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.     

Competitive Bluffing: An Examination of a Common Practice and its Relationship with Performance

Bluffing, a common and consequential form of competitive behavior, has been comparably ignored in the management literature, even though misleading one’s rivals is suggested to be an advantageous skill in a multifaceted and highly competitive environment. To address this deficiency and advance scholarship on competitive dynamics, our study investigates the moral reasoning behind competitive bluffing and, using a simulated market-entry game, examines the performance effects of bluffing. Findings suggest that decision makers’ views on the ethicality of bluffing competitors differ from their beliefs on the ethicality of misleading other organizational stakeholders. Analysis also indicates that decision makers who view competitor bluffing as more ethical (less unethical) are more willing to engage in competitive bluffing. Finally, while bluffing is often thought to be an effective business practice, results show that in the context of repeated interaction, bluffing is not conducive to high levels of performance and, in fact, can have undesirable consequences.     

团队内冲突对团队决策质量和满意度影响的实证研究

Conflict is a pivotal variable influencing team decision performance. This article reviewed literature on intragroup conflict and studied how different types of conflicts affect perceived team decision quality and satisfaction. We conducted a survey on 156 managers and found that the task-relationship conflict dimensions are also valid in the Chinese context. We also found that both task conflict and relationship conflict are negatively related to team members’ decision satisfaction. Relationship conflict acts as a mediator between task conflict and decision satisfaction. __________ Translated from Guanli pinglun 管理评论 (Management Review), 2007, 19(7): 10–15     

农户人际关系网络结构对渠道行为与续约意愿的影响

针对营销渠道行为研究网络视角缺乏的问题,引入了社会网络理论中的两个重要变量——网络密度和网络中心性,并在农产品营销渠道中考察了农户人际关系的网络密度和农户的网络中心性对渠道冲突与满意的影响,以及冲突和满意对交易关系的稳定性(农户续约意愿)的影响。实证研究发现,订单农业中农户的人际关系网络结构对渠道冲突与满意行为有显著影响;农户与农产品收购企业之间的冲突与满意对交易关系稳定性具有显著影响。     

An examination of the use of legitimate power in marketing channels

The importance of understanding and managing the channel conflict process has been well discussed, however little research has been conducted to examine the relationship between channel conflict and channel structure. In order to provide the focus for an in-depth research effort, this investigation was restricted to one type of channel structure, a retailer-owned co-operative wholesaling-retailing system, and to an examination of the role and importance of legitimate power as it contributes to channel conflict. A cross-sectional study was conducted of management and boards of directors of the wholesaler and 165 member-retailers of the Co-operative Retailing System. Results from correlational analysis of the aggregated data from sixty-four retail outlets indicated that a co-operative retailing-wholesaling system offers a model of distribution where the benefits of independence and co-ordination have been melded. From the retailers' perspective, autonomy for the independent retailers and a degree of control over channel decisions is offered. For the wholesaler, the decision-making structure provides a model for managing relations between large and small organizations which incorporates a mechanism for conflict resolution, while maintaining standardized delivery of products and services.     

Organization-Harm vs. Organization-Gain Ethical Issues: An Exploratory Examination of the Effects of Organizational Commitment

The existing literature on the relationship between organizational commitment and ethical decision making suggests that ethical decision makers with higher organizational commitment are less likely to engage in ethically questionable behaviors. The ethical behaviors previously studied in an organizational commitment context have been organization-harm issues in which the organization was harmed and the individual benefited (e.g., overstating an expense report). There is another class of ethical issues in an organizational context, however. These other issues, termed organization-gain issues, focus on the organization obtaining a benefit while outsiders, such as investors, are harmed (e.g., overstating reported revenue). We explore whether individuals with higher organizational commitment are more or less likely to engage in questionable behaviors that benefit the organization. Results of our study indicate that individuals with higher organizational commitment are less likely to engage in ethically questionable behaviors, regardless of whether the behaviors are organization-harm or organizational-gain issues.     

An Examination of the Relationship Between a Firm's Offerings and Different Customer Loyalty Segments

Purpose: Loyalty reflects the highest state in the buyer–seller relationship and occurs when repeat patronage and commitment are both high. One generally accepted model of segmenting the customers by degree of loyalty includes 4 categories of loyalty: no loyalty, latent loyalty, spurious loyalty, and loyalty. This study examines the relationship between these 4 customer segments and their evaluation of the firm's offerings.

Methodology/approach: This study uses self-reported purchase behaviors and attitude toward the seller for segmentation. Buyers report the importance of and satisfaction with 15 different offerings or processes. The mean scores for the 4 different groups are compared and tested for statistical significance.

Findings: The loyalty segments differed in the importance placed on customized products. The loyalty and spurious loyalty groups placed a higher importance on receiving customized products from the seller. The loyalty segments also differed in their levels of satisfaction, but these differences did not fully explain repeat patronage behavior. The latent loyalty group, despite their higher levels of satisfaction with standardized offerings, purchased less than the spurious loyalty group.

Originality/value/contribution: The implication for managers is that, if properly identified and managed, understanding these differences could lead to a sustainable competitive advantage. Managers can build loyalty by applying specific tactics tailored to the customer segment.     

Framing Effects Within the Ethical Decision Making Process of Consumers

There has been neglect of systematic conceptual development and empirical investigation within consumer ethics. Scenarios have been a long-standing tool yet their development has been haphazard with little theory guiding their development. This research answers four questions relative to this gap: Do different scenario decision frames encourage different moral reasoning styles? Does the way in which framing effects are measured make a difference in the measurement of the relationship between moral reasoning and judgment by gender? Are true framing effects likely to vary with the situation? and Are true framing effects likely to vary by gender? The conclusions reached were that (1) different scenario frames encourage both types of reasoning, but rule based moral reasoning is dominant regardless of frame, (2) accounting for formal equivalency in the measurement of true framing effects is likely to enhance the interpretation of studies in moral reasoning and judgment, (3) True framing effects are more likely to occur in situations with low to moderate perceived ethicality, and (4) true framing effects are not likely to vary by gender. Explanations as to why these results occurred are discussed.     

Family Roles in the Selection of Schools in Multiracial Singapore: An Examination of Demographic Differences

ABSTRACT

Family roles in deciding household purchases have intrigued marketers for a long time, with researchers calling for more studies on the subject–especially those which look into the roles played by children and ‘others’ in the decision process. This paper investigates the relative influence of the husband, wife, children and ‘others’ in five sub-decisions involved in the choice of a school, and distinguishes families reporting different roles on their demographic characteristics. Cluster analysis was used to develop segments on the basis of family roles. Results indicate that children and ‘others’ have negligible influence in this particular service and that the wife dominates four sub-decisions, while the husband dominates one. It is also seen that couples reporting wife dominant decision-making are older and are less susceptible to interpersonal influence than those reporting joint decision-making. Implications for school management are discussed.     

An Analysis of the Factor Structure of Jones’ Moral Intensity Construct

In 1991, Jones developed an issue-contingent model of ethical decision making in which moral intensity is posited to affect the four stages of Rest’s 1986 model (awareness, judgment, intention, and behavior). Jones claimed that moral intensity, which is “the extent of issue-related moral imperative in a situation” (p. 372), consists of six characteristics: magnitude of consequences (MC), social consensus (SC), probability of effect (PE), temporal immediacy (TI), proximity (PX), and concentration of effect (CE). This article reports the findings of two studies that analyzed the factor structure of moral intensity, operationalized by a 12-item Perceived Moral Intensity Scale (PMIS) adapted from the work of Singhapakdi et al. [1996, Journal of Business Research, 36, 245–255] and Frey [2000, Journal of Business Ethics, 26, 181–195]. The two items that were purported to measure CE were dropped due to their inability to effectively tap into the characteristic proposed by Jones. Factor analyses of the remaining 10 items supported a 3-factor structure, with the MC, PE, and TI items loading on the first factor, the PX items loading on the second factor, and the SC items loading on the third factor. These factors were labeled: Probable Magnitude of Consequences, Proximity, and Social Consensus. The authors conclude that moral intensity consists of three characteristics, rather than the six posited by Jones.     

Determinants of Ethical Decision Making: The Relationship of the Perceived Organizational Environment

This study attempts to help explain the ethical decision making of individual employees by determining how the perceived organizational environment is related to that decision. A self- administered questionnaire design was used for gathering data in this study with a sample size of 245 full-time employees. Perceived supervisor expectation, formal policies, and informal policies were used to assess the expressed ethical decision of the respondents. The findings indicate that the perceived organizational environment is significantly related to the ethical decision of the respondent.     

An Examination of the Association Between Gender and Reporting Intentions for Fraudulent Financial Reporting

We report the results of a study that examines the association between gender and individuals’ intentions to report fraudulent financial reporting using non-anonymous and anonymous reporting channels. In our experimental study, we examine whether reporting intentions in response to discovering a fraudulent financial reporting act are associated with the participants’ gender, the perpetrator’s gender, and/or the interaction between the participants’ and perpetrator’s gender. We find that female participants’ reporting intentions for an anonymous channel are higher than for male participants; the fraud perpetrator’s gender and the interaction with participants’ gender were not significantly associated with anonymous channel reporting intentions. Neither of the two factors nor the interaction between the two factors was associated with reporting intentions to a non- anonymous reporting channel. Results from an additional analysis indicate that male and female participants differ in the extent to which they judge the reduction in personal costs of an anonymous reporting channel compared to a non-anonymous reporting channel and that the reduction in personal costs mediates the relationship between participant gender and anonymous reporting intentions.     

逆向选择视角下电子商务市场与传统市场间关系研究

电子商务的出现和快速成长反映出它对信息环境具有支配性的优点,这本身就意味着电子商务市场可能成为传统市场的替代。然而,逆向选择问题明显限制了这种替代效应程度。文章基于经典逆向选择模型,通过所构造的双市场(传统市场与电子商务市场)逆向选择模型,证明伴随着质量不确定性而诱发的逆向选择问题,在电子市场和传统市场之间会产生市场的不均衡,从而导致渠道冲突。文章试图揭示传统市场和电子商务市场并存的学理根源,得出两市场间市场细分的条件,对两市场间的渠道冲突提出新的解释,并据此提出了逆向选择下企业营销的策略建议。     

信息不对称性与风险企业相机控制权安排的关系分析

相机控制权安排是风险投资合约的中心问题之一。在风险资本融资时,存在信息不对称和逆向选择问题。创业家向风险资本家转移的控制权是显示其类型的信号,这是一个不完全信息动态博弈问题。拥有相机控制权的风险资本家会根据事后的信息决定是否对风险企业进行干预。如果进行干预,创业家得不到私人利益。因此,风险资本家拥有相机控制权,对好创业家来说,成本是很低的,对坏创业家而言,是很大的威胁,从而使好创业家得到融资的同时,减少了坏创业家进行融资的可能性。     

From pushchairs to wheelchairs: understanding tensions in family decision making through the experiences of adult children caring for ageing parents

Abstract

Within a modern family life, roles have changed significantly; however, relatively little attention has been given to the increased health and longevity of parents. This article focuses on the tensions relating to the transitional role of parent as ‘carer of the child’ to child as ‘carer of the parent’ as parents age. This article focuses on the experiences of adult children as they care for their parents and the related tensions that emerge and coping strategies that are adopted. Adopting an interpretive approach we shed light on the decision-making practices around shopping, residential arrangements and other consumer choices and how they take place in complex arenas of intricate family interactions, influence and power. Key themes that emerged were strategies adopted by both the adult child and ageing parent to attain or retain control in an increasingly sensitive environment where there is no roadmap to guide either party.     

An Examination of the Relationship Between Ethical Work Climate and Moral Awareness

This paper draws from the fields of history, sociology, psychology, moral philosophy, and organizational theory to establish a theoretical connection between a social/organizational influence (ethical work climate) and an individual cognitive element of moral behavior (moral awareness). The research was designed to help to fill a gap in the existing literature by providing empirical evidence of the connection between organizational influences and individual moral awareness and subsequent ethical choices, which has heretofore largely been merely assumed. Results of the study provide evidence that ethical work climate (EWC) is a primary predictor of individual moral awareness, and that the influence of social factors often overrides the effects of individual differences in a work group setting. Implications for future research are provided.     

An Examination of the Relationship between Culture and Cyberloafing Using the Hofstede Model

This article explores the relationship between culture and cyberloafing. A survey measuring individuals’ propensity to engage in cyberloafing in the workplace was conducted with people from 17 countries representing a wide range of cultures. Tests were performed to explore relationships between participants’ propensity to cyberloaf and the cultural dimension ratings for their individual countries of origin. The results show that some types of cyberloafing activity relate significantly with culture. This has potential implications for multinational organizations. Employees from different cultures may have different workplace tendencies.     

员工当责感、工作满意度与组织公民行为

激发员工的组织公民行为是提升企业运转效率的有效途径之一。文章关注工作满意度对激发组织公民行为的作用机理,提出并证实了只有对高当责感的员工通过提高工作满意度来激发其组织公民行为才是有效的。通过系统的探索性分析和验证性分析,证实了工作满意度与组织公民行为之间存在显著的正相关关系,并且员工当责感在工作满意度和组织公民行为的关系中起中介作用。研究结果显示,中国企业要想通过提高工作满意度来激发组织公民行为进而提升企业效率,必须要关注员工的当责感及其前导影响因素,企业创造当责的文化环境有利于激发组织公民行为。