Antecedents and consequences of buyer‐seller relationship quality in the financial services industry

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop a model that investigates the antecedents and the consequences of buyer‐seller relationship quality in the financial services. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a survey of more than 400 dyads (414 financial advisors and 772 clients in Canada) and were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings The results notably show that, for both financial advisors and clients, customer orientation has an impact on buyer‐seller relationship quality, whereas buyer‐seller similarity does not. The link between relationship quality and both consequences (purchase intention and word‐of‐mouth) is significant for the two samples. Research limitations/implications Limitations and research directions refer to the measure of word‐of‐mouth construct, which is only weakly reliable, and the need to consider a multilevel approach. Practical implications The study can be helpful for financial advisors to build effective strategies for enhancing their relationships with clients. Originality/value The study is one of the few to consider both perceptions (financial advisors and clients) in order to analyze buyer‐seller relationship quality in the financial services sector.