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1 – 10 of over 9000The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of perceived authenticity of organizational behaviors and types of organization-employee relationship (i.e. communal and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of perceived authenticity of organizational behaviors and types of organization-employee relationship (i.e. communal and exchange relationship) on intangible assets of organizations generated by employees’ communicative behaviors (ECBs) (e.g. megaphoning, scouting).
Design/methodology/approach
A web-based survey was conducted with full-time 528 employees working in medium- and large-sized companies in the USA.
Findings
Results showed that an organization’s authentic behaviors are positively related with employees’ perceived communal relationships, but not with exchange relationships. However, both communal and exchange relationships turned out to increase ECBs: positive megaphoning, negative megaphoning, and scouting. The existence of both communal and exchange relationships was more significant than having only communal relationships in terms of encouraging employees’ active communicative actions.
Research limitations/implications
By building links between employees’ communicative actions and its antecedents, perceived authenticity, types of relationship; this study contributed to the body of knowledge on exchange and communal relationship in the context of employee communication and extended the understanding of motivations of ECBs.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that employees’ communicative actions are highly facilitated by organizations’ authentic behavioral efforts and perceived relationship. To encourage employees’ information seeking and sharing behaviors, for organizational effectiveness, organizations should behave in authentic ways – be trustful, transparent, and consistent – and build both communal and exchange relationship.
Originality/value
This study first attempted to demonstrate the impacts of both communal and exchange relationships for organizations empirically in internal communication and relationship building practices.
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Yeunjae Lee and Myoung-Gi Chon
This study aims to examine the effects of transformational leadership on employees' internal (i.e. voice) and external (i.e. megaphoning) communication behaviors and to explore…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effects of transformational leadership on employees' internal (i.e. voice) and external (i.e. megaphoning) communication behaviors and to explore the mediating role of employees' communal and exchange relationship norms with their organization.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted with full-time employees working in various industry sectors in the USA.
Findings
Transformational leadership significantly increased employees' voice behaviors and their positive and negative megaphoning behaviors. Communal relationship norms exerted a significant mediation effect on employees' communicative behaviors and exchange relationship norms had positive impacts on employees' megaphoning behaviors.
Originality/value
This study is among the first attempts to test the effect of transformational leadership style on employees' communicative actions within and outside of a company and the mediating role of exchange-communal relationship norms.
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This study explores the link between internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee advocacy intention in the anonymous online environment, viewing the positive…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the link between internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee advocacy intention in the anonymous online environment, viewing the positive behavior of employees in anonymous social media as discretionary and altruistic efforts for their organization. Guided by social exchange theory (SET) and relationship management theory, the role of a communal relationship and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is likewise explored.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted with 405 full-time employees in the US.
Findings
Results showed that internal CSR positively influences the organization–employee communal relationship as well as OCB. Results further show that the employee-oriented communal relationship plays an important role in increasing OCB, which in turn enhances employee advocacy intention in anonymous social media.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first attempts to conceptualize employees' advocative behaviors in anonymous websites (e.g. Glassdoor) and to explore the antecedents of advocative behaviors, drawing insights from human resources management and internal relations.
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Leigh Anne Liu, Chi-Yue Chiu and Zhi-Xue Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to conceptually distinguish between communal and exchange relationship schemata and analyze their dynamic interactions and transformations in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to conceptually distinguish between communal and exchange relationship schemata and analyze their dynamic interactions and transformations in multicultural contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on theories of social capital, social exchange, networks and relational models, the authors propose a framework to conceptualize how the communal and exchange relationship schemata can be transformed, integrated and multiplied under contextual influences, especially in culturally complex settings faced by multinational organizations.
Findings
The authors elucidate the dynamic processes of schemata interactions and transformations in relationship management at interpersonal, interorganizational and national levels in a variety of intercultural contexts, including interactions between monoculturals from different cultures and interplay of cultures within biculturals and among multiculturals. The authors explain how schemata integration and fusion can provide competitive advantages in navigating multicultural relationships.
Research limitations/implications
Systematic qualitative and quantitative studies are recommended to further test and refine the proposed ideas regarding the dynamic interactions and transformations of relationship schemata.
Practical implications
This paper presents implications for individuals, country managers and leaders who need to initiate and maintain relationships with culturally different others. The authors highlight the desirability of being aware of one's own relational schema, understanding others' schema, bridging the two schemata as well as fostering integration and fusion of the schemata.
Social implications
The 2020 global pandemic and various social upheavals around the world highlight the urgency of finding effective mental models to manage relationships. The inclusive and adaptive ways of thinking about relationships can potentially facilitate harmonious connections and conflict resolution.
Originality/value
The authors conceptually disentangle two established relationship schemata and offer a model of their dynamic synergetic transformations.
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Pankaj Aggarwal and Megha Agarwal
This research uses the distinction between communal relationships (based on mutual care and concern) and exchange relationships (based on the principle of quid pro quo) to propose…
Abstract
Purpose
This research uses the distinction between communal relationships (based on mutual care and concern) and exchange relationships (based on the principle of quid pro quo) to propose a framework that predicts differences in the shape of consumer response function to increasing levels of brand transgressions.
Methodology/approach
The paper proposes a conceptual model based on insights from prior research on brand relationships.
Findings
The premise being proposed in this paper is that exchange-oriented consumers, being focused on the balance of inputs and outcomes, base their evaluations on an objective assessment of the final outcome, such that their response function will be relatively proportional to increasing levels of brand transgression. On the other hand, communally oriented consumers are concerned with whether or not the relationship partner cares for them, such that up to a point brand transgressions are overlooked while beyond a threshold there is a sudden negative shift in brand evaluations. These consumers thus exhibit a step-function response to brand transgressions.
Research limitations
This paper proposes a conceptual framework and leaves it to future researchers to test it empirically.
Practical implications
Managers now have a toolkit to better manage instances of product and service failure.
Social implications
Findings from this model can be applied to better manage interpersonal relationships too.
Originality/value of the paper
This paper proposes a model that shows how and why consumers might differ in their response to brand transgressions. Further, this is a dynamic model in that it traces the response function of the consumers at increasing levels of transgressions.
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Min‐Hui Foo, Gary Douglas and Mervyn A. Jack
The purpose of this paper is to show that new technologies have significantly changed the way that customers interact with their bank. Whilst a trip down to the local branch was…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show that new technologies have significantly changed the way that customers interact with their bank. Whilst a trip down to the local branch was mandatory in the past for a customer to do their banking, all that is required now in many situations is simply to send a text message or log on to the internet. However, the idea of exploiting customer competency with new technologies to create new distribution channels has become a double‐edged sword. Although the distance between the bank and its customer is shortened in that direct contact can be established within a matter of seconds with these new technologies, the impact on the customer's perceived relationship with the brand remains an issue of strategic importance that needs to be evaluated. In order to exploit the advantages of technology, a full understanding of the factors and processes involved in the customer‐brand relationship associated with use of self‐service banking channels is necessary.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology is an empirical study using bank customers as participants, which was conducted to examine the impact of salient relationship norms on customers' perceptions of their relationship with their bank.
Findings
Based on the experiment data, the paper establishes the relevance of the concepts of communal and exchange relationship norms in the study of customer‐brand relationships in a business context.
Originality/value
The implications from the findings provide insights into the importance of relationship theory in explaining customers' perceived relationship with brands, specifically that of their bank.
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Lingzhi Yu, Tingting Zhao and Xiucheng Fan
Relational norms, referring to shared values about behavioral rules, distinguish communal and exchange relationships based on different reciprocal expectations between actors…
Abstract
Purpose
Relational norms, referring to shared values about behavioral rules, distinguish communal and exchange relationships based on different reciprocal expectations between actors. This research explains how reciprocal expectations behind the two relationships trigger gift givers' disparate behavioral goals and further determine their gift choices.
Design/methodology/approach
The current work uses three lab experiments (N = 482) and one consumer survey (N = 422) to collect Chinese gifting data. Multiple data-analysis methods – crosstab analysis, ANOVA, linear regression and bootstrapping procedures – confirm the hypotheses.
Findings
Gift givers distinguish communal and exchange recipients. When selecting gifts for communal (exchange) recipients, people depended more strongly on rational analyses (intuition), preferring products superior on cognitive (affective) attributions. Further, givers primed to be rational decision-makers by anticipating that recipients would evaluate the gifts immediately in their presence, regardless of the communal or exchange context, preferred cognitively superior products.
Practical implications
From a managerial perspective, marketers can make targeted recommendations by highlighting the appropriate attribute dimension (cognitive or affective) after learning givers' reciprocal expectations.
Originality/value
This work contributes to the gift-giving literature by revealing the direct link between gifting goals and gift choices, extending the understanding of consumers' gift-selection strategies.
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Fortune Edem Amenuvor, Frank Akasreku and Kobby A. Mensah
The purpose of this study, which draws on the stimulus organism response (S-O-R) theory, is to empirically examine the effect of brand coolness on communal brand connection and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study, which draws on the stimulus organism response (S-O-R) theory, is to empirically examine the effect of brand coolness on communal brand connection and brand commitment, while assessing how the latter fosters brand trust and loyalty among smartphone users.
Design/methodology/approach
Data are collected from 410 smartphone users in Ghana and analyzed with Smart-PLS utilizing the structural equations modeling technique.
Findings
The study's findings show that consumers' perceptions of brand coolness have a positive influence on their communal brand connection and brand commitment. The study also discovers that brand commitment influences brand loyalty, whereas communal brand connection influences brand commitment, loyalty and trust, respectively. Similarly, brand commitment and communal brand connection are identified as important mediating variables in the relationship between brand coolness and both brand loyalty and brand trust.
Practical implications
The study underlines the significance of developing cool brand images and communicating same effectively to current and prospective customers, along with other stakeholders.
Originality/value
The study highlights the fact that properly creating cool brands can lead to increased communal brand connection, brand commitment, and, consequently, brand trust and loyalty.
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JungYun (Christine) Hur and SooCheong (Shawn) Jang
Given the increasing importance of relationship management in service recovery encounters, this study aims to investigate the role of consumer–organization relationship norms …
Abstract
Purpose
Given the increasing importance of relationship management in service recovery encounters, this study aims to investigate the role of consumer–organization relationship norms (communal versus exchange) in connection with the service recovery process.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a thorough review of the previous literature, the model was developed. Using a scenario-based survey method, a total of 204 usable responses were obtained via self-administered questionnaires in the USA. Anderson and Gerbing’s two-step approach was used to assess the measurement and structural models.
Findings
The findings indicate that consumers’ recovery processes are influenced by relationship norms. For consumers in the communal relationship, perceived social recovery had a greater influence on satisfaction with the service recovery. Consumers in the exchange relationship reacted more sensitively to perceived economic recovery in terms of satisfaction with the service recovery.
Research limitations/implications
The focus of this study is restaurant consumers’ responses to service recovery in the context of an established relationship. Therefore, the results may not be generalizable for other consumers and segments.
Practical implications
The findings have important implications for increasing the understanding of consumer behavior in established relationships and suggesting effective recovery strategies.
Originality/value
This study investigates the effect of different relationship norms that could explain varying consumer responses to service recovery within a high-quality relationship. It also provides directions for improving consumers’ satisfaction with service recovery. This differs from previous studies that mainly focused on relationship quality.
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Zongchao Li and Cong Li
Although a large number of prior studies have discussed the impact of using social media to organizations, the existing literature has not yet provided a clear guidance on what…
Abstract
Purpose
Although a large number of prior studies have discussed the impact of using social media to organizations, the existing literature has not yet provided a clear guidance on what specific communication strategy organizations should adopt on social media and what relationship they need to establish with the public. To fill this theoretical gap, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of message strategy and interactivity from a relationship-building perspective within a social media context.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a 2×2 between-subjects experiment (n=84), this study tests the effects of two message strategies, communal-relationship oriented messages and exchange-relationship oriented messages, with either a high or low level of interactivity within a corporate Twitter setting.
Findings
The study findings indicate that communication strategies with different relationship orientations differ in quality. Communal-relationship oriented messages tend to generate more favorable relationship outcomes such as trust and control mutuality than exchange-relationship oriented messages. Message interactivity also positively influences attitude toward the company, perceived company credibility, and commitment.
Originality/value
The unique contribution of this study is to extend relationship theories to a discussion of what message strategies organizations should use on social media. It suggests that messages oriented toward different relationships can lead to different outcomes. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of message interactivity in building a relationship between an organization and the public.
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