An Exploratory Quantitative Study of Intangible Exchange Determinants of Business-to-Business Relationship Value

Abstract

Research study, in the field of business-to-business (B2B) quantitative relationship exchange value, is constructed on the foundation of business purpose (Drucker, 1954) and exchange theory (Homans, 1958). This North American research expanded prior research (Lages, Lancastre, & Lages, 2005), with additional unique contributions, to the process of quantitative business relationship-value determinants. The purpose of my study was to examine and contribute to the knowledge of business-to-business (B2B) relationships through a quantitative value-exchange of goods or services, material or non-material. The non-material exchange and customer perceived value are crucial in the evaluation of how policies and practice, cooperation, trust, commitment, geographic proximity, and values congruence, affect customer-perceived relationship quantified-value satisfaction. Research investigated demographic relationship control variables, identifying the significance of participant age. Research reported relationship trust (TRT) as significant and the leading determinant of customer satisfaction (SAT), followed by policies and practice (RPP). Additional analysis on relationship commitment (RCO) identified a suppressor variable influence found when an independent variable, not correlated with the dependent variable, customer satisfaction, is correlated with the other independent variables. Relationship commitment as a suppressor variable is a crucial B2B relationship-value finding of this research.