RELATIONSHIP MARKETING AND COLLABORATIVE NETWORKS IN-SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

The development of collaborative network structures is an increasingly significant issue in the services industry. These interorganizational relationships are formed to gain flexibility, obtain needed skills an d resources, and achieve operating efficiencies. Evaluates processes o f network formation and compares them with the emerging relationship m arketing paradigm, in the search for greater insight into an important but little understood phenomenon. Proposes a novel network classifica tion scheme that identifies hollow, flexible, value-added and virtual networks, leading to discussion of the need to extend the knowledge ba se concerning networks and the significance of the relationship market ing model to achieving research and managerial goals in this area.