IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v68y2015i3p723-734.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding configurations of relational attractiveness of the customer firm using fuzzy set QCA

Author

Listed:
  • Tóth, Zsófia
  • Thiesbrummel, Christoph
  • Henneberg, Stephan C.
  • Naudé, Peter

Abstract

This study introduces the concept of relational attractiveness of the customer (RAC) which is defined as the attitude of the supplier towards the customer firm in order to maintain and/or to improve an existing business relationship. Social Exchange Theory explains relational exchanges in business markets and provides a configurational logic for RAC. Based on an empirical investigation of the RAC perception of senior managers from 617 supplier companies, this study explores conditions of relational customer attractiveness, including financial and non-financial benefits, costs, trust and dependency. Using a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the study uncovers different configurations of these conditions that lead to high or low relational customer attractiveness. The results show that financial benefits are present in all configurations leading to high relational customer attractiveness, but other conditions also need to be present.

Suggested Citation

  • Tóth, Zsófia & Thiesbrummel, Christoph & Henneberg, Stephan C. & Naudé, Peter, 2015. "Understanding configurations of relational attractiveness of the customer firm using fuzzy set QCA," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 723-734.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:68:y:2015:i:3:p:723-734
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.07.010
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296314002410
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.07.010?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Holger Schiele & Richard Calvi & Michael Gibbert, 2012. "Customer attractiveness, supplier satisfaction and preferred customer status: Introduction, definitions and an overarching framework," Post-Print hal-00948480, HAL.
    2. Ganter, Alois & Hecker, Achim, 2014. "Configurational paths to organizational innovation: qualitative comparative analyses of antecedents and contingencies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 1285-1292.
    3. Martin R Schneider & Conrad Schulze-Bentrop & Mihai Paunescu, 2010. "Mapping the institutional capital of high-tech firms: A fuzzy-set analysis of capitalist variety and export performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(2), pages 246-266, February.
    4. Candace Young-Ybarra & Margarethe Wiersema, 1999. "Strategic Flexibility in Information Technology Alliances: The Influence of Transaction Cost Economics and Social Exchange Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(4), pages 439-459, August.
    5. Johan Rekom & Gabriele Jacobs & Peeter Verlegh, 2006. "Measuring and managing the essence of a brand personality," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 181-192, July.
    6. Ragin, Charles C., 2000. "Fuzzy-Set Social Science," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226702773, December.
    7. Akbar Zaheer & Bill McEvily & Vincenzo Perrone, 1998. "Does Trust Matter? Exploring the Effects of Interorganizational and Interpersonal Trust on Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 141-159, April.
    8. Carlos Cordón & Thomas E. Vollmann, 2008. "The Power of Two," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-59496-8, March.
    9. Ragin, Charles C., 2006. "Set Relations in Social Research: Evaluating Their Consistency and Coverage," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(3), pages 291-310, July.
    10. Bonner, Joseph M. & Kim, Daekwan & Cavusgil, S. Tamer, 2005. "Self-perceived strategic network identity and its effects on market performance in alliance relationships," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 58(10), pages 1371-1380, October.
    11. Lianxi Zhou & Wei-ping Wu & Xueming Luo, 2007. "Internationalization and the performance of born-global SMEs: the mediating role of social networks," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(4), pages 673-690, July.
    12. van Rekom, Johan & Verlegh, Peeter W.J. & Slokkers, Robert, 2009. "The owner's edge: Brand ownership influences causal maps," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(3), pages 339-344, March.
    13. Gounaris, Spiros P., 2005. "Trust and commitment influences on customer retention: insights from business-to-business services," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 126-140, February.
    14. Hakansson, Hakan & Ford, David, 2002. "How should companies interact in business networks?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 133-139, February.
    15. Kozak, Robert A. & Cohen, David H., 1997. "Distributor-supplier partnering relationships: A case in trust," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 33-38, May.
    16. repec:ucp:bkecon:9780226702766 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Forsman, Helena, 2011. "Innovation capacity and innovation development in small enterprises. A comparison between the manufacturing and service sectors," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 739-750, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Skarmeas, Dionysis & Leonidou, Constantinos N. & Saridakis, Charalampos, 2014. "Examining the role of CSR skepticism using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(9), pages 1796-1805.
    2. Sascha Kraus & Domingo Ribeiro-Soriano & Miriam Schüssler, 2018. "Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) in entrepreneurship and innovation research – the rise of a method," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 15-33, March.
    3. Wagemann, Claudius & Buche, Jonas & Siewert, Markus B., 2016. "QCA and business research: Work in progress or a consolidated agenda?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(7), pages 2531-2540.
    4. Federica Nieri & Luciano Ciravegna & Ruth V. Aguilera & Elisa Giuliani, 2019. "Larger, more internationalized, better behaved? A configurational study of em erging market multinational enterprises' involvement in corporate wrongdoing," Discussion Papers 2019/255, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    5. Daniela Cristofoli & Benedetta Trivellato & Alessandro Sancino & Laura Maccio’ & Josip Markovic, 2021. "Public network leadership and the ties that lead," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(1), pages 251-274, March.
    6. Muñoz, Pablo & Dimov, Dimo, 2015. "The call of the whole in understanding the development of sustainable ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 632-654.
    7. Joanna Paliszkiewicz, 2012. "Managers’ Orientation on Trust and Organizational Performance," Jindal Journal of Business Research, , vol. 1(2), pages 153-161, December.
    8. Khedhaouria, Anis & Thurik, Roy, 2017. "Configurational conditions of national innovation capability: A fuzzy set analysis approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 48-58.
    9. Junwan Liu & Rui Wang & Shuo Xu, 2021. "What academic mobility configurations contribute to high performance: an fsQCA analysis of CSC-funded visiting scholars," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(2), pages 1079-1100, February.
    10. Benavides Espinosa, María del Mar & Merigó Lindahl, José María, 2016. "Organizational design as a learning enabler: A fuzzy-set approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 1340-1344.
    11. Jiang, Tzuu-Hwa & Chen, Shieh-Liang & Chen, James K.C., 2016. "Examining the role of behavioral intention on multimedia teaching materials using FSQCA," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 2252-2258.
    12. Santos, Jose Novais & Mota, João & Baptista, Cristina Sales, 2018. "Understanding configurations of value creation functions in business relationships using a fuzzy-set QCA," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 429-434.
    13. Paulo Ferreira & Andreia Dionísio, 2019. "City Brand: What Are the Main Conditions for Territorial Performance?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-14, July.
    14. Fuller, Douglas B. & Akinwande, Akintunde I. & Sodini, Charles G., 2017. "The globalization of R&D's implications for technological capabilities in MNC home countries: Semiconductor design offshoring to China and India," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 14-23.
    15. Barthelemy Chollet & Mickaël Géraudel & Anis Khedhaouria & Caroline Mothe, 2016. "Market knowledge as a function of CEOs' personality: A fuzzy set approach," Post-Print halshs-01496313, HAL.
    16. Pena, Lucila & Curado, Carla & Oliveira, Mírian, 2022. "The contribution of LinkedIn use to career outcome expectations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 788-796.
    17. Majuri, Matti, 2022. "Inter-firm knowledge transfer in R&D project networks: A multiple case study," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    18. Kroh, Julia, 2021. "Sustain(able) urban (eco)systems: Stakeholder-related success factors in urban innovation projects," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    19. Uschi Backes-Gellner & Marlies Kluike & Kerstin Pull & Martin R. Schneider & Silvia Teuber, 2016. "Human resource management and radical innovation: a fuzzy-set QCA of US multinationals in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 86(7), pages 751-772, October.
    20. Ferreira, Paulo Jorge Silveira & Dionísio, Andreia Teixeira Marques, 2016. "What are the conditions for good innovation results? A fuzzy-set approach for European Union," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 5396-5400.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:68:y:2015:i:3:p:723-734. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.