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This study aims to examine how various components of interpersonal trust (affective and cognitive) influence the duration of buyer-seller relationships in the emerging market (EM) context of a heterogeneous market structure dominated by small, fragmented sellers/suppliers.

The study proposes a hazard model for analyzing duration effects of interpersonal trust in the EM context. The model was validated using data on buying agents provided by 340 cocoa sellers/producers in Ghana, gathered from extensive field interviews.

Results of the survival analysis reveal a limited but significant positive duration effect of cognitive (ability) trust only. Further analysis of sellers’ duration intentions (intention to remain with a buyer) also reveals a positive impact of affective trust but no impact of cognitive (ability and integrity) trust. Cocoa bean sellers’ evaluation of buying firms’ purchasing agents suggests that buying firms underperform on emotional/affective components of interpersonal trust, and that private firms outperform state buying agents on ability trust as well.

While this study focused on the fragmented nature of sellers in the EM context, and the scope was limited to the sellers’ interpersonal trust perception of the buyer-seller, future research should examine both buyer and seller perceptions to obtain complete insight into the buyer-seller dyad in the EM context. In addition, the results of the duration effects identified in this study may not be generalizable to other EM export commodities, where channels have long been fully privatized. Ghana’s cocoa export marketing system was only recently privatized, and potentially has more sellers at the risk of adopting/switching relationships with their buyers than would be expected in more privatized expert commodity marketing systems.

Managers of export commodity buying firms in EMs can take advantage of the positive duration effects of cognitive trust by constantly improving the capabilities of their purchasing agents throughout the lifetime of their suppliers to sustain their relationship. However, sellers’ intention to switch can be mitigated by formalizing policies that encourage emotional bonds with sellers, especially small-scale producers in highly vulnerable bargaining positions. The aggregate output of small-scale producers could be of strategic importance in the future.

Managers need systematic empirical evidence of the nature of duration effects of interpersonal trust given anecdotal evidence suggesting that managers have a tendency to emphasize cognitive trust over affective/emotional trust. Further, the applicability of such evidence in the EM context is critical given unique conditions such as highly fragmented sellers dealing with relatively large corporations.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of service flexibility in addressing consumer vulnerability for chronically-traumatized consumers within the funerary context.

Using phenomenological philosophy and a grounded approach, data was collected and analyzed through 12 depth interviews with funeral service providers, coupled with observations and photographs of three second-line funeral processionals.

Study results include the following three primary roles of service providers in supporting chronically-traumatized consumers: the role of service fluidity in addressing trauma, mitigating vulnerability via service providers as community members and alleviating suffering through compassionate service. Service flexibility and value co-creation efforts were executed through an expansive service ecosystem of vendors.

When consumers experience vulnerability that demands reliance upon service industries, service providers can intentionally implement fluidity and agility in service design, adopt understanding and altruistic practices, and operate with empathy and compassion to orchestrate mutually-beneficial service outcomes.

Rooted in transformative service research, providers are advised to consider modifying services to improve well-being and mitigate vulnerability for chronically-traumatized consumers via fluidity, community and compassion.

This study contributes originality to the body of service marketing literature by illustrating how service providers alleviate vulnerability for chronically-traumatized consumers through three adaptive service strategies.

This study aims to draw on the strategy–structure–performance framework to investigate baseline supply chain (BSC) practices as a function of how firms structure logistics and marketing mix activities to achieve market share in the emerging market (EM) supply chain ecosystems.

The authors validate the study’s conceptual framework with survey data collected in two contrasting EM supply chain ecosystems. They include supply chains in EM economies with an advanced logistics/distribution infrastructure such as China and those in economies with poor logistics/distribution infrastructure such as Ghana. The authors use ordinary least squares regression and structural equation modeling analysis to examine the relative market share outcomes of different configurations of logistics-marketing practices (logistics-affordability marketing, logistics-accessibility marketing, logistics-acceptability marketing, logistics-and awareness and full integration into BSC).

Key findings confirm that the integration of logistics with marketing activities into BSC practice is more pervasive in EMs with high logistics performance index, such as China than in firms in EMs with low logistics performance index, such as Ghana. Moreover, the authors confirm that integrating logistics and marketing into BSC generates higher market share performance than logistics- or marketing-only practices in China and Ghana. These differences are driven more by the firm’s strategic orientation than the demands of competitive market conditions.

The study focuses on BSC integration activities in the logistics and marketing functions because researchers have not updated this issue for the past two decades.

The study results provide managers with much-needed empirical evidence of the strategic benefit of BSC integration under different supply chain ecosystems in the EMs.

Linking BSC activities in logistics management and marketing management mix activities within the 4As marketing mix framework provides evidence to support the argument that the 4As marketing mix is an appropriate planning framework for EMs’ unique ecosystems.

This paper examines the potential of photography as a design thinking method to develop innovative food experiences that improve food well-being.

This paper is a critical review of research using photography to examine the complex physical, emotional, psychological and social relationships individuals have with food at personal and societal levels.

The conceptual legitimacy of photography is well-established in the social sciences but has been missing from design thinking practices. Photography is particularly well suited to understand the highly visual practice of food and to design innovative food experiences.

Practical and ethical issues in the use of photography are considered as a research tool. Future research should examine photography as an integrated tool in the entire design thinking process.

A table of photographic research methods for all stages of design thinking, from empathy to prototyping, is presented. Best practices for the successful implementation and interpretation of photography in food design thinking are discussed.

Photography is a uniquely inclusive and accessible research method for understanding the social problem of food well-being and designing innovative food experiences.

To the best of the authors knowledge, this paper provides the first conceptual foundation for the use of photography in design thinking. The paper identifies novel photographic methods that can be used to understand problems and generate solutions. It provides guidelines to successfully integrate photography in the design of innovative food experiences that improve food well-being.

The purpose of this study is to measure intellectual capital of the firm through the eyes of the consumer by investigating the relationships between financial-based brand equity (FBBE) and consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) and their related constructs.

Fifteen consumer brands were evaluated based on three different perspectives of CBBE, and were then regressed on FBBE. Prior to the regression analysis, the FBBEs of 15 consumer brands were standardized using the total assets and three-year weighted average of their brand equity values.

Findings show that existing CBBE scales and related brand dimensions partially explain FBBE, namely, sustainability and brand experience, and that the product category contributes significantly in explaining FBBE. In addition, brand experience is positively associated with FBBE.

The study only includes brands from the food, electronics and clothing industries.

The study provides guidance to brand managers regarding which brand dimensions directly influence brands’ financial values.

The paper empirically measures consumers’ perceptions of the firm’s intellectual capital by using brand equity.