Kumulative Dissertation, Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, 2024

This dissertation investigates the complexities of key account management (KAM), a vital business approach for building and sustaining long-term relationships with strategically important customers. However, the role of key account (KA) managers, who serve as the primary link between a supplier’s internal network and the external network of the KA, remains somewhat of a “black box.” By focusing on the often-underexplored roles of KA managers, particularly in terms of identity, this research was conducted to unlock that black box through three interrelated studies.
The first study examines identification in KAM by exploring four main identity anchors—organization, KA, leader, and occupation—identified through 40 semi-structured interviews with KA managers. A conceptual model is developed to illustrate these identity dimensions. The second study investigates how different identification profiles impact KA managers’ effectiveness, revealing four successful configurations through a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of survey data from 218 respondents. The third study examines the role of knowledge sharing in enhancing KA performance by combining qualitative insights from 88 interviews with a quantitative moderated mediation analysis of survey data from 307 respondents. The findings show that organizational identification promotes knowledge sharing and positively influences KA performance, with the degree of formalization moderating this relationship.
Overall, this dissertation contributes to both the theoretical and practical understanding of KA managers by integrating insights from social identity theory and knowledge management. Together, these studies provide a comprehensive exploration of KAM, advancing our understanding of how identity dynamics and knowledge sharing drive the effectiveness and performance of KA managers. The findings offer valuable implications for optimizing the roles and practices of KA managers, ensuring that KAM programs generate sustained value across diverse business contexts.