تعهد مشتری ساختمان در بازار تجاری بنگاه به بنگاه

The purpose of this research is to propose and empirically test a customer commitment model in a business-to-business (B2B) market. Specifically, this research investigates the development and role of dependence and trust in relationship management from the customer's perspective and their impact on commitment. Based on the social exchange theory, we argue that relationship maintenance should not only include economic constraint-based relationships, which are derived from dependence, but also dedication-based relationships, which are derived from trust. As such, this research proposes that dependence and trust are mediators by which to understand the complicated relationship between buyers and sellers. A survey study conducted with 522 firms in the timber distribution industry revealed that customer relationship specific investment, social bonding, relationship termination costs and customer expertise have effects on calculative and affective commitments via dependence and trust. It also shows that interaction satisfaction strengthens the positive effect of dependence on calculative commitment and the positive effect of trust on affective commitment. This research contributes to the relationship marketing literature by building a customer commitment model in B2B markets and also offers managerial implications.

In mature business-to-business (B2B) markets, relationship maintenance is very important if firms want to increase their market share and profits. Firms have to satisfy customers in each interaction, thereby building stable long-term relationships and preventing customers from switching. However, prior relationship marketing research has focused on evaluating the value of relationship marketing from the seller's perspective, instead of the buyer's perspective (Barnes, 1997 and Sheth and Parvatiyar, 1995). Barnes (1997) indicated that no relationship exists between a buyer and seller unless the buyer perceives that a relationship exists. Therefore, our research aims to understand, from a buyer's point of view, why buyers want to maintain relationships with sellers and as such, the findings will help marketers to build customer commitment. Previous studies have focused on developing constraint-based relationships (e.g., Anderson & Narus, 1990). For instance, from the economic perspective, suppliers use high switching costs to lock in customers because customers pursue a minimization in costs (Zauberman, 2003). However, prior research neglected to consider the active role of the customer in the relationship development, which results in dedication-based relationships (Bendapudi and Berry, 1997 and Ganesan, 1994). Thus, on the basis of the social exchange theory, we emphasize that dedication-based relationships are derived from trust. Customers are willing to sacrifice short-term benefits in order to maintain long-term relationships and such relationships are actively initiated by the customers (Bendapudi & Berry, 1997). Customer dependence on and trust in the seller are important constructs in relationship marketing and can enhance transaction relationships (Palmatier, Dant, Grewal, & Evans, 2006). This research takes into consideration economic and affective perspectives and proposes that dependence and trust are mediators that underlie the complicated relationships between customers and suppliers. Commitment refers to the requirement for long-term relationship maintenance (Dwyer et al., 1987 and Geyskens et al., 1996) and can be considered an outcome of the relationship maintenance (Anderson and Weitz, 1992, Moorman et al., 1992 and To and Li, 2005). This research includes calculative and affective commitments (CC and AC, respectively) as outcome variables in the relationship maintenance model. Although prior studies have examined the effects of dependence and trust on commitment in B2B marketing settings (e.g., Wetzels, Ruyter, & Birgelen, 1998), the impact of customer variables on commitment have not been widely considered and empirically tested (Bendapudi & Berry, 1997). Thus, customer variables, customer relationship specific investment (CRSI), social bonding, relationship termination costs (RTCs), and customer expertise, are tested as antecedents to dependence and trust in the model. Maintaining relationship is a dynamic and continuous process, so interaction factors should play an important role in this process. The Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group indicates that in industrial markets the buyer–seller relationship is influenced by the interaction process (Giannakis, Croom, & Slack, 2004). Since interactions are critical in building relationships, the impact of interaction factors, such as interaction satisfaction on commitment still needs more investigation (Bendapudi & Berry, 1997). Prior studies have indicated that interaction satisfaction from the interaction process leads to commitment (Turnbull, Ford, & Cunningham, 1996) and that routines of interaction enhance security and expectations of continuity of the cooperation (Anderson & Tuusjärvi, 2000). However, few studies have considered possible moderating effects of interaction factors on the relationship between dependence, trust, and commitment. Thus, this research also aims to fill this gap. The purpose of this research is to build a customer commitment model and examine the mediating role of dependence and trust in relationship maintenance. We also attempt to explore the possible moderating effects of interaction satisfaction on the development of commitment. This research will contribute to the relationship marketing literature in several aspects. First, although prior research has documented the relationships among dependence, trust, and CC and AC, few studies have investigated the impact of customer variables on the relationship maintenance from a customer's point-of-view. As such, this research demonstrates how customer variables influence the building of commitments. Second, it empirically tested the theoretical customer commitment model on the basis of two pathways: constraint-based and dedication-based relationships. Third, it identified the mediating role of dependence and trust in the effects of customer variables on commitments. Finally, it showed that interaction satisfaction enhances positive effects of dependence and trust on commitments.

Based on the present research findings, we can conclude that customers develop constraint-based and dedication-based relationships with sellers. The influence of customer variables (CRSI, social bonding, RTCs and customer expertise) on CC and AC is mediated by constraint and dedication motivations (dependence and trust). Interaction satisfaction plays an important role in moderating the effects of dependence and trust on commitment.