USING PERSONAL-TYPE RELATIONSHIPS (GUANXI) TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN CUSTOMERS IN SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (SBE): AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN UAE, ABU DHABI

Very few researchers have investigated the underlying socio-cultural formulas in the aspects of culture that affect relationships around the globe. Middle Eastern cultures give great importance to personal-type relationships (akin to the Chinese concept of Guanxi), in many different spheres of life. This research identifies the factors composing the unique forms of such relationships that are found in the context of Abu Dhabi city. The research focuses on the significant role and the effect of the cultivation in business contexts of personal-type relationships, characterized by the presence of personal trust, empathy, reciprocity, bonding, face, and affection. The aim of this research was to find the dimensions of such relationships and to test them as organizational relationships, as determinants of customer satisfaction and customer retention in the sector of small business enterprises (SBEs). Survey data that provided a sample to test the suggested model were collected from a database that included Abu Dhabi’s SBEs. The findings of this research showed that personal relationships in this context could be extended to organizations. In addition, the results showed that the consequences of personal-type relationships (Guanxi) positively influence customer satisfaction and customer retention. Further, the contextualization of the constructs in this research helps to plug few current gaps in the literature on Guanxi theory

Conceptualizing the Electronic Word-of-Mouth Process: What We Know and Need to Know About eWOM Creation, Exposure, and Evaluation

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is a prevalent consumer practice that has undeniable effects on the company bottom line, yet it remains an over-labeled and under-theorized concept. Thus, marketers could benefit from a practical, science-based roadmap to maximize its business value. Building on the consumer motivation–opportunity–ability framework, this study conceptualizes three distinct stages in the eWOM process: eWOM creation, eWOM exposure, and eWOM evaluation. For each stage, we adopt a dual lens—from the perspective of the consumer (who sends and receives eWOM) and that of the marketer (who amplifies and manages eWOM for business results)—to synthesize key research insights and propose a research agenda based on a multidisciplinary systematic review of 1050 academic publications on eWOM published between 1996 and 2019. We conclude with a discussion of the future of eWOM research and practice

Six degrees of early-stage ventures

Private markets investment volume and valuations exceed the level of the dot-com bubble (PwC and CBInsights, 2019). The available amount of capital surges as investors announce new multi-billion dollar funds (Kruppa, 2019). Even large, institutional funds in the Silicon Valley, who are used to investing in later stages, move upstream to invest in fledgling firms to achieve higher ownership and returns (Clark, 2019a). Despite the high private market liquidity, standing out from the crowd is critical and has become more difficult to achieve, even for innovative entrepreneurs (Planko et al., 2017). Curiously, venture capitalists who expect the latest technology and innovation from new ventures, did not themselves significantly innovate in their approach, including methods of evaluating ventures (Kupor, 2019). Few investors came up with new, differentiated investment strategies, one such example being data-driven investing (Pitchbook, 2018). Although venture capitalists seek to invest in firms which benefit substantially from the notion that “data is the new oil”, few practice to leverage data for their investment process (Parkins, 2017; Dance et al., 2018; Arroyo et al., 2019; Gompers et al., 2020). Instead, the overwhelming majority adheres to the motto “picking investments is an art, not science” and relies primarily on its networks as the most valuable resource (Bell, 2014; Huang and Pearce, 2015; Gompers et al., 2020). Venture capitalists’ focus on their social networks could not only negatively affect investment decisions and returns, but also promote group-think and stifle the progression of their investment thesis (Wuebker et al., 2015). Reviewing the previous works on entrepreneurship, venture evaluation, and venture capital revealed a significant gap in the literature. While investors and entrepreneurs depend heavily on their social networks, these networks play an insignificant role in venture evaluation. The existing frameworks are inadequate to accurately assess early-stage ventures and thus a rethink of methodology is needed to better capture the networked nature of today’s ventures (Miloud et al., 2012; Dusatkova and Zinecker, 2016). This thesis suggests a new perspective for early-stage venture evaluation, with particular focus on formalising the ventures’ social networks. Contributions made by this thesis are fourfold and relevant to entrepreneurs, investors, and academic theorists. Firstly, existing theories that explain venture fundraising success are expanded by adding a social network perspective. Secondly, this research provides a comprehensive overview of stakeholders’ roles and their constellation in social networks around the entrepreneurs and their ventures. Thirdly, for entrepreneurs, different modes of leveraging their social networks for critical business functions are identified. Lastly, an evaluation tool for venture capitalists to the investability of early-stage ventures is developed. In summary, results provide new insights into entrepreneurial strategies for leveraging social networks to enhance operations, differentiate from competitors, send positive signals to investors, and ultimately improve the venture’s assessment by the private market.EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP

The role of redress in consumer online purchasing

This thesis reports a study which examines the influences of the availability of redress procedures on the decisions of consumers to purchase online. Availability of redress procedures in this concept is when consumers have access to uncomplicated complaint procedures that offer timely resolution and effective compensation and handling. Previous research has shown that many factors such as product price, availability, merchant reputation and integrity, consumer attitude, perceived convenience, enjoyment and pleasure, and service quality influence the decisions of consumers to purchase on line. This study focuses on the availability of redress procedures on the decisions of consumers to purchase online and the importance role of redress in that process. Data was collected initially in face-to-face interviews with both consumers, who buy online, and merchants who sell online. Then Focus Group discussions with consumers were conducted to further understand and confirmed the findings emerged from the interview process. The research shows that price was always the first and most significant influence in consumers’ decisions to purchase online. Likewise, consumers also make decisions about online purchasing because of product availability and the range of product choices available to them. Consumers are also sensitive to shipping fees when deciding to purchase online. It also shows that any delay or longer delivery time also influences consumers’ decisions in switching back to offline purchasing. Lastly, consumers choose to purchase online because they enjoy the fun and excitement during the process of online purchasing. A model showing the influence of these factors was created, adding the effects of the availability of redress on those decisions. This research shows that the availability of redress does not always influence consumers in making decisions to purchase online. If most transactions are fulfilled according to the consumer’s expectations, then consumers have little, if any, concern with redress. Sometimes factors such as merchant reputation, low risk transactions, guaranteed purchase fulfilment, product price and availability, enjoyable online purchasing experience, shipping cost and delivery time seem to be a more important influence on consumers in their decisions to purchase online. This research concludes that the availability of redress can and does indirectly influence consumer confidence and trust ix in online purchasing and therefore impacts on their decision to purchase, if and only if, one of these three circumstances happens: 1. When problems occur in online purchasing process and subsequently consumers require an immediate access to a complaint handling system; 2. When risk is perceived to be present in the purchasing process then the availability of redress policy and/or procedures is required by consumers to guarantee that they are well protected from financial loss; and 3. When redress initiatives are offered that allow consumers to assess the merchant’s accountability in offering satisfactory online purchasing fulfilment

The Role of Trust Perceptions and Propensity to Trust in Applicants' Experience of Recruitment and Selection

The role of organisational trustworthiness, propensity to trust and distrust was examined in the context of recruitment and selection. Specifically this research aimed to explore applicant experiences of selection as a context for trust. Because there has previously been little work looking systematically at the factorial and construct validity of propensity to trust this study also analysed responses to nine previously published propensity-to-trust scales using a combination of factor analytic, regression and content analyses. Findings supported the idea that propensity to trust scales are multidimensional and reflect aspects of both personality and experience of different trust contexts. The implication of this is that while use of propensity to trust is theoretically justified, checks on dimensionality should be carried out to account for different facets of this construct. The second study used the NEO propensity to trust scale (Costa & McCrae, 1985) as part of a survey looking into research degree applicant's experience of the recruitment and selection process during the post application and post interview stage. In addition to propensity to trust and propensity to distrust playing different role during attraction, influencing the decision of applicants to pursue a vacancy, propensity to distrust also appeared to regulate the relationship between selection justice, organisational trustworthiness and outcome intentions. Evidence from template analysis suggested ways in which justice and trust are manifested during the selection process, but based on a triangulated view, questions about what or whom applicants trust may need further examination and consideration in future research

Staring down the lion: Uncertainty avoidance and operational risk culture in a tourism organisation

The academic literature is not clear about how uncertainty influences operational risk decision-making. This study, therefore, investigated operational risk-based decision-making in the face of uncertainty in a large African safari tourism organisation by exploring individual and perceived team member approaches to uncertainty. Convenience sampling was used to identify 15 managers across three African countries in three domains of work: safari camp; regional office; and head office. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in which vignettes were incorporated, to which participants responded with their own reactions and decisions to the situations described, as well as with ways they thought other managers would react to these specific operational contexts. The data were transcribed and qualitatively analysed through thematic coding processes. The findings indicated that approaches to uncertainty were influenced by factors including situational context, the availability and communication of information, the level of operational experience, and participants’ roles. Contextual factors alongside diverse individual emotional and cognitive influences were shown to require prudent consideration by safari tourism operators in understanding employee behavioural reactions to uncertain situations. A preliminary model drawn from the findings suggests that, in practice, decision-making in the face of uncertainty is more complex than existing theoretical studies propose. Specifically, the diverse responses anticipated by staff in response to the vignettes could guide safari tourism management towards better handling of risk under uncertainty in remote locations

Strategy process in manufacturing SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises)

Strategy process has been widely publicised during the last three decades, but what has been accomplished by strategy management literature in manufacturing small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs)? The application of strategy management in manufacturing SME practices can be seen as posing particular challenges. It is argued in literature that there is a need to understand whether and how managers in manufacturing SMEs have taken up the language and practice of planning, strategic analysis and execution. This research suggests a process and activity based approach to look at the practice of strategy management in SMEs in order to tackle this challenge. This exploratory study based on four comprehensive case studies investigates the strategy stories via exploring key strategic initiatives and activities, how they link together and which strategy tools, methods and techniques are used. This research concludes that a process based approach is useful and valid to understand strategy in SMEs because this view decomposes the process phases into activities which managers are more comfortable to talk through. However, we need to understand SME managers' language around strategising. There is an indication that if we change the language of SME managers, the findings of this study would map onto main stream strategy management theory clearly. It is found that the dynamics of the manufacturing SME strategy process have both emergent and planned dimensions. SME managers execute the strategy process mainly from an informal fashion by holding multiple functions and with limited application of strategy management methods and techniques. At an activity level, SMEs seem to be putting more emphasis on external environmental scanning (customers, suppliers, competitors, universities and lenders) and defining grand strategy and goals. This implies that SME strategy process is characterised by market based orientation, opportunity seeking and strategic awareness rather than resources or core competencies/ capabilities. Although this study's findings may be criticised because they are grounded on four companies, robust dimensions and insights into dynamics of the strategy process in manufacturing SMEs are achieved through saturation among emergent themes in data