Firm-internal key account management networks: Framework, case study, avenues for future research

Key account management (KAM) is used for managing relationships between a supplier and its strategically important customer firms, that is, the key accounts. KAM activities typically involve a firm-internal network of actors. While there is a rich body of literature on key account managers' work with external networks in customer firms, this study focusses on the much less explored KAM activities in interaction with the firm-internal network that is required to mobilise resources and develop activities towards key accounts. The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual framework explaining how the firm's capability to manage the internal KAM network contributes to firm performance. We illustrate our framework using case study material and develop avenues for future research along the elements of our framework.