The impact of relationship marketing practices on companies’ market and financial performance in emerging markets

Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Science. 2024. Vol. 29. No. 57. P. 186–204.

Rebiazina V., Sharko E., Berezka S.

Purpose – This paper aims to reveal the impact of companies’ relationship marketing practices in emerging markets on their market and financial performance from a long-term, 13-year perspective.

Design/methodology/approach – The research design combines primary empirical data from 229 Russian companies, based on the Contemporary Marketing Practices survey and objective financial performance data from official statistical databases for the period 2008–2020 to verify the impact of relationship marketing practices on market and financial performance in the long term.

Findings – The study’s research underlines the significant impact of relationship marketing practices and highlights the fact that competitor orientation mediates the effect of product development on marketing performance. Product development affects market and financial performance, whose role varies with the return on assets.

Research limitations/implications – The research design supplements the subjective survey data with objective financial performance data on the return on assets to avoid common method bias.

Practical implications – The implementation of relationship marketing practices by Russian companies can increase the effectiveness of performance in the long term.

Originality/value – This research shows the positive impact of relationship marketing practices on financial performance of Russian firms over a 13-year period.

Keywords: relationship marketing, emerging markets, marketing practices, financial performance, market performance

Publication based on the results of: Mechanisms for Basic Business Model Adaptation to Industry Specifics and Changes in the External Environment (2024)