Full metadata record
| DC Field | Value | Language |
|---|---|---|
| dc.contributor | Department of Business Studies | en_US |
| dc.creator | So, Ho-fai Stanley | - |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/1810 | - |
| dc.language | English | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Hong Kong Polytechnic University | - |
| dc.rights | All rights reserved | en_US |
| dc.title | Relationship marketing and business performance in professional services: an investigation of the life insurance industry in mainland China | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | Understanding how to establish and maintain mutually beneficial buyer-seller relationships is becoming a prominent topic in the marketing literature (Berry, 1995). Relationship marketing has been defined in various ways. Despite the popularity of relationship marketing, a review of the contemporary literature shows that different researchers have their own definitions or explanations. Therefore, this research tries to identify how to develop successful client-agent relationship. In many of the relationship marketing studies already carried out, the conceptual frameworks were specifically built for industrial markets. However, there are not many relationship marketing models which focus on professional services. Specifically, life insurance is one of the professional services that strongly emphasize interpersonal relationship development. Mainland China is one of the most prosperous insurance markets. This study, which focuses on investigating the life insurance industry in Mainland China, will be of great interest to those foreign insurers that are preparing to enter this market. The three specific objectives of the research are as follows: (1) to identify the behavior that agents ought to focus on in order to enhance the quality of their relationship with their clients; (2) to identify the key dimensions of relationship quality perceived by the clients; and (3) to identify the consequences of a high quality relationship. Firstly, six factors are identified when factor analysis was run. The stipulated domains include responsiveness, shared understanding, company disclosure, personal disclosure, adaptation and cooperative intention. Three-stage regression analysis is then used to test the hypotheses. The results show that all the behavioral factors are significantly related to satisfaction except company disclosure. Satisfaction is hypothesized to be positively related to trust and the data support the hypothesis. The study then test whether there is any significant relationship between high quality of relationship (trust) and loyalty. The regression results of the study indicate that trust is found to be positively related to loyalty. | en_US |
| dcterms.extent | iii, 145, [9] leaves : ill. ; 30 cm | en_US |
| dcterms.isPartOf | PolyU Electronic Theses | en_US |
| dcterms.issued | 2002 | en_US |
| dcterms.educationalLevel | All Master | en_US |
| dcterms.educationalLevel | M.Phil. | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Insurance, Life -- China | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Customer services -- China | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Relationship marketing -- China | en_US |
| dcterms.accessRights | open access | en_US |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b16416399.pdf | For All Users | 5.16 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Copyright Undertaking
As a bona fide Library user, I declare that:
- I will abide by the rules and legal ordinances governing copyright regarding the use of the Database.
- I will use the Database for the purpose of my research or private study only and not for circulation or further reproduction or any other purpose.
- I agree to indemnify and hold the University harmless from and against any loss, damage, cost, liability or expenses arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized usage.
By downloading any item(s) listed above, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the copyright undertaking as stated above, and agree to be bound by all of its terms.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/1810