Title: Managing B2B relationships in the Croatian pharmaceutical industry

Authors: Sanda Renko, Mirela Rakuljic

Addresses: Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb, J.F. Kennedy Square 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. ' Banjavciceva 22/II, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract: The main purpose of CRM is to get to know the customer as well as possible, which can help a company to deliver better, more appropriate and higher added value to the customer. A strong connection with the customers is the key to their satisfaction, especially if this connection is attained through recognising the customers| needs. This can become one of the crucial competitive advantages. Those notions are more exposed in the industry which situation directly reflects the quality of human life as in the case of pharmaceutical industry. Better relationships between pharmaceutical companies and physicians and health institutions provide higher level of service to patients. In an empirical study conducted in the pharmaceutical market in Croatia, results show the importance of development of partner relationships between pharmaceutical companies| sales representatives and their customers (i.e., physicians subscribers in the primary health protection and physicians specialists in the secondary health protection that only recommend medicines).

Keywords: pharmaceutical industry; customer relationship management; CRM; Croatia; business-to-business; added value; customer satisfaction; customer needs; competitive advantage; physicians; doctors; health institutions; healthcare; hospitals; partner relationships; sales representatives; primary health protection; secondary health protection; medicines; medical specialists; entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship; entrepreneurialism; relations management; B2B relationships; value creation.

DOI: 10.1504/WREMSD.2010.037108

World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 2010 Vol.6 No.4, pp.318- 335

Published online: 25 Nov 2010 *

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