Establishing and maintaining successful business relationships at the University of Debrecen: the importance of communication between institutions
https://doi.org/10.30716/RSZ/24/2/3
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Copyright (c) 2025 Anikó Ilona Kiss, Mihály Soós
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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Accepted 2025-08-07
Published 2025-10-17
Abstract
In the B2B sector, communication between individual organizations has undoubtedly always played a significant role. However, the changes of recent years have also significantly changed the structure and operation of certain higher education institutions, which has brought with it an increase in openness to the business world. Communication is one of the pillars of establishing successful business relationships, but traditional communication models are not always able to meet the dynamic needs of the modern business environment. Not only universities can benefit from improving communication processes and tools adapted to these expectations, but it can also be beneficial for students participating in higher education. In this research, we set the objective to explore what communication processes are currently taking place between institutions. In order to achieve our goal, we conducted qualitative research, as this allowed us to gain deeper insight into the position represented by companies on the topic. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with the partner institutions of the University of Debrecen in the second half of 2024 and in January 2025. During the discussions, the effectiveness of communication platforms in terms of maintaining contact with the university and other business actors was explored. The interviews highlighted that partners primarily consider the website and email to be the most reliable sources of information, while social media platforms (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) also play a significant role in day-to-day communication. In addition, personal meetings and networking events remain indispensable for building trust, and the importance of connections based on trade fairs and recommendations was also confirmed when it comes to reaching new partners. The findings clearly reveal both a need for and an openness towards developing new, multi-channel and targeted communication models that align with the specific characteristics of the domestic and international B2B sector. Alongside traditional tools (e.g., phone, email), the more conscious and strategic use of modern digital platforms may contribute to managing future relationships more effectively and strengthening the institution’s image.
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