Sandra S. Graca

Performance Outcomes of Behavioral Attributes in Buyer-Supplier Relationships

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain the impact of relationship capital (trust and commitment) and the exchange climate (communication, conflict resolution and cooperation) on performance satisfaction in the context of buyer–supplier relationships. The study also examines the influence of national culture on the proposed relationships. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual model and accompanying research hypotheses are tested on data from a survey of 169 US and 110 Brazilian buyers. Structural equation modeling (AMOS 18.0) is used to test the hypotheses. Findings – Results suggest that performance satisfaction is highly dependent on the level of relationship capital and climate of information exchange between buyer and supplier. Quality communication and conflict resolution have the greatest impact on performance satisfaction while trust’s influence is both direct and mediated by the exchange climate. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to a two-country sample in a b...

B2B commitment building in emerging markets: the case of Brazil

The research examines the suitability of relationship marketing paradigms to emerging markets (EMs) through the lens of communication, relationship benefits and commitment. Using the U.S. as a developed nation sample and Brazil as a proxy for EM countries like the BRIC nations, a B2B buyer–supplier commitment-building model is conceptualized and tested for context-specific boundaries. The study compares communication behaviors and relationship benefits along functional, psychological and social dimensions to discern the evaluation process and governance mechanisms influenced by an EM buyer’s institutional environment. Results showed that buyers from relation-based EMs like Brazil base their relationship commitment more on the psychological attributes of the partnership, while a buyer’s commitment-building process in rule-based, developed nations like the US is largely influenced by functional attributes.

HUMOR EFFECTIVENESS IN SOCIAL VIDEO ENGAGEMENT

This study extends research on humor effectiveness to videos intended for social media engagement. A survey and content analysis of 2,911 videos revealed an attitude favorability toward humor over serious entertainment, especially when the message is intended for goods classified as low involvement and emotionally motivated. The study also suggests, however, that humor may dissuade social media participants from imparting comments. Although examination of structural characteristics suggests no significant differences in the performance of humor types suggested in Speck’s (1991) taxonomy, results showed that content is more favorably received when humor dominates than when humor is subordinate to message information.