BOOK REVIEWS

Purpose: Companies engage in business relationships for a variety of reasons, including specialization, product development, and building competitive networks. Research has demonstrated that mergers and acquisitions (M&As) may challenge ongoing business relationships. The purpose of this article is to investigate whether and how competition authorities consider business relationships when evaluating M&As.

Methodology: The article uses the documentation from 450 M&As reported to the Swedish competition authority to capture the way in which an authority evaluates M&As. The Swedish competition authority evaluation corresponds to other national and international evaluation procedures.

Findings: The findings indicate that the competition authorities neglect an important aspect of business life, namely companies forming business relationships. The competition authorities evaluate M&As on the basis of risk for price increases, and consequently disregard such issues as heterogeneity in demand and offerings, and values built into existing business relationships.

Originality/Value/Contribution: The article contributes to research on business relationships through exploring how a public authority deals with such relationships. It also contributes to research on mergers and acquisitions through examining how these activities are evaluated by competition authorities. Furthermore, the article contributes to competition research by reflecting on competition law concerning M&A regulations in relation to business relationships.     

刍议新时期下构建和谐师生关系中信任效能的发挥

新时期下,师生间的沟通障碍妨碍了开展气氛活跃的课堂,不利于构建和谐的校园生活。师生沟通障碍的出现,是彼此间的信任危机的表现,阻碍了新教育时期的师生关系发展。在信任为基础上建立师生间沟通的桥梁,发挥信任在师生关系中的效能,才能使得师生关系的和谐,课堂气氛的融洽,校园生活的健康、向上。     

Identifying the Communication,Behaviors, and Interaction Patterns of Agency-Client Relationships in Development and Decline

Abstract

Leichty and Springston (1993) suggest that “if the relationship management metaphor is to be taken seriously, we need to develop a theory of how relationships between organizations and publics develop, change, and are maintained” (p. 334). The current investigation is a response to that challenge by suggesting a theoretical grounding, drawn from Knapp and Vangelisti's (1996) interaction stages research, for describing how agency-client relationships are initiated, developed, maintained, and deteriorate. The research was conducted with 25 account executives of a medium-sized mid-western public relations agency. The participants provided examples of communication, behaviors, and interaction patterns that are experienced when agencies and clients initiate, develop, maintain, deteriorate, and terminate relationships. A total of five phases of organization-public relationship development and five phases of organization-public relationship decline are reported. The paper concludes with a discussion of the role that relationship management should play in the study and practice of public relations.     

Building Strategic Partnerships in Wine Marketing

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between U.S. wine distributors and wineries. Specifically, it identifies the factors distributors believe contribute to successful winery-distributor relationships. Web-based survey research was conducted with 81 usable responses received. Results indicate that wine quality, dependability of the producer, price, and personal relationship between the winery and distributor are the most important factors in determining whether a distributor will carry a specific wine in their sales portfolio.     

浅议德国的关系型融资

近年来,银行与企业之间的关系型融资在世界范围内得到广泛运用。在美、日、德等发达国家,关系型融资已成为企业外部融资的一条有效途径,并对企业的经营管理产生着重要的影响。本文总结分析了德国关系型融资模式的特点,希望能够对我国企业的外部融资有一定的指导意义。     

主体间性视域下高校德育中师生关系的异化与建构

主体间性的缺失是影响德育师生关系,造成德育实效性差的根本原因。要增强高校德育的实效性,必须在主体间性视域下研究目前德育中师生关系的异化原因并进行重新建构。把主体间性从哲学领域引进到德育领域,用一种崭新的视角来关注整个德育过程,对研究新时期高校德育师生关系的异化与建构具有重要的理论和实践的指导意义。     

How professional service firms compete in the market: an exploratory study

Abstract

This study investigates how professional service firms (PSFs) compete in the market. Drawing on strategic marketing literature, a managerial rather than customer perspective is adopted. The study investigates the competitive positions sought by professional service providers and the specific marketing activities actually undertaken to achieve these positions. Thirty-seven depth interviews with senior management from a range of PSFs indicate that firms seek to differentiate themselves by developing long-term relationships, providing better service quality and greater value, and developing brands with strong reputations. Organisations typically seek such interrelated competitive positions simultaneously. A list of marketing activities used by the PSFs to achieve these competitive positions offers practical insights into the specific activities needed to achieve the various competitive positions sought.     

正确处理高校思想政治工作中的几个辨证关系

社会主义市场经济体制的进一步完善,使人们的思想观念、意识和思维方式发生了巨大的转变,高校思想政治工作者必须在讲究思想政治工作艺术的前提下,坚持运用马克思主义的辨证法思想,正确处理好思想政治工作中的辩证关系,进一步提高工作的实效性,努力把思想政治工作提升到一个新的水平.     

先收费后服务对消费者心理的影响

收费时机是定价策略的一个重要组成部分，企业采用先收费的定价策略容易忽略消费者的感受，对品牌关系、态度及行为、甚至对企业的长期利益都可能带来不利影响。本文探讨了先收费对消费者心理的影响机制，并从消费者和企业关系规范的角度提出先收费具体契合哪种社会规范，发现当先收费不符合预期惯例时，消费者的感知风险提高、感知价值（包括感知体贴和感知信任）受损，且便利感受下降，进而影响其态度和行为意愿。所以，先收费被更多地认为是传递了企业想要与消费者建立交易型关系而非互惠型关系的信号。