Relationship Marketing Strategy: An Operant Resource Perspective

Marketing's evolution toward a new, service-dominant (S-D) logic requires the focus of marketing to be on the intangible, dynamic, operant resources. Therefore, in this paper, we examine the relationship marketing (RM) strategy from an operant resource perspective that focuses on how operant resources can influence RM-based strategy success. Specifically, we identify network competence, alliance competence, internal market orientation, and customer response capability as operant resources that have been empirically verified to have positive influences on firms. Next, we identify market relating capability and knowledge management capability as operant resources that need further conceptual and empirical investigation. Furthermore, based on our analyses of prior literature, we propose relationship portfolio management capability, interorganizational information systems capability, and customer relationship management (CRM) capability as operant resources that can be critical to the success of RM based strategies. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of implications for relationship marketing theory and practice.