Van der Toom, T: Relationship Marketing in China

Currently China can be seen as one of the hottest research topics in the academic world. However, until now little research has been carried out in the field of relationship marketing in China (guanxi) in the Chinese consumer market. This research is a follow up research on the research of Yau et al. (2000) where the four dimensions of guanxi were identified. In this research a study is described to operate these four dimensions (trust, bonding, empathy and reciprocity) in the Chinese consumer market and to see if these dimensions have a positive effect on the customer loyalty. A study of both Western and Chinese literature provides foundations for this perspective. The research is conducted in the Republic of China (Taiwan) under 51 students of the Chengchi University using a questionnaire. These acquired data has been analyzed using multiple regression techniques. The general conclusion of this research is that of all the four dimensions of guanxi there is only a significant positive relation between empathy and customer loyalty. The outcomes are important for foreign businesses and marketers who are planning doing business in the Chinese consumer market in the near future.