Relationship quality in business to business: a cross-cultural perspective from universities

Abstract

Purpose – The objective of this study is to analyse relationship quality in a business-to-business context. Given that the relationship between market orientation and customer-perceived service quality is well known in the area of higher education, this paper draws on its antecedents to examine relationship quality in cultural services.

Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 68 customers (cultural entities) was obtained from a postal survey (April 2010). Partial least squares (PLS) models were used to test the proposed hypotheses. This is a structural equation (SEM) technique based on variances that is suited to working with small and medium sized samples.

Findings – The authors’ results show that satisfaction, trust and commitment are key components of relationship quality. While service quality is a determining factor of satisfaction, relationship quality can be improved by taking into account that customer-perceived market orientation acts as a precursor for service quality, satisfaction and commitment.

Originality/value – This article attempts to expand upon the previous relationship quality literature on business-to-business relationships to: study behaviours conducive to lasting relationships between two different sectors (higher education and cultural industry); understand the antecedents of relationship quality; confirm relationship quality dimensions; and compare the hypothesized relationships from the customer's perspective