The ties that bind: Buyer-supplier relations in the construction industry

This study considers the consequences of Inter Organisational relations at two levels: the micro level of the individual, and the macro level of the organisation. Merging Transaction Cost Economics with theories on the Social Embeddedness of relations, the paper tackles several hypotheses about problems in buyer–supplier relations. We amend the general hypothesis, as has been put forward by other researchers, that having a common past in combination with an expected common future in business will reduce the likelihood that problems and conflicts occur. Our focus lies on whether this shared past and future can preclude problems better when the organisational relations are at the micro level. Our analyses of survey data from 448 contractor–subcontractor relations from the contractor's perspective in the construction industry reveal mixed support for effects of a shared past or future. We hardly find any of the expected positive effects of a shared past on supplier performance. However, we do find support for the hypothesis that a larger likelihood of future business with the same business partner has a stronger (negative) effect on the occurrence of problems if the expected future business is at the level of individuals (instead of at the level of organisations).     

Psychological Determinants of Paying Attention to Eco-Labels in Purchase Decisions: Model Development and Multinational Validation

Environmental labels are useful from an environmental policy perspective only if they are noticed by the consumer in the shopping situation and next – what is more – understood, trusted, and valued as a tool for decision-making. In this paper, a psychological model explaining variations in consumer attention towards environmental labels is developed and its ability to predict attention towards environmental labels in various European countries is tested.     

Introductory Remarks

Journal of Consumer Policy -     

Estimating the Direction of Innovative Change Based on Theory and Mixed Methods

In predicting the direction of innovative changethe question arises of the valid measurement ofyet unknown variables. We developed and applied aresearch method that combines qualitativeand quantitative elements in one interview formatand an analysis tool suitable for these data. Animportant characteristic of the method is the useof a model based on more universal forcesunderlying the direct interests in a product ofthe stakeholders in a system. This allows directedstatements, with a provocative and sometimes atrade-off character, on which the opinion ofstakeholders is asked on a quantitative scale andwhich are further probed in a standardisedqualitative way. A modified spider-web model isdeveloped to present the results in an orderlyand comprehensive way. The method is validatedon research on the strategic development ofthe market of scientific communication andinformation as it is presently developing on theInternet.