Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

From Customer to Partner Engagement: A Conceptualization and Typology of Engagement in B2B

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Customer Engagement Marketing

Abstract

This chapter focuses on engagement in business-to-business (B2B) contexts. It analyzes a number of specific properties of business markets (e.g. the derived character of demand or formalization/rationality of exchange) and discusses their implications for the phenomenon of customer engagement. Furthermore, the authors argue that the concept of customer engagement should be extended to partner engagement in order to reflect the complexity and network character of value chains in business markets. Finally, the authors develop a typology of partner engagement behaviors in business markets and discuss differences with respect to the level of engagement (organizational vs. individual), underlying relational factors as well as special cases. Based on the analysis, the authors derive specific implications for B2B managers and provide avenues for future research in the domain of partner engagement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    One could argue that upstream and horizontal B2B relationships are also relevant for firms in B2C markets (e.g. banks, electronic equipment manufacturers, fashion). In that sense, firms marketing to the end consumer are a special case where there is only one stakeholder downstream. For the sake of consistency, however, we confine our analysis to the constellation when the direct customer of the focal firm is still an organization (see Fig. 11.1).

  2. 2.

    The idea of the original work by Thomas (1976) was to develop a generic theory of conflict and conflict management and the social processes involved. With respect to the framework, Thomas described five conflict-handling modes (avoiding, accommodation, compromise, competition, collaboration) using a two-dimensional taxonomy based on assertiveness and cooperativeness .

  3. 3.

    It should be noted that under the condition of high assertiveness and low cooperativeness , a partner’s engagement can also have positive effects, for example, by creating a pull effect in the value chain in the case of indirect marketing activities (Homburg et al. 2014). However, engagement types with negative effects prevail (see Fig. 11.3).

References

  • Adamson, B., Dixon, M., Spenner, P., & Toman, N. (2015). The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results. London: Portfolio.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. C., Narus, J. A., & Narayandas, D. (2009). Business Market Management: Understanding, Creating, and Delivering Value. Upper Saddle River/New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, T., Heller, J., Jacobs, J., & Schaffner, R. (2017) How To Get the Most From Your Agency Relationships in 2017 McKinsey Insights. http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/how-to-get-the-most-from-your-agency-relationships-in-2017?cid=other-eml-alt-mip-mck-oth-1702. Date Accessed 15 Feb 2017.

  • Beckers, S. F. M., Risselada, H., & Verhoef, P. C. (2014). Customer Engagement: A New Frontier in Customer Value Management. In R. T. Rust & M.-H. Huang (Eds.), Handbook of Service Marketing Research (pp. 97–122). Northampton: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N. (2011). Customer Engagement: Opportunities and Challenges for Organizations. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 272–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bone, S. A., Fombelle, P. W., Ray, K. R., & Lemon, K. N. (2014). How Customer Participation in B2B Peer-to-Peer Problem-Solving Communities Influences the Need for Traditional Customer Service. Journal of Service Research, 18(1), 23–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Juric, B., & Ilic, A. (2011). Customer Engagement: Conceptual Domain, Fundamental Propositions, and Implications for Research. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 252–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn, M., Schnebelen, S., & Schäfer, D. (2014). Antecedents and Consequences of the Quality of E-Customer-to-Customer Interactions in B2B Brand Communities. Industrial Marketing Management, 43(1), 164–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carboni, J. (2014). The Importance of Online Communities with Cloud Computing- CIO Review. http://sap.cioreview.com/cxoinsight/the-importance-of-online-communities-with-cloud-computing-nid-10088-cid-49.html. Date Accessed 15 Feb 2017.

  • Chakravarty, A., Kumar, A., & Grewal, R. (2014). Customer Orientation Structure for Internet-Based Business-to-Business Platform Firms. Journal of Marketing, 78(5), 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, W., & Taylor, S. A. (2016). The Effectiveness of Customer Participation in New Product Development: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Marketing, 80(1), 47–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CMO Council. (2014). Maximize How You Individualize: Map the Operational Gap in Customer Insight and Experience. http://www.cmocouncil.org/cat_details.php?fid. Date Accessed 15 Feb 2017.

  • Dahlquist, S. H., & Griffith, D. A. (2014). Multidyadic Industrial Channels: Understanding Component Supplier Profits and Original Equipment Manufacturer Behavior. Journal of Marketing, 78(4), 59–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Doorn, J. (2011). Customer Engagement: Essence, Dimensionality, and Boundaries. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 280–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Doorn, J., Lemon, K. N., Mittal, V., Nass, S., Pick, D., Pirner, P., & Verhoef, P. C. (2010). Customer Engagement Behavior: Theoretical Foundations and Research Directions. Journal of Service Research, 13(3), 253–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dwyer, R. F., Schurr, P. H., & Oh, S. (1987). Developing Buyer-Seller Relationships. Journal of Marketing, 51(2), 11–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, E. (Er). (2008). Customer Participation and the Trade-Off Between New Product Innovativeness and Speed to Market. Journal of Marketing, 72(4), 90–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forbes. (2015). Customer Engagement: Best of the Best. http://www.forbes.com/. Date Accessed 15 Feb 2017.

  • Frazier, G. L., Elliot, M., Antia, K. D., & Rindfleisch, A. (2009). Distributor Sharing of Strategic Information with Suppliers. Journal of Marketing, 73(4), 31–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godes, D. (2012). The Strategic Impact of References in Business Markets. Marketing Science, 31(2), 257–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grewal, R., & Lilien, G. L. (2012). Business-to-Business Marketing: Looking Back, Looking Forward. In G. L. Lilien & R. Grewal (Eds.), Handbook of Business-to-Business Marketing (pp. 1–14). Northampton: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grewal, R., Lilien, G. L., Bharadwaj, S. G., Jindal, P., Kayande, U., Lusch, R. F., Mantrala, M., Palmatier, R. W., Rindfleisch, A., Scheer, L. K., Spekman, R., & Sridhar, S. (2015). Business-to-Business Buying: Challenges and Opportunities. Customer Needs and Solutions, 2(3), 193–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruen, T. W., Osmonbekov, T., & Czaplewski, A. J. (2007). Customer-to-Customer Exchange: Its MOA Antecedents and Its Impact on Value Creation and Loyalty. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 35(4), 537–549.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hada, M., Grewal, R., & Lilien, G. L. (2014). Supplier-Selected Referrals. Journal of Marketing, 78(2), 34–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Håkansson, H. (1982). International Marketing and Purchasing of Industrial Goods: An Interaction Approach. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haverila, M., & Naumann, E. (2011). Customer Complaint Behavior and Satisfaction in a B2B Context: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of Services Research, 10(2), 45–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • von Hippel, E. (1986). Lead Users: A Source of Novel Product Concepts. Management Science, 32(7), 791–805.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollebeek, L. D., Srivastava, R. K., & Chen, T. (2016). S-D Logic–Informed Customer Engagement: Integrative Framework, Revised Fundamental Propositions, and Application to CRM. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, in press, 1–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., & Fürst, A. (2005). How Organizational Complaint Handling Drives Customer Loyalty: An Analysis of the Mechanistic and the Organic Approach. Journal of Marketing, 69(4), 95–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., & Kuehnl, C. (2014). Is the More Always Better? A Comparative Study of Internal and External Integration Practices in New Product and New Service Development. Journal of Business Research, 67(7), 1360–1367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., Kuester, S., & Krohmer, H. (2013). Marketing Management: A Contemporary Perspective. Maidenhead/Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., Wilczek, H., & Hahn, A. (2014). Looking Beyond the Horizon: How to Approach the Customers’ Customers in Business-to-Business Markets. Journal of Marketing, 78(5), 58–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., Workman, J. P., & Jensen, O. (2002). A Configurational Perspective on Key Account Management. Journal of Marketing, 66(2), 38–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyer, W. D., Chandy, R., Dorotic, M., Krafft, M., & Singh, S. S. (2010). Consumer Co-Creation in New Product Development. Journal of Service Research, 13(3), 283–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, W. J., & Bonoma, T. V. (1981). The Buying Center: Structure and Interaction Patterns. Journal of Marketing, 45(3), 143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi, A. W., & Sharma, S. (2004). Customer Knowledge Development: Antecedents and Impact on New Product Performance. Journal of Marketing, 68(4), 47–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, V., Aksoy, L., Donkers, B., Venkatesan, R., Wiesel, T., & Tillmanns, S. (2010). Undervalued or Overvalued Customers: Capturing Total Customer Engagement Value. Journal of Service Research, 13(3), 297–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, V., & Pansari, A. (2016). Competitive Advantage Through Engagement. Journal of Marketing Research, 53(4), 497–514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, V., Petersen, J. A., & Leone, R. P. (2007) How Valuable Is Word of Mouth?, Harvard Business Review, October, 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, V., Petersen, J. A., & Leone, R. P. (2013). Defining, Measuring, and Managing Business Reference Value. Journal of Marketing, 77(1), 68–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, V., Venkatesan, R., Bohling, T., & Beckmann, D. (2008). The Power of CLV: Managing Customer Lifetime Value at IBM. Marketing Science, 27(4), 585–599.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lacoste, S. (2012). Vertical Coopetition: The Key Account Perspective. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(4), 649–658.

    Google Scholar 

  • Libai, B. (2011). The Perils of Focusing on Highly Engaged Customers. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 275–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Libai, B., Bolton, R., Bugel, M. S., de Ruyter, K., Gotz, O., Risselada, H., & Stephen, A. T. (2010). Customer-to-Customer Interactions: Broadening the Scope of Word of Mouth Research. Journal of Service Research, 13(3), 267–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lilien, G. L. (2015). The B2B Knowledge Gap. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 33(3), 543–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lilien, G. L., & Wong, A. (1984). An Exploratory Investigation of the Structure of the Buying Center in the Metalworking Industry. Journal of Marketing Research, 21(1), 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKinsey. (2014). The Digital Tipping Point: McKinsey Global Survey Results. http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/the-digital-tipping-point-mckinsey-global-survey-results. Date Accessed 15 Feb 2017.

  • Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MSI. (2010). 2010–2012 Research Priorities. Boston: Marketing Science Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • MSI. (2014). 2014–2016 Research Priorities. Boston: Marketing Science Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • MSI. (2016). 2016–2018 Research Priorities. Boston: Marketing Science Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmatier, R. W. (2008). Interfirm Relational Drivers of Customer Value. Journal of Marketing, 72(4), 76–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palmatier, R. W., Dant, R. P., & Grewal, D. (2007). A Comparative Longitudinal Analysis of Theoretical Perspectives of Interorganizational Relationship Performance. Journal of Marketing, 71(4), 172–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palmatier, R. W., Stern, L. W., & El-Ansary, A. I. (2015). Marketing Channel Strategy. Upper Saddle River/New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pansari, A., & Kumar, V. (2016). Customer Engagement: The Construct, Antecedents, and Consequences. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, in press, 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pemer, F., Werr, A., & Bianchi, M. (2014). Purchasing Professional Services: A Transaction Cost View of the Antecedents and Consequences of Purchasing Formalization. Industrial Marketing Management, 43(5), 840–849.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plouffe, C. R., Bolander, W., Cote, J. A., & Hochstein, B. (2016). Does the Customer Matter Most? Exploring Strategic Frontline Employees’ Influence of Customers, the Internal Business Team, and External Business Partners. Journal of Marketing, 80(1), 106–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, M. E. & Heppelmann, J. E. (2015). How Smart, Connected Products Are Transforming Companies. Harvard Business Review, November, 97–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rindfleisch, A., & Moorman, C. (2001). The Acquisition and Utilization of Information in New Product Aliances: A Strength-of-Ties Perspectives. Journal of Marketing, 65(2), 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheer, L. K., Miao, C. F., & Palmatier, R. W. (2014). Dependence and Interdependence in Marketing Relationships: Meta-Analytic Insights. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(6), 694–712.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sieweke, J., Birkner, S., & Mohe, M. (2012). Preferred Supplier Programs for Consulting Services: An Exploratory Study of German Client Companies. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 18(3), 123–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Statista. (2016). Automotive Suppliers’ Proportion of Value Added to Worldwide Automobile Manufacture from 1985 to 2015. https://www.statista.com/statistics/269619/automotive-suppliers-share-of-worldwide-automobile-manufacture-since-1985/. Date Accessed 15 Feb 2017.

  • Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (2007). Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, K. W. (1976). Conflict and Conflict Management. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (pp. 889–935). Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, K. W. (1992). Conflict and Conflict Management: Reflections and Update. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 13(3), 265–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuli, K. R., Bharadwaj, S. G., & Kohli, A. K. (2010). Ties That Bind: The Impact of Multiple Types of Ties with a Customer on Sales Growth and Sales Volatility. Journal of Marketing Research, 47(1), 36–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuli, K. R., Kohli, A. K., & Bharadwaj, S. G. (2007). Rethinking Customer Solutions: From Product Bundles to Relational Processes. Journal of Marketing, 71(3), 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulaga, W., & Eggert, A. (2006). Value-Based Differentiation in Business Relationships: Gaining and Sustaining Key Supplier Status. Journal of Marketing, 70(1), 119–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulaga, W., & Reinartz, W. J. (2011). Hybrid Offerings: How Manufacturing Firms Combine Goods and Services Successfully. Journal of Marketing, 75(6), 5–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verhoef, P. C., Reinartz, W. J., & Krafft, M. (2010). Customer Engagement as a New Perspective in Customer Management. Journal of Service Research, 13(3), 247–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vivek, S. D., Dalela, V., & Beatty, S. E. (2016). Partner Engagement: A Perspective on B2B Engagement. In R. J. Brodie, L. D. Hollebeek, & J. Conduit (Eds.), Customer Engagement – Contemporary Issues and Challenges (pp. 53–66). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • von Wangenheim, F., & Bayón, T. (2007). The Chain from Customer Satisfaction via Word-of-Mouth Referrals to New Customer Acquisition. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 35(2), 233–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wieseke, J., Kraus, F., Ahearne, M., & Mikolon, S. (2012). Multiple Identification Foci and Their Countervailing Effects on Salespeople’s Negative Headquarters Stereotypes. Journal of Marketing, 76(3), 1–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wuyts, S., Stremersch, S., Van Den Bulte, C., & Franses, P. H. (2004). Vertical Marketing Systems for Complex Products: A Triadic Perspective. Journal of Marketing Research, 41(4), 479–487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cologne, Department of Retailing and Customer Management, Cologne, Germany

    Werner J. Reinartz & Manuel Berkmann

Authors
  1. Werner J. Reinartz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Manuel Berkmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Robert W. Palmatier

  2. Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    V. Kumar

  3. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

    Colleen M. Harmeling

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Reinartz, W.J., Berkmann, M. (2018). From Customer to Partner Engagement: A Conceptualization and Typology of Engagement in B2B. In: Palmatier, R., Kumar, V., Harmeling, C. (eds) Customer Engagement Marketing. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61985-9_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation