Very recently the relevance of critical infrastructure gained public awareness. We evaluated the buy process for critical infrastructure versus the buying processes of other B-2-B marketing contexts. In both data sets, the organization’s digitalization capabilities have an impact on the general satisfaction with digitalization processes. We found a positive relationship between satisfaction with digitalization processes, the general satisfaction with the supplier and towards relationship quality. We were able to explain 66% (CI data set) and 81% (non-CI dataset) of the drivers of relationship quality. Nevertheless, in the non-CI sample, the degree of satisfaction with the organization’s digitalization capabilities as well as the general degree of digitalization has an impact on trust in their supplier’s IoT credibility. This does not hold for the CI-related sample. Referring to CI operators’ data, there is a positive relationship between the general perception on the Usefulness of the IoT and Trust in their supplier’s IoT credibility. CI operators strongly rely on already existing trustful relationships to develop trust in a suppliers IoT credibility. This is not true for non-CI operators. CI members are influenced by different drivers and are more strongly relying on existing relationship trust.

Falkenreck, C. & Wagner, R. (2022): IoT-related Business Models in Critical Infrastructure Settings:
Evaluating the Drivers of Relationship Quality, IMP Annual Conference, Florence, Italy.