Relationship marketing 33
paid to processual models of relationship
development and the key aspects of relation-
ships on which there is general agreement.
Finally, some possible research opportunities
are identified as a basis for further work in this
rich and exciting area.
Relationship marketing defined
There are numerous definitions of relationship
marketing and interested readers are directed
toward Harker (1998) for a thorough review.
Some of those most commonly used are the
definitions offered by particularly influential
authors, which are outlined below:
[Marketing is] the process of identifying and
establishing, maintaining, enhancing and when
necessary terminating relationships with cus-
tomers and other stakeholders, at a profit, so
that the objectives of all parties involved are
met, where this is done by a mutual giving and
fulfilment of promises.
(Gr ̈onroos, 1997, p. 407)All marketing efforts directed towards estab-
lishing, developing and maintaining successful
relational exchanges.
(Morgan and Hunt, 1994, p. 23)Relationship marketing is about understanding,
creating, and managing exchange relationships
between economic partners; manufacturers,
service providers, various channel members,
and final consumers.
(M ̈oller and Wilson, 1995, p. 1)Marketing seen as relationships, networks and
interaction.
(Gummesson, 1994, p. 12)The definitions offered above derive from
different research perspectives and variously
emphasize different things. For example, Mor-
gan and Hunt in their definition identify the
focus of relationship marketing in practice,
while others emphasize its purpose (Gr ̈onroos)
and the processes by which it might be enacted
(e.g. M ̈oller and Wilson). Gummesson (1994)
takes a much broader view, and simply sug-
gests that interaction, relationships and net-
works become the focus of attention when a
relational lens is adopted. Which definition one
chooses is likely to be influenced by the choice
of empirical context, the focus of the study (e.g.
practical, processual or philosophical), as well
as the research stream to which the author
belongs. However, irrespective of this diversity
in the definitions offered above, the following
basic issues are generally agreed upon. Relationship marketing refers to commercial
relationships between economic partners,
service providers and customers at various
levels of the marketing channel and the
broader business environment.
This recognition results in a focus on the
creation, maintenance and termination of these
commercial relationships in order that parties
to the relationship achieve their objectives
(mutual benefit).
Profit remains an underlying business concern
and relational objectives are achieved through
the fulfilment of promises.
Trust is essential to this process of relationship
development and centres upon the keeping of
promises.Although some writers have bemoaned the
lack of common understanding (e.g. Buttle,
1996), it is obvious that a single definition of
relationship marketing is unlikely to be poss-
ible because, as already stated, each of the
definitions above are influenced by the differ-
ent research traditions and different assump-
tions that influenced their authors. Indeed,
relationship marketing is less a coherent body
of knowledge and more a collection of loosely
aligned understandings. These understandings
have, in turn, different conceptual underpin-
nings and are strongly affected by the problems
and issues that dominate the empirical situa-
tion. Thus, most definitions of relationship
marketing are context specific, reflecting their
respective research perspectives (e.g. Ford,