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The purpose of this paper is to examine the relational capabilities developed by small and medium‐sized suppliers in relationships with larger customers and to explore the influences of these relational capabilities on value co‐creation and innovation.

The paper presents a framework to evaluate the types of relational capabilities developed by small and medium‐sized suppliers that enable them to manage in relationships with larger customers in the context of changing relationship requirements in the organic food sector. The methodology employed involves in‐depth case studies of small and medium‐sized UK organic food suppliers working in relationships with large retail supermarket customers.

The findings suggest that the identified set of relational capabilities may be employed by small and medium‐sized suppliers to enable them to inform and support innovation and the implementation of initiatives to create value in the eyes of their current and potential customers and concomitantly enhance their position as preferred suppliers.

The findings were based on a small number of case studies of small UK organic food suppliers. Therefore, there is scope for future studies to explore the issues addressed in the paper in wider relationship, network and country settings.

The research is among the first to offer a conceptual framework and an empirical contribution linking relational capabilities, value co‐creation and innovation in small and medium‐sized suppliers.

Preface The functions of business divide into several areas and the general focus of this book is on one of the most important although least understood of these—DISTRIBUTION. The particular focus is on reviewing current practice in distribution costing and on attempting to push the frontiers back a little by suggesting some new approaches to overcome previously defined shortcomings.

To achieve a full understanding of the role of marketing from plan to profit requires a knowledge of the basic building blocks. This textbook introduces the key concepts in the art or science of marketing to practising managers. Understanding your customers and consumers, the 4 Ps (Product, Place, Price and Promotion) provides the basic tools for effective marketing. Deploying your resources and informing your managerial decision making is dealt with in Unit VII introducing marketing intelligence, competition, budgeting and organisational issues. The logical conclusion of this effort is achieving sales and the particular techniques involved are explored in the final section.

The profitability of individual customers can show substantial variation, both in money amounts and in margins (percentages). The literature suggests that larger customers have a higher customer profitability margin: a dollar in revenue from a large customer generates more profit than a dollar in revenue from a small customer. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between customer size and the customer profitability margin.

Draws up a model with five variables (customer size, product margin, exchange efficiency, support, customer profitability margin) and hypothesizes the relationships between the variables. Uses LISREL to test the relationships on a database from a business‐to‐business setting.

The relationship between customer size and customer profitability margin is not direct, but runs through other variables, mainly exchange efficiency. It is not the result of larger customers paying higher product margins or having fewer customer support demands.

Adds to the empirical literature on customer profitability. Ideally, this would be done using panel data rather than the cross‐sectional data used in this paper.

Profitability data at the level of individual customers provide useful insights. Customer size as such is not a driver of the customer profitability margin. Identify the trade‐offs between customer size, product margins (discounts), support demands, and exchange costs that ultimately lead to customer profitability.

Adds to the empirical literature on customer profitability and offers practical implications for managing customer relationships.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interaction effect between customer satisfaction and monetary incentives on online reviews and test the moderating effect of personal characteristics, filling the research gap in online review behavior from the senders.

Using a project role-playing technique that is widely applied in the marketing field, the authors conducted two experimental studies in a laboratory setting with student subjects and collected 390 and 362 acceptable samples for analysis in Studies 1 and 2, respectively.

This research confirms the positive effects of satisfaction and incentives on review scores and tests the interaction effect between satisfaction and incentives on review scores with the moderating effects of moral judgment and sensitivity of promotion. Incentives could strengthen customers’ review scores except under small incentives situation where dissatisfied customers decrease scores instead. Additionally, the moderating effects of moral judgment and sensitivity of promotion are more significant in the case of dissatisfaction.

As this study focuses exclusively on a single service context and uses student samples, limitations persist regarding the generalizability of the results.

The research provides new insights for marketers on designing effective incentive programs, as well as how to better balance costs and benefits in promotion strategies.

This is one of the first studies to explore the interaction effect between satisfaction and incentives on online reviews considering the moderating effects of moral judgment and sensitivity of promotion. As a result, a new model is forwarded.

The purpose of this study is to answer the call for additional detailed research on factors that influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) authenticity by examining how the former is affected by the commonly reported CSR spending allocations expressed as percentages of annual profits. It integrates equity and attribution theories to propose a new construct of inequity perceptions to explain how CSR spending allocations influence CSR authenticity. Inequity perceptions form from smaller allocations that are perceived disproportionate compared to the potential reputational gains from the executed CSR communication, which, in turn, prompts lower authenticity inferences.

Three experiments were performed. Study 1 examines how different CSR spending allocations influence inequity perceptions and how the latter relate to CSR authenticity. Study 2 examines how inequity perceptions are affected by firm size. Study 3 examines whether psychological distance (being a customer or non-customer) affects information processing by predisposing customers to forming higher inequity perceptions.

Study 1 shows that lesser allocations produce higher inequity perceptions. Study 2 demonstrates that inequity perceptions are enhanced when numerically small allocations are reported by a large as opposed to a small firm. Study 3 shows that both customers and non-customers form similar inequity perceptions from smaller percentage allocations without support for the psychological distance effect.

This study shows that the percentage of profits allocated to CSR, as well as firm size, can affect authenticity inferences via inequity perceptions. These findings point to different implications of CSR communication that features percentage allocations that multiple firms may not be aware of.

Marketers can benefit from the reported findings by understanding when and how CSR communication that features percentage allocations may be counter-productive by generating lesser CSR authenticity.

This study provides a novel perspective on how consumers evaluate CSR authenticity in a marketplace where awareness of firms’ vested interests is increasing.

The purpose of this paper is to develop understanding of the role of small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in relation to sustainable supply chain management, i.e. how corporate social responsibility (CSR) is integrated in their relationship with customers and suppliers.

Drawing from a survey of CSR requirements among 410 Spanish SMEs, the paper examines the extent to which SMEs receive social and environmental requirements from diverse customer typologies and the extent to which they pass on such requirements to different supplier typologies.

Based on survey results, it is concluded that large businesses are the most demanding customers in terms of the CSR requirements imposed to their SME suppliers. In turn, SMEs are able to transfer the requests received from their (larger) customers to their own suppliers.

The data are confined to companies located in a particular region (Catalonia in Spain), which questions its generalizability to other geographical contexts.

The research shows that small and medium companies can be effective in spreading the CSR requirements received from large companies through the supply chain.

The paper contributes to research on sustainable supply chain management from the SME perspective and offers a systematic analysis of the CSR activities of SMEs, both as suppliers and buyers. In addition, it proposes a rigorous way to measure the CSR‐related supply chain pressure.

Notes changes in the economic structure that have important implications for the marketing strategy of many companies – in particular smaller companies who may find themselves, whilst retaining their legal independence, losing part of their operational independence. Describes an investigation into the degree of supplier dependence in two industries – considering the value of two measures as predictors of the likelihood of a supplier being customer dependent. Suggests large firms are not necessarily large customers and goes on to ratify this. Investigates two industries in this study: one in the iron‐casting industry; the other in the plastic injection moulding industry – these two were chosen because of meeting three criteria which were relevant to the study. Sums up that suppliers must examine markets and plan its development trying to take account of likely developments in the structure of its markets.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

Develops an original 12‐step management of technology protocol and applies it to 51 applications which range from Du Pont’s failure in Nylon to the Single Online Trade Exchange for Auto Parts procurement by GM, Ford, Daimler‐Chrysler and Renault‐Nissan. Provides many case studies with regards to the adoption of technology and describes seven chief technology officer characteristics. Discusses common errors when companies invest in technology and considers the probabilities of success. Provides 175 questions and answers to reinforce the concepts introduced. States that this substantial journal is aimed primarily at the present and potential chief technology officer to assist their survival and success in national and international markets.