ABSTRACT
PREREQ (1.2.91; 1.9.93) Prerequisites for a business relationship •NEED Needs of the parties and complementarity of needs,
resources and know-how •GOALS Similarity and difference of the parties’ interests and
expectations •EXBUS Basic conflict between the buyer and seller: cost
control of the client, agency’s willingness to sell more EX Exchange between the parties •BUS Business exchange: exchange of money and the type
of the task •COM Communication /SOC Social exchange /KNOW Information exchange /ASSES (14.1.91) Assessment of the results of assignment processes
between the parties /GOALS (14.5.91) Communicating the goals of an assignment /CONFI (14.5.91) Confidential communication, including the exchange
of strategic information •IMP (9.10.90) Importance of an assignment: economic, strategic
and personal importance •INNO (14.1.91) Innovativeness of an assignment EXPRO (14.5.91) Nature of an assignment process: e.g. length,
changes and other temporal aspects COOR Coordination between the parties •FORM Institutionalisation through norms: established rules,
customs, clear expectations
•CONT (14.1.91) Contract negotiations and nature of the contract •DECI Locus of decision-making, responsible persons •PEOP (1.2.91) Information concerning contact people or people
working with the assignment •BILL Invoicing negotiations •EXPRO (1.2.91) Temporal harmonisation of the assignment process •WORK (14.1.91) Division of work between the parties in an
assignment process •FUT Planning future exchange •ROLE (14.1.91) Coordination concerning the roles of the parties /POSI Their position in the network of interacting
companies /WREL Their role with respect to the range of services
exchanged, variety of tasks executed, number of products and product groups advertised
AD Adaptations by one or both parties concerning •MSTR (14.1.91) The marketing strategy of the advertised product, or
the product itself •TASK (14.1.91) The assignment, its content or payment conditions •EXPRO (1.2.91) The assignment process per se •ROLE (1.2.91) The role and position of the parties •ORG Interacting organisations •PEOP Interacting people MODE (1.2.91) Interaction style •ACT Activity/passivity of the interacting parties in /INV Making investments in the relationship /INI Taking the initiative /ARG Putting forward arguments, suggestions, etc.,
concerning the client’s advertising and marketing /MSTR Marketing the agency to the client •OPEN Openness of communication •FORM (21.5.91) Formality of control GOAL (9.10.90) Goals of the parties •EX Set for an assignment process •REL Set for the business relationship EXPECT (9.10.1990) Expectations concerning •EX A specific assignment process •REL The business relationship PEROUT (1.2.91) Outcomes of a specific assignment process •EX The outcomes of an assignment in general •IND Individual rewards from an assignment •EXPRO The outcome related to the working process itself:
efficiency, smoothness, comfort /CONFLI Conflicts during the process Agency-specific codes (1.2.91) •ECON Profitability of an assignment •REF Referrals and other marketing-related outcomes
Client-specific codes (1.2.91)
•CREA Outcome of the creative work /CONFLI Conflicts concerning the creative work •BILL Costs of an assignment: price and invoicing /CONFLI Conflicts in invoicing •MARK Market response and other market-related
outcomes: sales volumes, brand awareness etc. •NET Feedback from the client’s intra-group nets and inter-
company networks, distributors and subsidiaries SAT (1.2.91; 1.9.93) Outcome of a business relationship concerning •REL The business relationship in general /ECON Economic outcomes of the relationship •ROLE (30.3.92) The roles of the parties •MODE (30.3.92) Interaction style KNOWB Inter-firm knowledge between the parties SOSB Personal relations between the parties •EXT Extent of personal relationships ATTR Attraction between the parties •IND Individual attraction, object of attraction is an
individual •FIRM Firm level attraction, object of attraction is a firm TRUST Trust between the parties •IND Individual; object of trust is an individual •FIRM Firm level; object of trust is a firm •OPPORT Opportunist behaviour •UNCERT Uncertainty concerning the beneficiality of the
relationship in the future COMM Commitment between the parties •ATT Attitudinal commitment; willingness to maintain the
relationship •BEH Behavioural commitment built up through choices
and activities over time /IND Personal level involvement in the relationship •SWCOST (1.2.91) Costs of switching the partner /AD/PEOP In form of adaptations concerning people /MSTR/BRAND Related to the client’s marketing strategy /ECONB Related to economic ties/losses, etc. /SOSB Related to the personal relationships /FUT Related to the future possibilities of the relationship •IND Individual; object of commitment is an individual •FIRM Firm level; object of commitment is a firm
Individual factors
EXP Experience •WORK (5.12.90) Work experience •REL (5.12.90) Experience of the specific relationship •RELS (14.1.91) Experience of other agency-client relationships COMP Education, professional skills
CAP Individual capabilities: experience, education and professional skills together
CHAR (9.10.90) Character of a person as estimated by other informants
JOB (14.1.91) Job description
Company factors
IMP Importance of the partner, economic and strategic REPU (14.1.91) Reputation of the company in the market MODE (1.2.91) Favoured interaction orientation: •INTOR cooperativeness/competitiveness of behaviour /ALT Arranging agency contests, using other agencies /CLOSE Closeness of cooperation /POWER Use of power in the relationship ECON (14.1.91) Economic situation of the company MORG (14.1.91) Marketing organisation of the company •CONAG Structure of the agency group •CONCL Structure of the client group HIST (14.1.91) History of the firm CULT (14.5.91) Organisational culture
ATTADV Attitude towards advertising and conception of it CAP Marketing capability and capability in buying
advertising services MSTR (14.1.91) Marketing strategy •BRAND Brand strategy •IMAGO Company image strategy •ADV Advertising strategy and expenditure COPO (1.9.93) Company policy towards advertising agencies
COPO (14.5.91) Company policy concerning advertising ideology, management of client relationships and the development of the agency
PROC Working procedures •PRICE Pricing and invoicing ASSES (14.5.91) Assessment •CLS Of client relationships MSTR (14.1.91) Marketing strategy CAP (14.1.91) Agency know-how related to •TASK A specific task area
•ARG The ability to argue a case and to make good proposals
Environmental and network factors
NET Network structure or its influence on the relationship •AG Agencies used by the client •CL Clientele of the agency •SUPP Suppliers of the parties: media, press, market
research agencies, etc. ENV Influence of macro environment: economic situation
of the country, trends in society, etc.
