Title: A validation of META-RELQUAL under South African micro-enterprise banking customers

Authors: Pierre Mostert; Mariette Zietsman; Göran Svensson

Addresses: Department of Marketing Management, Economics and Management Sciences Building, University of Pretoria, Room 4-128, Lynnwood Road, Hillcrest, Pretoria, South Africa ' Department of Marketing Management, Economics and Management Sciences Building, University of Pretoria, Room 4-128, Lynnwood Road, Hillcrest, Pretoria, South Africa ' Kristiania University College, Kirkegata 24-26, Oslo, Norway

Abstract: Despite previous studies researching META-RELQUAL in various countries, this research appears to be the first to validate META-RELQUAL under micro-enterprises in one of the BRICS countries, namely South Africa. Data were obtained from micro-enterprise banking customers of one of South Africa's largest banks. From the results it could be concluded that the ten constructs comprising META-RELQUAL, namely dependence, commitment, continuity, cooperation, coordination, formalisation, opportunism, satisfaction, specific assets and trust should be viewed as separate constructs contributing to the creation of business relationships, and more specifically relationship quality, under South African micro-enterprise banking customers. This study contributes to existing literature by validating META-RELQUAL under micro-enterprise banking customers within a BRICS context. Banking practitioners will benefit from the research findings by noting the constructs to be focused on to build and maintain relationships with micro-enterprises in an effort to create loyalty and sustain or increase profits.

Keywords: relationship marketing; relationship quality; META-RELQUAL; social exchange theory; SET; transaction cost analysis; TCA; business relationships; micro-enterprises; BRICS; South Africa.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2019.101535

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2019 Vol.18 No.4, pp.549 - 569

Received: 26 Jan 2018
Accepted: 24 May 2018
Published online: 12 Aug 2019 *

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