This paper intends to contribute to the increasing efforts to dissolve the confusions around relationship marketing (RM). In general, it is to provide evidence to the academic community how RM is operationalised in a to date under-researched setting (namely export channels), and generate practical suggestions to export managers how it may be applied more successfully.
In this attempt, the paper reports of a study of relationships between brands (exporters) and international resellers (distributors) in the German sporting goods industry. The study investigated the nature and importance of RM instruments which exporting brands use to leverage relationships for achieving success in foreign markets.
Assisting in the exploratory venture, the literature review has lead to the development of an export success model. It provided guidance to the author in his research and will enable the reader to appreciate and classify the research contributions.
Finally, this work concludes with the application of the insights of the literature review and the study by proposing a practical management tool, the Export Relationship Management Balanced Scorecard (exRMBSc). It will enable managers and organizations to enhance their relationship management practice and thus helps to solve a frequent issue and crucial problems for many exporting businesses.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Setting the stage for the Management Project
- International relationships
- Unit of analysis
- Relationships
- Research methodology
- German sporting goods industry (SGI) and SME
- Summary
- Customer Relationship Management
- Types of intra-channel relationships
- Formation and development
- Customer's reference object
- Relationship environment
- Relationship economics
- Summary
- Competitive advantage (CA)
- The concept of competitive advantage
- Competitive advantage in the RBV defined
- Relational View (RLV)
- Export competitive advantage
- Relationship marketing in BBC channels
- Relationship marketing defined
- Customer orientation
- Value orientation
- Time-horizon orientation
- Decision orientation
- Implementation – The Relationship Marketing Mix
- Conclusions
- Brand-reseller-relationship success model in export markets
- Research Methodology
- Background
- Research Profile
- Results
- Findings
- Conclusions
- Limitations of study
- Conceptualizing an Export Relationship Management Balanced Scorecard
- Balanced Scorecard
- BSc as a useful concept for relationship management
- Development of an exRMBSc
- Using the exRMBSc
- Conclusion
- Review
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This research project examines the concept of relationship marketing and its application within international sales channels. It aims to understand the role of relationship-based competitive advantages in achieving superior performance. The key themes explored include:- The definition and development of relationships in international business settings
- The importance of customer relationship management (CRM) for achieving competitive advantage
- The role of the Relational View (RLV) in understanding competitive advantage in international markets
- The implementation of relationship marketing in export channels, focusing on the brand-reseller relationship
- The development of an Export Relationship Management Balanced Scorecard (exRMBSc) as a tool for managing relationships and achieving strategic goals
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The initial chapters lay the foundation for the project, introducing the concept of relationship marketing and its importance in international business. It delves into different aspects of relationships, highlighting the unit of analysis, the role of research methodology, and the specific context of the German sporting goods industry.
Chapter 3 focuses on customer relationship management (CRM), examining types of relationships, their formation and development, and the various factors influencing their success. This includes the customer's reference object, the relationship environment, and relationship economics.
The fourth chapter delves into the concept of competitive advantage, exploring different approaches to its definition and measurement. It highlights the importance of the Relational View (RLV) in understanding how relationships contribute to competitive advantage in international markets.
Chapter 5 examines the implementation of relationship marketing in export channels, defining key elements like customer orientation, value orientation, time-horizon orientation, and decision orientation. It introduces the Relationship Marketing Mix and its role in building and managing successful relationships.
Chapter 6 focuses on the brand-reseller-relationship success model in export markets, outlining the key components and factors contributing to its success.
Chapter 7 details the research methodology used in the project, outlining its background and profile.
Chapter 8 presents the findings of the research, discussing key insights and conclusions.
Chapter 9 delves into the development and application of an Export Relationship Management Balanced Scorecard (exRMBSc) as a tool for managing relationships and achieving strategic goals.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This research project focuses on relationship marketing, competitive advantage, customer relationship management, international marketing channels, export markets, brand-reseller relationships, and the Balanced Scorecard. These key terms underpin the project's exploration of how to leverage relationships to achieve superior performance in international business settings.- Citation du texte
- Tim Hüfner (Auteur), 2007, Relationship Marketing in International Marketing/Sales Channels, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/112492
