The Role of Perceived Product Importance in Organizational Busyer-Seller Relationships

The focus of industrial marketing is shifting toward buyer-seller partnership and greater emphasis is being placed on nurturing these relationships. Partnerships imply intensive ties and complex interaction processes between buyers and sellers. This paper focuses on the affect that perceived product importance has on the complexity of partnership interaction processes. The findings indicate the perceived product importance leads to high levels of cooperation, information exchange and social exchange, in addition to extensive interoranganizational networks involving many functional areas and hierarchical levels. On the other hand, in the industry studied, it did not lead to a mutual commitment of resources. The seller made substantial investments in the relationships with their customers, whereas, in general, the buyers were not perceived as having done so     

An Assessment Framework for Practicing Facilitator

There is an on-going recognition of the need for facilitation to support different group settings. However, the skills and expertise required to successfully facilitate a group of participants to achieve their goal is a challenging task to achieve. There are a number of barriers towards facilitation: A facilitator needs to operate at many different levels at the same time; understand the politics within the group; encourage interaction within the group; and guide participants through tasks and activities, while balancing the needs of the group and the client to reach real outcomes. One of the key competences of a facilitator is flexibility, to adapt to varying circumstances. The complexity and dynamic nature of delivering an appropriate and effective facilitation service makes it therefore difficult to assess the facilitator’s performance in any facilitated session. In this paper we describe a framework in the form of an artefact developed to aid the facilitators in assessing their own performance in different meetings. Facilitation Service Assessment Framework (FSAF) allows facilitators to define metrics and measures in the context of facilitator’s goals. The assessment framework consists of a structure and a process which facilitators use to apply the framework to facilitation scenarios. Finally, the paper describes how experts evaluated FSAF in alternative scenarios by running a survey and then by conducting interviews.     

家庭经济地位与生育行为:宏观环境的调节效应

使用2005年全国1%人口抽样调查数据研究家庭经济地位对中国妇女违反政策生育行为的影响。考虑到社会情境对个体行为的重要影响作用,本研究构建多层模型分析不同省级社会环境下家庭收入对违反政策生育行为的影响。家庭经济因素对个体生育行为的影响会随着省级社会环境的不同而呈现出巨大差异。在女性在农业部门就业比例高的地区,收入呈负向影响;女性在农业部门就业比例低的地区,收入呈正向影响。这说明社会环境对个体行为的影响机制是复杂的。研究结果对生育政策调整具有一定的启示意义。     

Accounting as a Facilitator of Extreme Narcissism

We add texture to the conclusion of Duchon and Drake (Journal of Business Ethics, 85, 2009, 301) that extreme narcissism is associated with unethical conduct. We argue that the special features possessed by financial accounting facilitate extreme narcissism in susceptible CEOs. In particular, we propose that extremely narcissistic CEOs are key players in a recurring discourse cycle facilitated by financial accounting language and measures. Such CEOs project themselves as the corporation they lead, construct a narrative about the corporation and themselves using financial accounting measures, and then reflect on how their accounting-constructed performance is perceived by stakeholders. We do not present empirical evidence about whether the use of accounting language and measures leads to unethical behaviour by extreme narcissistic CEOs – although the conclusions of Duchon and Drake (2009) suggest empirical support is probable. Rather, we focus on developing alertness to the potential for accounting, when engaged by an extremely narcissistic CEO, to be a precursor or implement of unethical behaviour.     

Critical Role of Leadership on Ethical Climate and Salesperson Behaviors

Leaders play a critical role in setting the tone for ethical climate in organizations. In recent years, there has been an increased skepticism about the role played by corporate executives in developing and implementing ethics in business practices. Sales and marketing practices of businesses, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, have come under increased scrutiny. This study identifies a type of leadership style that can help firms develop an ethical climate. Responses from 333 salespeople working for a North American subsidiary of an international pharmaceutical company were used to analyze the impact of instrumental leadership on ethical climate. We also examined the effect of ethical climate on effort, satisfaction with the supervisor, and job satisfaction. Managerial implications are provided.     

Racial Differences in Helping Behaviors: The Role of Respect,Safety, and Identification

Building upon social and racial identity theories, this study examines the role of positive relational climate in predicting interpersonal helping behaviors (IHBs) at the workplace. Within this context, we examine both the role of mutual respect and psychological safety as exemplars of positive relational climate, and the mediating role of organizational identification (OI). The study also recognizes the importance of individual differences by examining racial differences in OI and IHBs. Results support the hypotheses and strengthen claims of social and racial identity theories.     

Customer Satisfaction with E-Retailers: The Role of Product Type in the Relative Importance of Attributes

It is of strategic importance for e-retailers to allocate their resources to various service attributes according to their relative importance. How does one determine the relative importance of different service attributes? Does the relative importance of different service attributes remain the same across different product categories? These questions must be addressed by researchers and e-retailers. Since customer ratings for service attributes are highly correlated, modeling methods other than traditional regression models should be used to analyze the relative importance of service attributes to overall customer satisfaction. As such, this article utilizes neural networks in order to study the relative importance of e-retailer service attributes. Importantly, this article shows that the relative importance of e-retailer service attributes varies across different product categories (i.e., convenience, shopping, and specialty goods).     

市场调研是营销咨询的一根扁担

<正>市场调研(广义的)对于一个企业来说,是其作出经营决策前的必要管理活动,尤其是当企业作出涉及市场竞争的决策时,更是不可或缺。站在管理咨询的角度,无论从理论和实践来     

企业应当加强情感营销

<正>一、情感营销运用情感创造财富市场营销的产生和发展都是现实条件变化的结果。自从加入WTO后,我国市场营销环境发生了较大的变化,也促使我国的营销方式产生变化,不断地推陈出新。     

渠道制胜--诺基亚的成功之道

2005年上半年的手机市场中．诺基亚是当之无愧的赢家．赢得让所有的手机厂商心服口服,赢得让老对手们忧心忡忡。目前,诺基亚以超高份额雄居中国手机市场榜首,将其最大的竞争对手摩托罗拉甩在后面,其他对手更是显得望尘莫及。     

The Importance of Local Factors

It's not all about Europe While it is difficult to discuss the region's economic outlook without taking into account Europe's sovereign and banking stress and potential massive fiscal consolidation in late 2012,it is also crucial to take into account local factors in Asia.     

不在景气,在销售能力

<正>你要先听好消息,还是坏消息?坏消息是,你的销售团队的销售方式糟透了;好消息是,你的竞争对手也一样。也许你最近的业绩下滑,也许重要客户被竞争对手抢走,开会检讨时,不景气自然是罪魁祸首。然而事实是,这其中也许一部分和景气有关,很大的一部分,却是销售团队本身的问题。     

The Role of Decision Importance and the Salience of Alternatives in Determining the Consistency between Consumers' Attitudes and Decisions

This research examines how the importance of a consumer decision influences attitude-decision consistency and choice in decision contexts that contain versus do not contain specified alternatives. Results demonstrate that decision importance moderates attitude-decision consistency when alternatives are not specified, but not when alternatives are specified. These results, in conjunction with the time participants devote to choice, suggest that importance plays a larger role in attitude-decision consistency when alternatives are unspecified versus specified because importance leads to greater effort in generation of alternatives when alternatives are unspecified (an unnecessary task when alternatives are specified in context). Implications for promotion are discussed.     

Understanding Customer Role and its Importance in the Formation of Service Quality Expectations

A search of the Service Quality (SQ) and Customer Satisfaction (CS) literature reveals a gap in knowledge relating to the ‘expectation’ formation aspect of the disconfirmation paradigm.

Little consideration has been given to the ‘role’ of the customer in the service encounter, albeit that the above literature mostly customer that one measure of output performance comprises a customer comparison of the various delivery components with a self-established standard, of which ‘expectations’ appears the most common. A need exists to identify not only how customers define the standards and parameters for evaluation, but also, how the customers’ understanding of their role during service interaction affects the expectations they form.

This paper addresses the above need through the development and subsequent exploratory testing of a conceptual model of expectation formation. In addition to the recognised expectation antecedents of ‘experience’ and ‘familiarity,' two ‘role’ construct dimensions ‘role understanding’ and ‘role benefit’ are introduced in a broader expectation antecedent framework. The relationship between ‘experience’ and ‘familiarity’ with respect to expectations is found to be indirect in nature; with ‘role understanding’ and ‘role benefit’ both performing a mediator function. Managerial and research implications are discussed.     

中国商务谈判行为分析

商务谈判是商务活动中的一个必不可少的组成部分。为研究中国商务谈判行为,以北京、温州和邯郸三个城市几十家企业102组商务模拟谈判为依据进行分析,数据结果揭示了中国商务谈判者的个人特征、谈判策略及谈判气氛等因素对谈判结果所产生的影响,以及这些因素之间的相互作用。     

The Importance of Basic, Applied Research

Among many audiences there is a general sense that universitybusiness education is failing to meet the needs of the marketplace.Moore and Diamond (1996) suggest that the pressure to respondto the marketplace has increased in recent years because of thelow entry barriers for new education vehicles, the high exitbarriers for existing education institutions, and the proliferationof alternative ways to deliver university level education inbusiness.We illustrate this pressure by noting that non-conventional,distance learning educational opportunities increased by 800%between 1993 and 1997. We suggest business schools in researchuniversities can compete effectively if we focus on researchthat is both basic (influencing further knowledge development)and applied (problem driven), and if we differentiate our offeringby incorporating the findings of our basic, applied researchinto our curriculum.     

经济行为中的纽带:成本—收益关联

经济行为具有两面性,既包含了个体从中所获得的收益,又包含了为此付出的成本。成本—收益关联理论的研究表明:在人们的经济行为中,时间接近性、复杂性、局部的和因果的框架、构成的显著性和动机都会产生关联影响。也会产生情绪的、认知的和行为的结果,它对商家、消费者、员工、政策制定者的影响更不可忽视。成本和收益的关联性值得被更仔细的研究,它可以帮助人们更好的理解真实世界的现象。     

The Influence of Hedonic Values on Consumer Behaviors

Summary

This study investigated the influence of hedonic values on the consumer behavior of young Chinese. The results show that hedonic values are negatively associated with utilitarian orientation and positively associated with novelty seeking, responsiveness to promotion stimuli, and preference for foreign brands. Personal income moderates the relationship between hedonic values and brand consciousness. Conceptual importance and managerial implications are discussed.