Do the magnitude and asymmetry of specific asset investments matter in the supplier–buyer relationship?

Abstract

Despite a body of literature on specific asset investments, the extant literature falls short of exploring the magnitude and symmetry of specific asset investments in supplier–buyer relationships. This paper builds on prior research to identify and examine the impact of total and asymmetric specific asset investments on commitment, trust, and conflict in supplier–buyer relationships. Covariance structure analysis is used to analyse survey data. The results show that total SAI are positively related to commitment and trust, while asymmetric SAI are negatively related to trust and positively related to conflict in supplier–buyer relationships. Decision-making uncertainty affects trust, commitment, and conflict more than any other variables. Therefore, firms should work to strengthen their relationships by increasing the magnitude of specific asset investments with the aim of increasing trust and commitment. We also discuss the limitations of this study and suggestions for future research.     

Drivers of Interorganizational Trust in Seafood Exporter-Importer Relationships

The article presents structural equation modeling analysis of survey data from 181 buyer-seller relationships in the seafood industry. Relational investments, relationship length, and sharing of strategic information are identified as the key drivers of interorganizational trust (measured for the whole exchange relationship and not as either buyer or supplier trust). Contrary to common assumptions, international experience and sharing of logistical (operational) information show no association with interorganizational trust. Hence, previous successes are no guarantee that exchange relationships will work well in the future. As the nature of business changes and new challenges arise, managers must always be alert to new approaches and develop new recipes to be successful.     

Guanxi Networks,Buyer-Seller Relationships,and Farmers' Participation in Modern Vegetable Markets in China

The aim of this study is to investigate the joint effects of small-scale farmers’ guanxi networks and buyer-seller relationships on their marketing behavior in China. A survey of 167 vegetable farmers shows that farmers' guanxi networks have significant effect on trusting relationship building with buyers and on their investment behavior for transactional specific assets. Guanxi networks also help to improve farmers’ participation in modern high-value markets (e.g., supermarkets and international markets) and encourage relational transactions. Farmers’ modern market participation will be further enhanced by trusting buyer-seller relationships with buyers and complying with buyers' quality requirements. The application of formal contracts, on the other hand, is closely related to farmers’ trusting relationships with buyers and transactional specific assets for vegetable transactions. Some policy implications are discussed.     

A note on spurious nonlinear regression

This paper explores the power of two tests for nonlinearity against spurious nonlinear regression. Results show that while the BDS test is susceptible to spuriousness, an approach introduced by Peña and Rodriguez [Peña, D. and Rodriguez, J., 2005, Detecting nonlinearity in time series by model selection criteria, International Journal of Forecasting 21, 731–748.] is powerful, regardless of sample size.     

人民币汇率非线性特征研究——基于R/S分析法的实证检验

以2005年7月21日~2008年3月12日银行间外汇市场六种货币兑人民币汇率数据为样本,采用R/S分析法对其日收益率序列进行了研究,结果表明:六种货币兑人民币汇率日收益率序列均不服从正态分布,普遍地表现为有偏的随机过程;六种货币兑人民币汇率均具有非线性特征,表现为较强的正状态持久性,其波动存在明显的非周期循环。     

Why Do Some Multinational Firms Respond Better Than Others to the Hostility of Host Governments? Proximal Embedding and the Side Effects of Local Partnerships

Using a multiple-case study of alleged expropriations reported before the World Bank, we examine how multinational companies (MNC) react to the escalating hostility of host governments. Our study reveals how different choices regarding the interaction with local nonmarket stakeholders – which we refer to as proximal vs. mediated embedding – shape how managers respond to these disputes by affecting their ability to collect, process and interpret information, and to act upon it in a way that effectively mobilizes local and international support. In contrast to the prevailing view that local partners in international joint ventures shelter MNCs from abuse from political authorities, our findings show that primary reliance on local partners to manage the local nonmarket environment can actually reinforce a liability of outsidership and even create a ‘liability of insidership’, to the extent that relying on local partners prevents the MNC from establishing quality connections with a broad range of nonmarket stakeholders, reducing its alertness and responsiveness to hostile acts from host governments.     

数字信号处理中对噪声的处理

本文探讨了数字信号处理中,噪声的处理方法。阐述了小波分析法的几种因素的影响,针对工程应用,提出了一个简单实用的解决方法。     

An Investigation of Justice in supply chain relationships and their performance impact

Justice is important in improving performance of supply chain relationships. However, the role of justice in improving performance in supply chain relationships is an under-investigated subject in the literature. In studying the joint impact of justice dimensions, the traditional assumption is that the three forms of justice interact with each other in a multiplicative manner. However, this assumption creates a managerial problem as discussed in this paper. We outline a different view of how the justice dimensions interact with one another utilizing the constraining factor model (CFM). We show that the CFM resolves some of the problems arising from the choice of multiplicative interaction of justice measures on performance. Specifically, we demonstrate that an increase in procedural, distributive or interactional justice results in a significant and positive improvement in performance only if the specific justice dimension is the constraining factor in the relationship. Overall, our analysis suggests that all three dimensions are important and a high level of one of the justice elements will not compensate for a low level of another, a view that is put forward by a number of past research studies in justice. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of our findings.     

考虑批量订货的易腐农产品配送中心选址方法

为提高物流管理绩效、降低物流运作成本,考虑到配送中心的批量订货和作业能力限制,建立了易腐农产品配送中心选址问题的0-1整数非线性规划模型,并利用Lingo 9.0软件进行了模型求解.利用该模型可以确定配送中心的位置和各配送中心与零售店之间的配送关系,并可得到配送中心的订货周期和订货批量.最后,通过算例验证了模型的有效性.     

林业规模经济的非线性均衡分析研究

本文将林业规模经济分为两类,即林业经济效益的规模经济和林业三大效益的规模经济。在分析林业经济效益的规模经济时,引入了成本变量,简要说明了林业经营成本与林业经济效益成反向变动关系。在分析林业三大效益的规模经济问题时,运用非线性均衡分析方法,并通过建立模型论证了林业三大效益达到最大化即均衡状态时所必需的条件。对林业三大效益规模经济问题的分析是本文核心部分,旨在为林业三大效益均衡问题的研究提供若干参考依据,同时也为林业合作经济组织的发展提供指导。