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The advent of electronic commerce is changing marketing practice. In particular, the transformation of the role of traditional intermediaries, such as the retailer, is occurring as a result of new computer-mediated relationships. This thesis uses the setting of a consumer-orientated electronic commerce shopping service to develop a conceptual model of the changing nature of the marketing relationship. In particular, the research questions and seeks to understand the theoretical nature of the appropriate on-line marketing relationship strategy that will build the transactional and relational interactions between service provider and customer. In this inquiry, attention is given to a strategic framework which strengthens the customers' motivation to and experience of, electronic commerce service offerings. To answer the above research question, the methodological approach adopted is described as a positivist inter-organisational case and consumer focus group study, using grounded theory as the mode of analysis. This philosophy was applied because of the lack of any cohesive theory to help answer the research question. Therefore, the conceptual development process is grounded in the reality of experience and in the mode and context of analysis. However, with the parallel aim of developing a conceptual model, positivistic direction and guidance is provided by the literature during the data analysis. Once the emergent theory becomes clear, greater attention is given to develop an objective theory that is generalisable to other research settings. Conceptually, it was concluded that a marketing relationship strategy in electronic commerce environments between retail service intermediaries, their inter-organisational partners and customers, is characterised by a state of real virtuality. The overall aim of this strategic model is to develop a real-virtual value consumption experience for the consumer. This provides a fulcrum for the development of trust in the marketing relationship interactions. Trust evolves through the dis-confirmation of the real physical service processes and the virtual service brand defined interactions. It was also concluded that a key component of this strategy was the controlled implementation of these interactions on the basis of both invisible symbolic and visible control mechanisms. Furthermore, to maximise the value extracted by the consumer and service providers, a key objective in each customer interaction is the creation of a cognitive experience and the consumption of the value of that experience. In essence, the customer is immersed in both real and virtual interactions which are characterised by a continuum of experiential multi-stable states that produce many co-existent types of behaviour. This view rejects traditionally accepted concepts of marketing interactions in computer mediated environments that treat consumer experience as being homeostatic, where it is thought that consumers seek to maximise the utility of the interaction through a mono-stable cognitive state. The thesis concludes with a conceptual model of the real-virtual marketing relationship with associated hypotheses and mathematical reasoning. Future research directions and managerial implications are highlighted. Key Words Conceptual model, marketing relationship, real virtuality, electronic brands, service experience, trust, value, grounded theory, inter-organisational case study, consumer focus group. |
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