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Relationship Marketing, Stakeholders & Society - MAN00034H

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  • Department: The York Management School
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

This module emphasises marketing as requiring a long-term focus on networks of stakeholder relationships, and of the need to coordinate marketing efforts throughout the organisation and these networks (not just in the sales or marketing department).

It considers practical and academic developments in relational and service-driven marketing, and of the role of marketing relationships for wider society and for the environment.

The private/for-profit sector as well as not-for-profit and public sectors are included, in relation to a spectrum of sectors and industries, and from tangible goods (although often with supporting services) to pure services. Emphasis is placed on how different sectors intersect, and on the implications of marketing relationships for wider society and the environment.

The module will be interesting and relevant to students focussed on various career paths including but not limited to) strategic or operational marketing, account management, business development, public relations, purchasing and procurement, fundraising, or consultancy.

Module content covers the philosophy, methodology, practices, culture and technologies of service-driven and relationship marketing, as well as marketing report writing and planning.

The overall aims are to develop critical understanding of:

  • Contemporary developments regarding relational and service-driven marketing practices, service eco-systems and the ‘customer journey’.

  • The longer-term nature of marketing and service relationships, both within supply chain networks and with internal and external customers and publics.

  • The ability to challenge narrow definitions of marketing and to critically revisit many of the core concepts of marketing itself.

  • The importance of a relationship marketing culture or orientation.

  • Implications for interacting globally with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders operating in different national contexts.

  • The usefulness of service and relational marketing orientation beyond the private sector, ie for government, non-government organisations (NGOs) and charities.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content

  • Understand critically the philosophy, practice, methodology, culture and technologies of relationship marketing.

  • Define and differentiate service-dominant logic from goods-dominant logic, and relationship marketing from transactional marketing, and understand the interaction between these concepts as a continuum or spectrum.

  • Define the scope of relationship marketing by its various types of stakeholder relationships

  • Understand market research requirements for relationship marketing

  • Critically understand and measure service and relationship marketing performance.

Academic and graduate skills

  • Acquire and organise information from a wide range of source materials.

  • Apply the theories and tools of relationship marketing to a “real world” business environment and/or organisation.

  • demonstrate the ability to conduct research into marketing, business and management issues

Other learning outcomes (if applicable)

  • Further develop the ability to write concisely and to use relevant library resources.

  • Demonstrate that the ability to work both independently and in teams, set goals, and complete tasks within deadlines has been mastered.

  • Produce logical and structured arguments supported by relevant evidence.

Module content

Indicative content:

  • Contemporary developments and the ‘future’ of marketing in terms of relational and service-driven marketing theory and practice

  • The role of relational and service-driven marketing for wider society and for the environment.

  • Transactions, Relationships, and Networks in Marketing

  • Relationship economics and the significance of customer retention

  • Relationship drivers

  • The Scope of relationship marketing

    • Customer Relationships

    • Supplier Relationships

    • Internal and External Partnerships

    • Relationship Management and Control

  • The Role of Technology in relationship Building/Development

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Feedback will be given in accordance with the University Policy on feedback in the Guide to Assessment as well as in line with the School policy.

Indicative reading

Latest editions of:

Egan, J. Relationship Marketing: Exploring relational strategies in marketing (4th Edition). Financial Times/Prentice Hall.

Palmatier, R.W. and Steinhoff, L., . Relationship marketing in the digital age. Routledge.

Prior, D.D. and Buttle, F, and Maklan, S.. Customer Relationship Management: Concepts, Applications, and Technologies. Fifth edition. Routledge.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.