How can economic sociology help business relationship management?
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing
ISSN: 0885-8624
Article publication date: 23 February 2010
Abstract
Purpose
By analyzing organizations as social actors and business relationships as social relationships, sociology can improve business relationship management. This paper aims to explore the issues involved.
Design/methodology/approach
A business relationship is an interactive exchange between two organizations embedded in a network of business connections. The paper reviews theories of social actions and social actors and the concepts of economic field and embeddedness to illustrate some social dimensions of business relationships.
Findings
Social action and social actor theories emphasize that co‐operation is always encumbered with conflicts, that consciousness about the relationship is fundamental for both strongly and weakly structured actors, and that actors (people involved in a business relationship) always have some freedom of manoeuvre. The concept of economic field underscores the specificity of each business relationship and the critical need for concrete analysis. The concept of embeddedness highlights that no business relationship is possible without personal bonds.
Research limitations/implications
These are the first results of a deeper and broader research directed towards a conceptual model of business relationship management.
Practical implications
The paper can help managers to analyze more deeply the social dimensions of business relations with both suppliers and buyers. Consciousness, the ongoing presence of conflicts, the unavoidable role of personal bonds, and interactivity are always relevant in business relationship management.
Originality/value
The paper integrates sociological and business marketing approaches. It applies essential sociological theories and concepts to business relationship management.
Keywords
Citation
Mandják, T. and Szántó, Z. (2010), "How can economic sociology help business relationship management?", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 202-208. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858621011027795
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited