Unveiling the Dynamics of Relationship Marketing in Online Communication: A Relational Dialectical View

This study explores the dynamics of customer-salesperson relationships through a relational dialectics view. We develop a hidden Markov model to analyze a unique dataset of long-term, multi-round interaction from Enterprise WeChat. From the lens of relational dialectics theory, we examine how managing relational tensions (connection-autonomy, predictability-novelty, and affection-instrumentality) through communication affects customer-salesperson relationships and purchase behavior. Our findings provide effective communication strategies vary across relationship states: in the acquisition state, the salesperson should provide novel narratives, promotions, and product information; in the development state, familiar narrative and product click cues, but fewer messages; and in the enhancement state, new product informedness and promotions to enhance relationships. Additionally, expressing emotions consistently enhances relationships across all states. This research provides valuable insights into the strategic communication for managing relational tensions in digital relationship marketing, offering both theoretical and practical implications for enhancing customer relationships and business outcomes in high-involvement product selling.