Drivers of e-Relational Capital in the Retail Industry

Abstract

Relational capital in the retail industry is a paramount driver of growth and financial success. Although relational capital might not be a novel topic, measuring e-relational capital and tracing down its antecedents attracts immense scholarly attention worldwide. The aim of this paper is to measure the e-relational capital of the fast-moving consumer goods retailers (FMCG retailers) in Serbia and to explore and examine the predicting power of a number of drivers of e-relational capital. To fulfill this aim, we narrowed the components of the relational capital to the relationship with customers, on one side, and suppliers, on the other, and accordingly conducted two separate, but interrelated studies. By using the structured questionnaires, we collected primary data from customers (N-1 = 651) and suppliers (N-2 = 159). The results indicate that customer loyalty and brand awareness play pivotal role in the customers' side of e-relational capital formation, whereas supplier trust and relationship performance have crucial importance in the suppliers' side of e-relational capital building.