The Impact of Antecedents on Relationship Benefits in Services Markets

In resent years, the concept of relationship benefits has attracted increasing attention among marketing researchers and practitioners. Despite a growing body of literature in this area, no generally accepted conceptualization of relationship benefits and their antecedents has emerged from the marketing literature. The present paper investigates the theoretical foundations of relationship marketing, then identifies four underling dimensions of relationship benefits and two underling dimensions of antecedents. The relationship benefits dimensions are confidence, social, special treatment, and honor benefits, their antecedents dimensions are interpersonal relationships and company relationships. It is suggested that antecedents and relationship benefits should be conceptualized as a formative, multidimensional, higher-order construct. This conceptualization is tested using data from a survey among some 400 customers of the services of hairdressers. The findings of this article are directions for future research and managerial implications. Keywords-company relationships; interpersonal relationships; relationship benefits; relationship marketing