营销渠道中的渠道关系、权力使用与投机行为

文章基于营销渠道行为及关系营销理论,以制造商与其经销商之间的关系为研究平台,检验了制造商的关系营销导向以及跨组织私人关系对其使用权威机制以及经销商投机行为的影响。研究结果表明:制造商的关系营销导向对于其使用非强制性权力有显著的正向影响,对其使用强制性权力虽然没有直接影响,但会通过跨组织私人关系(情感性与工具性)产生负向影响;制造商与其经销商之间的跨组织私人关系(情感性与工具性)会抑制制造商使用强制性权力,工具性私人关系会促进其使用非强制性权力;制造商使用强制性权力会加重经销商的投机行为。最后,讨论了研究结果与应用及未来的研究方向。     

A Note on Commodity Bundling and Global Sourcing

Channel research has examined power and its effects in both domestic and foreign channels, but has neglected its effects on relationships in export channels. This study examines the relationship between power and channel behavior in export channels. Based on in-depth interviews with 43 exporters, hypothesized relationships between power, satisfaction, and longetivity of relationships are confirmed. Differences were found between unexercised and exercised power, with unexercised power demonstrating little effect on satisfaction and length of relationship. Exercised power, both coercive and noncoercive, and dependence did influence satisfaction, but not length of relationship.     

Managing retailer profitability—one customer at a time!

This study examines how customer lifetime value (CLV) can be computed at individual customer level in a retail setting to maximize profitability. The study finds that maximum positive impact to CLV occurs when the customer cross-purchases, shows multi-channel shopping behavior, stays longer with the firm, buys specific product categories and purchases more frequently with the firm. Interestingly, the CLV follows an inverted U relationship with increase in return of prior purchases. Other interesting findings include a surprisingly low correlation between customer loyalty and future profitability and low correlation between stores’ historic revenues and future profitability. Several implications are suggested for retailers to manage and maximize customer profitability as well as store profitability.     

Guanxi,Communication, Power,and Conflict in Industrial Buyer-Seller Relationships: Mitigations Against the Cultural Background of Harmony in China

Purpose: This research aims to investigate how guanxi influences conflict occurrence and conflict-related behavior in transactions of equipment with state-owned enterprises (SOEs) against the cultural background of harmony in China. The influence of guanxi on conflict-avoidance behaviors is discussed, and a model is proposed depicting the relationship between guanxi, the selection of communication modality, the exercise of power, and manifest conflict.

Methodology/Approach: Data was collected from persons selling equipment in the oil industry. The partial least squares method is applied to analyze the collected data.

Findings: Guanxi at the individual level positively influences the use of informal communication and the exercise of non-coercive power and negatively influences the use of formal communication and the exercise of coercive power at the organizational level. The use of informal communication is inversely related to the intensity of conflict, whereas the use of formal communication and the exercise of coercive power are positively related to the intensity of conflict. The combination of these effects is that the guanxi between representatives of business partners is negatively related to manifest conflict at the organizational level.

Contribution: This empirical research is among the earliest studies attempting to examine how guanxi influences interorganizational conflict occurrence and conflict-related behavior in industrial buyer-seller relationships in China, and it reveals a significant relationship between guanxi and the selection of communication modality, the exercise of power, and the occurrence of conflict in a guanxi-intensive market in China.

Practical Implications: First, our findings will help members of the seller's management team, especially foreign members, to better understand the behavior of their Chinese employees. Secondly, our findings should help sellers improve the effectiveness of their conflict management to increase good word-of-mouth and maximize reorders. Thirdly, our findings should help the purchasing managers of SOEs to better understand how to manage conflict to lower the project risk. Lastly, firms doing business with SOEs should take both cultural and political factors into account in their business activities.     

Two-step Influence Tactics: Exploring How Coercive Power is Exercised in Channel Triads

ABSTRACT

Purpose – Most research on the power issue has taken a dyadic view, implicitly assuming that power is employed directly and successfully on one target via a single route without stakeholders. When such a direct approach is unsuccessful or impractical, however, power holders may influence their targets via third parties. This study, from a triadic point of view, details how the coercive power is exercised through two-step maneuvers, and what differences are between power exercise in the dyads and that in the triads. Methodology/Approach – In-depth interviews were conducted with four suppliers in different industry settings.

Findings – Four types of two-step influence tactics are identified on the basis of strategic nature (covert/overt) and the pathways of influence (single/multiple). Differing from the power usage in a dyad without stakeholders, the power usage with the stakeholders in a triad was found to (1) reduce the levels of dependence on the target firm; (2) alleviate the conflicts and retaliation; (3) alter the power direction and influence strength; and (4) add more rooms for the power holder to manipulate the influence tactics. Research implications – The findings of this study expand the understanding of an under-researched dimension of coercive power usage and leverage by connecting the different stakeholders in the channel triads. The four coercive power tactics and their drivers show how the shift of power source from a dyad to a triad impacts on the target firm’s behavior and overall network performance. Practical implications – The findings also provide some guidance for practitioners, so that they may use the two-step coercive influence tactics more appropriately based on the different strategic nature and pathways of influence in the marketing channels. Originality/Value – This study contributes to the literature by providing a conceptual framework and variables for analyzing the two-step power tactics in the channel triads.     

Economic and non-economic factors of Korean manufacturer-retailer relations

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of antecedent channel power sources on satisfaction, conflict, trust, dependence and long-term channel relationships between Korean retailers and manufacturers. The sample included 210 cosmetic retailers in 15 Korean cities. The results indicate that Korean manufacturers' exercised coercive power decreases retailers' economic and non-economic satisfaction, while exercised non-coercive power increases economic and non-economic satisfaction. Second, exercised coercive power increases both economic and non-economic conflict, and exercised non-coercive power decreases non-economic conflict. Third, retailers' economic and non-economic satisfaction is negatively related to economic and non-economic conflict. Fourth, trust is a mediating factor between satisfaction (economic and non-economic) and a long-term relationship. Finally, results indicate that neither conflict nor satisfaction is unidimensional; each has an economic and non-economic dimension. This finding is an important contribution to the channel relations literature.     

Control mechanisms across a buyer–supplier relationship quality matrix

This study develops a buyer–supplier RQ matrix and explores changes in the use of selected control mechanisms, including coercive power, non-coercive power, contracts, and relational norms, across this matrix. The results indicate, under four distinct contexts of RQ, that coercive power execution is relatively low and has no significant differences in different quadrants of the matrix; that contract execution is relatively high and likewise has no significant differences; and that execution of non-coercive power and relational norms increases as the level of RQ improves. These findings reveal the important roles of contracts, the limited roles of coercive power, and the changing roles of non-coercive power and relational norms, as displayed in four distinct contexts of RQ. They make new contributions to the buyer–supplier relationship management literature and provide insightful theoretical guidance for buyer–supplier relationship managerial practice.     

An Examination of the Coercive Power-Satisfaction Relationship Within a Relational Exchange

ABSTRACT

The authors develop a oonoeptual model that examines the moderating effect of dealer resistance on the use of coercive power-satisfaction relationship. The results provide a possible explanation for inconsistent results within extant channel literature regarding relationships that are power and/or dependency asymmetric Within the context of the model, the authors also provide a conceptualization of the endogenous construct, conflict potential, as a means to examine what motivates a channel member to exercise coercive power as an influencing agent. The model also examines the dealer's tendency to yield or acquiesce decision-making control to the manufacturer within the context of the use of coercive power-satisfaction relationship. The model is tested, via two-group structural equation modeling using a sample of 324 high level executives from the office systems and furniture industry. The authors provide theoretical and managerial implications of the research results as well as directions for future research.     

基于渠道权力理论的我国家具业内销网络建设

本文在回顾渠道权力理论相关文献的基础上,深入分析我国家具业内销渠道网络建设受阻的原因,并有针对性地提出了家具业内销网络建设的一般路径。本文的研究将为我国家具企业争取渠道权力、正确处理供销关系进而拓宽内销渠道网络、打开国内市场提供理论依据。希望对正徘徊在国门内外的家具企业有一定的启发,对于其他出口转内销的产业也同样能起到某种程度上的借鉴作用。     

Trust as a Mediator of Channel Power

Abstract

Thriving longterm channel relationships require trust. Previous empirical work and metaanalysis have emphasized the central role of trust but its potential as a mediator of power has not been tested empirically. A model is proposed that hypothesizes a central, mediating effect for trust between power constructs (power asymmetry, coercive and noncoercive application of power) and key behavioral and attitudinal relationship outcomes (conflict, cooperation and satisfaction). The model is tested on a large sample (N = 887) in a single channel where there is a variable, but generally asymmetric, power relationship between principal and agent, as exists in many franchise and agency channels. Trust was not affected directly by the level of power asymmetry, but rather the way power was used, either coercively or noncoercively raised or lowered trust. Trust was found to mediate the impact of the way power is used on the agent's perception of cooperation, satisfaction, and conflict, emphasizing the pivotal role of trust in understanding the behavioral aspects of channel behavior.     

Consumers’ store-level price knowledge: Why are some consumers more knowledgeable than others?

What consumers know or think they know about stores’ relative price levels is an important research area from both a societal as well as a retail perspective. This study investigates the determinants of objective as well as subjective store-price knowledge. Using structural equation modeling, the effects of price consciousness, income, education, and three forms of price-related experience on the two knowledge dimensions, as well as the relationship between objective and subjective knowledge, are tested. Whereas out-of-store price search had positive effects on both subjective and objective price knowledge, the two other types of experience, number of stores shopped, and length of residence in the market only affected objective price knowledge, indicating that the two knowledge dimensions are determined differently. Furthermore, price consciousness had a larger effect on subjective than on objective knowledge. Finally, subjective and objective store-price knowledge were not significantly related in this study.     

经济增长、外商直接投资与政府选择

改革开放以来积极引进外商直接投资对加速国民经济的发展起到了重要的作用,其深层次的积极影响主要体现在示范效应方面.然而,随着时间的推移,国民经济运行对外商直接投资的依赖也正在形成和增强,这对国民经济的长远发展非常不利.在未来进一步深化对外开放的过程中,我国当然需要进一步扩大引进外商直接投资的规模,但政府应当着力于重构内资与外资的关系,在更好地促进国内资本生长发育的基础上来扩大引进外资,从整体上协调好对外开放与国民经济发展之间的关系.     

中国环境下的跨国企业市场与非市场战略、策略以及战术间的关系

许多管理者认为,在中国市场上非市场环境应该与市场环境受到同样的高度关注,跨国企业经营战略应该由市场(或竞争)部分和非市场两部分组成。因此,本文提出了一个市场与非市场战略、策略以及战术之间关系的概念性理论模型。该模型反映了跨国企业在中国市场上是如何进行贸易或投资选择、策略选择和制定实施战略的。     

Stand by me: Friends,relationship banking,and financial governance in Asia

While northeastern Asian economies have grown at a stellar rate over the past 4 decades, during the same period, bank officials and financial market participants have been charged with corruption, nepotism, and government meddling and have incurred high levels of non-performing loans. The close relationships between financiers and their clients, a part of Chinese society known as guanxi, has often been criticized as a key source of corruption in Northeast Asia finance. However, the complex nature of relationships in guanxi networks brings a good side to Asian finance in that reputational risk disciplines financiers, clients, and government officials. I delve into the personal side of Asian finance using the theoretical poles of transactional and relationship banking. Transactional banking is a top-down, hard-data impersonal form of financial contracting, while relationship banking is a bottom-up interpersonal form of banking that relies on softer data. I argue that relationship banking, which naturally fits into an Asian context, could engender a shift from bad behavior to good behavior to protect wealth, reputation, and friends. Contrary to conventional wisdom, guanxi may lead to better governance in banking and other areas of Asian finance as more information becomes available through numerous media outlets and as groups outside the banking sector (e.g., insurance companies, the press, auditors, and citizens) discipline bankers and their clients through ‘private monitoring.’     

Social power bases of marketing executives: The relationship with organizational climate

This research paper reports the results of a mailed questionnaire study of 343 marketing executives. The purpose of the research was to investigate whether or not a relationship exists between organizational climate (i.e., specific conditions in the organizational environment of the firm) and the particular social power base of the marketing executive. Results indicate that the three desirable power bases—expert, referrent, and legitimate—are correlated with all four of the organizational climate dimensions studied—reward orientation, personnel policies, MBO orientation, and status orientation. The undesirable power base—coercive power—was correlated with none of these dimensions.     

Deterrence or Conflict Spiral Effect? Exercise of Coercive Power in Marketing Channels: Evidence from China

Purpose: The article aims to test the appropriateness of deterrence and conflict spiral models in marketing channels. Both models have been alternatively used as bases to explain firms’ power-related behaviors in marketing channels. However, the issue of the appropriateness of such an application in various contexts has not yet been addressed.

Methodology/approach: The authors develop the hypotheses based on deterrence theory and their alternatives based on conflict spiral theory. They gather data from 204 sales representatives of suppliers in China and use linear regression analysis to test their hypotheses versus alternatives.

Empirical findings: The data analysis offers supportive evidence for the deterrence logic but with unexpected results. By elaborating on the empirical results, the original assumption of deterrence theory, and the nature of interfirm relationship in marketing channels, the authors modify the deterrence model for research on power related-behaviors in the given context. The analysis implies a possible explanation for inconsistent findings in the literature regarding exercises of coercive power.

Originality/value/contribution: This article proposes a revised deterrence model that can interpret the empirical results with a consistent logic and better predict power-related behaviors in marketing channels.

Research limitations/implications: The research results may lack generalizability with respect to channel type and culture. It does not directly test the cognitive mechanisms that mediate the impact of power on its exercise. Researchers are encouraged to directly test the mediating constructs in other channels or countries.

Practical implications: The article includes some insights and implications for managers in understanding power structure and implementing influence strategies in business-to-business marketing.     

Control,Conflict and Satisfaction in International Channels:

This is a study of the relationship between foreign car-manufacturers and their respective agents in the "emerging" market of Saudi Arabia. The study takes the theories and findings about the relationship in advanced country domestic situations to see if they apply to a cross- country situation involving manufacturers from advanced countries and agents in a developing country. The study examines the extent of the manufacturer control over the dealer, the sources of that control and how each of these affect the level of conflict between the manufacturer and the dealer, and the dealer satisfaction, all from the dealer's perspective. Based on the literature, hypotheses were formulated and constructs developed using a questionnaire to which a relatively large sample of the dealers responded. Appropriate statistical tests of reliability and validity were conducted and thereafter simple Pearson correlations were calculated to test the hypotheses. Unlike in most advanced country studies, manufacturers were found to practice little control over their agents, nor was control found to be associated with the use of coercive and non-coercive measures by the manufacturers. But other facets of the relationship were found to be generally similar to other studies. Conflict was found to relate positively to the use of coercive measures by the manufacturer. Dealer satisfaction was found to relate positively to the use of non-coercive measures and negatively to the level of conflict and the use of coercive measures. The study concludes that the stick and carrot philosophy that may work in the West, does not work in the Middle East, just as others have surmised.     

Managerial power: A neglected aspect of the performance appraisal interview

This field study investigated the relationships between three types of attributed managerial power (positive, coercive, and legitimate) with subordinates' perceptions of performance appraisal interview processes and their reactions to appraisal feedback. Attempts to improve job performance on the part of the subordinates were also assessed three months later by their managers. Managers perceived as high in positive power tended to be described as more participative in goal setting and less critical during the feedback interview, whereas managers perceived as high in coercive power were described as less participative. All three types of power related significantly with subordinates' reactions to the feedback. Only legitimate power, however, related to subordinates' attempts to improve job performance. Practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

渠道权力结构的过度倾斜与权力失效——基于农产品营销渠道的研究

本文通过对中国农产品营销渠道的考察,发现了渠道权力结构的过度倾斜与权力的失效问题。作者认为,在渠道权力结构理论背后存在着一个隐含命题,即渠道关系双方的规模与实力应当是对等的,或者二者之间的反差在一个合理的区间内。在渠道关系中,如果一方是为数众多、分散且规模弱小的成员,而另一方是规模巨大、实力较强的成员时,就会出现权力结构的过度倾斜,而当渠道中权力弱势地位一方采取一致性的“反抗”行为时,权力优势成员的权力就会失效。     

企业社会资本对渠道权力与依赖的影响

传统渠道权力与依赖研究将研究视野局限在由两个渠道成员构成的二元渠道关系内,关注关系内的资源依赖特征而缺少对关系以外更大范围的渠道关系网络的关注。针对这一缺陷,文章引入了社会资本理论,并实证性地考察了制造商社会资本对其渠道权力和经销商依赖的影响。研究发现,制造商的社会资本对其渠道权力有显著的正向影响,但对经销商的渠道依赖没有显著影响。同时,以中国本土社会心理学理论为基础,研究证实在中国文化背景下渠道权力作为依赖的前因变量对其有显著的正向影响。