The Interconnectedness of Relationships for a Propulsion and Maneuvering System : A case study with a supplier network perspective in the maritime industry

Abstract: The purpose of this case study is to understand how actors interact from a supplier perspective within the marine business, discuss what the findings are implying, and develop a marketing strategy for a propulsion and maneuvering system. Industrial marketing is an essential activity for companies to delivering and managing value to their stakeholders. The academic body of this research uses network theory and relationship marketing as a framework for understanding the social setting.  The research focuses on understanding and interprets how relationships are interconnected to actors and how the links for a relationship are formed. There are too few studies with a normative approach focusing on a product, which can have practical usefulness for managers, entrepreneurs, and organizations. This study applies a case study design for a supplier perspective in the marine business with an abductive method. The data collection uses a qualitative approach to get in-depth knowledge of how the participants perceive the world. In the iterative process for gathering data, the first phase uses unstructured interviews, and in the second phase, semi-structured interviews. The findings imply that information is an essential element for a relationship to create trust and commitment between actors. Information is further discussed for how it can influence decisions that play a significant part for the focal supplier and discussions concerning how marketing activities can be developed for the propulsions and maneuvering system.