Commitment, trust, relative dependence, and customer loyalty in the B2B setting: the role of customer satisfaction
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing
ISSN: 0885-8624
Article publication date: 1 November 2023
Issue publication date: 10 May 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the role customer satisfaction play in mediating the nexus between commitment, trust, relative dependence and customer loyalty from an emerging market context under a business-to-business (B2B) setting.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was a descriptive survey, and using convenience sampling technique, questionnaires were used to gather data from 356 businesses that were distributors of Guinness Ghana Company Limited. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses for this study, and macro-PROCESS was performed to test the mediating effect of customer satisfaction.
Findings
The findings show that relative dependence had the most considerable significant and positive impact on B2B partners satisfaction, followed by commitment and trust, respectively. A positive and significant relationship was also found between B2B firms’ satisfaction and loyalty. The result also indicates that customer satisfaction mediates the relationship between commitment, trust, relative dependence and B2B loyalty.
Practical implications
Practitioners can manipulate specific relative dependence, commitment and trust features to increase customer satisfaction with their firm’s services, thus ensuring longer-term customer loyalty.
Originality/value
Drawing on the social exchange theory, this study provides a more profound perspective focusing on an emerging market context, by examining from a B2B setting the significance of commitment, trust, relative dependence and B2B partners satisfaction on loyalty.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge all those who assisted with the research. They would also like to thank the editor and reviewers of the paper for their helpful improvement suggestions.
Citation
Arthur, E., Agbemabiese, G.C., Amoako, G.K. and Anim, P.A. (2024), "Commitment, trust, relative dependence, and customer loyalty in the B2B setting: the role of customer satisfaction", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 39 No. 5, pp. 933-948. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-08-2022-0375
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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