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The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing
Abstract
Relationship marketing-establishing, developing, and maintaining successful relational exchanges-constitutes a major shift in marketing theory and practice. After conceptualizing relationship marketing and discussing its ten forms, the authors (1) theorize that successful relationship marketing requires relationship commitment and trust, (2) model relationship commitment and trust as key mediating variables, (3) test this key mediating variable model using data from automobile tire retailers, and (4) compare their model with a rival that does not allow relationship commitment and trust to function as mediating variables. Given the favorable test results for the key mediating variable model, suggestions for further explicating and testing it are offered.
... Theoretical models establish a connection between brand identification and trust [28]. ...
... As a result, brand loyalty often stems from this trust, forming firm, valuable connections between the brand and the consumer. [25], [28]. ...
In today's rapidly evolving e-commerce environment, where online shopping has become integral to consumer behavior, understanding the factors influencing brand loyalty is crucial for businesses aiming to succeed in the digital market. This research seeks to explore the determinants of brand loyalty among consumers in Vietnam, particularly in the context of household appliance brands. Furthermore, the study aims to shed light on the mediating effects of brand trust and customer satisfaction on brand loyalty. The insights gained will be instrumental in formulating effective brand strategies, enhancing customer loyalty, and expanding market share for home appliance brands. A mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques, will be employed. Primary data will be collected through a structured questionnaire survey, with analysis carried out using SPSS 26 and Smart PLS 4. The findings reveal that brand trust, identification, awareness, image, and customer satisfaction significantly impact brand loyalty. These insights highlight the necessity of leveraging the study’s results to refine brand management and marketing strategies.
... Nor is OSoT directly related to personal traits, qualities, or dispositions. Rather, it stems from retailer-consumer relationships and the retailer's relationship marketing strategies (Morgan & Hunt, 1994), including its provision of a seamless, engaging OCX across channels (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016). Personal traits can influence customer behaviors, but OSoT captures engagement with a retailer's channels, not individual predispositions toward them. ...
... Consequently, when customers encounter exceptional service quality, they also enjoy a more favorable brand experience, leading to an increased inclination to interact with the product or brand. The commitment-trust theory emphasizes that long-term relationships require trust and commitment (Morgan and Hunt 1994;Brodie et al. 2011). Assurance and empathy are strongest for building trust and commitment, while reliability, tangibility, and responsiveness create a strong foundation for long-term customer relationships, suggesting that satisfaction alone does not guarantee engagement (Brodie et al. 2011;Verleye et al. 2014). ...
This study examines the impact of pet care service quality on customer satisfaction and engagement, with a focus on the moderating effects of service customization and process innovation in India (Study 1) and the UAE (Study 2). Using an adapted SERVPERF model, data was collected from 221 Indian and 238 UAE pet owners and analyzed through PLS-SEM and multi-group analysis (MGA). Findings reveal that in India, assurance, reliability, and responsiveness significantly influence customer satisfaction, which enhances engagement, but service customization and process innovation showed no significant moderating effect. In the UAE, reliability is the sole driver of satisfaction, while service customization and process innovation significantly moderate the satisfaction-engagement relationship. The PLS-MGA results confirmed that the moderating effect of service customization and process innovation was significantly stronger in the UAE than in India, suggesting that UAE consumers place greater value on personalized and technology-driven services, while Indian consumers prioritize fundamental service quality dimensions. These findings provide theoretical contributions by extending SERVPERF’s applicability in the pet care industry and managerial implications for service providers aiming to optimize customer experience, engagement, and retention in emerging markets.
... The relationship quality reflects the degree of connection between the subjects (Lu et al., 2008). Morgan and Hunt (1994) held that the core of relationship marketing was trust and commitment, which were important components of relationship quality. Dlamini-Mazibuko et al. (2019) showed that smooth communication enhanced trust and cohesion among supply chain members, thereby improving relationship quality. ...
Close collaboration between vegetable farmers and downstream stakeholders is crucial for integrating farmers into modern agricultural supply chains, helping them manage market uncertainties and improving their economic outcomes. Based on the Stimulus - Organism - Response (SOR) model and social embeddedness theory, this study adopts a moderated mediation model and utilizes survey data from 1,014 farmers in the North China Plain to analyze how relationship quality influences vegetable farmers’ participation in the vertical collaboration. Our findings indicate that relationship quality significantly enhances farmers’ willingness to engage in the vertical collaboration, particularly in production contract arrangements. Furthermore, relationship quality promotes collaboration through enhancing farmers’ perceived value, with the business environment significantly moderating this effect. Heterogeneity analyses reveal notable differences, particularly among Chinese cabbage growers and members of agricultural cooperatives, highlighting targeted opportunities for strengthening vertical collaboration. This study emphasizes the need for building robust interpersonal networks among farmers, creating a favorable business environment, optimizing collaboration mechanisms, and implementing targeted policies for different vegetable categories, thereby providing both theoretical insights and practical guidance for agricultural modernization.
... . Dunlap et al.(1988) (Hughes et al., 2013;Saxe & Weitz, 1982 (Brown, 1990;Spiro & Weitz, 1990). Frazier and Summers(1984) (Frazier & Summers, 1986;McFarland & Dixon, 2019;McFarland et al., 2006;Plouffe et al., 2016;Venkatesh et al., 1995 (Berry & Parasuraman, 1991;Crosby et al., 1990;Morgan & Hunt, 1994). (Ganesan, 1994;Oliver, 1980 ...
Dijitalleşmenin hız kazanması ve sosyal medya platformlarının yaygınlaşmasıyla, işletmeler için tüketiciye doğrudan ulaşmanın etkili bir yolu haline gelen sosyal medya pazarlaması, tüketici davranışlarını şekillendirmekte önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Özellikle genç tüketicilerin sosyal medyada markalarla kurdukları etkileşimler, marka beğenirliği ve nihai satın alma kararlarını doğrudan etkilemektedir. Amaç: Tüketicilerin sosyal medya aracılığıyla markalarla olan etkileşimlerinin onların markaya duydukları ilgiyi nasıl şekillendirdiğini ve bu durumun satın alma kararlarına nasıl yansıdığını incelemektir. Yöntem: Sosyal medya pazarlamasının tüketicilerin marka beğenirliği ve satın alma davranışları arasındaki etkileşimin belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılan bu çalışma 594 tüketiciyle İstanbul/Avcılar ilçesinde gönüllülük temelinde kolayda örnekleme kullanılarak anket yöntemiyle uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Elde edilen verilerin analiziyle yapılan regresyon analizinde sosyal medya pazarlamasının tüketicilerin marka beğenilirliği üzerinde (F=369,202; p<0,05; β=0,672), satın alma davranışı üzerinde ise (F=120,134; p<0,05; β=0,390) etkisi saptanmıştır. Araştırmanın temel hipotezi, sosyal medya pazarlamasının, tüketicilerin marka beğenirliği ve satın alma kararları üzerinde pozitif bir etkisinin olduğu yönündedir. Sonuç: Araştırma bulguları, sosyal medya pazarlaması faaliyetlerinin tüketicilerin markaya karşı olumlu bir tutum geliştirmesinde ve satın alma niyetlerinin oluşmasında etkili olduğunu göstermektedir.
This study investigates how brand experience contributes to brand loyalty through the mediating roles of brand trust and brand association, with the moderating effects of word-of-mouth (WOM) and brand credibility. The purpose was to explore consumer behavioral patterns in emerging sectors like e-commerce and herbal wellness, where emotional and social influences drive brand engagement. Addressing a theoretical gap in integrated brand experience modeling, the study offers an empirically tested framework grounded in the Brand Experience Model, Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE), and Trust-Based Relationship Theory. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was used, collecting data from 200 consumers via an online survey. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4.0 was employed to test six hypotheses across multiple constructs including sensory, affective, intellectual, and behavioral brand experiences. Findings revealed that brand trust (β = 0.59) and brand association (β = 0.36) significantly mediate the relationship between brand experience and loyalty. WOM and credibility also positively influenced brand trust (β = 0.43; β = 0.53, respectively). The model exhibited good fit indices (SRMR = 0.062, CFI = 0.937), confirming structural reliability. This study adds originality by integrating emotional, cognitive, and social variables, offering strategic insights for trust-sensitive, digitally-driven brand ecosystems.
Borrowing concepts from both services and industrial marketing, this paper examines the advertising agency-client relationship, revealing that active relationship management today requires more effort than the traditional account manager-advertising department linkage. Understanding the types of advertising tasks and the roles played by decision-makers allows todays managers to develop appropriate communication strategies important in maintainingthis service relationship. Managerial implications and recommendations for other service agencies are discussed as well.
The concept of organizational culture has received increasing attention in recent years both from academics and practitioners. This article presents the author's view of how culture should be defined and analyzed if it is to be of use in the field of organizational psychology. Other concepts are reviewed, a brief history is provided, and case materials are presented to illustrate how to analyze culture and how to think about culture change.
The concept of symbiotic marketing was first proposed by Adler almost two decades ago. This study provides an overview of its nature and scope and examines the environmental and organizational developments that have contributed to the widespread acceptance of symbiotic marketing as a way of doing business. The feasibility of pursuing the symbiotic option to exploit various strategic growth opportunities are highlighted. Guidelines for planning and implementation of symbiotic programs are presented.
Two different measures of brand loyalty are employed in an analysis of survey data by MCA in which six hypotheses are tested. A measure based on brand deliberation as well as brand repurchase appeared to yield better results than did repurchase alone.
To understand better the differences in power between subunits, this paper examines the relationship between perceived departmental power and the extent to which departments appear to share important organizational values with top management. Critical contingency perspectives on intraorganizational power are used as a catalyst for exploring similarity of organizational values as an additional determinant of power. Interview and survey data from a quick-service restaurant chain and a robotics company are used to provide support for the role of perceived similarity in values for determining power. Perceived value congruity between department members and top managers, examined from the perspectives of both groups, was found to account for unique variance in departmental power when controlling for the effects of critical contingencies. An objective measure of the similarity of values between department members and top managers, however, was unrelated to departmental power.
The objective of the authors' study was to develop a reliable and valid scale to assess reseller performance from the perspective of the supplier. To specify the domain of reseller performance, four different conceptualizations of organizational effectiveness were explored, leading to the identification of eight facets of reseller performance. Using data collected on the resellers of two different suppliers, the authors investigated the reliability and validity of three different types of scales-facet, composite, and global. Results indicate that two composite scales, a 5-item global scale, and seven 3-item facet scales have acceptable levels of reliability, construct validity, and generalizability.