Responsible business and authenticity in KAM – Research Request
NEW RESEARCH IN KAM AUTHENTICITY | Please participate
We’re looking for key account managers, KAM program leads and people who work with key account managers to participate in an intriguing new research project.
To participate, please contact: Christine LAI via email ([email protected]), with your name, email address, job title, organisation and time worked with them, and your availability.
Customers are demanding authentic personnel from the seller side. They believe that an authentic person is being their real self and will act in accord with their core values and beliefs. More authenticity, more ethicality.
Being authentic is necessary, but not enough, for KAM implementation and effectiveness which depends on orchestrating the sources of resource and value. Being authentic with the customer helps to gain trust and increases perceived originality in value co-creation. Being authentic with partners inside the company (marketing/ other functions) facilitates resource coordination.
This research will explore how authenticity is perceived and practiced by key account managers. How authentic can you be in the face of customer demands? Can you be ‘true to yourself’ or do you have to bend to others’ expectations? Does authenticity impact performance? What are the consequences, when does it matter?
There is no common understanding of authenticity in B2B buyer-seller relationships, in spite of the fact that long ago it was highlighted as being of first importance to customer.
These group of researchers, including members of AKAM’s Academic Advisory Board, works together on B2B buyer-seller relationship topics. Their insights will be published as an article in the Bulletin and an AKAM webinar.
Researchers
- Christophe FOURNIER, Professor of Marketing and Sales, Montpellier University IAE
- Nadine FISCHER, PhD candidate, Montpellier University IAE
- Christine LAI-BENNEJEAN*, Associate Professor of Marketing, emlyon business school
- Deva RANGARAJAN, Professor of Marketing, IESEG Business School (* corresponding researcher)
The project is at exploratory stage. We would like to invite anyone involved in KAM for a 1 hour interview via Zoom. Around 20 interviews are needed for this exploratory study. Rest assured that anything you say will be confidential and anonymous.
How to get involved
• Participants needed : Key account managers, KAM program leads, people who work with key account managers.
• Please contact: Christine LAI via email ([email protected]), with name, email address, job title, organisation and time worked with them, and your availability. We will email you and schedule a Zoom meeting for the interview.
• Start date: March 2022