The Dark Side of Long-Term Relationships in Marketing Services-Article Review

University Degree Business and Administrative studies

Article Review By :Nancy Zaki

Kent,G. & Ambler. (1999), “The Dark Side of Long-Term Relationships in Marketing Services”, Journal of Marketing Research 36:132 – 141

Introduction

In a world of global competition in businesses & marketing campigns, the need for what is called “relationship marketing”flourished.Relationship marketing is a critical approach that needs sustained planning & development to be achieved. It is about keeping the firms long-term relations with customers instead of attaint new ones; In other words” decreasing customers turnovers and increasing customers loyalty”. This process is considered of a long-term value for the firms.Recent studies have shown that there are many obstacles in the way of marketing relations. Many firms must be aware of these obstacles in order to amend it’s policies towards it. This article aims at investigating the
negative constructs that affects the marketing services relationships specially the long-term ones between customers and their service providers.These constructs were formally replicated by Moorman,Zaltman and Deshpande(MZD) in the year 1992.In this article, Kent & Ambler(1999) are
trying to test replication of MZD hypotheses and yet extend MZD assumptions by conjecture testing of their explanation that the lack of association between relational factors & service use, constitutes the dark side to long-term relationships.

(MZD) hypotheses tested by Kent & ambler(1999), was about assuming the existence of a certain mediators between main marketing relational factors. These mediators affect the marketing
relational factors which in turn impact the relationship between customers and services providers. These factors would be: customers’trust, customer-services providers’ involvement, service provider commitments towards its customers and the use of customers to the marketing services
provided to them. While the mediators would be: opportunism, loss of objectivity, rising expectations.So,the main hypotheses was as follows:
“The greater trust that a user has in a marketing service provider, the
greater the service provider’s involvement in the user’s marketing
activities, the higher the user’s perceived quality of user-provider
interactions, the more committed the user is to the service provider
relationship, and the greater the user’s use of the service provider’s
marketing services”

Kent & Ambler(1999)

Method

In their research, Kent & Ambler (1999) used three main methods to provide an explanation to (MZD)
hypotheses & their conjecture. These methods were as follow:

- Research Context and Procedure:The research was conducted by surveying UK advertising agencies in relation to their Customers. The survey ...

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Kent & Ambler(1999)

Method

In their research, Kent & Ambler (1999) used three main methods to provide an explanation to (MZD)
hypotheses & their conjecture. These methods were as follow:

- Research Context and Procedure:The research was conducted by surveying UK advertising agencies in relation to their Customers. The survey was implemented by professional telephone
interviewers who gathered the views of Marketing managers’ about their relationship with an advertising agency .While gathering samples, there was a difficulty of obtaining marketing executives into it.Still the analysis criteria for this research was similar to the one undertaken by (MZD) based on same parties who Constituted a part of this relationship.

- Survey Instrument:Same tools used by (MZD) with only slight differences, was followed by kent
& Ambler(1999).They only did some slight adaptation to the tools to meet their Paper from generalization to specification of some terms as well as testing some Additional constructs’ relationships proposed by (MZD) research. These Constructs were as follows: “length of relationship, provider’s lack of objectivity, client’s rising expectation for Performance and providers Opportunism.”

-Replication Consideration:According to Kent & Ambler (1999) ,this is the first attempt to replicate
(MZD’s) Work specifically using similar context and methodology. They are trying To ensure that the results they will reach out of this study is not different from the Variations mentioned in (MZDs’). Also, that those results can be generalized & Implemented on any marketing services providers rather than a specific one.Therefore,” through this research a solid foundation is provided for anticipating That the same relational factors which were found in (MZD’s) work will be found in Advertising agency relationships”.(Kent & Ambler(1999)

Results of the study
Kent & Ambler (1999) stated the results of their study compared to (MZD’S) study through two phases.

- Replication phase results:After replicating direct constructs of the marketing services
relationships,Seven out of ten hypotheses of (MZD’s) study were tested. This test
resulted in generalization of results instead of the uniqueness of the same results to
other marketing industries surrounded by different environment. Their study added to (MZD’s) in that they highlighted the Important role of both aspects like involvement on interaction & commitment of service providers towards its clients. Both studies failed to support the positive impact of two factors
like trust & commitment on the relation between clients and their use of the marketing service.

- Extension phase results:Kent & ambler (1999) states that their paper supported same results
mentioned in the study they were testing. These results claims that the factors which impacts the relation between customers & their service providers differ according to the length of time of such a relation whether it is long or short. These factors are as follows:

“- Interaction and involvement between the clients & their service provider were found to be influential only in longer relationship.
- Trust was found to be influential factor in only short term relationships It is essential tool for the development of the relation to other stages.

- Relationship between trust and use of services in long term relationship was not significant.
- the influence that opportunism/loss of objectivity and rising Expectations aren’t a suppressor mediator between trust & marketing services relationships.”Kent & Ambler (1999)

Although the conclusions that were reached by Kent & ambler (1999) tested & proved many of (MZD’s) work, they mentioned that their study only stated the general hypotheses of the existence of a dark
side in marking services relationships. As a matter of fact their data didn’t support the impact of certain mediators between main marketing relational factors on the relationship between customers and services providers. In their paper Kent & Ambler(1999) claimed that, they lacked the
knowledge of the nature of relational factors that affects such a relation. Therefore, they ought for more research in the future to explore that point.

Conclusion

In their article, Kent & Ambler (1999) didn’t add much to the post work of (MZD’s) study..Infact their study generally highlighted the negative factors that constitute the dark side of long term
relationship between the clients & their marketing services providers. They didn’t offer much practical solutions for service providers to improve their relations. In my point of view, such a dark side of long term relations is a natural thing in the competitive world of businesses to happen. What is more important that firms be aware of it & not take neither positive nor negative relations with their customers as granted. The factors that build dark side of long term relations, as a matter of fact
can be converted to build positive relationships. In a competitive market, marketing relations strategy is about retaining customers and involvement of service providers. In order for service providers to benefit from their long-term relationships with their customers, certain fundamentals to
relationship building must be taken into consideration. These fundamentals are: regular communication, involving customers in problem solutions and these could be achieved through involvement & commitment of service providers by customizing relationship marketing programs for different customers.

References

Fornell, C. and Wernerfelt, B.(1987) "Defensive marketing strategy by customer complaint management: atheoretical analysis", Journal of Marketing Research, pp 337-346

Kent,G. &Ambler. (1999), “The Dark Side of Long-Term Relationships in Marketing
Services”, Journal of Marketing Research,36:132 – 141

Sajeev Varki and Shirley Wong (2003), “Consumer Involvement in Relationship Marketing of
Services”, Journal of Service Research, 6:p.83,84,89