Stephen A. LeMay

The Selling Orientation–Customer Orientation (Soco) Scale: Cross-Validation of the Revised Version

In a study on the measurement of customer orientation of salespersons, Thomas, Soutar, and Ryan (2001) proposed a shorter version of the 24-item selling orientation–customer orientation (SOCO) scale developed by Saxe and Weitz (1982). This revised version is a 10-item scale, where, the selling orientation and the customer orientation dimensions are measured by five items each. Thomas, Soutar, and Ryan claimed that their version of the SOCO scale is reliable and valid, and the reduction in items from 24 to 10 will reduce response fatigue and acquiescence bias. Further, sales researchers can incorporate the ten-item SOCO scale in larger studies with other constructs. Our study attempted to cross-validate this revised version of the SOCO scale in a business-to-business setting. The results established the generalizability of the revised scale.

Interdependence and Cooperation in Industrial Buyer-Supplier Relationships

Buyer-supplier levels of cooperation within industrial markets is examined. Degree of interdependence has long been assumed to be a predictor of cooperation in these relationships. Results from this study show mixed results.

An Investigation of the Determinants of Extrinsic Job Satisfaction Among Drivers

Driver turnover is one of the most pressing issues facing the trucking industry. Low job satisfaction has been identified as a major reason for turnover among employees. Conventional wisdom in the trucking industry is that low pay and lack of home time are the factors that cause driver dissatisfaction. This manuscript investigates this conventional wisdom and draws on the theory of met expectations to help identify other factors that lead to driver dissatisfaction. The results indicate that conventional wisdom is only partially correct, and that the factors that cause driver dissatisfaction are directly controllable by the firm.

Solving the Reverse Logistics Problem: Applying the Symbiotic Logistics Concept

Logistics channels are usually designed to go one way—toward the customer. Moving goods in the other direction disrupts this flow, much like driving a car the wrong way on a one way street. The concept of symbiotic logistics offers insight into the solution or avoidance of problems associated with reverse logistics.