p–ISSN: 2723 - 6609 e-ISSN: 2745-5254

Vol. 5, No. 01 January 2024 http://jist.publikasiindonesia.id/

Doi: 10.59141/jist.v5i01.864 103

RELATIONSHIP QUALITY IN ONLINE MARKETING FROM THE

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE

Estetika Iman Saputri

, Mugi Harsono

Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta, Indonesia

Email : [email protected]

*, mugiharsono_fe@staff.uns.ac.id

*Correspondence

ABSTRACT

Keywords: Relationship

Quality; Ontology;

Epistemology; Methodology;

Online Marketing.

This study explores the concept of relationship quality from the

philosophy of science. The study focuses on the scientific paradigm that

forms the foundation and core of research. Relationship quality

emphasizes the importance of strong relationships in creating value for

customers and maintaining their loyalty in the long term. Marketing has

evolved from a product-oriented approach to a customer relationship-

oriented approach, making relationship quality the key to competitive

advantage. This study examines the philosophical perspective of science

concerning ontology, epistemology, methodology, and axiology. The

research method employed is a literature review to explore the

development of research on relationship quality. Mapping previous

research from 2016 to 2023 provides insights into the latest trends related

to the concept of relationship quality in the domain of online marketing.

The results identify information sharing, online relationship bonds, and

customer experience as antecedent variables of relationship quality,

while the consequence variables include the intention to co-create brand

value. This study proposes a research model of relationship quality from

these antecedent and consequence variables.

Introduction

The assumptions and principles within research paradigms can aid and guide

scientific discoveries. Understanding the specific assumptions within these paradigms

assists in explaining the quality of research findings supporting scientific studies and

identifying areas where strong evidence may be lacking. Scientific research involves

systematically seeking knowledge from various research paradigms that hold beliefs

about how the world works (Park, Konge, & Artino Jr, 2020). These research paradigms

serve as philosophies of science, directing how scientific knowledge is formed by

establishing fundamental elements. These elements consist of several aspects, including

ontology (how reality is perceived), epistemology (how the nature of knowledge is

understood), axiology (the role and values of research processes), and methodology (the

process of scientific research). Comprehending scientific knowledge across these four

elements can provide a comprehensive overview for researchers across diverse fields

(Brun, Rajaobelina, & Ricard, 2016).

In marketing, Evert Gummesson introduced the concept of relationship quality to

marketing practitioners and researchers in 1985. Relationship quality is one of the pillars

of relationship marketing that emerged from marketing theory. Relationship marketing

aims to create and sustain value-added relationships among involved parties. Relationship

Estetika Iman Saputri, Mugi Harsono

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 2024 104

quality evaluates the overall strength and depth of the relationship between a business and

its customers in meeting their goals, expectations, and desires. (Payne & Frow, 2017)

argued that a good relationship should possess quality elements that provide value to

customers and sustain the relationship in the long term. This view is supported by (Sheth,

2017), stating that relationship quality plays a vital role in building brand loyalty through

relationship marketing orientation. This measures relationship strength and emphasizes

the emotional bond and functional value of products or services (Zhou, Dong, & Zhang,

2023).

The concept of relationship quality continues to gain attention from researchers and

practitioners, focusing on the role of relationships perceived by customers. Relationship

quality is building a comprehensive process that nurtures and enhances personalized

customer relationships, cultivating a positive brand image. Marketing ideology has

shifted from a product-centric perspective to a service-oriented, customer-focused

approach among marketing communities. Providing high-quality goods and services is

increasingly perceived as a minimum requirement for competitiveness rather than a

source of superior performance. Long-term relationship quality with partners provides

companies with a foundation for competitive advantage and business success.

This study examines the concept of relationship quality through the lens of the

philosophy of science, considering aspects of ontology, epistemology, axiology, and

methodology. Prior research by (Novianti, Misbahussurur, Faozah, Noviyani, and

Khodijah, 2021) focused solely on ontology and epistemology concerning relationship

quality. This study complements existing literature by addressing axiological and

methodological aspects. This study aims to enrich the literature on relationship quality by

mapping research related to the subject published between 2016 and 2023, thus exploring

emerging trends associated with the concept of relationship quality.

(Aggarwal & Bhardwaj, 2016) conceptualized commitment in business as an

exchange partner's belief that the ongoing relationship is so vital that the committed party

strives to maintain it. The parties involved believe the relationship is worth maintaining

in the long term. This commitment represents an implicit or explicit promise about the

continuity of the exchange relationship (Tajvidi et al., 2021). Maintaining a valuable

relationship is based on greater responsibility for making the relationship flourishing,

satisfying, and profitable for both parties. Customers who perceive more significant

benefits from a relationship tend to have higher levels of commitment, thus making extra

efforts for the company in response to the benefits received in the past. Therefore,

commitment in a relationship helps reduce feelings of vulnerability and creates social

space for fostering long-term relationships among the parties involved (Osobajo & Moore,

2017).

Research Methods

This research uses a literature review study approach by mapping previous research

related to relationship quality within the philosophy of science. Research mapping related

to the antecedents and consequences of relationship quality was also conducted to address

Relationship Quality in Online Marketing From The Philosophy of Science Perspective

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 01, January 2024 105

the empirical gap in existing literature reviews. Antecedents are factors that can influence

relationship quality, while consequences are factors that can be influenced by relationship

quality. The literature search focuses on the antecedents and consequences of relationship

quality in online marketing from 2016 to 2023, using the Scopus and Google Scholar

databases with keywords relationship quality, online relationship quality, and relationship

quality commerce.

Results and Discussion

Research mapping related to relationship quality focuses on its antecedents and

consequences within online marketing. The findings are presented in Table 1

Table 1

Research Mapping of Antecedents and Consequences of Relationship Quality between

2016-2023

Year

Author

Title

Antecedents

Consequen

ces

2016

Brun,

Rajaobelina,

and Ricard

Online Relationship Quality:

Testing an Integrative

and Comprehensive Model in

the Banking Industry

Relationship

characteristics

and Website

Characteristics

2016

Aggarwal and

Bhardwaj

Assessing the impact of

relationship quality on online

adoption

Attitude

2017

Izogo, Reza,

Ogba, and

Oraedu

Determinants of relationship

quality and customer loyalty in

retail banking: Evidence from

Nigeria

Customer

orientation,

Expertise, and

Information

Sharing

Customer

loyalty

2018

Rajaobelina

The impact of customer

experience on relationship

quality with travel agencies in a

multichannel environment

Think,

Feel, Sense, Act

and Relate

2018

Hsu, Chen, and

Kumar

How does social shopping

retain customers? Capturing

the essence of website quality

and relationship quality

Website quality

Purchase

intention

2019

Narakorn and

Seesupan

Social Commerce Constructs

and Buyer-Seller Relationship

Quality

as a predictor of Intention to

Co-Creation in Branding

Rating and

Reviews, Forum

and

Communities

Co-Creation

in Branding

2019

Levin, Quach,

and Thaichon

Enhancing client-agency

relationship quality in

the advertising industry – an

application of

project management

Interpersonal

Relationship and

Value

2019

Ledikwe,

Roberts-

Lombard, and

Klopper

The perceived influence

of relationship quality on

brand loyalty

Attitudinal

loyalty

Estetika Iman Saputri, Mugi Harsono

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 2024 106

2020

Wisker

Examining relationship quality

in e-tailing experiences: A

moderated mediated model

Repurchase

intention

2020

Kousheshi,

Aali, Bafandeh

Zendeh, and

Iranzadeh

The antecedents and

consequences of online

relationship quality in internet

purchases

Website quality,

Online

relationship

bonds, and

Perceived

Vendor

reputation

EWOM,

Online

customer

share,

Online

customer

loyalty,

Online

consumer

reviews

2020

Hossain, Jahan,

and Kim

A mediation and moderation

model of social support,

relationship quality, and social

commerce intention

Social

commerce

intention

2021

Tseng

Understanding the impact of

the relationship quality on

customer loyalty: The

moderating effect of online

service recovery

Customer

loyalty

2021

Al Nawas,

Altarifi, and

Ghantous

E-retailer cognitive and

emotional relationship quality:

their experiential antecedents

and differential impact on

brand evangelism

Utilitarian and

hedonic online

shopping values

WOM and

Brand

Evangelism

2021

Antwi

“I just like this e-Retailer”:

Understanding online

consumers' repurchase

intention from relationship

quality perspective.

Repurchase

intention

2021

Tajvidi, Wang,

Hajli, and Love

Brand value Co-creation in

social commerce: The role of

interactivity, social support,

and relationship quality

Intention to

Co-create

brand Value

2021

Rahardja,

Hongsuchon,

Hariguna, and

Ruangkanjanas

Understanding impact

sustainable intention of s-

commerce activities: The role

of customer experiences,

perceived value, and mediation

of relationship quality

Perceived value

and Customer

experience

Sustainable

intention

2023

Zhou, Dong,

and Zhang

The impact of interpersonal

interaction factors on

consumers’ purchase intention

in social commerce: a

relationship quality perspective

Interpersonal

interaction

with online

vendors and

recommenders

Purchase

intention

2023

Franck and

Damperat

How social media use enhances

salesperson performance

Social media use

Sales

performance

Based on the research mapping in Table 3, several findings were obtained regarding

the research on relationship quality evolving from year to year. The research context from

Relationship Quality in Online Marketing From The Philosophy of Science Perspective

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 01, January 2024 107

2016 to 2019 was partly conducted on websites. Starting in 2020, studies were more

prevalent in social commerce, with social media as the utilized application. This indicates

that the research context is adapting to changes in consumer behavior in their online

shopping activities. Concerning the antecedents, there were various variables used in the

studies. Meanwhile, the variables most commonly used by researchers are the

consequences of relationship quality, loyalty, and purchase intention. The authors

propose several antecedent and consequence variables that are interesting and relevant

for further exploration.

Antecedents of Relationship Quality

Relationship quality is a concept that remains relevant, as evidenced by the

conducted research mapping. Researchers in the field of marketing are still extensively

exploring this concept. Therefore, the concept of relationship quality remains intriguing

for further investigation. Here are several antecedent variables outlined from the research

mapping.

Information Sharing

Sharing information among exchange partners has significant benefits. This

practice helps set realistic customer expectations, provides clear explanations in easily

understandable language, and confirms that the company values the relationship (Izogo,

Reza, Ogba, & Oraedu, 2017). A critical approach to incorporating factors influencing

relationship quality is to see it from the perspective of business practices responsive to

consumer goals. (Canevello & Crocker, 2010) Suggest that these objectives contribute to

a cycle of responsiveness between individuals, ultimately enhancing the quality of

relationships between the parties involved. Therefore, when an organization is responsive

and actively assists customers in achieving their goals through a more significant

commitment to customer orientation and timely dissemination of information, it tends to

build quality consumer relationships.

Online Relationship Bonds

Relationship marketing involves forming bonds between companies and customers.

As cited by (Kousheshi et al., 2020), these bonds can be categorized into financial, social,

and structural. The first layer is financial bonds, where relationship marketing focuses on

attracting online customers through price incentives. It is often considered the lowest level

of online relationship marketing, as competitors can easily create similar price stability.

The second layer is social bonds, emphasizing the social elements arising from the

possibility of making online relationships more personal and rarely imitated by

competitors. The third level of relationship marketing is structural bonds for the issues

faced by online customers by providing the seller's maximum capability, thus

distinguishing them competitively from competitors.

Customer Experience

The main objective of marketing is to create a positive perception and

understanding of a product's value from the customer's perspective, arising from direct

transactional experiences (Rahardja et al., 2021). Through the concept of customer

experience, sellers can design strategies based on customer behavior to reach markets and

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Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 2024 108

establish competitive pricing. The customer experience concept involves five crucial

elements: sense, feeling, thinking, acting, and relating (Wisker, 2020). This concept

monitors digital marketing activities and assesses how customers interact with products.

S-commerce poses challenges due to sensory limitations, but digital content remains

significant in shaping customer perceptions. The customer experience concept continues

to evolve in research, with integration not fully realized in s-commerce. This concept

continues to adapt to the evolution of digital content in business and marketing.

Consequence of Relationship Quality

Loyalty and purchase intention are consequences of relationship quality that have

been extensively studied, yet other exciting variables exist to explore. Intention to co-

create brand value is a critical consequence variable in online marketing practices. This

variable depicts the relationship between buyers and sellers to create value that suits each

buyer's needs. This concept is rooted in value creation, where organizations utilize their

unique advantages to meet customers' real needs and gain a competitive advantage v

(Kousheshi et al., 2020). Co-creating brand value shifts the role of customers from passive

observers to active partners collaborating with the seller. It enables a shift from focusing

on products-centric logic to customer-centric logic. In this paradigm, companies

acknowledge that customers are a source of competence and must collaborate rather than

focus on producing core products (Narakorn & Seesupan, 2019). Value will be realized

when a company understands the customer value creation process and supports it with

product information transparency. Co-creation of brand value generates value through

consumer interactions with the brand, which can be applied through new design features

in social commerce.

Proposed Model of Relationship Quality

The proposed research model scheme can be described as follows based on

identifying antecedent and consequence variables of relationship quality.

Relationship Quality in Online Marketing From The Philosophy of Science Perspective

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 01, January 2024 109

Figure 1

Antecedent and Consequence Model of Relationship Quality

Conclusion

Discussion of relationship quality from the perspective of the philosophy of science

provides a comprehensive overview of this concept from ontological, epistemological,

methodological, and axiological aspects. Regarding ontology, the dimensions of trust,

commitment, and satisfaction continue to be the three main dimensions of relationship

quality widely used by researchers. Epistemologically, relationship quality research

predominantly adopts a positivist approach with quantitative data collection

methodologies. The trend is consistent with the research mapping conducted between

2016 and 2023. Therefore, future research could adopt various qualitative methods such

as case studies, grounded theory, anthropology and ethnography, action research,

narrative research, or interactive to develop theories in the field of social sciences. Future

studies may also utilize a pragmatic approach with triangulation procedures to accord

equal importance to qualitative and quantitative research. The final part of the study

discusses developing the relationship quality concept in online marketing. The research

mapping identifies antecedent variables of relationship quality: information sharing,

online relationship bonds, and customer experience. Meanwhile, the consequence

variable is the intention to co-create brand value. Future research could adapt the

proposed model from this study to provide further empirical evidence. Investigations

should be carried out in the context of social commerce as an evolving marketing practice,

so further exploration is needed.

Online

Relationship

Bonds

Customer

Experience

Relationship

Quality

Intention to

Co-Create

Brand Value

Information

Sharing

Estetika Iman Saputri, Mugi Harsono

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 2024 110

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