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PurposeDespite the abundance of B2B loyalty programs (LPs), the research on their interplay with relationship marketing is scarce. The purpose of this paper is to investigate a LP (a relational practice) on a transactional business market to test if and how a B2B LP affects relationship outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on dyadic research in a multi-theory framework. Data were collected from 200 small and medium enterprises that purchase office supplies from a company and merged with the company's internal records.The formative-reflective measurement model is estimated using structural equation modeling – partial least squares (SEM-PLS).FindingsRelationship quality (RQ) directly affects sales and customer share of wallet. The effect is strengthened by customer activity in a LP. RQ results directly in a longer tenure and willingness to recommend only for members of a LP.Research limitations/implicationsRQ is driven mainly by customer's evaluation of prior experience with a supplier, while a LP is based on a forward-looking promise of a reward. The results of the study point to the level of customers' activity in a LP as a boundary condition of the program's efficacy.Practical implicationsRQ affects both attitudinal and behavioral outcomes but through distinct mechanisms. Once a supplier is a preferred one, LP membership strengthens the attitudinal outcome of a relationship. The effect of RQ on company performance is magnified by the level of customer activity in a LP but not by the membership status.Originality/valueThe theoretical framework integrates transaction costs, relational contract and relational exchange theories to investigate a LP on a transactional market. The study adds to the scant literature on LPs in business-to-business and provides evidence for similarities and differences in comparison to consumer research.

AbstractThis study assesses whether intellectual capital (IC), measured using the Value‐Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAIC), can predict the financial and market performance of listed companies in a developing economy. Panel data from all 174 companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange were analyzed. Four company performance measures were investigated: return on assets, return on equity, market/book value, and market capitalization. Eight competitive longitudinal models were evaluated using SEM–PLS, as well as the 1‐year, 2‐year, and 3‐year lags. VAIC possesses significant predictive power on company performance, but only on return on assets and return on equity, with a stronger predictive power for the 2‐year lag. When analyzing the 3‐year lag, the model fit decreases significantly. This suggests that VAIC has no significant predictive power on analyzed market performance measures. Most extant literature on IC does not explicitly quantify its lagged effect and predictive power on company performance. Additionally, existing research focuses less on developing economies. The research was conducted in a developing economy with a relatively young and inefficient financial market. This rationalizes the findings in which IC cannot predict market performance. Additionally, the time span considered is only 5 years from the 21 years analyzed. Useful managerial insights on the evident lagged effect and predictive power of IC in a developing economy are provided. Quantifying the effect size adds value to the further understanding of IC's nature.

Silence is an important part of communication. Depending on the cultural context, silence can be perceived as positive/desirable or as negative/unwelcome. This ambiguity often leads to misunderstandings with other participants in the communication process. The current study discusses the phenomenon of silence and presents the spiral of communication, as a part of nonverbal communication, and refer to the synthesis of silence and creativity. We approach important questions in our study: is silence in communication linked with creativity. If so, through what mechanism? Does the tension in communication affect silence being used as a mode of escaping from a communication process to avoid conflict, tension and uncomfortable situations? Based on the analysis of the theoretical approaches to these phenomena, we empirically test ordinary least squares mediation models based on responses collected from 416 individuals of Serbian nationality. Our study reveals that silence is used to avoid conflict in communication by reducing the feeling of tension. We note that silence does not affect creativity directly. Rather, it has a marginal effect through reducing tension and avoiding conflict and while having opposite opinions.

The emergence of the Internet and various forms of virtual communities has led to the impact of a new social space on individuals who frequently replace the real world with alternative forms of socializing. In virtual communities, new 'friendships' are easily accepted; however, how this acceptance influences cultural identity has not been investigated. Based on the data collected from 443 respondents in the Republic of Serbia, authors analyze this connexion, as well as how the absorption of others' cultural values is reflected on the local cultural values. The results show that the adoption of others' cultural values diminished the bond with the local community. The present paper adds to the theory of virtual communities by examining the relationship between the acceptance of an unknown person in a virtual community and its effects on cultural identity. This study contributes to the clarification of the impact that virtual networking has on cultural identity.