The management of a company’s relational capital as part of business process

Abstract

PURPOSE: The paper deals with the issue of a company's relational capital, especially customer relations. The aim of the paper is an attempt to answer the question concerning the role of developing the right type of relational capital with customers in organisations applying the Business Process Management (BPM) philosophy.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The paper characterises business processes and the BPM concept, as well as describes models of process maturity. The section regarding a company's relational capital focuses on different types of relations with stakeholders and also asks about the essence of customer relations in organisations using BPM. The paper includes the results of quantitative research carried out among 600 companies of all sizes operating throughout Poland. The diagnostic survey method, which used the Paper and Pencil Interviewing (PAPI) technique, was chosen as the research method. The respondents were representatives of top management, including business owners. The research was complemented by a case study conducted in one of the organisations operating in the metal industry. It is a company that fully applies the BPM concept.

FINDINGS: The results of the quantitative research carried out indicate the existence of a relationship between the type of relations that a company has with its customers and the level of process maturity of the company. The types of customer relations are so important that the attention of companies using the BPM concept is focused on this kind of relationships. The results of the case study strongly confirm that the company analysed sees an important role of its relational capital (especially customer relations) in business process management. Every process implemented in the organisation is undertaken with the final customer in mind as well as his/her satisfaction with the product or service offered.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The article discusses an innovative approach to the relational capital of enterprises from the point of view of the process maturity of companies.