Abstract

In business and industrial marketing, upstream and downstream alike, the creation of
value is paramount to any company’s survival (Kotler & Keller, 2008) and even more
so at a time where dramatic changes in business and industrial marketing’s context
are leading to fundamental changes in what companies should be analysing, creating,
and delivering (Doyle, 2000; Hunt, 2000). Value has been examined in the marketing
management literature (e.g. Albrecht, 1992; Alderson, 1957; J.C. Anderson&Narus,
1999; P. Anderson, 1982; Doyle, 2000; Drucker, 1973; Woodruff, 1997), as well
as the purchasing and supply management literature (e.g. Carr & Ittner, 1992;
Ellram, 1995; Van Weele, 2001; Wouters, Anderson, & Wynstra, 2005). Two more
or less distinct research streams can be identified within this literature (Lindgreen
& Wynstra, 2005). The first of these streams deals with the value of products and
services, whilst the second stream focuses on the value of buyer–seller relationships.
Despite its identified importance, value is a complex issue. In fact, the literature
remains scarce on studies examining how selling companies in reality analyse, create,
and deliver value to buying companies (Lindgreen, in press). This special issue seeks
to address this gap in the literature by examining various issues relating to the
different ‘facets’ of value that result from the crossing of the two research streams
with the three themes of analysis, creation, and delivery.