Determinants of Relationship Quality in Importer–Exporter Relationships

Despite significant evidence pointing to the key role of relationship quality in solidifying commercial relationships, limited attention has been paid to its determinants in an international context. In an attempt to fill this research gap, our study examines the impact of asset specificity, role performance and cultural sensitivity on the quality of the relationships between importers and their foreign suppliers. It is based on a mailed survey involving 292 importing firms. Relationship quality is presented as a higher-order concept that results in lower conflict and greater trust, commitment and satisfaction. The results indicate that asset specificity, role performance and cultural sensitivity play a significant positive role in building sound relationship quality. Several managerial implications are extracted from the study, as well as suggestions for future research

Relationship quality and giving behaviour in the UK fundraising sector: Exploring the antecedent roles of religiosity and self-construal

Purpose– The current study aims to examine the extent to which donor religiosity and self-construal encourage the development of donor-perceived relationship quality and intention to give in the future. Donor-perceived relationship quality is conceptualised as a higher-order construct composed of trust, commitment, and satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach– The study employed a personally administered structured questionnaire to collect data. A total of 227 completed questionnaires was analysed. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to assess the measurement properties of the study constructs. Structural equation modelling using a full estimation approach was performed to test the proposed research model. Findings– The study results indicate that religiosity and self-construal are important contributors of relationship quality, while religiosity and relationship quality have a direct impact on intention toward future giving. Research limitations/implications– The study findings provide practitioners in the fundraising sector in the UK with useful insights on relationship fundraising. Relationship quality should be developed in the context of an integrated charity-donor dyad, in order to enhance the likelihood of giving behaviour. Also, charities may find advantage in targeting religious and relationally interdependent self-construal individuals. Replication of this research within other settings is needed to test the external validity of the present findings. Originality/value– The main contribution of this study lies in that it investigates the impact of religiosity and self-construal on perceived relationship quality in the charity-donor context, which is largely unexplored in the extant literature

Using net promoter type scores to understand brand personality: a three university exploration

Abstract not yet available

Is Brand Personality An Antecedent To Quality Perceptions?

The specific question that this exploratory paper sought to answer within the globally competitive higher education context was: do the basic brand personality perceptions of sincerity, excitement and competence, once location and aspirational brand personality perceptions of sophistication and ruggedness are controlled for, explain variation in perceptions of quality? The results from this study suggest that quality is influenced by an individual’s perceptions of the university’s competence. Such initial research as this should be seen as providing early insights that need further replication. For managers responsible for creating university brand images it seems that for postgraduate business students studying in Australia and in the UK, messages of dependability and achievement, that is competence, are more important than those of sophistication

Using Net Promoter Type Scores to Understand Brand Personality: A Three University Exploration

Conference theme: "New Approaches to Public and Non-Profit Marketing Research and Practice

Changing a marketing quantitative unit's perception of quality: a non-quantitative reflection on an Australian change intervention (part 1)

Research within the increasingly competitive global higher education sector has identified a significant shift towards improving students' perceptions of quality, as these perceptions are a basis for student promoter or detractor behaviours. For Australia's universities, managing these perceptions is critical since servicing the international student market is worth more than Australia's beef, wheat and wool industries (Linacre, 2007). This paper critically reflects on a change intervention being run in an Australian university, for an undergraduate quantitative marketing metrics unit which has experienced low quality unit student evaluations, and presents a rationale for preparing and designing a change intervention

Brand Personality and Net Promotor Type Scores: An Exploratory Investigation of Premium Branded Universities in Australia and the UK

This study presents an initial investigation into the brand personality dimensions of two premium branded universities (one Australian and one British) and explores the brand personality net promoter type scores from one consumer group, enrolled postgraduate business students. This investigation provides a novel insight into brand personality maintenance and creation. It is argued that brand personality dimension resonance is created by the congruence of the promoter behaviour of existing students, which emerges from the day to day interactions with the university. A marketing strategy to strengthen and refine brand personality resonance is discussed

Brand personality and net promoter type scores: an exploratory investigation of premium branded universities in Australia and the UK

This study presents an initial investigation into the brand personality dimensions of two premium branded universities (one Australian and one British) and explores the brand personality net promoter type scores from one consumer group, enrolled postgraduate business students. This investigation provides a novel insight into brand personality maintenance and creation. It is argued that brand personality dimension resonance is created by the congruence of the promoter behaviour of existing students, which emerges from the day to day interactions with the university. A marketing strategy to strengthen and refine brand personality resonance is discussed

Is university brand personality an antecedent to consumer-based brand equity? An initial investigation

This exploratory study investigated two overarching research aims. The first was to determine if Aaker's (1997) American brand personality dimensions can be meaningfully used in higher education settings in Australia and the UK with culturally diverse students; and the second was to explore if certain dimensions of brand personality may differentially produce variation in the different aspects of consumer-based brand equity that is consumers' perceptions of quality, value for money and loyalty. This initial research has determined that Aaker's (1997) brand personality dimensions can be meaningfully used within culturally diverse higher education institutions, regardless of premium or non-premium branding status and geographic location. This study has also found that there are few differences between the Australian and the British student populations' perceptions of the brand personality and consumer-based brand equity dimensions. Two brand personality dimensions were identified as uniquely explaining variance in consumer-based brand equity. Specifically, the brand personality dimension of excitement was found to explain unique variation in the value for money and loyalty consumer-based brand equity dimensions; and the competence brand personality dimension was found to explain unique variation in the of quality and value for money consumer based brand equity dimensions