Business-to-business resource interaction capability : conceptualisation, operationalisation and validation

This PhD thesis developed and examined the concept of business-to-business resource interaction capability (B2B RIC) in the context of the emerging service-dominant logic. B2B RIC is devised as a vital capability for improving a firm's relationship and business performances. It is argued that B2B RIC, through its three main exchange-enabling dimensions, has great potential for facilitating and enhancing the co-creation of value through reciprocal service provision which is based on interactions and integration of resources among actors within a value network. A conceptual framework is developed which introduces the dimensions as well as the consequences of the B2B RIC. Firstly, the B2B RIC is conceptualised, operationalized and validated at a higher-order abstraction level, as a third-order construct manifested by three second-order constructs and ten first- order constructs. Secondly, the relationships between B2B RIC and firm's relationship and business performances are investigated. Finally, firms are clustered into clusters based on their B2B RIC. Data for this research study was gathered from senior and middle level managers in micro, small, medium and large firms from the Northern Ireland service industries sector. The research employed quantitative data collection techniques and analysis procedures. An online questionnaire survey instrument was used to collect the research data. The collected data were then analysed by Partial Least Squares Path Modelling (PLS-PM) approach to Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in order to operationalize and test the developed conceptual framework and to investigate the hypothesised relationships of interest. Finally, cluster analysis technique was employed to cluster firms based on their B2B RIC. The results of the research study completely supported the hypothesised conceptual framework based on the empirical evidence from the Northern Ireland service industries sector. The theoretical and empirical work of this study contributes to different strands of the marketing literature as well as having significant practical implications for managers. / EThOS - Electronic Theses Online Service / GB / United Kingdom