Relationship marketing with customers in the hotel industry in Thailand

This thesis explores the scope, nature and form of relationship marketing in the hotel industry in Thailand. For the last twenty years, relationship marketing has attracted enormous interest from both academic researchers and business practitioners. However, the majority of research conducted in this area has been conducted in Western business environments (Palmer 2000). Theoretically, the aim of relationship marketing is to establish long-term relationships with customers and is subject to cultural specificities. While relationship marketing research may achieve encouraging results in Western business environments, its wider effectiveness in the context of Eastern culture remains unverified. This study thus aims to produce insightful results by carrying out relationship marketing research in Eastern business environments and within a specific cultural context - that of Thailand. This thesis investigates the influence of national culture on the development of relationship marketing and finds that specific aspects of Thai culture have a significant influence on the success of relationship marketing in the Thai hotel industry. In the context of Thai culture, 'relationship marketing' is interpreted as a long-term commitment to customers and all hotel business stakeholders, and it possesses certain cultural implications which differ substantially from Western business concepts.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Nottingham Trent University

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Preechanont, P

Language dc:language

en