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The Advisor-SMF Client Relationship: Impact, Satisfaction and Commitment

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  • R. Bennett
  • P. Robson

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between the type of business advisors used by SMEs and the level of impact and satisfaction a SME receives. The role of other influences, such as the intensity and cost of the service, and the level of commitment to an advisor by the client are also investigated. A structural equation path model is estimated from survey information for SMEs in Britain. The analysis shows that customer impact, satisfaction and re-use intentions are related to the character of the firm (particularly its size), the intensity and cost of services, but is only marginally influenced by the geographical distance between advisor and client. Affective commitment, measured by the level of the ‘trust’ of the advisor by the client, is shown not to be significant, except for public sector and business association suppliers. The importance of trust to these suppliers, despite the low satisfaction levels they achieve, is argued to be incompatible with attempts to charge fees, as has been sought for the government network of Business Link. Both business associations and public sector support bodies therefore have severe limitations in combining their broader roles with a commercially- based fee-based income strategy. Copyright Springer 2005

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  • R. Bennett & P. Robson, 2005. "The Advisor-SMF Client Relationship: Impact, Satisfaction and Commitment," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 255-271, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:25:y:2005:i:3:p:255-271
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-003-6459-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Carl Shapiro, 1983. "Premiums for High Quality Products as Returns to Reputations," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 98(4), pages 659-679.
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    Cited by:

    1. Alexandra Bertschi-Michel & Philipp Sieger & Nadine Kammerlander, 2021. "Succession in family-owned SMEs: the impact of advisors," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1531-1551, April.
    2. Mark Ojeme & Andrew Robson & Nigel Coates, 2016. "Nigerian SMEs: Commitment and loyalty to their banks," Journal of Financial Services Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(4), pages 325-339, December.
    3. Stefanie De Bruyckere & Patricia Everaert, 2021. "The Role of the External Accountant in Business Planning for Starters: Perspective of the Self-Determination Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-24, March.
    4. Tobias Svanstr�m, 2013. "Non-audit Services and Audit Quality: Evidence from Private Firms," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 337-366, June.
    5. Mauri Laukkanen, 2023. "Understanding the contents and development of nascent entrepreneurs’ belief systems," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 1289-1312, September.
    6. Xuequn Wang & Leonard M. Jessup, 2014. "A Review and Synthesis of Entrepreneurship Research: Towards an Integrative Model of Dependent Variables," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 23(2), pages 163-199, September.
    7. Stoian, Maria-Cristina & Dimitratos, Pavlos & Plakoyiannaki, Emmanuella, 2018. "SME internationalization beyond exporting: A knowledge-based perspective across managers and advisers," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 768-779.

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