ABSTRACT

Purpose: Overwhelmed by the huge rise in the number of social media (SM) platforms, B to B firms have been increasingly using multiple social media (SM) platforms to enhance their relationships with their customers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of the competitive pressure to use SM on B to B firms use of multiple SM platforms, organization and individual SM competences and on relationship sales performance. Method: An online survey is implemented to collect data from B to B firms from different industries in an emerging market, i.e. Kuwait, to produce 152 usable questionnaires. Structural equation modeling is carried out using Smart PLS 3. Findings: The main findings show that competitive pressure to use SM fully influences relationship sales performance through individual social media competence. It also influences relationship sales performance through two mediations (1) organizational SM competence, (2) on a less important level, through the use of multiple SM platforms and organizational SM competence. Additionally, both organization and individual SM competence are found to significantly influence relationship sales performance. Implications: This study uncovers the complex mechanism through which competitive pressures to use social media influence both individual and organization social media competence and their relationship with their customers. It demonstrates that the use of multiple SM platforms significantly increases relationship sales performance, but this influence is weak. Therefore, top managers must choose the right number of SM platforms and design clear SM strategies. Originality: This study sheds light on the influence of competitive pressure to use SM on B to B firms’ relationships with their customers i.e. relationship sales performance. This coercive pressure could potentially spread B to B firms’ resources over a large number of SM and lead to poor SM presence. The study also emphasizes the role of top management in choosing the optimal combination of SM platforms and developing their organization SM competence.

摘要

目的：由于社交媒体 (SM) 平台数量的大幅增长不堪重负，B to B 公司越来越多地使用多种社交媒体 (SM) 平台来加强与客户的关系。本研究的目的是调查使用 SM 的竞争压力对 B to B 公司使用多个 SM 平台、组织和个人 SM 能力以及关系销售绩效的影响。方法：实施在线调查，收集新兴市场（即科威特）不同行业的 B 对 B 公司的数据，制作 152 份可用问卷。使用 Smart PLS 3 进行结构方程建模。结果：主要发现表明，使用 SM 的竞争压力通过个人社交媒体能力完全影响关系销售绩效。它还通过两个中介（1）组织 SM 能力，（2）在不太重要的层面上，通过使用多个 SM 平台和组织 SM 能力来影响关系销售绩效。此外，发现组织和个人 SM 能力显着影响关系销售绩效。含义：本研究揭示了使用社交媒体的竞争压力影响个人和组织社交媒体能力及其与客户关系的复杂机制。这表明使用多个SM平台显着提高了关系销售绩效，但这种影响很弱。因此，高层管理者必须选择合适数量的SM平台并设计清晰的SM策略。独创性：本研究阐明了使用 SM 的竞争压力对 B 对 B 公司与其客户的关系（即关系销售绩效）的影响。这种强制性压力可能会将 B 到 B 公司的资源分散到大量 SM 上，并导致 SM 存在感不佳。该研究还强调了高层管理人员在选择 SM 平台的最佳组合和发展其组织 SM 能力方面的作用。