When Customers Give Back: How Relational Support Builds Entrepreneurial Commitment and Satisfaction

What is it about?

This study investigates how entrepreneurs’ relationships with their customers shape their commitment and satisfaction as suppliers. Drawing on social exchange theory and insights from marketing research, the authors propose that entrepreneurs feel more attached to and satisfied with their customers when they believe those customers are supportive and reliable partners. Such relational support—the perception that the customer values, trusts, and assists the entrepreneur—acts as a central factor determining long-term relationship quality and business outcomes. Using survey data from 217 entrepreneurs in a Western European country, the study shows that perceived relational support positively influences both entrepreneurial commitment and satisfaction. Two main drivers emerge: exchange reliability—the consistency and dependability of transactions—and exchange quality—the fairness, openness, and usefulness of interactions. Reliable exchanges build trust, while high-quality interactions enhance emotional engagement, explaining why supportive customer relationships sustain commitment. For practitioners, the findings underscore that entrepreneur–customer partnerships thrive when customers demonstrate reliability and fairness in their dealings. By ensuring dependable exchanges and maintaining transparent, high-quality communication, customers can enhance entrepreneurs’ sense of trust and satisfaction, leading to more resilient and mutually beneficial business relationships.

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Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique in identifying relational support as the key psychological mechanism linking exchange reliability and quality to entrepreneurs’ commitment and satisfaction. It bridges entrepreneurship and marketing perspectives by emphasizing how both structural and relational elements shape enduring business ties. The study is timely as entrepreneurs increasingly rely on collaborative partnerships in volatile markets. By showing that customers who are reliable and fair can strengthen entrepreneurial motivation and satisfaction, the research offers actionable insights for fostering trust-based, sustainable business relationships in today’s interdependent economy.