Revisiting the mediating effect of normative commitment in B2B bank relationships in Nigeria

Abstract

PurposeThis study examines the mediating effect of normative commitment, that is, a customer's feeling of moral obligation to stay in a relationship based on the psychological feeling that it is the right thing to do. Previous studies have neglected normative commitment due to its complexity and poor fit with predominantly Western individualistic cultures.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study was conducted in the collectivist culture of Nigeria, West Africa. The unit of analysis was the business-to-business (B2B) relationship between small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their bank.FindingsThis study arrived at two key findings. First, normative commitment is insignificant in acting as the mediator of a relationship in both overall satisfaction and social bonding on advocacy. Second, overall satisfaction and social bonding are positively significant in predicting normative commitment and advocacy.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focussed solely on an SME's perception of their relationship with their bank and does not consider the dyadic nature of such relationships, that is, the bank's perception of this relationship.Practical implicationsThis research demonstrates that the SME/bank relationship can be developed based on satisfaction and social bonding as background variables. Caution should be exercised for relationships developed on the basis of a moral obligatory commitment.Originality/valueRegardless of a collectivist cultural setting, normative commitment was found to be ineffective in enhancing relationships in a business-oriented setting in Nigeria, contrary to emerging propositions within the literature.