Relationships of stressors and opportunism in cross-border exchange partnership contexts: When and how monitoring matters

Transaction costs economics work has argued that monitoring procedures are needed to evaluate the extent to which overseas partners comply with their obligations. We posit that the transactional theory of stress can also inform on how to distinguish opportunists from non-opportunists. Synthesizing these two theories and using a three-study, multimethod design, we examine whether different types of stressors influence opportunism, and how and under what conditions such links are moderated by monitoring. Based on separate surveys of 209 Chinese subsidiaries’ and 232 Chinese suppliers’ cross-border intrafirm and interfirm partnerships with headquarters and buyers, respectively—in conjunction with an add-on experimental study conducted in the US—the results suggest challenge and hindrance stressors impact opportunism differently. The former exhibits a U-shaped, and the latter a positive, relationship with opportunism. We thus observe the importance of both the level and type of stress. Further, the international exchange context matters for monitoring’s efficacy. Monitoring steepens the U-shaped challenge stressors–opportunism relationship in intrafirm (not interfirm) partnerships. It however weakens the positive hindrance stressors–opportunism relationship in interfirm (not intrafirm) partnerships. The findings inform managers on when and how to use monitoring to control challenge and hindrance stressors’ links to opportunism in these contexts

Drivers and performance outcomes of competitive advantage in export ventures : the case of Greek exporting manufacturers

In their attempt to grow and develop in overseas markets, exporting firms must be able to compete effectively vis-a-vis foreign market rivals and achieve a strong position in the export markets that they target. However, despite the vast amount of research on firms' export behaviour and success, relatively limited empirical attention has been given to the achievement of export competitive advantage and its importance for successful exporting. This is quite surprising, considering the increasing globalization of markets and intensifying competition in many industries worldwide. In response to this broad gap in the literature on exporting, this research focuses on competitive advantages achieved in export markets. Specifically, the study investigates different types of competitive advantages achieved, resources and capabilities driving achievement of competitive advantages and performance consequences of different advantage types on performance in export product-market ventures. Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm and industrial organization theory, the investigator proposes a comprehensive conceptual model of drivers and performance outcomes of competitive advantages achieved in export venture markets. Based on a systematic review of the literature and exploratory interviews with export managers, a set of research hypotheses is developed that link export venture resources and export venture marketing capabilities to competitive advantages achieved in the export venture market and competitive advantages achieved to export venture performance. Moreover, the research develops research hypotheses concerning the role of nature of competition (i.e., price/non-price) in the export venture market in moderating the relationships of competitive advantages with export venture performance. The investigator tests the research hypotheses using data collected in a largescale mail survey of export ventures of Greek exporting manufacturers. A longitudinal research design is employed where data on export ventures resources and marketing capabilities are collected at time I and data on competitive advantages, performance and price/non-price competition in the export venture market at time 2. The analysis of the data is performed using structural equation modeling. The results suggest that export venture marketing capabilities positively impact cost-price advantage and differentiation advantage in the export venture market. Deployment of superior export venture resources have a positive effect on differentiation advantage achieved, but use of superior resources does not affect the achievement of a cost-price advantage position in the export venture market. Moreover, while the achievement of differentiation advantage is positively associated with export venture performance outcomes, the achievement of a cost-price advantage position does not have a direct effect on export venture perfonnance. Nonetheless, under conditions of price competition in the export market, the achievement of cost-price advantage enhances export venture performance but the link between differentiation advantage and performance is not significant. Under conditions of non-price competition in the export market, differentiation advantage has a particularly strong effect on export venture performance, but there is not significant link between cost-price advantage and performance in the export market. The results are discussed in the context of previous empirical findings and attention is given to theoretical and managerial and public policy implications of the study results. The limitations of the study are also considered, together with directions for future research.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Market and supplier characteristics driving distributor relationship quality in international marketing channels of industrial products

Although we are beginning to comprehend the fundamental importance of relationship quality in interorganizational exchange, a relatively small, but growing, body of literature that has not kept pace with the tremendous growth in global channel transactions has been devoted to the development of cross-border relationship quality. This study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating the extent to which certain market and exporter characteristics affect the development of relationship quality in the context of importing distributors trading with exporting manufacturers of industrial products. Relationship quality is viewed as a higher-order construct composed of trust, commitment, and satisfaction. Findings reveal that psychic distance is related negatively to relationship quality, while transaction-specific investments and role performance are associated positively with relationship quality. No link is found between environmental uncertainty and relationship quality. Managerial implications of the findings are considered and limitations along with future research directions discussed.QC 2012012

Strategies to Deal with Students' Attention Problems During English Lessons in Grade 8

Slikta skolēnu uzvedība un uzmanības trūkums ir vispārrunātākās problēmas skolotāju vidū. Skolotājam tas ir izaicinošs un diezgan grūts uzdevums noturēt skolēnu uzmanību uz mācību procesu un panākt, ka viņi ir tajā iesaistīti. Diplomdarba tēma ir “Stratēģijas skolēnu uzmanības problēmu risināšanai angļu valodas stundās 8. klasē”. Darbs tika veidots ar mērķi apzināt stratēģijas, kas palīdzētu risināt skolēnu uzmanības problēmas angļu valodas stundās 8. klasē. Darba autors pielietoja sekojošas datu ieguves metodes: anketēšanu un novērošanu. Anketēšana tika veikta ar mērķi apzināt iespējamos uzmanības problēmu iemeslus un risinājumus angļu valodas stundās 8.a klasē, savukārt novērojums tika veikts, lai apzinātu izvēlēto stratēģiju efektivitāti. Darbā tika pielietota gadījuma pētījuma izpētes metode. Gadījuma pētījums tika veikts Jūrmalas valsts ģimnāzijā. Darba autors vadīja angļu valodas stundas 8. a klasē ar un bez stratēģiju pielietošanas ar mērķi pārliecināties vai stratēģijas, kad pielietotas, palīdz samazināt uzmanības problēmas 8. a klasē. Iegūtie anketu un novērojumu dati tika izanalizēti un attēloti grafiski. Teorētiskās literatūras analīzes rezultātā, autors secina, ka stratēģijas palīdz samazināt uzmanības problēmas klasē. Šo apgalvojumu apstiprina gadījuma pētījumā iegūtie dati. Skolotājam ir jāpazīst savi skolēni un viņu raksturīgākās īpašības, lai spētu atrast visefektīvāko laiku un veidu stratēģiju pielietošanai, lai novērstu uzmanības problēmas angļu valodas stundu laikā.Students’ misbehavior and lack of attention are the most discussed problems among teachers. It is a challenging and rather difficult task for a teacher to keep students’ attention on the learning process and have them engaged in it. So the theme of the Diploma Paper is “Strategies to Deal with Students’ Attention Problems During English Lessons in Grade 8”. The study was done with the aim to examine strategies that can help to deal with students’ attention problems during English lessons in Grade 8. The author of the Paper used the following data collection methods: questionnaire and observation. The questionnaire was applied with the aim to examine the possible causes of inattention and solutions in English lessons in Grade 8a, however, the observation was done to examine the effectiveness of the chosen strategies. The research method used in the Diploma Paper was case study. The case study was done in Jurmala State Gymnasium. The author of the Paper conducted the English lessons with and without strategies in Grade 8a with the aim to see whether the strategies when applied help to reduce attention problems in Grade 8a. The gathered data of the questionnaire and students’ observations were analyzed and showed graphically. After studying the theoretical literature the author concludes that strategies can help to reduce attention problems in the classroom. This was proved by the gathered data gained in the case study. The teacher should know the students and their characteristics in order to find the most effective way and time of applying the strategies to avoid inattention during English lessons

What I Say About Myself: Communication of Brand Personality by African Countries

This study analyses website brand communication by African nations using Aaker\u27s brand personality dimensions. A multistage methodology focused on 10 African countries, using a combination of content analysis and correspondence analysis. We found that some countries have specific brand personalities while others are failing to communicate their brand personalities distinctly. This article illustrates a powerful, but simple and relatively inexpensive way for international marketers to study communicated brand personality. Although there are 53 countries on the African continent, only 10 countries were covered by this research. The intent was, however, to demonstrate a research method, rather than have comprehensive coverage of the African continent. The major contribution of this study is the use of a new research approach and set of tools that both tourism researchers and managers can use. The technique is easy to use, and the results are easy to interpret