An entrepreneurial relationship marketing approach to B2B selling: The case for intellectual capital sharing
Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship
ISSN: 1471-5201
Article publication date: 10 July 2017
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurial practice of intellectual capital sharing (ICS) with client organizations and assess its potential for collaborative business-to-business (B2B) relationship building. B2B collaborations within the traditional marketing paradigm are restricted due to perceived opportunism.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on the grounded theory approach and involves 22 semi-structured interviews with the employees of a focal organization and its five client organizations regarding 36 implemented projects. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed via constant comparison to surface codes, categories, concepts and themes from which the authors developed propositions based on the particular context of this study.
Findings
ICS approach helps customers to reconstruct sellers’ identity from one characterized by opportunism and arm’s length relationships to one defined by openness and collaboration. Identified benefits of ICS include higher trust, commitment, social bonding, value co-creation, individual and organizational performance and learning. Eight propositions and a model of ICS consequences are presented.
Research limitations/implications
The context of the study is limited to a single industry – financial services – however, the findings should be highly relevant for other sales contexts characterized by low buyer trust.
Practical implications
Entrepreneurial marketers can engage in ICS approach quickly at minimal cost, as the capabilities and talent are typically already internal to the organization.
Originality/value
This paper examines a unique relational approach to serving clients called ICS that de-emphasizes the sale. Subject matter experts help buyers overcome challenges outside the scope of the traditional marketing paradigm.
Keywords
Citation
Addison, D.P., Lingham, T., Uslay, C. and Lee, O.F. (2017), "An entrepreneurial relationship marketing approach to B2B selling: The case for intellectual capital sharing", Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 2-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRME-09-2016-0032
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited