How Qualitative Elements Of Relational Exchanges Influence an Implementation of Purchasing Marketing Strategies – A Case Of Service Companies In Slovenia

The author examines a relationship between the qualitative elements of relational exchanges and the implementation of relationship marketing strategies vs. transactional marketing strategies from the buyer’s perspective in business-to-business exchanges. Therefore, four groups of qualitative relational exchange’ factors have been determined: attractiveness of supplier, attractiveness of total purchasing market for the buyer, competitive position of the buyer on the purchasing market, and the bargaining orientation of the buyer toward its strategic supplier. Drawing on emerging perspectives on service companies with more than 200 employees in Slovenia and their relationship with strategic suppliers, the author proposes that a buyer’s perception of qualitative elements of relational exchanges influences employment of particular marketing strategies towards its strategic supplier. Results of empirical study show some correlation between the groups of variables investigated. The influence of measured factors on the implementation of particular group of marketing strategies exists, although the strongest impact is prevailed especially by factors, which are characteristic for short-term relationships. Hence the surveyed companies are oriented much more toward achieving short-term efficiency instead of long-term effectiveness. This research makes a contribution to the strategy literature and to the practitioners, and has important implications for purchasing managers by offering guidelines for mixing the various aspects of partnering according to their objectives and strategies in order to improve the level of their relational approach to their strategic suppliers.