Validating the Sequential Logic of Quality Constructs in Seller-Customer Business Relationships: Antecedents, Mediator and Outcomes: An Abstract

Abstract

The research question is whether the sequential logic of quality constructs tested and retested across multiple contexts and through time in supplier-buyer business relationships also applies to downstream seller-customer business relationships. The research objective is therefore to test the sequential logic of quality constructs in downstream seller-customer business relationships. The aim is to establish a foundation to assess the relationship quality of firms’ inbound and outbound business relationships. We identified a cross-industrial sample of Norwegian companies with at least 50 employees at the Norwegian data base of Sales Navigator at Linkedin. The criteria to select key informants are sales or marketing managers/directors or key account managers to research seller-customer business relationships. We identified and subsequently contacted 841 key informants by phone. We talked to 582 of them to verify whether that each informant was qualified to participate in the survey and, if not, to identify another sales rep who was appropriate at the same company. A total of 523 sales reps were approved to participate in the survey. The selected key informants at each company was then provided with Qualtics-link and asked to fill in a questionnaire online. A total of 310 responses were returned (59.3%), all of which 97 were excluded due to incomplete filled in questionnaires. In sum, 213 correctly filled in questionnaires were returned generating a valid response rate of 40.7%. The findings of this study supported by Structured Equations Modelling show that both firm’s inbound and outbound downstream business relationships can be assessed based on the same sequential logic of antecedents, mediator and outcomes. The seller-customer research model enables a firm to align its buying and selling relationships with both its suppliers and customers. It offers therefore another managerial foundation to make a combined assessment of the relationship quality in both seller- and buyer relationships of the firm may be performed.