Some Agents are more Similar than Others:Customer Orientation of Frontline Robots and Employees

Purpose: The impact of frontline robots (FLRs) on customer orientation perceptions remains unclear. This is remarkable because customers may associate FLRs with standardization and cost-cutting, such that they may not fit firms that aim to be customer oriented. Design/methodology/approach: In four experiments, data are collected from customers interacting with frontline employees (FLEs) and FLRs in different settings. Findings: FLEs are perceived as more customer-oriented than FLRs due to higher competence and warmth evaluations. A relational interaction style attenuates the difference in perceived competence between FLRs and FLEs. These agents are also perceived as more similar in competence and warmth when FLRs participate in the customer journey's information and negotiation stages. Switching from FLE to FLR in the journey harms FLR evaluations. Practical implications: The authors recommend firms to place FLRs only in the negotiation stage or in both the information and negotiation stages of the customer journey. Still then customers should not transition from employees to robots (vice versa does no harm). Firms should ensure that FLRs utilize a relational style when interacting with customers for optimal effects. Originality/value: The authors bridge the FLR and sales/marketing literature by drawing on social cognition theory. The authors also identify the product categories for which customers are willing to negotiate with an FLR. Broadly speaking, this study’s findings underline that customers perceive robots as having agency (i.e. the mental capacity for acting with intentionality) and, just as humans, can be customer-oriented.</p

Collaborative improvement as an inspiration for supply chain collaboration

The battlefield of competition is today moving from the level of\ud individual firms to the one of the extended enterprises, that is, networks of customers and their suppliers. This paper discusses how learning and continuous improvement today take place in processes based on daily collaboration at intercompany level, i.e. Extended Manufacturing Enterprises (EMEs). The purpose of the paper is to present a preliminary theory on Collaborative Improvement (CoI), i.e. continuous improvement at the EME level. Based on a literature review on Supply Networks, and Continuous Improvement and on evidence from two explorative case studies, the paper proposes a model for Collaborative Improvement in EMEs and discusses a research approach based on Action Research and Action Learning to further develop preliminary theory and actionable knowledge on how to foster and sustain CoI in EMEs

Management accounting in new product development : case-study evidence from process-oriented high-technology R&D environment

siirretty Doriast

The role of market orientation in developing and sustaining market relationships: an empirical study in Taiwan.

Significant work has taken place in the development of our understanding of business dyadic relationships but much work remains to be done in determining the antecedents, particularly our understanding of cultural contexts. This research aims to add to the debate about what counts in developing a long-term orientation in channel relationships by investigating the role of the concept of market orientation; it explores the possible interface existing between the marketing concept and development of channel relationships. The context is relationships between distributors and suppliers in Taiwan. This study examines the relationship literature from a social exchange theoretical perspective and conducts multiple-case in-depth interviews at the dyadic ends to develop an integrated research model for analysing potential effects of market orientation on the relationship factors influencing long-term oriented relationship building. Quantitative mixed-mode questionnaire surveys were undertaken to test the research model and hypotheses drawn from the model. Data were collected from 158 distributors from four selected business sectors, including both commodity and noncommodity ones. The results confirm the applicability of the marketing concept to an eastern country: Taiwan, and provide empirical evidence that adoption of the marketing concept can be a strategy for stimulating and sustaining long-term oriented channel relationships while mediated by a number of relationship constructs. Communication and shared value are highlighted as the primary mediators while satisfaction signals an inclination to continue a relationship. Market orientation is found to exert significant direct effects on communication and shared value and indirect effects on the other relationship components: trust, cooperation, commitment, conflict and satisfaction, which all contribute to a continuing relationship

An investigation into consumer behaviour towards the purchase of new luxury cars in two culturally distinct countries: the UK and Thailand.

The thesis aimed to answer two questions. (1) What distinguishes a luxury car? It has been shown that this is a complex issue involving a multifaceted - subjective and objective factors approach. Hence, there is a need to develop (a) a clarification and definition of luxury cars, and (b) a luxury car price concept/range, to identify customers' profile, and to explore influences on consumer purchase decisions. (2) How do cultural differences between the UK and Thailand explain the difference in purchasing patterns of BMW and Mercedes and provide insights for brand marketing of the two luxury car marques? The research design was based upon a review and synthesis of the academie literature and car data, which helped identify (1) theoretical concepts and hypotheses appropriate for this study, and which also developed (2) a working definition of luxury cars for the selection of samples and research methodology for this study. Methods of qualitative data collection included observation, focus groups, and face-to-face interviews, which was content analysed. The quantitative data collection was by questionnaire survey in the UK and Thailand, which, after elementary statistical analysis, was factor, and discriminant analysed. However, the UK data did not lend ifself to principal component or discriminant analysis, since the questionnaire was modified to facilitate co-operation of British respondents. For the UK, simple statistical analysis and a test of signiflcance for différences in percentage of respondents selecting the key attributes of their own marque were conducted. The findings yielded a comparative study of similarities and differences between UK and Thai customer perceptions of BMW and Mercedes, and insights into brand marketing of their cars in the two countries. The outcomes yielded include: • a detailed profile of BMW and Mercedes buyers in the UK and Thailand; • the technical and non-technical attributes of BMW and Mercedes cars as well as dealer and customer perceptions of the two marques in the UK and Thailand; • commonalities between marques and differences in buyer attitude and behaviour in the UK and Thailand; • a consumer decision model that determines the choice of a new BMW or Mercedes car in Thailand, and criteria that determine the choice of a new BMW or Mercedes car in the UK; • identification of significant cultural determinants of new luxury car purchasing patterns in the UK and Thailand applicable to countries with similar cultural characteristics and socio-economic structures; • marketing implications on customer acquisition and retention as well as upward brand stretching of both marques in both countries. These findings enable this thesis to conclude that buyer perceptions of new BMW and Mercedes cars in the two countries are different. This thesis proposes a strategy of upward BMW and Mercedes brand stretching for both customer acquisition and retention by both marques and provides guidelines for local and global marketing of BMW and Mercedes luxury cars. The limitations of this thesis are outlined in the conclusion and also avenues for future research were provided

Business relationships in the automotive and component industries in Portugal

Partnering has been the most commonly used term to describe collaboration between a buyer and its direct supplier. The automotive industry has been the basis for the development of most studies on the subject. Despite the many studies on partnering, some people share the view that largely missing from the literature is a clear definition of this concept and of how it operates within dyadic (i.e. between a buyer and its direct suppliers), network and firm contexts. This is found to be particularly important if automotive companies geographically spread in the globe are to be properly managed. The purpose of the research presented in this thesis was to explore inter-firm collaboration and partnering between a subsidiary of a motor vehicle manufacturer and its direct suppliers, taking into account the ownership ties of firms, such as those of multinational corporations (MNCs). The objective was to generate new knowledge on how inter-firm collaboration and partnering operate and on the factors that influence the business relationships that are established between the referred companies. The researcher followed a single case study research strategy in order to develop a new and empirically grounded understanding, while favouring contextualisation and complexity. The researcher adopted a triangulated research design in which quantitative and qualitative data were gathered in two stages, through a self-administered mailed questionnaire and in-depth interviews, respectively. The findings suggest that: (a) relationships can be characterised by several dimensions, (i.e. commitment, trust, win-win, long-term orientation, co-ordination, joint problem solving, flexibility, mutual dependence) each of which is a mix of collaborative and non-collaborative elements; (b) a diversified scenario of relationships can be explained by the different combinations of several contextual factors (i.e. organisational, relational, spatial and network); the importance of each needs to be weighted and hierarchised; (c) the network affects both to enable and constrain the freedom of action at the level of the customer supplier dyad; and (d) partnering is contingent on the position, role and influence at different points in the network. The research argues that relationship management can be enhanced through the application of analytical tools to the assessment of business relationships. New frameworks for analysis are presented as significant contributions to knowledge, among a series of theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions. The researcher suggests directions for research which will further enhance the understanding of inter-firm collaboration and partnering and business relationships within a multinational network context

Inhibitors and enablers of supply chain management: a study of implementation

Supply chain management was investigated using three objectives: identifying how the management of the supply chain had changed, how new ideas had been implemented and primarily the identification of the inhibitors and enablers of supply chain management. In the 1990s and 2000s research had focused on concepts and approaches. When considering supply chain management it cuts across the whole system including: suppliers, internal company functions, managers, employees, customers information and material flow and services. A large proportion of publications were on materials, matrices, techniques and cost benefits. The literature had little written about management support and employee involvement to engage buy in for supply chain management implementation. There was an overall lack of detail into what actually happened during implementation in the supply chain. Very little was published on the inhibitors of supply chain management

The Value of Destination Loyalty: Myth or Reality?

Given the growing appeal of the concept of destination loyalty in tourism marketing, it is highly important to investigate the travel expenditures of loyal vs. non- or less loyal visitors. Adopting the behavioral approach to loyalty, this study examines the spending patterns of visitors to Kissimmee-St. Cloud, while comparing between the different loyalty segments: no previous visit, one previous visit, and multiple visits. The analysis is based on an intercept survey conducted by the Kissimmee-St. Cloud Convention and Visitors Bureau∗ (KSCVB, 2006), which yielded a sample of 4,301 visitors. In contrast to the prevalent concept, the results show that first timers spend more than the more loyal segments, both in per-trip and per-day total expenditures. However, the loyalty segments are distinguished in their spending patterns at the destination, when first timers spend more on lodging, food and restaurants, and car rental, and the those with one or more previous visits spend more on gasoline, activities and entertainment, and shopping. The paper ends with an assessment of the contribution of the findings both to the literature on loyalty and to tourism destination marketers

Collaborative supply chain practices: Taiwanese companies in China

The aim of this research is to investigate collaborative supply chain practices between Taiwanese and Chinese companies. To that end, we seek to address four main objectives: 1) to investigate and provide evidence of collaboration in supply chain management; 2) to evaluate supplier development within supply chain collaboration; 3) to investigate the internal processes of supply chain collaboration; and 4) to examine the outcomes of supply chain collaboration. To explore collaboration in supply chain management, we conduct an extensive review of the state of the art in collaborative supply chain, and we base our investigations and discussions on three real-life companies that practice collaborative supply chain methods in the target countries. Each study contains detailed information on each company, including the company’s background, history, culture, marketing strategy and their collaborative practices. We employ pattern-matching structures to analyse current collaborative practices, which allows us to determine the similarities and differences between theoretical collaboration and collaborative supply chain in practice. We have analysed both the literature and collaborative methodologies used by the companies in each case study, and we have identified a number of key findings that address each of the four research objectives. On one hand there is evidence to support the use of collaboration in supply chain management between Taiwanese and Chinese companies. However, to increase collaboration, we propose agreements between the countries and identification of key suppliers. On the other hand, dominant and powerful partners may prevent good collaboration within the supply chains. Therefore, in order to create an open minded and collaborative culture, we propose greater trust between Taiwanese buyers and Chinese and Taiwanese suppliers. The value in collaborative supply chain can then be realised, which has a positive impact on the business in terms of increasing competitive advantage and customer satisfaction. In addition, such collaborative practices provide the motivation for collaborative supply chain management between Taiwanese buyers and Chinese and Taiwanese suppliers