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Professional Service Firms are Relationship Marketers: But does size matter?

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  • McColl-Kennedy, Janet R.
  • Sweeney, Jillian C.
  • Soutar, Geoffrey N.
  • Amonini, Claudia

Abstract

There are few research-based insights into professional service firms’ (PSFs) contemporary marketing practices. This is unfortunate as the professional services sector is a key contributor to growth in the Australian and other economies around the world. As professional services are unique in a number of ways and their operations and marketing activities inextricably intertwined, the present study investigated the extent to which PSFs practice marketing and whether this differs according to size. Depth interviews were held with thirty seven Australian senior managers in four key industries. We examined the extent of relationship marketing, conceptualised at an overall managerial level as well as four sub-practices identified in research by Coviello and colleagues. We found relationship management and interaction marketing were the most common practices, which is consistent with the inseparability concept, and that relationship management and database marketing were more common in larger firms, which is consistent with their relative resource strength.

Suggested Citation

  • McColl-Kennedy, Janet R. & Sweeney, Jillian C. & Soutar, Geoffrey N. & Amonini, Claudia, 2008. "Professional Service Firms are Relationship Marketers: But does size matter?," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 30-47.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:aumajo:v:16:y:2008:i:1:p:30-47
    DOI: 10.1016/S1441-3582(08)70003-X
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Coviello, Nicole E. & Brodie, Roderick J. & Munro, Hugh J., 2000. "An investigation of marketing practice by firm size," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 15(5-6), pages 523-545.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hollebeek, Linda D., 2013. "The customer engagement/value interface: An exploratory investigation," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 17-24.
    2. Aspara, Jaakko, 2011. "Documentation and continuous development of processes for customer management: Implications for profitable growth," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 267-280.
    3. Scott E. Sampson, 2018. "Professional Service Jobs: Highly Paid but Subject to Disruption?," Service Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(4), pages 457-475, December.

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