Philosophising on the Elusiveness of Relationship Marketing Theory in Consumer Markets: A Case for Reassessing Ontological and Epistemological Assumptions

Relationship marketing in consumer markets came to the forefront of marketing in the 1990s. However, theory development in this area lags behind applications and prescriptions. We attribute this lack of development, in part, to researchers asking the wrong questions. A case is made for reassessing the epistemological and ontological assumptions about relationships in consumer markets. We argue that humans appear to be genetically predisposed to forming relationships. Instead of concentrating on why consumers seek relationships, researchers should ask, “How do consumers get into relationships with marketing entities?” The rephrased research question will prove more apt in consumer markets where reality is socially constructed. Finally, we assert that a discovery-oriented phenomenological approach should be adopted to answer the rephrased question.