The Complete English Tradesman – business relations, trust, and honesty or 'let's rethink the history of relationship marketing'. (17th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tadajewski, Mark
• Editors: Prof. Stefan Schwarzkopf, Assoc.
• Is Part Of: Journal of historical research in marketing. Volume 7:Number 3(2015)
• Page Start: 407
• Page End: 422
• Publication Date: 2015-08-17
• Subjects: Biography -- History of marketing thought -- History of selling; Marketing -- History -- Periodicals; Marketing -- Philosophy -- Periodicals; 658.8005
• DOI: 10.1108/JHRM-04-2015-0012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-750X

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: – This paper aims to provide a close reading of Daniel Defoe's The Complete English Tradesman . It makes a case that many of the themes that Defoe engages with are consistent with later arguments offered by relationship marketing scholars. Design/methodology/approach: – This is a close reading of one of Defoe's most popular texts, The Complete English Tradesman . It links this discussion with relationship marketing tenets. Findings: – Defoe pays considerable attention to key relational ideas, including the cultivation of a public perception of business honesty, the need to cater to customer requirements, treating the customer as the "idol" of the practitioner and undertaking a variety of actions to ensure that consumers trust the words and actions of the tradesman. Practical implications: – This paper highlights how ahistorical debates surrounding relationship marketing have been and calls for a return to the archives. Originality/value: – This paper supplements existing research that charts the implications for marketing thought of Defoe's work, extending this via a juxtaposition of his writing with relational tenets.