Key account relationship management: the moderating effects of relationship duration and transaction volume

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of three relational benefits (i.e. financial benefits, human interaction benefits, preferential treatment benefits) on switching barriers, customer satisfaction, and behavioral loyalty for key accounts in the context of the air express delivery industry in Taiwan. Empirical results indicate that relational benefits impact switching barriers, switching barriers influence customer satisfaction and loyalty, and customer satisfaction effects loyalty. Findings also confirm most of the hypothesized moderating effects for relationship duration and transactional volume on the relationship between relational benefits and switching barriers. Specifically, long-term key accounts place greater emphasis on the human interaction and preferential treatment benefits. Key accounts that have less established relationships based on the length of business relationship place more importance on financial benefits. Financial benefits were found to have a positive influence on switching barriers only for low annual transactional volume clients, while both human interaction benefits and preferential treatment benefits have positive effects for both low and high transactional volume key accounts. 本論文以臺灣地區航空運輸快遞業的關鍵顧客為研究對象，探討財務利益、人際互動利益、以及特殊對待利益等三種關係利益對於轉換障礙、顧客滿意與行為忠誠的影響。研究結果顯示，關係利益顯著影響轉換障礙、轉換障礙顯著影響顧客滿意與行為忠誠、且顧客滿意顯著影響行為忠誠。此外，研究結果亦支持關係期間與交易量對於關係利益是否建立轉換障礙的干擾效果。如：關係期間較長的關鍵顧客特別重視人際互動利益與特殊對待利益；而關係期間較短的關鍵顧客則反而較為重視財務利益。又如：財務利益所帶來的轉換障礙僅受到年度交易量較低的關鍵顧客重視，至於人際互動利益與特殊對待利益對於轉換障礙的影響則不因關鍵顧客年度交易量多寡而有顯著的差異。