Knowledge creation and relationship marketing in family businesses: A case-study approach

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, family businesses operate successfully as the backbone of the countries’ economies. We also know that even successful firms differ widely in use of best management practice. Smaller, newer firms in less developed countries should benefit from exposure to best practice. To this end we offer provide and present the advantages of using one of the newest and most successful approaches in marketing, that of relationship marketing. This chapter presents the theoretical aspects of relationship marketing, the advantages of using it and its specifics. Furthermore, in this chapter we discuss how relationship marketing affects the business development on two family businesses from two disparate industries in Bosnia and Herzegovina. AS Group is a group, including food, trade and textile, whereas Pharmamed Ltd. operates in the pharmaceutical industry. Relationship marketing concepts and specifics explained in this chapter will not help only the owners of family businesses, but also, the non-family businesses, policy-makers and researchers who want to know more about advancing use of proven managerial practices in a transition economy.