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1 – 10 of 400This paper aims to empirically examine the proposed framework that incorporates multiple business relational ties as components in a composite that can provide strength to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to empirically examine the proposed framework that incorporates multiple business relational ties as components in a composite that can provide strength to relationships. Strength is conceptualized as tensile strength or an ability to withstand stress without permanent deformation of the relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses dyadic survey data collected by mail survey from the organizational buyers and suppliers. Analysis is through moderated multiple regression.
Findings
Results indicate that stressors can disrupt individual components of relationships. However, the overall relationship outcome of behavioral loyalty remains intact with tensile strength coming from other components of the relationship.
Originality/value
This research introduces the concept of tensile strength from the material sciences as relevant to dyadic business relationship strength. The outcomes indicate that looking at multiple components of the business relationship provides greater insight into the tensile strength of business relationships.
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This paper investigates how retailers can obtain value from their customer and prospect databases. In the current fickle economic climate it has never been so important for…
Abstract
This paper investigates how retailers can obtain value from their customer and prospect databases. In the current fickle economic climate it has never been so important for organisations to be able to provide added‐value insights into their immediate and longer‐term development. Total DM conducted a telephone and e‐mail survey amongst marketing professionals from or representing the UK’s top 1,000 companies to determine different sector’s ability to obtain short‐term customer acquisition costs and longer‐term ongoing customer profitability. Secondary research was then performed to measure data richness for each industry. This measure took different factors into account, including penetration of loyalty. Retailers were found to be the overall winners at extending commercial value from their customer and prospect databases. This was greatly influenced by the large volume of customer information potentially available to retailers. The survey concluded that it was individual retailers who were able to exploit their databases to the full who would be able to win investor confidence.
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Mark R. Shannon, Maurice Buford, Bruce E. Winston and James Andy Wood
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of trigger events and leadership crucibles in the lives of authentic leaders. The study was based on two theories: authentic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of trigger events and leadership crucibles in the lives of authentic leaders. The study was based on two theories: authentic leadership theory and born versus made theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants were included in the study if they scored between 64 and 80 on the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ). The qualified leaders were then asked to participate in a qualitative interview utilizing an interview guide born out of the relevant literature. The interview followed the guidelines of the Critical Incident Technique (CIT).
Findings
The data indicated that trigger events and leadership crucibles play a significant role in authentic leadership development.
Practical implications
Practitioners should emphasize the prominent themes of self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing and moral perspective and the connection with other themes that emerged from the current study when developing or training leaders. Furthermore, practitioners concerned with creating an authentic leadership culture may consider the findings of the current study to develop and employ hiring and promotion strategies that increase the probabilities of hiring and promoting leaders that exhibit authentic leadership behaviors.
Originality/value
The findings of the research indicate that trigger events and crucibles both affect authentic leadership development. The research findings confirm characteristics associated with authentic leadership theory were predominant in the participants. However, one theme that prevailed was that of spirituality, which may or may not be considered to be part of an authentic leader's moral perspective
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Discusses a new methodology – efficient consumer response(ECR) – which the authors describe as an extension of MRP, JIT andQR. ECR aims to optimize the grocery supply chain…
Abstract
Discusses a new methodology – efficient consumer response (ECR) – which the authors describe as an extension of MRP, JIT and QR. ECR aims to optimize the grocery supply chain through partnerships formed between manufacturers and retailers.
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James A. (Andy) Wood and Bruce E. Winston
The purpose of this research is to focus on the development of three scales to measure the three dimensions of accountability presented by Wood and Winston (2005): responsibility;…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to focus on the development of three scales to measure the three dimensions of accountability presented by Wood and Winston (2005): responsibility; openness; and answerability.
Design/methodology/approach
The scale development process followed the method proposed by Spector in 1992 and DeVellis in 2003 in that each of the three constructs were defined and through a search of the literature the authors generated pools of 26, 21, and 19 items respectively. The items were submitted to a panel of six experts, who reviewed them for relevance to the construct and who made suggestions for the general improvement of the scales. The scales were then tested online by 148 participants.
Findings
Factor analyses revealed that the item pools measured one construct in each of the scales. Reliability analysis revealed Cronbach alpha coefficients of 0.98 (Responsibility), 0.99 (Openness) and 0.98 (Answerability). The scales were reduced to 10 items by removing items deemed redundant or confusing. Alpha scores for the ten‐item scales were 0.97 (Responsibility), 0.97 (Openness) and 0.98 (Answerability).
Research limitations/implications
The study participants were primarily Caucasian males. Further study should be done to validate the instrument in other ethnic groups.
Originality/value
The three scales may be useful for leadership selection, development, and research in overall leadership effectiveness.
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John Andy Wood, Julie Johnson, James S. Boles and Hiram Barksdale
The purpose of this research is an examination of three different types of sales approaches (product-, solution- and provocation-based) on relational outcomes. The type of sales…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is an examination of three different types of sales approaches (product-, solution- and provocation-based) on relational outcomes. The type of sales approach influences buyer's assessments about the trustworthiness of the salesperson and the conflict with the salesperson. These outcomes of the sales approach affect the customer's economic and non-economic satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
Using cross-sectional survey data from a sample of 840 organizational buyers, a structural equation model measures the path coefficients of the proposed model and tests the differences in the magnitude based on gender.
Findings
The results indicate that sales approaches will differentially influence assessments of trustworthiness and conflict. The magnitude of the influence of the sales approach on outcomes is different between genders.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical study to examine the impact of sales approaches on both genders of organizational buyers.
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Larry Greiner and Arvind Bhambri
By refocusing its attention on its core business, this sleepy subsidiary woke up to true opportunity. Though its young CEO was well aware of the several strategic management…
Abstract
By refocusing its attention on its core business, this sleepy subsidiary woke up to true opportunity. Though its young CEO was well aware of the several strategic management theories powering the transition, he chose to make humanistic principles such as leadership and trust his operative mode of management.
James Boles, Ramana Madupalli, Brian Rutherford and John Andy Wood
This paper aims to examines the relationships between various facets of salesperson job satisfaction as assessed by the INDSALES measure and salesperson organizational commitment…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examines the relationships between various facets of salesperson job satisfaction as assessed by the INDSALES measure and salesperson organizational commitment. The paper also seeks to explore salesperson gender as a moderator of the relationship between facets of job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses survey research of one firm's business‐to‐business salespeople to examine the relationships between facets of salesperson job satisfaction and salesperson organizational commitment.
Findings
Study results indicate that various facets of job satisfaction are more strongly related to organizational commitment. Findings also indicate that these relationships are not the same for male and female salespeople.
Practical implications
Findings demonstrate to sales managers that not all types of satisfaction are related to organizational commitment, which has been strongly linked to a salesperson's propensity to leave an organization. Further, various facets of satisfaction such as pay and promotion are more important to men than to women. Women find that satisfaction with co‐workers is more closely related to organizational commitment than it is for men. These findings have significant relevance to sales managers.
Originality/value
The relationship between facets of job satisfaction and organizational commitment has not been extensively researched. This is true even though these are two very important issues when dealing with sales force management. Likewise, the issue of men and women valuing different types of satisfaction to varying degrees has not been thoroughly examined in the business‐to‐business sales force literature.
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Recent research suggests that organizations cycle through a small set of possible configurations. Each buying center as an informal organization within one of these four viable…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent research suggests that organizations cycle through a small set of possible configurations. Each buying center as an informal organization within one of these four viable types of structure will exhibit distinct configuration attributes. Describing and predicting the buying center's configuration as indicated by organizational structure are the purpose of this research.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collected via mail survey are used to classify organizations into hypothesized segments via K‐means cluster analysis. Buying center structure is contrasted and tested for differences using MANOVA, MDA, and post hoc t‐tests.
Findings
The extensivity or level of participation in the buying center is significantly related to the type of organization. Organizational formalization and centralization are consistently related to the formalization and centrality of the buying center.
Research limitations/implications
The generalizability of the findings is limited as the sample is from a single US geographical area. Buying center participation and structure may be a function of the product. Research findings are limited to a specific service.
Practical implications
Awareness of the structure of the buying center is useful for marketing and sales managers. This knowledge can guide their efforts to allocate scarce sales resources at appropriate levels for business customers.
Originality/value
This paper closes a gap in the business‐to‐business marketing literature about antecedents to the buying center's structure.
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Electronic mail (E‐mail) is simply a means of transmitting the written word (and even graphics and charts) via the telephone line. It readily combines the best features of the…
Abstract
Electronic mail (E‐mail) is simply a means of transmitting the written word (and even graphics and charts) via the telephone line. It readily combines the best features of the telephone and traditional mail service, enabling instant communication with other E‐mail subscribers, both efficiently and inexpensively. A thorough review of terminals and modems available, private viewdata systems, and electronic mail systems (including customised versions) concludes that the most suitable electronic mail system for any individual situation will be ascertained through a review of the user's objectives, the type of people who will be accessing the information, and the type of information submitted and retrieved.
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