous research has focused on relational capabilities within a focal firm. This study extends existing theories to include interactively developed capabilities. The paper proposes that interactivity is a key dimension of actors’ complementary capabilities.

Value, power, and health care services in the UK: A business-to-business services network perspective

Abstract The interactions between value and power in networks of buyer–seller relationships in a quasi-market have been explored during this research, thus beginning to provide empirical evidence in an area that has not previously received detailed attention. Three in-depth case studies were undertaken in the UK National Health Service. In these case studies, the complex sets of relationships between the purchasers and providers of community health care (this includes health visiting, district nursing, and therapies such as chiropody and physiotherapy) were investigated. The findings reveal a number of adaptations that have resulted from the complex set of power and value interactions within the network. The findings confirm that value and power need to be considered from both a dyadic and network perspective and illustrate that business-to-business marketing principles can make a valid contribution to the health care debate.