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PurposeA large number of researchers and marketing textbooks see business marketing dominantly from the relationship marketing perspective. One can even talk about a "matrimony" of these domains; "RM=BM". The Contemporary Marketing Practices studies, however, provide clear evidence of the coexistence of various marketing practices but offer no supporting theoretical rationale for these findings. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question whether business marketing and relationship marketing, when broadly defined to include all relational‐interactional perspectives, are necessarily wedded to each other.Design/methodology/approachA metatheoretical analysis was conducted to identify the contributions and limitations of the current research approaches to business marketing and a configurational approach for marketing (CAM) was developed, providing theoretical explanation for the empirical findings versus relationship dominance dilemma.FindingsThe metatheoretical analysis showed that research into business marketing relationships is not monolithic; that each tradition is useful for specific purposes, domains and activities; and that none helps understand why there are multiple ways in which firms relate to their markets. A conceptual CAM framework was developed that allows one to identify possible configurational marketing profiles (i.e. identifying different equivalently valid ways of relating to a business environment).Research limitations/implicationsIt is contended that the configuration approach for marketing permits other configurations to co‐exist beyond the RM‐BM matrimony. CAM provides a conceptual framework that can host the "puzzling" empirical results of the contemporary marketing practices studies.Practical implicationsThe CAM frame suggests that managers should carefully examine the internal logic of their marketing‐related configuration. Performance should be enhanced if the three elements – managerial frame of reference, organization/environment relationship, marketing mode – are coherent.Originality/valueThe configurational approach for marketing helps one to understand why firms relate to the business marketing environment with a multiplicity of marketing modes, showing that the BM‐RM matrimony is but one possible configuration.

PurposeIn today's competitive markets where market offerings are far more complicated and customer interfaces are far broader than conventional marketing models assume, marketing has become increasingly tactical and lost control of the customer management process. The purpose of this paper is to develop a promise management‐based approach to marketing with the goal of regaining customer management for marketing.Design/methodology/approachThe approach takes the form of a conceptual analysisFindingsAccording to the promise management approach marketing is viewed as a process of enabling and making promises as well as keeping promises in order to meet expectations created by promises made. Value creation in customer processes is considered the goal for marketing. It is claimed that by taking this view marketing can once again take full responsibility for customer management.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper establishes a foundation for studying marketing as a process in situations where market offerings are multi‐faceted and include inputs from a range of company functions and processes. This is the case in business‐to‐business and service markets.Practical implicationsBy adopting a promise management approach to marketing firms can broaden their understanding of marketing and make use of all aspects of customer management as part of an integrated marketing process.Originality/valueThe paper develops previous discussions in relationship marketing and service marketing of the promise concept and its role in marketing research into a comprehensive marketing framework.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a more precise conceptual understanding of the interplay between food product traceability and supply network integration.Design/methodology/approachA resource‐based network approach was used to create a framework with empirical evidence from a fresh strawberry product case.FindingsA conceptual model describes product traceability as interacting with different organizational and informational resources.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a preliminary model that substantiates a cross‐functional approach teamwork‐based to developing product traceability.Originality/valueThe study shows developing food product traceability as a complex undertaking dependent on information connectivity including a technical aspect of supply chain integration, and different forms of knowledge, an organizational aspect of supply chain integration.

The needs of low-income consumers in emerging markets often go unfulfilled. In this article, we integrate literature related to cocreation, market separation, and the 4As (acceptability, affordability, accessibility, and awareness) into a new conceptual framework on market resource gaps. The framework allows firms to determine the nature and extent of the gaps between themselves and consumers that limit consumption while simultaneously identifying resources for potential integration into new solutions that can resolve these gaps. The framework also recognizes market dynamics and can be employed iteratively to enable continuous innovation.

Multinational corporations addressing low-income consumers in emerging markets face the challenge of designing business models that provide truly beneficial products and services to the poor. Examples of successful cases are scarce, while the literature review provides little help. Guidelines range from a minimum shift from conventional marketing thinking and practice to radically new approaches involving a wide diversity of non-market actors in a variety of settlements. A classification to help researchers and practitioners is needed. The article contributes to the literature on business models to serve low-income consumers in emerging markets by proposing conceptual framework, a 2 × 2 matrix. One axis reflects different perceptions of the low-income consumer's conditions (opportunity/constraint), and the other axis reflects the diverse approaches to developing business models (bottom-up/top-down). The four resulting cells become the article's suggested alternative business models. The framework allows classifying the extant literature and identifying opportunities for future research. Typologies provide a first step towards theory development as well as offer managers a sound theoretical structure.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose and elaborate on a service‐dominant‐logic‐based conceptualization of relationship that transcends traditional conceptualizations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper consists of a review of traditional conceptualizations of relationship, a review of service‐dominant logic foundational premises that are useful in reframing the concept, and supporting views from the institutional economics and business ecosystems literature.FindingsA transcending, service‐dominant‐logic‐based conceptualization of relationship as a general term representing the network‐with‐and‐within‐network nature of value creation, with transactions as "temporal isolates" of relationships is suggested.Originality/valueThis higher‐order conceptualization of relationship provides a foundation for better understanding the role of relationship in value creation, as well as its correspondence to transactions and products.

Purpose
Prior research acknowledges the lack of theorizing of markets within marketing. This paper aims to capture the emerging themes linked to different conceptualizations of the market and provide a language system for theorizing the market.


Design/methodology/approach
The paper conducts a bibliometric analysis of 177 articles and 22 keywords and adopts Mele et al.'s (2015) market conceptualization to interpret the results.


Findings
The bibliometric analysis detects five thematic clusters: market driving, market exchange, market shaping, market practices and macro-marketing. Based on their degrees of relevance and development, these are arranged into two groups. The analysis of these two language systems shows a shift toward a more comprehensive conversation on how the market is conceptualized. The authors synthesize this shift under the expression "from market driving to market shaping."


Research limitations/implications
The comparison of the two language systems allows the argument that market is a complex concept and that to understand it necessitates a rich set of terms.


Practical implications
The different ways of conceptualizing the market mean that managers face a choice when analyzing their market situations (what language system to use). This choice will be consequential for their subsequent actions.


Originality/value
This paper contributes to the identification of two rival language systems and narratives: market driving and market shaping.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how, taking customer relationships as the unit of analysis, the heterogeneity of customer relationship performance influences the heterogeneity of firm performance, and how firms can balance the heterogeneity of customers, customer relationships, and customer portfolios by differentiated business models.Design/methodology/approachThe approach to the topic is one of theoretical analysis and conceptual development.FindingsValue capture is defined as the discounted present value of all future economic profit from the relationship. Three sources of value capture heterogeneity are identified: the customer, the relationship with the customer, and the interdependence between customers in a customer base. Relationship performance can be improved by investing in business model differentiation, in order to facilitate controlled adaptation to specific customer relationships and/or customer portfolios. Firms have to manage parallel business models and a central capability is the ability to create internal fit between the elements of a specific business model.Research limitations/implicationsThe research presented relates to business‐to‐business customer relationships. Some of the conceptual thinking will not be applicable in consumer relationships.Practical implicationsA firm should have an optimum mix of customer relationships in its customer base, in relation to firm goals and strategy. Management needs to recognize the heterogeneity of customer relationship performance, and manage customer portfolios accordingly. In order to deal with the heterogeneity, it may be necessary to manage parallel business models. This will necessitate new capabilities, such as customer insight generation, account management, modularized production platforms, and relationship performance control.Originality/valueFor a scholarly audience the paper contributes to the discussion on how marketing improves firm performance by assuming responsibility for increasing firms' market value. For a practitioner audience it offers ideas for genuinely customer‐centric management.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a study which aims to identify the characteristics and determinants of client sophistication within the UK corporate legal services market and to investigate its effect in determining the nature and essence of client‐solicitor relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses in‐depth interviews of a range of individuals involved in the selection and evaluation of legal services used by their organisations and practice lawyers working for a variety of regional and national law firms involved in the delivery of legal advice related to corporate and commercial issues.FindingsFindings suggest the level of client sophistication has a moderating influence in a number of key areas. These are identified as: service evaluation criteria; interdependency and power; the atmosphere in which solicitor‐client interactions take place and relationships develop; the nature of joint personal relational goals and the role of trust and extent of commitment.Originality/valueThe paper enriches the limited literature on business‐to‐business credence services and develops a deeper understanding of the nature of relationships within such contexts.

PurposeToday, it is becoming increasingly important for manufacturers to develop cooperative relationships with distributors and obtain customized distribution services. Previous research has suggested that, with specified assets, manufacturers might "hold up" distributors and that such a relationship would not be sustainable. In contrast, the purpose of this paper is to develop a causal model to explain why and how manufacturers intend to extend cooperative relationships with distributors.Design/methodology/approachTo propose a causal model, two approaches – relationship marketing and transaction cost analysis – are examined. To complement the defects of the two approaches, a repeated game theoretic approach was applied in the causal model. The proposed model is empirically tested with 144 strategic business units of manufacturers and the structural equation modelling. Also, a case from the US and Japanese automobile industries is proffered to discuss the validity of the model.FindingsThe results of the empirical analysis show that asset specificity by distributors increases manufacturers' long‐term orientation, which increases manufacturers' intention to extend the relationship. It was also found that the intention to extend the relationship is reduced by distributors' opportunism. These findings are supported by a case study of the automobile industry in the USA and Japan.Originality/valueWhile most previous relationship marketing literature has focused on social psychological constructs, the present paper introduces the viewpoints of a game theoretic approach. The paper proposes a causal model regarding the relationship among asset specificity, opportunism, long‐term orientation and intention to extend the relationship, which successfully explains why manufacturers do not hold up distributors with their specified assets.

PurposeWith B2B (business‐to‐business) and new developments in marketing as the springboard, this paper seeks to emphasize complexity and context in marketing systems, embracing both B2B and B2C (business‐to‐consumer) marketing.Design/methodology/approachThe approach takes the form of a conceptual analysis of new developments in marketing through network theory and case study research.FindingsRecent theory points to a network and systems approach to marketing and to changing roles between suppliers and customers. Both many‐to‐many marketing as a broadening of relational approaches and the service dominant (S‐D) logic stress consumer involvement, exposing the customer's interactive role. The IBM service science programme enrols research and education in developing more functional service systems. The conventional divide in goods and services marketing is dissolved in favour of supplier‐customer interaction.Research limitations/implicationsB2B and B2C are both part of complex contexts. Case study research and network theory allow complexity and context to come forward. Network theory should be applied in all marketing, and concepts in marketing need to be constantly evaluated as to validity and relevance. The conventional sectors (manufacturing, services, agriculture) are supplier‐centric whereas marketing prescribes customer centricity. By focusing on continuous theory generation better theory will replace previous theory.Practical implicationsMarketers overview the complexity of specific marketing situations, to systematically observe relational phenomena and the customer's role, and will be better able to foresee opportunities and avoid mistakes in marketing planning and execution.Originality/valueThe paper offers a network view which is little represented in research and education. With growing dependency on larger integrated systems such a coherent view becomes increasingly more urgent. In a new marketing logic of service and value creation, the reductionism, fragmentation and linearity of Western science are challenged in favour of a comprehensive network approach. B2B and B2C are treated as perspectives of a grander marketing context and not as independent categories, and the broadened role of customers in value networks is recognized. Goods and services can only be understood and handled in a unified context.

PurposeThis paper aims to highlight the value of adopting a middle‐range theory approach in conceptualizing and investigating marketing practices.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on the work of Merton, the paper discusses O'Driscoll's article on the role of paradoxes (both theoretical as well as methodological paradoxes).FindingsThe paper argues that it is important to rescue and stress the benefits that adopting a multi‐paradigmatic view has in providing a better understanding of current marketing practices.Originality/valueThis position allows one both to avoid the incommensurability "trap" of being "boxed" into the explanatory dimensions of the chosen paradigm and to develop a richer holistic view. The discussion is grounded on the Contemporary Marketing Practices (CMP) research project.

Purpose
This paper aims to focus on how the use of new technologies disrupts markets. To date, marketing literature has lacked studies investigating the link between market practices and new technologies. The study adopts the blockchain technology (BcT) context to elicit novel technology-enhanced market practices.


Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopt a qualitative multimethod research design to engage in interpretative theorizing. They investigated 77 companies and used the Gioia method for the data coding and analysis.


Findings
The study of the adoption of blockchain prompts three technology-enhanced market practices. The latter offers new ways of resourcing by removing constraints and expanding actors' network and knowledge to integrate resources; sensemaking by expressing new language and assigning novel meaning to represent markets; and legitimizing, by structuring new rules and trusting new mechanisms to institutionalize markets.


Research limitations/implications
The technology-enhanced market practices are distinct from extant market practices as well as related, thus, enriching and complementing them. Therefore, this work expands the understanding of the mechanisms of how markets work.


Originality/value
This study is the first, to the best of the authors' knowledge, to focus on how BcT features affect market practices. BcT market practices entail how actors perform, share and interpret symbols and objects and set rules for how markets should work.