A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Developing a typology of Business-to-Business (B2B) customer journeys
Authors: Kuehnl Christina; Panina Ekaterina; Tischer Moritz
Publisher: Elsevier
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Journal of Business Research
Article number: 116287
Volume: 214
ISSN: 0148-2963
eISSN: 1873-7978
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116287
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116287
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523500446
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
Interest in customer journeys (CJ) is growing in business-to-business (B2B) settings. Surprisingly, scholars remain silent about how contextual factors shape combinations of B2B CJs, B2B customer experience management (CXM) approaches, and B2B customer experiences (CX). Employing an abductive research procedure that integrates field-based insights from 56 managers with literature, we propose a typology of three distinct B2B CJ archetypes. We identify (1) lean CJs, focusing on efficiency and minimizing customer effort through seamless, digitally driven touchpoints; (2) co-created CJs, prioritizing collaboration through personalized, consulting touchpoints that address diverse stakeholder goals and strengthen relationships; and (3) transformational CJs, emphasizing strategic partnerships and new ways of value creation by introducing innovative touchpoints to the CJ. Our analysis also reveals four tensions in customer–supplier interactions across the three CJ types. These CJ archetypes and associated tensions help marketers align their CXM approach with specific customer goals, meaningful CX responses, and relevant business contexts.
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Funding information in the publication:
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors gratefully acknowledge support from Christian Homburg for data collection.