An investigation of the cross-national determinants of customer satisfaction

Many multinational corporations have implemented cross-national satisfaction measurement programs for tracking and benchmarking the satisfaction of their customers across their various markets. These companies measure satisfaction with the goal of maximizing customer loyalty and the financial benefits associated with loyalty. However, existing research comparing consumer satisfaction across nations is limited, with the few existing studies examining only a small number of countries or predictors of satisfaction, or a small group of consumers within a particular economic sector. To expand our knowledge of the determinants of cross-national variation in customer satisfaction, we study three sets of factors: cultural, socioeconomic and political-economic. We utilize a unique sample of cross-industry satisfaction data from 19 nations, including nearly 257,000 interviews of consumers. Consistent with our hypotheses, we find that consumers in traditional societies have higher levels of satisfaction than those in secular-rational societies. Likewise, consumers in self-expressive societies have higher levels of customer satisfaction than those in societies with survival values. We also find that literacy rate, trade freedom, and business freedom have a positive effect on customer satisfaction while per capita gross domestic product has a negative effect on customer satisfaction. We discuss the implications of these findings for policymakers, multinational corporations, and researchers.     

General alliance experience,uncertainty, and marketing alliance governance mode choice

Drawing from transaction cost economics (TCE), the knowledge-based view (KBV), and real options theory (ROT), we propose that the general alliance experience of alliance partner firms moderates the impact of market uncertainty and alliance-specific uncertainty on the benefits and costs of the two marketing alliance governance modes, i.e., non-equity alliances and joint ventures. Based on our systematic study of 18,616 marketing alliances occurring in 48 industries across 164 countries between 1992 and 2008, we find general alliance experience significantly moderates firms’ marketing alliance governance mode choices. Our framework reconciles some contradictory empirical results in the interfirm relationship governance structure literature by emphasizing the moderating role of partner firms’ general alliance experience. Specifically, when alliances can be characterized has having a large cultural distance between the partners or having a market with a broad geographic scope, it seems that TCE predictions regarding the marketing alliance governance mode choice hold for inexperienced firms while KBV and ROT predictions hold for experienced firms. In addition, by incorporating key aspects of all three theories, our proposed framework has the potential to provide deeper insights into the role of alliance experience and uncertainty in firms’ marketing alliance governance mode choices.     

国有公司控制权私人收益的悖论与立法选择

控制权私人收益问题伴随公司法人制度的产生而出现,并日益成为公司治理上的一个难题.国外有关控制权私人收益的探讨和立法规则很少针对国有公司,因而国外的理论和经验用于分析中国的国有公司往往难以获得令人信服的结论.围绕着中国国有公司控制权私人收益问题,出现了高度集中的股权结构却产生了内部人控制、激励机制加剧控制权私人收益、否认控制权私人收益将不利于公司的长远发展这三个逻辑上的悖论,从而在理念和现实两个方面都导致中国国有公司的治理困局.解决问题的关键在于,必须正视中国国有公司在价值目标和市场地位等方面的独特秉性,立法上对因内部人控制而产生的控制权私人收益问题则不能有丝毫的迁就.     

Transaction cost economics and its uses in marketing

Scholarship at the intersection of transaction cost economics (TCE) and marketing has enjoyed an impressive record of growth over the past three decades, and the future promises more of the same. Following Erin Anderson’s perceptive uses of TCE in her 1982 dissertation, the field of marketing has made many constructive uses of and contributions to TCE, where the latter include broadening the reach of TCE, posing important challenges, and identifying opportunities still to be addressed. Given this history, we advance the proposition that the relation between TCE and marketing has been and should be a two-way street. In considering the scope for future research, we give special attention to issues of asymmetric costs, the dynamics of governance, and disequilibrium contracting. We also discuss the four precepts of pragmatic methodology, with special emphasis on prediction and empirical testing. The Appendix provides added perspective on the evolving “science of organization” of which TCE is a part.     

试论国有企业内部人控制的产权与制度因素——基于经济社会学的认识

参考诺斯的“制度变迁理论”（关于制度的产生、成长、成熟、衰竭;产权理论、国家理论、意识形态理论的三结合）,循依经济社会学制度学派的“制度-政策范式-认知（意识形态）”路径,就国有企业内部人控制问题从市场治理下产权论与非市场治理下的制度论提出问题的解决建议。     

文化差异对我国核心文化产品贸易的影响研究——基于扩展后的引力模型分析

本文选取2002~2012年我国与54个主要文化产品贸易国的双边数据,通过文化差异的两大量化指标——Hofstede文化距离与人文价值观指标,运用扩展后的引力模型对我国核心文化产品（工艺品、出版物和影音制品）分别进行实证研究,检验文化差异对不同文化产品的影响方向及程度。结果表明：文化差异作为整体变量引入模型时,文化距离与贸易流量呈负相关,而人文价值观差异仅对我国出版物出口具有正向作用;作为组合变量时,不同文化维度距离对各产品的影响程度存在差异,其中权力距离大,会对我国工艺品出口产生促进效应,而对其他两种核心文化产品作用并不显著。因此,我国各类文化产品贸易提升应重视其所在文化维度的特定性。     

中美知识型员工激励因素差异及其经济文化背景分析

知识型员工的激励问题是当今世界各国企业人力资源管理中普遍面临的新课题。随着中美两国企业之间交流合作的日益深入,研究两国知识型员工的激励因素差异及其背后的经济文化原因这一课题,已变得越来越迫切。对比分析中美知识型员工激励因素本身和其干扰因子的差异以及其背后的经济文化的差异,中美知识型员工激励因素差异的基础是收入水平差异,同时也是两国文化差异的体现,相比美国而言,中国知识型员工的激励因素更具有复杂性和权变性。     

Implementation of market orientation in the subsidiaries of global companies: the role of institutional factors

Drawing upon the market orientation literature and institutional theory, this study examines the factors that affect the implementation of market orientation in the subsidiaries of global companies, using data gathered from multiple informants and multiple sources in 79 subsidiaries located in 45 countries. Findings indicate that the market orientation of subsidiaries is positively related to the legal institutions, local competition in the host country market, and the market orientation of headquarters. The findings also indicate that the headquarters’ market orientation has more pronounced effects on the implementation of market orientation for subsidiaries that strongly identify with headquarters. Moreover, the study demonstrates that cultural distance between home and host countries of the subsidiary strengthens the positive effects of competitive intensity on market orientation implementation. As such, this research addresses an important concern among researchers and managers that is related to how to increase the market orientation and, thereby, the performance of their subsidiaries located in foreign countries.     

Strategic adaptations to price controls: The case of indian drug industry

In developing countries private enterprises, especially foreign firms, are under constant surveillance and a wide range of government controls are imposed on them. Adaptations and changes required in any organization depend to a great extent on the degree of freedom a firm enjoys and its willingness to go through the needed changes. This paper examines the manner in which drug companies in India have explored and utilized their degrees of freedom in response to very complex price regulations—a rather popular form of regulation in India.     

公司治理与代理成本关系研究

我国上市公司的代理问题和治理机制的效率受到公司控制权性质和成长机会的显著影响,表现在国有控股公司或低成长机会的上市公司的代理问题显得较为突出;管理层持股在国有控股上市公司中不具有治理效用,而独立董事在非国有控股上市公司中未发挥治理作用;大股东监控和短期债务融资在低成本机会的公司中具有明显的治理作用。     

建国以来我国对葡语国家文化外交的历史回顾与现实挑战

文化外交作为外交的第四个支柱,是对当今国际关系领域中国家、市场与社会三者互动的有效应对,是传统政治、经济、军事外交的有益补充,并与其共同构成我国外交的有机体系。新中国对葡语世界的文化外交有效地提升和拓展了我国的国家利益。面对转型期变化莫测的国际体系,我国对葡语世界的外交政策也面临诸多挑战。只有继续并深化对葡语世界的文化外交,才能在日益重要的葡语世界中维护并强化我国的国家利益。     

公司治理与上市公司会计信息质量

会计信息是人们在经济活动过程中运用会计理论和方法,通过会计实践获得的反映会计主体价值运动状况的经济信息,会计信息的质量直接影响上市公司的管理及决策目标。保证会计信息的真实性是提高会计信息质量的根本要求。不完善的公司治理结构是我国上市公司会计信息失真现象泛滥的根本原因。从公司治理结构与会计信息的关系进行分析,并从内部治理结构与外部治理结构两方面分析会计信息失真的原因,可提出完善公司治理结构、提高我国上市公司会计信息质量的对策。     

政治风险、文化距离和双边关系对中国对外直接投资的影响——基于“一带一路”沿线主要国家的研究

随着“一带一路”战略的实施,中国对外直接投资（OFDI）规模将会持续扩大,也面临各种各样的风险。根据2003-2014年中国对“一带一路”沿线主要43个国家直接投资的面板数据,运用面板矫正误差（PCSE）方法估计,重点研究东道国政治风险、文化距离和双边关系对我国对外直接投资的影响,并将样本分为“新海上丝绸之路”和“丝绸之路经济带”,比较两条路线上的异同。研究发现：双边政治关系与我国OFDI显著正相关;中国对“一带一路”的OFDI一般集中于政治风险高、文化距离近、自然资源丰富的国家,原因在于东道国丰富的自然资源和与东道国良好的双边关系降低了投资风险;地理距离对中国投资有负影响,中国对东道国出口对OFDI有促进作用。此外,政治风险、文化距离和地理距离对OFDI的影响在“一带一路”两条路线上表现出明显差异。     

后危机时期世界经济格局的动态转换

始于2007年的金融危机,使全球经济遭到了历史罕见的巨大冲击。世界经济的各种力量对比开始发生此消彼长的变化,世界经济格局处于动态转换之中:世界经济结构加快调整,全球经济治理机制深刻变革,科技创新和产业转型孕育突破,发展中国家特别是新兴市场国家整体实力步入上升期,世界多极化深入发展。我国应科学认识世界经济格局变化特点,准确把握经济发展的战略机遇期,加快实施经济结构战略性调整,争取在未来的全球经济合作竞争中建立更大的比较优势。     

A comprehensive model of customer direct and indirect revenge: understanding the effects of perceived greed and customer power

This article develops and tests a comprehensive model of customer revenge that contributes to the literature in three manners. First, we identify the key role played by the customer’s perception of a firm’s greed—that is, an inferred negative motive about a firm’s opportunistic intent—that dangerously energizes customer revenge. Perceived greed is found as the most influential cognition that leads to a customer desire for revenge, even after accounting for well studied cognitions (i.e., fairness and blame) in the service literature. Second, we make a critical distinction between direct and indirect acts of revenge because these sets of behaviors have different repercussions—in “face-to-face” vs. “behind a firm’s back”—that call for different interventions. Third, our extended model specifies the role of customer perceived power in predicting these types of behaviors. We find that power is instrumental—both as main and moderation effects—only in the case of direct acts of revenge (i.e., aggression and vindictive complaining). Power does not influence indirect revenge, however. Our model is tested with two field studies: (1) a study examining online public complaining, and (2) a multi-stage study performed after a service failure.     

基于管理层认知行为的国有公司治理研究

20世纪90年代以来，在经济全球化的影响下，公司治理问题受到广泛关注，提高公司治理的水平已成为一个重要任务。本文在学习现有公司治理理论的基础上，分析了国有公司与私有公司管理层认知与行为方面的偏差，认为优化公司治理需要从管理层认知行为方面入手，并提出了基于管理层认知行为的国有公司治理对策。     

文化因素影响寿险消费吗？——来自中国大陆地区的证据

由于寿险产品具有复杂性和关注未来的不确定性利益,消费者在购买寿险产品时不仅考虑自身的经济状况,还可能依据其信仰和偏好来决策,即在研究寿险消费时需要放松消费者是经济人这一假定。文章首先从文化的定义和内涵证明了文化对寿险消费的影响,随后以Hofstede的文化维度并结合民族和宗教因素作为文化变量,采用1999--2010年的相关调查数据进行了实证研究。结果发现,当把经济变量和人口统计变量作为控制变量来分析文化对寿险消费的影响时,民族和宗教因素、权力距离和不确定性规避对寿险消费存在显著的负影响,男性／女性主义对寿险需求有显著的正影响,而现阶段个体主义这一变量对寿险需求的影响并不显著。     

“Trust but verify”? The performance implications of verification strategies in trusting relationships

Considerable extant research demonstrates the benefits of trust in buyer-seller relationships. More recent research points out downsides of the vulnerability inherent with trust. Recognizing this dilemma of trust, partners may offset the vulnerability of trust with verification strategies—efforts to produce information relevant to the exchange relationship. This research examines the use of three types of verification strategies—monitoring, assurances, and corroboration—which may be employed to safeguard against the vulnerability of trust. When control mechanisms like trust and information are combined, they may complement one another and enhance performance or function as substitutes, be redundant or compete, and consequently detract from performance. Emerging theory on combined modes of governance provides insights. We draw on this theory and develop hypotheses proposing that combinations of trust and verification may enhance or detract exchange performance—depending on the specific verification strategy. The hypotheses are tested on a sample of 230 buyer-supplier relationships. Results of the research provide some support for the proposed relationships and yield implications for the management of cooperative exchange relationships.     

公司治理结构对债务期限结构影响的实证研究

从公司治理结构的角度,选择2003～2007年沪深股市690家A股上市公司作为样本,在考虑公司特征和行业差异的前提下,运用多元线性回归模型分析了股权结构和董事会特征对上市公司债务期限结构的影响。研究发现,第一大股东持股比例与债务期限结构显著负相关,董事会规模、独立董事比例与债务期限结构显著正相关,国有股比例、管理者持股、董事长和总经理两职合一与债务期限结构的关系不显著。     

新进入者劣势、累积学习经验与中国对外直接投资--兼论“五通指数”的调节作用

利用2006~2018年中国对"一带一路"沿线47个国家的对外直接投资数据,结合跨国公司与组织学习理论,系统考察包括地理及制度性因素在内的"新进入者劣势"对中国"一带一路"直接投资的影响作用,验证对外直接投资累积学习效应及其对"新进入者劣势"的调节作用;同时利用中国与"一带一路"沿线国家"五通指数",系统考察互联互通对中国企业"新进入者劣势"的影响作用。实证结果表明:除经济距离外,其他距离因素均对中国对外直接投资存在显著的抑制作用,累积学习经验及"五通指数"在经济和地理距离方面的调节作用较为明显。企业自身学习经验的累积以及政府在政策、经贸、人文、基础设施方面的互联互通均有助于促进中国企业海外投资,并在一定程度上规避"新进入者劣势"的消极影响。