Search results

The key objective of this research is to test how two trust dimensions (cognition‐based trust and affect‐based trust) mediate the effects of three personal characteristics (psychological distance, the marketing manager's sales experience, and the marketing manager's relative level of formal education) on the following outcome variables: dysfunctional conflict, functional conflict, and perceived relationship effectiveness.

Drawing on the interaction approach, the paper develops a conceptual framework to better understand the nature of the working relationship between marketing managers and sales managers. In total, it develops and test 13 hypotheses. Partial least squares was used to assess the validity of the measures, and to estimate the structural model. Using a cross‐sectional design, data were collected from 101 marketing managers in Australia.

The hypothesized model has high explanatory power and it was found that both trust dimensions strongly affected all three outcome variables. However, though both forms of trust were positively related to perceived relationship effectiveness, affect‐based trust had the strongest impact on this outcome. The results also confirm that both cognition‐ and affect‐based trust have negative effects on dysfunctional conflict, and strong positive effects on functional conflict. In addition to these new findings, the paper shows that while psychological distance has a strong negative impact on cognition‐based trust, it has no impact on affect‐based trust. Moreover, it was found that when marketing managers had greater levels of sales experience, it increased their affect‐based trust but it had no impact on cognition‐based trust. Finally, the marketing manager's relative level of formal education had no impact on either forms of trust.

This is one of a handful of studies to employ a large‐scale empirical approach to examine the neglected cross‐functional relationship between marketing and sales. Also, it is one of the few studies to examine the effects of cognition‐based trust and affect‐based trust on performance outcomes.

Using data collected from 302 firms spanning a wide range of industry sectors, tests a model designed to explain the decision of whether to use or not to use an outside technical consultant when purchasing a big‐ticket, high technology product in the information technology area. The results indicate that different categories of variables influence the decision to include or not to include an outside technical consultant in the buying center. In order to assess the degree of convergent validity in our findings, a second model was tested using a somewhat different, but nonetheless related dependent measure, namely the extent of the consultants’ involvement across eight buying stages. Overall, the model testing results provide good support for the majority of the hypothesized relationships, especially those related to the buyer’s access to external networks, product class knowledge, and technical/administrative role. A major finding is that 28 percent of firms in our sample engaged an outside consultant to help them make the purchasing decision. Analysis of the consultants’ extent of participation in these purchasing decisions indicates that they had high involvement in seven of the eight buying stages. Though the consultants were found to have least involvement in the final stage of the buying process, i.e. the selection of the preferred supplier, it seems reasonable to expect that they are key influencers in this final stage as they had a significant effect on shaping all the preceding buying stages.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a structural model of the factors that explain the level of perceived relationship effectiveness between marketing managers and sales managers.

The model integrates trust‐based and power/influence/interdependence‐based models of relationship effectiveness. The data were collected from 113 sales managers in the UK and Australia. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the validity of the measures, while AMOS Version 4 was employed to estimate the model using structural equation modelling with observed variables.

The study found, on average, that the perceived level of relationship effectiveness between sales managers and marketing managers is surprisingly high. The findings clearly demonstrate the potency of interpersonal trust (both cognition‐based and affect‐based) in building effective cross‐functional relationships (CFRs) and also show how interdependence affects both dimensions of trust and the marketing manager's level of manifest influence. In addition, the findings indicate that, when marketing managers have greater manifest influence, the CFR is more effective. Importantly, evidence is provided regarding the consequences of marketing managers using the two influence tactics of legalistic pleas and threats, in terms of their effects on trust and manifest influence. Finally, insights are given about the sequencing of these two influence tactics and how the power of the marketing unit indirectly affects relationship effectiveness.

This is one of the very few studies to use a large empirical survey to examine the marketing and sales dyad.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of self‐congruence on consumer satisfaction with services and to develop and test a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of consumer satisfaction in the hospitality industry.

The conceptual framework consists of the following constructs: actual self‐congruence, ideal self‐congruence, desires congruence, service quality, consumers' overall attitude to a service firm, and intention to return. Moreover, 12 hypotheses were developed and tested. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test the validity of the measures, while PLS was used in hypotheses testing. Data were collected from 185 consumers who had recently visited a restaurant or hotel.

Strong support was found for 11 of the 12 hypotheses. Findings reveal that ideal self‐congruence and desires congruence have positive effects on consumer satisfaction. In contrast, it is shown that actual self‐congruence is not related to consumer satisfaction. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the two dimensions of service quality – physical quality and staff behaviour – have a positive impact on both desires congruence and consumer satisfaction. Importantly, consumer satisfaction is found to be a better indicator of the consumers' overall attitude to the service firm than service quality. The study confirms that consumer satisfaction mediates the relationship between the two service quality dimensions, ideal self‐congruence, and intention to return.

This study makes four important contributions. First, satisfaction research is advanced by integrating self‐concept theory into the postpurchase evaluation of services. Second, the relationship between the multidimensional nature of service quality and consumer satisfaction is examined by testing paths from two posited dimensions of service quality – physical quality and staff behaviour – to satisfaction. Third, the consumers' overall attitude to a service firm is integrated into existing models of satisfaction and its impact on behavioural loyalty (intention to return) is tested. Finally, a contribution is made to the satisfaction research literature by testing the effect of service quality on desires congruence, and the effect of desires congruence on consumer satisfaction.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model of the factors that explain the level of interpersonal conflict between marketing managers and sales managers. The paper aims to establish the overall level of interpersonal conflict in the full sample and in the two sampled countries (UK and Australia).

The study draws on two theoretical frameworks to develop the model, namely structural contingency theory and the interaction approach. More specifically, the conceptual framework uses three groups of variables to explain interpersonal conflict: structural, individual, and communication. Importantly, the study developed and tested nine hypotheses. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the validity of the measures while OLS regression was used in testing the hypotheses. The data were collected from 200 sales managers in the UK and Australia.

Overall, the study finds that there was a surprisingly low level of interpersonal conflict between marketing managers and sales managers and that there were no differences across the two countries. Of the three groups of variables, the two communication variables – frequency and bidirectionality – had the strongest effects on interpersonal conflict. The next strongest effects were from the individual‐level variables – psychological distance and the sales manager's formal education. The findings also reveal that the level of the sales manager's marketing training and the marketing manager's sales experience had no influence on interpersonal conflict. Two of the three structural variables – use of lateral linkages and being part of a corporation – had the hypothesized negative impact on interpersonal conflict.

This is the first study to use a large empirical survey to examine the marketing and sales dyad. Also, it is one of the few studies to test the effects of communication behviours on peer manager conflict.