Client and Advisor Management Styles: Influence on the Effective Provision of Advisory Services to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Over the last few years, the UK government has sought to assist more effectively small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)-sector firms through the creation of Training and Enterprise Councils and Business Links. These organisations undertake assessment of client satisfaction. Most of their measurement tools, however, do not permit determination of the factors which are key influences of client attitudes. Research on customer behaviour both in industrial markets and in service environments has caused some academics to posit that, in many situations, the application of traditional transactional-market-research tools is often ineffective. Accordingly, they propose that satisfaction measurement should encompass the influence of a relationship-management orientation because the processes designed to build long-term customer loyalty may be a more appropriate philosophy through which to gain understanding of SME-sector attitudes to services delivered by suppliers. The aim, therefore, is to examine the relevance of applying a relationship-management research tool to assess client satisfaction in small-business-advisory scenarios. Interviews with advisors and owner/managers have been used to construct a qualitative model of factors influencing the client-advisor relationship. The implications of the study are discussed in relation to the future operation of not-for-profit support agencies seeking to optimise the effectiveness of service provision. Proposals are made concerning the need for further research.