Perceived value in B2B and B2C

Abstract

Perceived value is of primary concern for researchers and practitioners in the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) spheres. However, the scientific community’s excitement over perceived value, associated with approaches developed in parallel in B2B and B2C, has engendered theoretical confusion about perceived value. To solve these conceptual problems, many researchers developed a unified theoretical framework of value (zoom out approach) at a macro-analytical level. By contrast with this currently mainstream perspective in marketing theory, this article adopts a micro-analytical approach to perceived value (zoom in approach). A comparative approach of literature on value in B2B and B2C leads to cross-fertilization between the two areas, while each retains its own features. This zoom-in approach leads to the proposition of a research agenda and allows us to clarify and to enhance the idea of perceived value in B2B and B2C.