Game theory attempts to deeply understand human behavior and interpersonal interactions and thus should be able to explain the dynamics of all human relationships. Interactions are analyzed within a game. Players can be individuals, dyads, colleagues or strangers, organizations, … who are interrelated and striving for the best possible outcome. Thomas Schelling offers a wider view on game theory by considering psychological, social and contextual elements. His theory focuses on human relationships and offers a base to analyze social interactions, offering a new point of view on interactions and relationships in marketing. The key concepts of Schelling’s game theory and foremost focal points are expanded with other author’s findings. This is followed by a review of marketing literature and definition of social exchange and marketing relationships. The thesis indicates the possible further research to integrate the understanding of marketing concept through the theory of focal points.
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