The global diffusion of relationship marketing

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to introduce a more basic macro-sociological approach to a discussion on the archaic marketing practices of the Russian firm as examined in the empirical research of Wagner. Design/methodology/approach - To show fundamental conditions for relationship marketing being implemented in Russia, the paper applies 'assumptions of sociology of knowledge, systems theory, world society theory, organisation theory, network theory, and economic sociology. Findings - The paper argues that the global diffusion of relationship marketing first observed on mature Western markets, to a transitional economy such as Russia will depend on global interrelation by technology, formal organisation, epistemic community, network, and event within the four relevant function systems: science, education, mass media, and economy which primarily determine the knowledge capacities of the Russian firm. Originality/value - In this paper, relationship marketing is reduced to knowledge. Further, the paper pinpoints social structures that lead to global knowledge diffusion. Since the Contemporary Marketing Practices, University of Auckland, NZ approach is concrete rather than abstract, the paper contributes to analytical considerations of a paradigm shift from transactional to relational marketing in present transition economies.