From B2C to B2B to A2A: A Translation Perspective on Theory Development

Abstract

As a means to advance theory building in the field of marketing, we employ the translation approach to depict the theorizing process. We exemplify the usefulness of this approach by tracing the translations that produced the B2C, B2B, and A2A designations, which emerged in interaction with the long established goods-dominant (G-D) logic, and the growing perspective of service-dominant (S-D) logic. In particular, we identify key translation points that, over time, may have influenced the subsequent direction of theory building in marketing and pinpoint potential areas in which established theories may be problematized. Through this analysis, we highlight the importance of re-tracing the development of theoretical assumptions that have long gone unchallenged to generate new theories that may redirect theorizing efforts in a more useful direction.