LINKING RELATIONSHIP MARKETING TO ORGANIZATIONAL CENTRIC CUSTOMER WELL-BEING IN A NON-WESTERN CULTURE

Abstract

Studies on the relationship management phenomenon have been approached from either the customer perspective or consumer perspective, none has approached it from a customer well-being perspective. Evidence from literature however show that relationship management is a management tool for engaging customers hence this study was based on RM as a tool for  enhancing customers well-being for total  satisfaction, loyalty, retention, benefits, collaboration and empowerment. One independent variable: relationship management; and five dependent variables: total customer experience, customer retention, customer loyalty, relationship benefits, collaboration and empowerment were used in the study as gleaned from literature. To achieve the aim of this study, a cross-sectional survey was undertaken with the customers of bank firms in Awka, southeast Nigeria.  Based on a known population of bank customers a sample size formula for known population were utilized to arrive at a sample of 250 respondents. The primary information was collected with structured questionnaire distributed to the respondents physically and online via select bank customers’ platforms majorly the WhatsApp social media platforms in the select two banks in Unizik campus at Awka. A total of 220 respondents returned valid and usable responses which amounted to approximately 88% response rate. The analysis was done with the SPSS version 25 software. The results of the analysis showed that there is a direct statistically significant positive relationship between total customer satisfaction, customer retention, customer loyalty, relationship benefits, collaboration and empowerment. The analysis also show the one IV has significant direct relationship with customer well-being dimensions. Based on the findings, we recommend that managers of bank organisations take necessary steps to utilise the various employee assistance professional techniques to enhance customer well-being.