The role of the client in Coopetition Between Very Small Business (VSB)

This paper attempts to study the roles of a client, other than buyer and/or final consumer, in a coopetitive activity between alternative transport VSB. Our approach is constructivist with a mixed quali-quanti methodological approach. We adopt inductive reasoning. The primary data were collected from a 22-question questionnaire administered face-to-face to 335 clients at the place where the activity was based. Multivariate qualitative comparative analysis (mvQCA) was used to model these client roles. Our results indicate that the client plays the role of facilitator, communicator or mediator. The managerial implications are to take into account these three active roles played by the client, other than his usual roles, to broaden marketing strategies.