Enjoyment or autonomy? The interactive effect of brand ritual and brand personality on consumer purchase

The use of brand rituals is a pervasive tactic in business, but the marketing effectiveness of this practice largely remains unknown. In the present research, we postulate the contingent nature of brand rituals on consumer purchase. Based on the two countervailing processes—the enhancement of perceived enjoyment and the reduction of perceived autonomy, we suggest that the effectiveness of brand rituals is determined by the interaction between the degree of brand ritual (simple vs. sophisticated) and the brand personality (excitement vs. sincerity). By means of field and laboratory experiments in various product categories (i.e., fruit tea, juice, stationery, and hand cream), we show that for a sincere brand, a sophisticated brand ritual elicits higher consumer purchase than a simple brand ritual only via the process of enhanced enjoyment because its sincerity personality weakens the salience of the process of reduced autonomy. In contrast, for an exciting brand, a sophisticated brand ritual elicits lower consumer purchase than a simple brand ritual via the process of enhanced enjoyment but reduced autonomy (the autonomy route dominates the enjoyment route) because its exciting personality intensifies the salience of the process of reduced autonomy. In simple words, a sophisticated brand ritual benefits a sincere brand, but a simple one benefits an exciting brand. Our findings extend the research on ritual and brand ritual and offer implications for marketing practice regarding how to design a brand ritual more effectively.     

The influence of international networks on internationalization speed and performance: A study of Czech SMEs

Drawing on social capital theory and the international entrepreneurship literature, we develop hypotheses relating the structural, cognitive and relational aspects of the international network of SME CEOs to two internationalization outcomes – speed and performance. The study is based on a sample of 155 Czech SMEs covering a broad range of manufacturing industries. Our findings indicate that firms sharing a common language with their international ties are able to internationalize faster than firms that do not share a common language. Moreover, we observe that geographically diverse networks contribute to superior performance. Extensive reliance on personal contacts hinders the performance of the first international venture.     

社会资本、社会网络与企业家集群——基于宁波和温州的比较研究

基于社会网络理论,文章通过研究温州和宁波两地企业家集群产生的过程,分析社会资本如何促进大规模的企业家集群产生。研究表明,企业家个人的社会资本在区域文化、共同价值观和群体信任的发酵下结成社会网络,社会网络促使更多企业家产生从而形成企业家集群。研究显示,温州企业家社会网络具有强联系、同质性和自组织的特点,创业倾向集体行动,依赖本地资源,产业升级代际锁定;宁波企业家社会网络具有弱联系、异质性和他组织的特点,外部资源掌控力强,容易引发产业升级。     

The Language of Marketplace Rituals: Implications for Customer Experience Management

The domain of customer experience management (hereafter, CEM) includes every point of customer contact with products, services or businesses (Grewal, Levy, and Kumar 2009). In a recent special issue of the Journal of Retailing, Puccinelli et al. (2009) assert that a key atmospheric element of CEM that can shape customer satisfaction within the retail setting is the “interaction between the customer and employee” (p. 24). In this paper, we delve further into the social-interaction aspects of retail atmospherics, by focusing on how retailers and service providers use language to facilitate a specific type of provider/customer experience that we label the “marketplace ritual.” We use depth interviews and participant observation to: (1) analyze the structure and function of the specific utterances providers identify as salient when creating and executing marketplace rituals; (2) discuss the ways language contributes to perceived strategic CEM-related outcomes; and (3) examine providers’ perceptions of the potentially negative consequences of ritual language for CEM.     

Hindering or enabling structural social capital to enhance buyer performance? The role of relational social capital at two levels in China

Purpose: In its cognitive, relational, and structural forms, social capital has been identi?ed as a powerful strategic tool. However, prior empirical studies focus only on the direct effect of various dimensions of social capital and address relational social capital at either a dyadic level or a network level. Drawing on the social capital theory and social network theory, this study fills the above-mentioned gaps by examining the role of structural and relational social capital on performance through exploring direct and interaction effects simultaneously and revealing the moderating effect of relational social capital at the dyadic and network levels (including business ties and political ties) simultaneously.

Methodology/Approach: Based on data for 393 distributors from China, a moderated regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings: The empirical test generally supports the hypotheses and indicates that the value of structural social capital is conditional on both curvilinear and linear moderating effects of relational social capital: the moderating effects of business ties on the structural social capital–buyer performance relationship is inverted U-shaped, while the moderating effects of relational social capital at the dyadic level and political ties on the structural social capital–buyer performance relationship is positive.

Research Implications: This study incorporates all three dimensions of social capital, represents one of the first attempts to examine the interplay between structural and relational social capital in emerging economies, explores relational social capital at the dyadic and network levels simultaneously, and responses to the fact that buyer–supplier relationships (BSRs) are embedded within a larger context of social networks. By addressing these issues, this study sheds new light on the individual and joint impact of various dimensions of social capital and provides new evidence on both the positive and negative aspects of social capital in a single model.

Practical Implications: The results provide important implications for managers in addressing social capital in an emerging economy. In order to improve performance, managers should first encourage and foster frequent, diverse, scarce, and high-quality information exchange and interactions to accumulate structural social capital. Additionally, managers should not only emphasize relational social capital building and development in BSRs, but also pay attention to the cultivation of relational social capital among the business network. They should acknowledge the persistent positive effect of political ties and the potential negative effect of business ties.

Originality/Value/Contribution: First, few studies examine both the individual and synergetic effects of various dimensions of social capital in a single model or explicitly explore relational social capital in a dyadic relationship and deeply consider it at the network level in a single model. This study addresses these issues.     

Foreign market entries,exits and re-entries: The role of knowledge,network relationships and decision-making logic

We focus on the following question: how are knowledge, network relationships and decision-making logic interrelated throughout the internationalization process – foreign market entries, exits and re-entries? We contribute to the internationalization literature, network approach and effectuation theory that have not examined these interrelationships during internationalization – especially de- and re-internationalization – in detail yet. Thereby, we provide a more complete view of internationalization. Based on a single punctuated longitudinal case study, we show that lack of knowledge results in mostly effectual (opportunity-driven) decision-making: finding customers via weak ties, trade fairs and unsolicited export orders and experiencing numerous market exits and re-entries due to “experimenting”. Knowledge acquisition leads to more causal (systematic, plan-driven) decision-making and stronger ties, but serendipitous (“by chance”) entries can still occur, and exiting and re-entering foreign markets may continue. We suggest that managers should network and acquire knowledge actively, use both decision-making logics and accept uncertainty as normal during internationalization.     

Ethnic ties, location choice, and firm performance in foreign direct investment: A study of Taiwanese business groups FDI in China

This paper examines ethnic ties and their impact on FDI location choice and firm performance. Drawing on social network theory and using data from 88 Taiwanese business groups, the study tests the impact of ethnic ties on firm FDI location choice and performance outcomes in China. Results show that ethnic ties of top managers matter in facilitating firm FDI location choice. In contrast to our expectations however, ethnic ties do not help to improve firm performance in China. Implications of these results are discussed in view of existing literature and future research opportunities are delineated.     

Performance Implications of a Retail Purchasing Network: The Role of Social Capital

This study employs social capital theory to examine how a retail buyer's network of industry peers influences retail performance. We propose that performance is enhanced by three network resources – access, referral, and influence – that result from two structural facets of a retail buyer's network: contact diversity and contact position. We test the model by collecting sociometric data that measures interpersonal ties among 84 retail buyers operating in the same geographic territory in the U.S. golf industry. The results offer evidence that network resources lead to higher levels of performance, even when accounting for differences in human capital and organizational resources. The paper concludes with a discussion of managerial and theoretical implications.     

Shaping and re-shaping social capital in buyer-supplier relationships

Social capital plays an important role in explaining how value is created from firms' network relationships, but little is understood about how social capital is shaped over time and how it is re-shaped when firms consolidate their network ties. In response, this study explores the evolution of social capital in buyer-supplier relationships through a case study of a company undertaking radical product innovation, and examines the corresponding changes in the firm's network of buyer-supplier relationships. The analysis shows that social capital is built in a decidedly non-linear and non-uniform manner. The study also reveals considerable interaction among the dimensions of social capital throughout the evolution of the firm's network, and emphasizes the importance of the cognitive dimension—a feature receiving little attention thus far. The evidence shows, too, that efforts to strengthen social capital need to increase when network ties are sacrificed to prevent unintended consequences for firms' longer-term value creation.     

Indicators of opinion leadership in customer networks: self-reports and degree centrality

In this paper, we assess two alternative indicators of opinion leadership, self-reported opinion leadership and degree centrality, on the same dataset. We also investigate the interaction effect of these two indicators and the social network environment on opinion leadership. We use social network and survey data from the mobile telecom industry to analyze opinion leadership in smartphone adoption. We find that degree centrality indicates opinion leadership, but that self-reported opinion leadership indicates opinion leadership only under the right social circumstances. In case of weak to moderate network ties, the effect of self-reported opinion leadership is not significant. However, self-reported opinion leaders more effectively influence their strong ties. This study sheds light on indicators of opinion leadership and provides insights for managers to improve their social marketing campaigns.     

The parochial realm,social enterprise and gender: the work of Catharine Cappe and Faith Gray and others in York, 1780–1820

Catharine Cappe and Faith Gray, and a wider group of women to whom they had strong network ties, founded a number of philanthropic enterprises in York, England, in the 1780s. Their activities were largely focused on the provision of sickness benefits to single and married women and the management of schools for girls that had a substantial occupational training element. The social enterprises they formed or operated were long-lasting – in the case of the York Female Friendly Society (YFFS) operating well into the twentieth century. The article considers the role of parochial networks in creating and sustaining social enterprises in the late Georgian period and the ways in which the women’s activities were both shaped by gender, and in turn, shaped gender relations.     

Economic geography and emerging market clusters: A co-evolutionary study of local and non-local networks in Bangalore

The presence of network ties within location plays a significant role in organization and evolution of clusters. This has proven to be particularly true for clusters specializing in knowledge intensive industries, where the organization of resources – people and technology – has been a primary driver for firm and regional performance. With the help of a longitudinal case study of the Bangalore IT cluster in India, we investigate the effect of local and non-local network ties on its evolution. We argue that networks – both local and non-local – play an important role in the development of cluster. We propose a non-linear relationship between cluster evolution phases and the type of network ties most prominent. Our study also outlines the role that embedding, expansion, and extension of ties plays in transitioning cluster from one phase to the other. The consideration of non-local ties is rather nascent in the cluster literature and promises to enhance the understanding of how clusters develop at both levels – policy as well as firm.     

Exploring the Mechanisms through which Strong Ties Impact upon the Development of Ideas in SME Contexts

Present theories highlight the varied roles played by weak and strong ties in idea generation, and development, respectively, but the mechanisms through which ties operate to influence the creative process remain uncertain. Investigating this issue across a range of SMEs, this paper demonstrates that strong ties influence idea development through three mechanisms; endorsement and validation, developing cognizance, and encouraging constructive dissent. These mechanisms positively impact idea development by creating organizational spaces that are primed to critically receive ideas, energize knowledge sharing by better transacting resources across network connections, and drive divergent thinking by disordering, but not fracturing, social spaces.     

The role of social and human capital among nascent entrepreneurs

This study examines nascent entrepreneurship by comparing individuals engaged in nascent activities (n=380) with a control group (n=608), after screening a sample from the general population (n=30,427). The study then follows the developmental process of nascent entrepreneurs for 18 months. Bridging and bonding social capital, consisting of both strong and weak ties, was a robust predictor for nascent entrepreneurs, as well as for advancing through the start-up process. With regard to outcomes like first sale or showing a profit, only one aspect of social capital, viz. being a member of a business network, had a statistically significant positive effect. The study supports human capital in predicting entry into nascent entrepreneurship, but only weakly for carrying the start-up process towards successful completion.     

Entrepreneurial orientation,entrepreneurial competencies,innovation, and performances in SMEs of Pakistan: Moderating role of social ties

The current study examines the mediating role of innovation and entrepreneurial competencies in entrepreneurial orientation’s relationship with financial, social, and environmental performance. This research also determines the role of social ties in strengthening the association between innovation and entrepreneurial competencies with social, financial, and environmental performance. Using multi-source and time-lagged studies, the data was collected from 297 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan, and structural equation modeling was used to test direct, indirect, and moderating hypotheses. The findings show that entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurial competencies, and innovation positively correlate with all the types of performance under investigation and confirm the mediating role of innovation and entrepreneurial competencies. Additionally, social network ties strengthen innovation—financial performance, and entrepreneurial competencies—social performance relationship. This research proposes significant theoretical and managerial implications by determining the impact of entrepreneurial orientation on SMEs in Pakistan.     

Spilling the social capital beans: a comparative case study of coffee service enterprises within Asia-Pacific

Abstract

Despite the importance of social capital to organizational performance, there is scant insight within service contexts. Accordingly, this research explores social capital in two Asia-Pacific service enterprise cases – a Thai coffee franchise and a Coffee Roasters Guild in Australia. In the Thai case, social capital in the service experience emerged from norms common in Thai society and manifested via social enterprise initiatives. Findings from Australia indicate social capital helps form a strong organizational identity leading to better economic and social outcomes and an enhanced service experience, benefiting numerous stakeholders. The study demonstrates varying patterns of social capital in Asia-Pacific service enterprises, contributing to theory and practice.     

Persuasive social approval cues in print advertising: Exploring visual and textual strategies and consumer self-monitoring

This study focuses on exploring the persuasion effects of social approval cues in both visual and textual formats in print advertising. It also examines the moderation role of a consumer dispositional factor – self-monitoring orientation – on the effectiveness of visual and textual cues. Through a controlled experiment involving four versions of a fictitious ad, this study demonstrates that social approval cues in either visual or textual format can significantly increase consumers' brand evaluation and purchase intention. Furthermore, it shows that the effectiveness of social approval cues can vary across different combinations of visual and textual presentations, either enhancing or diminishing the overall persuasion outcomes. These observed effects of social approval cues occur only for high self-monitors, but not for low self-monitors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in relation to advertising strategies and research.     

品牌仪式的“见”之效应：品牌仪式如何影响消费者信任

受新冠肺炎疫情的影响，大多消费者只能在线观看企业通过互联网实施的品牌仪式，然而以往研究更多揭示的是消费者直接参与的仪式效应，鲜有消费者不直接参与的仪式研究。基于社会交换理论，文章运用实验法探讨了当消费者见到但不实际参与品牌仪式时，品牌仪式对消费者信任的影响机制，即品牌仪式的“见”之效应。结果表明：作为视觉材料呈现的品牌仪式（对比随机动作）也能激活消费者的仪式感知，增加消费者对品牌的信任。原因在于当消费者从品牌仪式的互动体验中获取相应的积极情感资源（心流体验）后，会更倾向与品牌建立信任关系。此外，消费者品牌关系规范会调节品牌仪式对消费者信任的影响，对于共享型关系中的消费者，品牌仪式通过增强消费者心流体验，进而增加消费者对品牌的信任，但对于交易型关系中的消费者，该效应消失。     

Interaction episodes as engines of relationship change

We discuss a framework for analyzing interaction episode patterns that culminate in business relationship changes. A nomenclature for mapping and characterizing patterns of episodes that take place over time and within social space provides a new approach to relationship analysis. We introduce and define interacts as the building blocks of episodes and discuss the meaning and implications of episode valences. Building on ideas from Flanagan's [Flanagan, John C. The critical incident technique. Psychol Bull 1954; 51 (4): 327-358] critical incident technique, the new nomenclature includes critical events in which customers and suppliers make changes to resource ties and activity links that redefine a business relationship's structure. We employ network theory to evoke endogenous and exogenous influences on episodes. Also, we identify other influences on interactions and relationship change, including asymmetries in actor perceptions and information, tolerance zones for interpreting outcomes of episodes, difficulties perceiving patterns, and relationship entropy.     

The role of network embeddedness across multiple social networks: Evidence from mobile social network games

This article examines peer influences from network relationships within a social network game (i.e., embeddedness) and across such games (i.e., multiplexity). Drawing on social influence theory, we develop a bivariate Poisson model of users’ repeated visits and latent attrition that accommodates peer interaction after controlling for homophily. We estimate the model using data from two social network games with considerable overlap among network members. We find that friends who are only multiplex across games exert greater peer influence on users’ game visits than members who are embedded within a single game. We also determined that ignoring network multiplexity across games may lead firms to mistarget users due to biased peer influences of embedded friends. This result provides an unresearched explanation—strength of peer influence—for the mixed findings in previous literature on network embeddedness. We utilized our results to conduct several scenario analyses to demonstrate how firms can effectively manage users’ engagement and target users in multiple social network games.