Interactions between operational and relational capabilities in fast food service delivery

The research confirms previous results in marketing, operations management, and logistics that show that both operational and relational capabilities are key drivers of customer satisfaction. Contrary to recent research on the topic, however, this paper considers not only direct effects but also interactions and potential covariates to present a more complex and rigorous investigation of the constructs. The research suggests that operational and relational capabilities do not complement and enhance each other's impact on performance. Instead, there seems to be a strategic fit, which requires either a high-low or a low-high combination of the two capabilities to achieve superior performance. Based on resourced-based theories combined with the notion of capacity limitations from operations management, we propose a theoretical explanation of the trade-off between operational and relational capabilities in the logistics service context. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.