International buyer behaviour–commitment relationship: An investigation of the empirical link in importing

Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm this article examines relationships between knowledge, trust, communication, volatility and sustainable competitive advantage as the exogenous and endogenous variables with importer commitment as the dependent variable. The primary data was gathered from a survey of 224 commercial and industrial firms, headquartered in Bangladesh, coming from a wide cross section of industries. Statistical analysis was carried out using Structural Equation Modelling via AMOS. The study's key findings revealed that all exogenous/endogenous variables had a significant impact on importer commitment. That is, knowledge, trust, communication, volatility and sustainable competitive advantage had a significant direct impact on importer commitment. Additionally, cultural similarity, communication, volatility and supplier opportunism all had a significant indirect impact on importer commitment. This finding makes a significant contribution to the relational side of the RBV.     

Entrepreneurial beacons: The Yale endowment,run‐ups,and the growth of venture capital

Research summary : This article investigates the social context of entrepreneurship in organizational sectors. Prior research suggests that firm foundings are driven by collective patterns of activity—such as patterns of prior foundings in a given sector. Building on research on social salience and signals, we consider the influence of singular sector‐level triggers, which we call entrepreneurial beacons. We argue that the actions or outcomes of single, salient organizations attract and motivate entrepreneurs, thus increasing the rate of foundings. We test this logic by examining the impact of the Y ale U niversity endowment's investment choices and of venture‐capital‐backed IPO run‐ups on venture‐capital foundings between 1984 and 2011. We find support for the existence and influence of beacons and outline boundary conditions for their effects . Managerial summary : What leads entrepreneurs to found new companies in nascent sectors? In contrast to prior research, which emphasizes patterns of activity, we argue that entrepreneurial activity can sometimes be driven by the actions of a singular trigger—what we call an entrepreneurial beacon. We examine the influence of two such beacons, Y ale U niversity's endowment investments and exceptional venture‐capital‐backed IPO run‐ups, on the founding of new venture‐capital firms over a 28‐year period. We find that Y ale's increased allocations to the venture‐capital asset‐class has a significant influence on the founding of new venture‐capital firms, while exceptional venture‐capital‐backed IPO run‐ups only influence venture‐capital foundings under certain conditions. Overall, we offer an explanation for heretofore anecdotal accounts of certain organizations or events that appear to have an outsized influence on entrepreneurial activity . Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Customer Interaction Management Capabilities on the Micro-Retail Fashion in Indonesia

This article aims to investigate and examine Customer Interaction Management Capabilities (CIMaC) as mediator in the relation of Market Intelligence Quality (MIQ) and Customer-Centric Commitment (CCC) with New Product Performance (NPP). A Structural Equation Model (SEM) is used to test the empirical research design, using the data retrieved from micro-retail owners in Central Java, Indonesia. A Confirmatory Factor Model is used to test the multi-dimensionality of a theoretical construct (construct validity test). The findings show that only MIQ influences NPP, while CCC does not. However, CIMaC genuinely mediate the relationship between MIQ and CCC with NPP. By investigating the literature of various market learning, CRM, NPD, and entrepreneurship, this study offers a unique analysis about the market intelligence quality, customer-centric commitment and its impacts on customer interaction management capability, and the new product performance. Conceptual discussion and empiric results explore the previous research about market orientation culture on micro businesses.     

The influence of restaurant co-workers’ perceived warmth and competence on employees’ turnover intentions: The mediating role of job attitudes

The current study examines the influence of co-workers’ perceived warmth and competence on employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions in a casual dining restaurant setting. The warmth and competence dimensions represent two fundamental social dimensions that people often use to evaluate other individuals or groups. The current findings determined that co-workers’ perceived warmth and competence had significant effects on employees’ job satisfaction, which in turn improved their organizational commitment.Furthermore, job satisfaction and organizational commitment mediated the relationships between co-workers’ perceived warmth and competence and employees’ turnover intentions. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

THE DECISION TO DEMUTUALIZE: AN EXPLORATION OF THE DRIVERS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE WITHIN THE AUSTRALIAN LIFE INSURANCE MARKET

The restructuring of the financial landscape that has occurred in the last three decades, has led to a reassessment of co‐operative models of organization. An outcome of this process has been the demutualization of mutual financial organizations. Using a case study approach this paper analyses the pressures on mutual structures encountered by Australian mutual life insurers. Such an approach provides a number of insights into the way in which firms adjust to changes in regulatory and competitive environments. It is concluded that a number of exogenous and endogenous forces combined to drive the process of organizational change.     

Decomposing Impression from Attitude in Relationship Management Outcomes

This study expands relationship management theory by testing the linkages between perceived relational quality, organizational impression, and attitude in affecting the behavioral intention of customer public of five major banks. A survey of 1,178 banking customers showed that perceived relational quality, organizational impression, and individual attitude, significantly affected supportive behaviors. Organizational impression was found to be almost three times more determinant than perceived relational quality in affecting individuals' attitudes, and subsequently, their supportive behaviors. By highlighting the role of organizational impression, linkages between the relationship management perspective and other theoretical frameworks, such as image repair, become apparent; bearing implications for scholarship and practice.     

Managerial Commitment to Sustainable Supply Chain Management Projects

Most companies are under pressure to improve the environmental sustainability of their supply chains. However, there is considerable variance in companies' ability to successfully deploy environmental management projects. One important factor, according to articles in the academic and business press, is the ability of champions of sustainable supply chain management (SCM) projects within organizations to gain the commitment of colleagues (e.g., other managers from a variety of functions) to help these projects succeed. Therefore, this paper examines variables that affect a project champion's ability to gain this commitment from colleagues. In particular, building on existing research, this research employs a video‐based experimental design to examine the effect of the influence approach that the project champion employs, the values of the person the champion is trying to influence, and the organizational climate. The results suggest that organizational climate and certain individual values directly affect commitment. There are also interactions between values and influence tactics. The research adds to the field's growing knowledge on the antecedents of sustainable SCM within companies while providing valuable guidance for environmental champions and for top managers.     

组织变革对组织存活的影响研究——基于组织生态学的视角

20世纪以来,科学技术的快速发展,促进了全球经济的增长,给组织带来了发展的机遇,但是市场环境的剧烈动荡,使组织面临巨大的市场挑战和风险。组织为了生存,必须进行变革,但变革的高风险和高成本又反过来影响了组织生存。因此,组织变革与组织存活的关系是一个值得探讨的话题。目前,此问题的研究主要集中在两个视角:适应视角和生态学视角。其中,生态学视角是一种新的分析视角,为组织变革理论的研究提供了重要借鉴。     

Service innovativeness and the structuring of organizations: The moderating roles of learning orientation and inter-functional coordination

This paper aims to investigate the influence of organizational structure on service innovativeness by testing the moderating roles of learning orientation and inter-functional coordination. This helps to understand how organic structure influences service innovativeness when it is effectively leveraged with favorable organizational factors. Data were collected from 178 hotel managers and executives in Japan and moderated regression analysis was performed to analyze the data. Findings of the study suggest that higher levels of service innovativeness are positively related to higher levels of hotel business performance. In addition, organic structure makes a positive influence on service innovativeness and an increase in the levels of learning orientation boost the effectiveness of organic structure on service innovativeness. Moreover, the positive association between organic structure and service innovativeness become stronger when all firm’s functions make an attempt to cooperate and contribute to disseminating customers and competitors’ information in the hotels. These findings contribute to understanding how hotel service innovation is affected by service innovativeness, organizational structure, learning orientation and inter-functional coordination.     

创业导向、外部知识获取与创业机会识别

创业活动是创新、就业和经济增长的重要来源。企业家通过持续探索创造新业务，促进社会和经济的发展和繁荣。本文基于资源基础理论和知识基础理论，以大众创业浪潮为研究背景，深入揭示创业导向、外部知识获取与创业机会识别之间的关系，并以中国246份创业新企业为样本进行了实证研究。研究结果表明：创业导向对新企业的机会识别和外部知识获取均具有积极影响；外部知识获取在创业导向和新企业的机会识别之间起到部分中介作用；此外，市场知识获取比技术知识获取对创业机会识别的影响更为突出。