Familiarity Breeds Contempt: Manifestations of Complacency in Key Account Relationships

摘要

Relationship marketing and its strategic underpinning of maintaining long-term partners is an engrained practice in today's business-to-business environment. This is especially true amongst a supplier's largest and most important customers given the reciprocal benefits they offer to offset the resource-intensive investment necessary to maintain relationships. However, the reality of the marketplace shows customer defection rates remain a concern, dark side variables emerge as relationships persist, and suppliers shirk on investing the resources and effort necessary to retain key account customers. Research is needed to better understand customer defections and the nuanced assessment of supplier complacency in business-to-business relationships.