Robert Wilken

Predicting purchase decisions with different conjoint analysis methods: a Monte Carlo simulation

Predicting purchase decisions is highly relevant for marketers who want to estimate the potential success of their products, or market shares. In marketing research and practice, conjoint analyses (CAs) are widely used in this context. During the last 20 years, not only in marketing, but also in other disciplines, numerous variants of conjoint models and parameter estimation methods have been developed (Green & Srinivasan 1978; Green & Srinivasan 1990; Moore et al. 1998), but only some of them have gained broad acceptance in practice (Carroll & Green 1995) and not all conjoint variants seem to be appropriate in order to predict purchase decisions.

Produktivitätsmessung von Dienstleistungen mit Hilfe von Varianten der DEA

Produktivitat beschreibt einen wichtigen Leistungsparameter eines Unternehmens (Fricke 1961, S. 135; Nachum 1999, S. 939), der in einem engen Zusammenhang zum Begriff der Effizienz steht. Einige Autoren verwenden die Begriffe synonym, andere weisen auf Unterschiede hin (Lasshoff 2006, S. 24).

The Impact of Team Characteristics on the Course and Outcome of Intergroup Price Negotiations

ABSTRACT Purpose and Methodology. Both academic research and managerial practice devote attention to the topic of negotiation, and price negotiations have particular salience in business relations. Despite frequent negotiations between buying and selling centers in practice, the impact of team characteristics on the course and outcome of a negotiation rarely has been researched. This study proposes an integrative framework of the determinants of negotiation outcomes that examines the impact of group characteristics on both the conduct of the negotiating parties and the negotiation outcome. Originality. Unlike most studies, this research integrates the impact of group characteristics on both the course and the outcome of a negotiation. In practice, negotiations occur between teams, so the question of how groups should be designed to perform well in that context is very relevant. Also, in practice, objective outcome measures are often hard to obtain; instead, businesses often must rely on subjective evaluations by negotiators. We therefore measure negotiation outcomes perceived by the negotiating parties, in addition to objective outcome measures, to discern whether the drivers of objective and subjective success differ or coincide. Findings. Team characteristics translate to a certain, albeit limited, extent into between-group negotiation conduct. Cohesive groups and groups with a participative decision-making structure are less likely to engage in contending behavior. Group characteristics unequally affect objective and perceived outcome measures. Groups with a participative decision-making structure achieve a higher joint profit (i.e., higher profit for the whole supply chain) from the negotiation but evaluate the outcome more negatively than do groups with a lower level of participative decision making. Factors that enhance a partys perception of negotiation outcomes do not necessarily benefit objective outcomes and are particularly harmful for joint outcomes. Practical Implications. For business marketing practice, the findings imply that the composition of a buying and/or selling center and the related decision-making mode within that center can influence the negotiation. Furthermore, relying on the negotiators evaluation of negotiation success might be problematic. Instead, efforts should be made to quantify the negotiation outcome in a more objective fashion.

Why teams achieve higher negotiation profits than individuals: the mediating role of deceptive tactics

Purpose This study aims to investigate the use of deceptive negotiation tactics to explain why teams can attain higher negotiation profits than individual negotiators. The study distinguishes deception by commission (i.e. active misrepresentation of preferences) from deception by omission (i.e. passive misrepresentation of preferences). Design/methodology/approach The sample used to test the mediation hypothesis was made up of data from two electronically mediated negotiation simulations encompassing 75 negotiation dyads with 278 participants. The methodology involved coding deceptive negotiation tactics from the log files by counting utterances related to indifference options that enabled negotiation parties to deceive. Findings The results show that teams do apply deceptive negotiation tactics more frequently than individual negotiators and that this behavior helps them increase their negotiation profits. Originality/value The findings are valuable for two reasons. First, the study included controls for other important antecedents of deceptive behavior and negotiation outcome (e.g. negotiators’ nationalities, first bids). Consequently, the empirical results underline the importance of considering team size to understand its impact on profits through the use of deceptive tactics. Second, although this study does show that deception increases negotiation profits, the absolute level of deception is rather small (on average just one deceptive statement per negotiation).

Broad and Narrow Country-of-Origin Effects and the Domestic Country Bias

ABSTRACT Across three studies and three countries, this research specifies the effect of consumer ethnocentrism on domestic country bias. Extending extant research, it distinguishes the moderating effects of broad (country image, country production image) and narrow (country product category image) country-of-origin effects, demonstrating that the latter mitigate domestic country bias more strongly than the former. Moreover, nationality emerges as an antecedent of consumer ethnocentrism and domestic country bias. The findings enable international marketers to predict domestic country bias in different country markets. Additionally, this research advocates using a finer-grained, narrow view of country-of-origin effects, instead of a broad perspective.

Estimating Willingness-to-Pay by Different Utility Functions: A Comparison of Individual and Cluster Solutions

In this paper we compare different alternatives for the estimation of utility functions necessary to elicit willingness to pay with conjoint analysis: Linear interpolation vs. regression on individual and on cluster level. An empirical application shows that the selected alternative has significant effects on the estimated WTPs. No superior method is found; rather, the selection of an appropriate function on cluster level is recommended.

Was bedeutet Internationalität in der Managementweiterbildung? Eine nachfrageorientierte Studie auf Basis von Latent-Class-Conjoint-Analysen

ZusammenfassungInnerhalb der Weiterbildungsangebote von Hochschulen haben in den letzten 20 Jahren vor allem MBA-Programme an Bedeutung gewonnen. Unternehmen fordern aufgrund ihrer fortschreitenden Internationalisierung dabei auch, dass MBA-Programme international ausgerichtet sind. Doch was verbirgt sich hinter dem Schlagwort der Internationalität von MBA-Programmen? Mithilfe von Latent-Class-Conjoint-Analysen zeigen die Autoren erstens, dass Internationalität für Teilnehmer von MBA-Programmen ein zentrales Entscheidungskriterium ist. Zweitens werden Internationalität der Teilnehmer, des Curriculums, des Programmablaufs und der Dozenten als die wichtigsten Dimensionen von Internationalität ermittelt. Drittens können zwei Typen von MBA-Programm-Teilnehmern identifiziert werden: Ein Segment schätzt die Bedeutung aller vier Internationalitätsdimensionen annähernd gleich hoch ein, während das andere Segment Internationalität vor allem im Programmablauf und Curriculum erwartet. Diese zielgruppenspezifische Segmentierung hilft Hochschulen bei der Gestaltung und Vermarktung ihrer MBA-Programme.AbstractDuring the last two decades, universities and business schools have significantly extended their offer in executive education. In particular, the number of MBA programs has risen considerably. Given the continuing internationalization of firms, it is often claimed that MBA programs also have to be international. But what does “internationalization” in the context of MBA programs mean? On the basis of latent-class-conjoint analyses, the authors show that internationalization is an important decision criterion for participants in MBA programs. Specifically, internationalization of the MBA class, the curriculum, the program structure, and the faculty are the most important dimensions. The authors also identify two types of participants in MBA programs: one segment appreciates all four dimensions almost equally, whereas the other segment emphasizes internationalization in the program structure and the curriculum. These results help universities and business schools to tailor their product offers according to different needs.

What do You Think, Darling? Revisiting Knowledge on Purchase Decisions of Couples within Households

Elena Dinkevych is Research Associate at the Chair of International Marketing, ESCP Europe Berlin, Heubnerweg 8–10, 14059 Berlin, Germany, Phone: +49-30-32007-177, Fax: +49-30-32007-118, E-Mail: edinkevych@ escpeurope.eu. Robert Wilken is Professor of International Marketing at ESCP Europe Berlin, Heubnerweg 8–10, 14059 Berlin, Germany, Phone: +49-30-32007-167, Fax: +49-30-32007-118, E-Mail: rwilken@escpeurope.eu. * Corresponding Author. What do You Think, Darling? Revisiting Knowledge on Purchase Decisions of Couples within Households

Conceptualizing and Measuring the Efficiency of Negotiated Exchanges between Buyers and Sellers: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

Buyer–seller negotiations (BSN) are the fundamental mechanism of deal-making in business markets. However, it is well-known that many such negotiations fail to exploit their integrative potential and remain inefficient. Therefore, defining, measuring, and understanding the causes of BSN efficiency are of great consequence to researchers, managers, and policy makers. Based on an assessment of the shortcomings in extant measures, we posit the conceptual and analytical desiderata for any measure of negotiation efficiency. Specifically, we refine the conceptual understanding of BSN efficiency beyond the standard economic viewpoint and extend it to encompass a) affective responses to complement economic outcome measures, b) resources expended to reach these outcomes, and c) the multi-dimensional nature of both the outcome and input (resource) aspects. We propose Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) as a means to measure our conceptualization of BSN efficiency to alleviate the shortcomings identified. We use two studies to illustrate the face validity and additional insights that employing DEA provides compared to traditional outcome measures. We conclude by discussing the directions for future research.

Vom Produkt- zum Lösungsanbieter

Viele Unternehmen sehen sich heutzutage als Anbieter von „Losungen“ („solution selling“), Dieser Beitrag fasst die bereits recht umfassende Literatur zum Thema „Losungen“ zusammen, um darauf aufbauend Vorschlage fur zukunftige Forschungsfragen mit hoher Praxisrelevanz zu entwickeln. Als Grundlage dienen die Grundstruktur von Austauschprozessen auf Markten von Jacob sowie die „service dominant logic“ von Vargo und Lusch. Der Literaturuberblick macht deutlich, dass eine Vielzahl von Voraussetzungen fur ein erfolgreiches Losungsgeschaft bekannt ist; allerdings ist die Kundensicht bislang grostenteils vernachlassigt worden. Bezuglich preispolitischer Fragen im Losungsgeschaft scheint wertbasierten Ansatzen eine besondere Rolle zuzukommen; allerdings fehlt der Nachweis, dass Kunden fur Losungen auch mehr zu zahlen bereit sind. Zukunftige Forschung sollte daher auch das „solution buying“ betrachten und kundenseitig Zahlungsbereitschaften quantitativ wie explorativ ermitteln.