Peggy A. Golden

THE EFFECT OF REPUTATION ON THE DECISION TO JOINT VENTURE

This paper focuses on the impact that reputation has on the decision to proceed with a strategic alliance. Employing reputation constructs adapted from the Fortune Corporate Reputation Survey, we manipulated a target firm’s reputation in an experimental design. The subjects were placed in the role of CEO of the partner firm and asked whether they would engage in the alliance. Findings indicate that (1) reputation is a multidimensional construct, (2) the personal information-processing characteristics of the decision-maker mediate the reputation effect and may suppress the reputation information, (3) subjects may compensate weaker elements of reputation for stronger ones when making decisions, (4) product and management reputation are the most important factors, and (5) reputation is a factor affecting the decision regardless of whether the proposed target is a supplier or a competitor.

Interorganizational and Collective Strategies in Small Firms: Environmental Effects and Performance:

This study provides evidence that collective strategy is prevalent in small firms in fragmented industries. COMPUSTAT data were combined with afield survey of small manufacturingfirms to test hypotheses concerning the relative frequencies of various collective strategies, the effects of environmental variables on collective activity, and the contribution of collective behavior to firm performance. Results indicate that agglomerate and organic collective strategies are the most frequently employed, and that munificent environments were positively associated with collective behavior and performance. Complex environments were negatively associated with collective strategy and no effect was found for volatile environments. The study also discusses methodological issues concerning the use of the COMPUSTAT database, and the usual practice of omitting cases with missing financial information.

Cooperative Alliances and Competitive Strategies in Small Manufacturing Firms

This study extends existing work in the area of interorganizational relationships by exploring the interaction between the strategic posture of small firms and their propensity to form cooperative linkages. The most critical finding is that most small firms do use cooperative strategies, and that these strategies are used differentially by different strategic types. However, it is unclear whether there is a direct relationship between the competitive postures, interorganizational strategies, and small firm performance.

Strategic orientation and marketing strategies in transition economies: a study of Russian firms

The Miles and Snow typology has been used widely in the past as a means to understand the marketing strategies implemented by organizations. The authors adapt this typology to include the planned demand enterprise (PDE) type in Russia, where marketing is in an infantile stage and elements of a command economy are still in place. Results of an empirical investigation of approximately 200 firms show dramatic differences in the perceptions of marketing between firms adopting a market orientation and those still operating under a PDE orientation.

Factors affecting electronic mail use

Abstract This study tests several assumptions about the circumstances under which an individual will elect to use an electronic mail system (EMS) in an organization. Based on earlier work in EMS, three sets of hypotheses were formulated. Data were obtained by surveying a total of 200 EMS account holders at an urban midwestern university. The survey instrument assessed self-reported use of the system, perceived managerial roles enacted by each user, and their perceptions of formal and informal pressure. Results show that (a) user perceptions of the medium s usefulness will affect use, (b) EMSs are used by “liaisons” in organizations, and (c) formal and informal pressure can be used effectively to help induce nonusers to adopt. Implications for managers and future research are discussed.

Vertical integration and economic performance: a managerial capability framework

Despite the indeterminate economic outcomes of vertical integration, several managers and researchers have questioned its viability. The article proposes that a better understanding of the relationship between vertical integration and economic performance may be made by considering the role of managerial capabilities in directing integration. It is argued that a lack of understanding of non‐core businesses and the managerial approach necessary for managing integrated activities contributes to poor integration outcomes. The magnitude of these knowledge deficiencies will be dependent on how far the company moves from its strategic core and on whether corporate managers can abate these deficiencies through knowledge acquisition. Through synthesis of the complex vertical integration literature, a managerial capability framework presents the issues and environmental contingencies involved in the success of the vertical integration effort.

Enhancing Perceived Learning within the Simulated Marketing Environment

Factors that affect learning in marketing education are important issues for both classroom and corporate environments. In this empirical study of 158 students in marketing classes, involvement and perceived realism are hypothesized as correlates of learning in the simulated marketing environment. Results suggest that both involvement and perceived realism are significant predictors of perceptions of learning. Guidelines for enhancing involvement and perceived realism are offered.

Intolerance of Ambiguity and the Decision to Form an Alliance

In an experimental design, when a firms reputation was manipulated and its reputation was negative or mixed, high tolerance of ambiguity will increase the decision-makers propensity to engage in an alliance.

Performance effects of top management team gender diversity during the merger and acquisition process

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to uncover the performance effects of top management team (TMT) gender diversity in the merger and acquisition (M&A) process. To do so, an integration of the upper echelons perspective and the M&A process literature is offered to consider the “double-edge sword” of gender diversity on both pre- and post-integration performance. Additionally, the boundary effects of acquirer experience on the TMT gender diversity-performance relationship is examined. Design/methodology/approach – The hypotheses are tested in a sample of 310 acquisitions by Fortune 1,000 companies. Multiple regression analysis is utilized to test the effects on the two different performance variables. Findings – The findings reveal that TMT gender diversity is beneficial to pre-integration performance, but hinders post-integration performance. Additionally, the findings provide evidence that acquirer experience can overcome the negative effects of gender diversity in post-integration performance. Origi...

A Real Options Reasoning Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Integrating Real Option Sensemaking and CSR Orientation

In this article we explore the conceptual relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) orientation and real option reasoning. We argue that the firms attitude, communication, and behavior toward CSR will act as significant determinants to the firms sensemaking approach to real options; that is, if and how it (the firm) acknowledges, receives, and manages strategic real options. Integrating the previous work of Basu and Palazzo with Barnett, we propose a new model that extends the influence of CSR orientation/character to general strategic decision making while simultaneously developing the attention‐based view to real options.