Relationship Management Capability and Service Innovation Performance: The Joint-Effect of Relationship Learning and Competitive Intensity

Hanyu Zhu, Kailing Zhang, Gang Li (), Lin Chen and Xijie Zhao
Additional contact information
Hanyu Zhu: School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Kailing Zhang: School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Gang Li: School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Lin Chen: School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Xijie Zhao: School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-22

Abstract: Relationship management capability is a significant factor in promoting a firm’s service innovation performance. Although there is a rich body of study on the role of relationship management capability in performance of firms, scant attention has been paid to the joint effect of relationship learning and competitive intensity. Drawing on the service innovation, network capability and relationship learning theories, this paper establishes a relevant conceptual model, and adopts a hierarchical regression analysis to examine the model with a data set of 298 firms from China. Results show that relationship management capability positively affects the service innovation performance of firms; however, relationship learning partially negatively moderates the relationship between relationship management capability and service innovation performance. The three-way interaction effects of relationship management capability, relationship learning and competitive intensity are partially significant. This paper extends the existing literature on service innovation, network capabilities and relational learning in a service-centered economy. The findings further clarify the process mechanism of the impact of relational management capabilities on enterprise service innovation performance, and should help enterprises utilize relational learning and competitive intensity to break through resource limitations rapidly. The paper offers some enlightenment on promoting service innovation.

Keywords: service innovation; relationship management capability; relationship learning; competitive intensity; service innovation performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/12308/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/12308/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12308-:d:927272

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().