Customer-salespeople relationship

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 586-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Amyx ◽  
Shahid N. Bhuian ◽  
G. David Shows
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Personal Selling ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Trust

Purpose – Based on customer value-based and social exchange theories, the purpose of this paper is to hypothesize and examine the relationships between salespeople entrepreneurial behaviors (innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk taking) and customer trust in, satisfaction with and commitment to the salespeople. Design/methodology/approach – The influences of salespeople’s entrepreneurial behaviors on customer trust in, satisfaction with, and commitment to salespeople were examined utilizing a structural equations model with a sample drawn from the newspaper industry. Findings – As predicted salespeople entrepreneurial behaviors (treated as a higher order factor) significantly and positively influence customer trust in, satisfaction with, and commitment to the salespeople. Research limitations/implications – This study confirms innovative, proactive, and risk-taking practices are useful in fostering customer trust, satisfaction, and commitment in the domain of personal selling. The key limitations are the small sample size, the use of a single company, and the omission of other potential outcomes. Practical implications – Entrepreneurial behaviors/activities such as, innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk taking are worthy undertakings for salespeople. Considering these traits in salespeople hiring and/or fostering them in salespeople training should be worth pursuing. Social implications – By improving the quality of exchanges through salespeople’s entrepreneurial behaviors and customer-salespeople relationship quality, social exchanges, and in turn social welfare are promoted. Originality/value – As per the literature search, this is the first study linking salespeople’s entrepreneurial behaviors and customer-salespeople relationship quality represented by trust in, satisfaction with, and commitment to salespeople drawing insights from customer value-based and social exchange theories.

Vouching for childcare assistance with two quasi-experimental studies

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 994-1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole L. Gullekson ◽  
Rodger Griffeth ◽  
Jeffrey B. Vancouver ◽  
Christine T. Kovner ◽  
Debra Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assistance Programs

Purpose – Human resource management (HRM) practices are implemented to improve outcomes, such as reducing turnover, absenteeism, and improving performance. Using social exchange theory (SET), the purpose of this paper is to examine one HRM practice that has received less attention by researchers: employer-sponsored childcare assistance programs. Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 – a field study compared three groups of hospital employees’ (n=148) attitudes and behaviors using MANCOVA/ANOVA over two time periods. Study 2 – using a field study, on-site and voucher childcare assistance programs were evaluated in terms of the cost to the organization and the relationship to attitudinal variables. Findings – Study 1 – results indicated that employee performance was higher and absenteeism lower for employees using the on-site childcare center than employees using an off-site center or with no children. Although the attitudinal results did not align with hypotheses, they were not inconsistent with SET. Study 2 – results indicate that childcare assistance programs may be a beneficial HRM practice for organizations to implement. Research limitations/implications – One limitation of Study 1 is the small sample size. Future research should continue to examine how employee benefits like childcare programs affect employees, as well as examine how such benefits differentially employees who value and do not value the benefits. In Study 2, although the authors randomly selected the sample of on-site and voucher programs, the health care facilities self-selected themselves to participate in the program and selected the type of childcare program, a potential source of bias. Future research should examine childcare assistance programs and their impact on work-family balance and strain-based conflict in a wider variety of samples. Practical implications – Implications for research and practice: Both studies offer researchers a “next step” in the evaluation of childcare assistance research. Additionally, these studies are of practical value to administrators/researchers in organizations who may be considering vouchers or on-site programs as they relate such programs to organizational outcomes. Originality/value – The first study is one of the few studies on this topic to use a field design with two time points and with multiple behaviors and attitudes. The second study provides a descriptive comparison of two types of childcare assistance programs, a comparison made by few studies to date.

Organisational talent management and perceived employer branding

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamlesh Kumar Maurya ◽  
Manisha Agarwal
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Talent Management ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Employer Branding ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential impact of organisational talent management practices on perceived employer branding. Talented employees are the lifeline of any organisation who contribute effectively to the organisation’s success. Talented workforce and their organisational attraction to remain productive act as a primary competitive enabler for the organizational performance. Employer branding now becomes a key factor to achieve success in business which engenders cognitive and emotional association along with positive involvement at workplace among organizational members. In the context of economic competitiveness and globalisation, employers are experiencing challenge in attracting and retaining talented workers. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses quantitative design; questionnaire survey method was used for assessing the organisational talent management and employer branding. Data have been collected through a sample of 232 executives’ class employees from various coal and iron mining industries located in Indian subcontinents. Finally, 197 responses were found to be acceptable for analysis. Hypotheses were tested using a comparison of means, correlations and multiple regression analysis. Findings Findings of the paper show that organisational talent management is strongly and positively with the perceived employer branding. Regression analysis showed that among the eight dimensions of organisational talent management, the predictors that are most effective in predicting the employer branding are, namely, rewards and remunerates fairly, manages work–life balance and attracts and recruits talent. Research limitations/implications This paper was limited by a small sample size and the use of a cross-sectional design is not done. On the ground of analysis, more specific approach is required to apply the findings to the general population. Originality/value Much of the work on employer branding is conceptual based on marketing principle and limited to deal with potential employees. This paper provides empirical evidence from the internal/current employees’ perspective, by investigating the relationship between organisational talent management practices and organisational attraction internally, that is, perceived employer branding. Present paper contributes significantly to the implication and understanding of social exchange theory, internal branding theory and social identity theory in organisational setting (Eisenberger et al., 1986; Liden et al., 1997; Masterson et al., 2000; Settoon et al., 1996; Wayne et al., 1997).

Improving new product development performance by risk management

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehran Salavati ◽  
Milad Tuyserkani ◽  
Seyyede Anahita Mousavi ◽  
Nafiseh Falahi ◽  
Farshid Abdi
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
New Product ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Total Performance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Npd Performance

Purpose The principal aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between technological, marketing, organizational and commercialization risk management on new product development (NPD) performance. Design/methodology/approach Based on questionnaire, the data were collected from a sample of general automotive industry in Iran. Based on theoretical considerations, a model was proposed and descriptive statistic and hierarchical regression were used to measure the relationship between risk management factors and NPD performance. Findings Data analysis revealed that if organization can amplify their knowledge and information about risk and main factors that affect NPD process, not only can they do their work better but can also increase their ability to predict future happenings that affect performance. Research limitations/implications First, due to the relatively small sample size, caution should be exercised when interpreting the results. Second, the data were collected from automotive producer in Iran, which may restrict to some extent generalizability of the findings. Practical implications The results suggest that managers should consider more attention to risk management. If managers spread the risk management in all aspects of the NPD project, total performance will be increased and it can develop the probability of NPD success. Also organizations should perform great market research due to best commercialization. Originality/value Past researches have presented complete information about NPD process. But identifying and considering the effect of the risk management parameters that are connected to the NPD process were the main thrusts to perform the study. In this paper, based on past research about risk management of NPD, the extra aspect of process that can improve total performance of NPD has been examined.

The categorization of expatriates and the support offered by host country nationals

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley C. Sonesh ◽  
Angelo S. DeNisi
Keyword(s):  
Host Country ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Host Country Nationals ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Expatriate Assignments ◽  
The Right ◽  
National Stereotypes

Purpose – Although several authors have suggested that host country nationals (HCNs) play an important role in the management of expatriates (e.g. Toh and DeNisi, 2003; Farh et al., 2010), research has also suggested that this relationship is not always good, and the flow of critical information to expatriates can be limited. This is especially true when HCNs categorize the expatriates as “out-group” members. The purpose of this paper is to examine potential determinants of categorization decisions as well as potential outcomes related to expatriate socialization. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a dyadic survey approach to determine the antecedents to expatriate categorization and HCN socialization behaviors from the perspective of both the expatriate and HCN. Findings – The results of survey data from 65 expatriate-HCN dyads indicated that expatriate ethnocentrism and the salience of the expatriates’ nationality were important predictors of categorization, but that categorization was related to only one dimension of socialization. However, affect was found to play a role in predicting socialization behaviors. Research limitations/implications – There is potential selection bias since expatriates chose HCNs as respondents, but results suggested this was not a serious problem. Other limitations include a relatively small sample size and the fact that a number of contextual issues such as national stereotypes and MNC strategy, are not controlled for. Practical implications – Implications of these findings for the successful management of expatriate assignments include sending over expatriates with the right relational skills, and those low in ethnocentrism, rather than just the right technical skills. Originality/value – The present study was one of the first to empirically test the potential role of categorization in the process of socialization.

Individuals' waste separation practice in a relationship with social bonds: a case study of Hanoi, Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Kim Nhung Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Social Bonds ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Waste Separation

PurposeThe paper aims to ascertain whether residents in Nguyen Du ward still sort their waste at source following the end of the 3R project that ended in 2009. Additionally, this paper aims to explore the relationship between waste separation practices and social bonds.Design/methodology/approachThe Travis Hirschi theory of social control was applied, together with the mixed method research design which included a structured questionnaire survey. Twelve semi-structured interviews were also conducted with residents and the data processed by SPSS software, using Chi-Square test, Independent-Samples t-test and Pearson's correlation analysis.FindingsA proportion of respondents has continued practicing waste separation since the 3R project ended. The study also indicated that the greater the involvement in family and neighborhood activities the more the participants were likely to practice waste separation.Research limitations/implicationsThe small sample size limits the extent to which the most influential factors can be determined and therefore the degree to which the findings can be generalized.Practical implicationsThe study includes implications for rerunning the waste separation programs for households as together with community campaigns to improve individuals' attachment and commitment and thus their participation in pro-environmental behaviors.Originality/valueTo the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to take a sociological approach to investigate factors affecting household waste separation, which has attracted little attention in previous studies. Useful information is also provided to local authorities for a policy-making process to implement effective domestic waste policies.

What women want: the effect of health agency advertising on patient-doctor communication

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Morton ◽  
Sabrina Habib ◽  
Jon Morris
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Communications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Sexual Health ◽  
Doctor Communication

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between women’s sexual health agency and their intent to initiate communications with their doctors. The research questions examined the effect sexual health agency has on patient-doctor communication, women’s emotional responses to health advertisements encouraging patient communication with their doctors, attitude toward the message and behavioral intentions after exposure to the advertising message. Design/methodology/approach An experimental design was implemented via an online questionnaire instrument to test the differences between younger-aged women (25 to 45 years) and mature-aged women (46 to 70 years). It was observed that 188 women who reported their status as single and sexually active in the past 12 months were exposed to a health advertisement that encouraged patient-doctor communication. Analyses were conducted to compare between-group measures on sexual health agency, emotional response and attitude toward the ad and behavioral intention. Findings No statistical difference existed between younger and older women. In general, women expect their doctor to lead conversations about sexual health but are positively reinforced by health messages that encourage their assertiveness as patients. Research limitations/implications The small sample size also may have limited the study’s potential to evaluate differences between age segments. Future research should explore this further. Practical implications The study provides evidence that sexual health advertising can reinforce women’s intent to initiate conversations with doctors regardless of age. Social implications Health communications can bolster women’s sexual health agency and improve patient-initiated conversations with doctors. Originality/value The study is the first to explore advertising messaging’s potential for applying health agency as a communication strategy for encouraging sexual health communications between women and their doctors.

Intensity of perceived stress and control of anger, anxiety and depression of people staying in Polish penitentiary institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinga Kołodziej ◽  
Anna Kurowska ◽  
Anna Majda
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Emotional Control ◽  
Coping With Stress ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the intensity of perceived stress and measure the subjective control of anxiety, anger and depression in a group of women and men staying in Polish penitentiary institutions. Design/methodology/approach The research was carried out in two penitentiary institutions located in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship at the turn of 2019/2020. The study group consisted of 152 prisoners. In the cross-sectional study, two standardised research tools – the Perceived Stress Scale and the Emotional Control Scale – were used. Findings Over half of the prisoners (57.24%) presented a high level of stress. The intensity of the perceived stress did not depend on the gender and age of the convicted persons. The general indicator of emotional control among the respondents averaged 51.82 points (standard deviation = 14.52) and ranged from 22 to 83 points, which means that people detained in penitentiary institutions suppressed their negative emotions at an average level. The prisoners had the best control over fear (M = 18.68), less over anger (M = 16.86) and the least over depression (M = 16.27). Statistical analysis showed a correlation between the level of emotional control and the intensity of perceived stress. Research limitations/implications The small sample size of the group participating in the study and narrowing of the research area means that results can not be generalised across all isolated prison population. Practical implications The results obtained from the study can be used by a multidisciplinary team to develop therapeutic programmes for convicted persons, the aim of which is to evaluate strategies for coping with stress and controlling emotions. Social implications Popularising reliable information related to the issue of experiencing stress and varied emotions in those staying in penitentiary institutions may lead to the elimination of harmful stereotypes functioning in society, as well as reduce the phenomenon of marginalisation of prisoners, and thus contribute to the success of the social rehabilitation process. Originality/value Research on the level of stress intensity in prisoners is important because the rates of mental health disorders among prisoners consistently exceed the rates of such disorders in the general population.

The influence of homeschooling on entrepreneurial activities: a collective case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 706-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Jeanne Pannone
Keyword(s):  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collective Case Study ◽  
Internal Locus Of Control ◽  
Entrepreneurial Characteristics ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a homeschool education influences entrepreneurial characteristics and activity. Design/methodology/approach A collective case study design was used to investigate how a homeschool education influences entrepreneurial characteristics and activity. Findings From the participant interviews, surveys, and document analysis, three salient themes emerged. First, participants noted that their home education, at least in later years, was largely self-directed and that this independent, self-motivated type of learning impacted their subsequent entrepreneurial activities. Next, participants also related that they believed the alternative nature of their homeschooling education and its emphasis on being comfortable with being different influenced their entrepreneurial pathway. Finally, the third theme to surface was the idea that homeschooling helped develop an internal locus of control, a belief that is helpful in entrepreneurial undertakings. Research limitations/implications Research limitations included a lack of generalizability due to a small sample size and possible selection bias. Practical implications Despite these shortcomings, however, several implications exist. For example, the findings from this study show that homeschooling may be a viable alternative education method for parents looking to encourage entrepreneurial traits and activities in their children. Social implications Future areas of research were also identified, including a call to research the role locus of control plays in homeschooled students. Originality/value This study addresses an area that, to the knowledge of this researcher, is completely lacking from the research literature.

CEOs’ accounting-based attributes and earnings management strategies under mandatory IFRS adoption

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amel Kouaib ◽  
Anis Jarboui ◽  
Khaireddine Mouakhar
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
Experience Education ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the moderating effect of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) experience/education and earnings management in European companies. Design/methodology/approach Data from a sample of 302 European firms listed on Stoxx Europe 600 index and 596 CEOs from 2000 to 2014 are used to test the moderation model using moderation regression analysis. Findings Evidence reveals that CEO’s accounting-based attributes are negatively associated with accruals-based earnings management and positively associated with real earnings management (REM). Further, mandatory IFRS adoption significantly moderates the impact of CEO’s accounting-based traits on earnings-management activities. Research limitations/implications A small number of European firms were studied and, given the long study period, many firms with missing data were eliminated. To avoid a small sample size, countries with few observations were included, which leads to an uneven distribution between observations per country. Practical implications Findings from this paper can help: European firms to consider demographic traits when recruiting or promoting executives; the IASB to improve enforcement mechanisms and make IFRS implementation mandatory; and audit committees to effectively monitor REM. Originality/value This study is unique in providing European evidence for the moderating effect of mandatory IFRS adoption on the relationship between CEOs’ accounting experience/education and earnings management activities. This paper is also relevant as it addresses the effectiveness and efficiency of accounting literates.

scholarly journals Promoting gender equality in a challenging environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Elisabeth Kemper ◽  
Anna Katharina Bader ◽  
Fabian Jintae Froese
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
High Ratio ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Differences ◽  
Managerial Positions

Purpose Gender diversity and equality vary tremendously among countries. This is a particular challenge for foreign subsidiaries, when the level of gender diversity and equality differs between the home and host country. Various indicators such as a low-gender pay gap or a high ratio of females in managerial positions suggest that Scandinavia is ahead in terms of gender diversity and equality, whereas those indicators suggest that the level in Japan is currently lower. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how executives leading Scandinavian subsidiaries operating in Japan perceive this situation, and whether and what kind of actions they take to initiate change. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a qualitative analysis of 20 in-depth interviews with executives of Scandinavian subsidiaries in Japan. Findings Findings reveal that executives of Scandinavian subsidiaries respond to the major differences in gender equality between Scandinavia and Japan with three strategies of change: resistance and rigid change, compromise and moderate change, and adaptation and maintaining status quo. Moreover, the findings indicate that the strategy of change varies depending on individual differences of the executives, e.g., nationality, and organizational differences, e.g., subsidiary size. Research limitations/implications Due to the small sample size, the generalizability of the findings is limited. Given the paucity of research on this topic, this approach provides first insights for building a basis for future studies. Originality/value This study contributes to the scarce literature on gender diversity and equality in multinational enterprises by identifying strategies of how gender equality can be fostered in a non-Western context from a top executive perspective.

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