The mediating roles of renqing and ganqing in Chinese relationship marketing

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the roles of renqing (reciprocal favor) and ganqing (positive affect) as consequences of relationship marketing investments (three dimensions: financial, social and structural) and antecedents of customer loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative survey methodology using self-administered questionnaires has been adopted to collect data of 218 procurement staffs from the database of China Purchasing Managers’ Club. Hypotheses tests were conducted using structural equation modeling. Findings – The results reveal that financial and social relationship marketing investments, but not structural relationship marketing investments, are crucial in evoking renqing and ganqing. The results also provide strong evidence of the relationship between renqing and ganqing, which in turn are necessary determinants of customer loyalty. Originality/value – This research is among the first to examine and confirm renqing and ganqing as a mediating mechanism through which fin...