Establishing and Developing B2B Partnerships in Healthcare Services Industry: A case study of a Swedish healthcare provider

Abstract: This study’s purpose is to find out in what ways do healthcare providers in Sweden establish their B2B partnerships. This study seeks understanding of the practical deployment of relationship marketing as a process. To fulfill this purpose, in this study two theories are used – network theory and commitment-trust theory. It follows the qualitative research analytical design and the main tool for gathering empirical data are semi-structured interviews conducted with the representatives of Skåne Care, Swecare and the University Hospital in Lund and Malmö. The object of this study is Skåne Care and its B2B partnerships with the aforementioned healthcare organizations operating in the Swedish healthcare market. The purpose of this research was accomplished and led to new findings on the importance of personal encounters in the beginning of the relationship establishment and lack of power plays in the relationships under study. These findings were followed by a couple of theoretical and practical implications.