Interdependence Asymmetry Research Articles

EU external governance in policy area under “embedded stalemate”: navigating the dynamic networks of Turkish transport

ABSTRACT This paper offers a nuanced examination of EU external governance within the challenging terrain of ‘embedded stalemate’, utilizing a network governance lens. Focusing on the Turkish transport sector as a case study, the research seeks to unravel the determinants of EU compliance in areas characterized by a protracted political impasse. By investigating the intricate dynamics of this ‘embedded stalemate’, the paper explores the question: ‘How do various factors influence the compliance with the EU in the Turkish transport sector amid a prolonged stalemate characterized by the absence of benchmarks and deadlines?’ Through 11 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, ranging from Turkish Ministry officials to private transport advisors, the study identifies variables such as incentives, actor capacities, asymmetry of interdependence, socialization, and politicization as crucial forces influencing the trajectory of compliance. The conceptual framework of network governance is introduced, providing a theoretical lens to understand the complex web of actors and preferences in this dynamic landscape. Therefore, the study concludes that as a result of ‘embedded stalemate’, patchy compliance is achieved through prolonged and dynamically evolving network governance involving a diverse array of actors from both the EU and Turkey sides.

Interdependence and Information Exchange Between Conflicting Parties: The Role of Interorganizational Trust

It is difficult to avoid conflict in interorganizational relationships, and information exchange is critical for resolving conflict. This article reveals a mechanism that shows the separate and joint influences of different dimensions of trust and interdependence on information exchange in the process of conflict resolution. Based on survey data from the construction industry, the empirical results suggest that competence trust, total interdependence, and interdependence asymmetry positively affect information exchange when trust and interdependence act separately. When they act together, in the case of symmetric interdependence, competence trust plays a positive mediating role in the relationship between total interdependence and information exchange, whereas goodwill trust plays a negative mediating role. In the case of asymmetric interdependence, competence trust below the average level strengthens the positive impact of interdependence asymmetry on information exchange. Only when goodwill trust is above, the average level can strengthen the positive effect of interdependence asymmetry on information exchange. This article expands the research on information exchange, trust, and interdependence, which helps practitioners address conflict.

The efficacy of contractual governance on task and relationship conflict in inter-organisational transactions

PurposeThis paper aims to explain how contractual complexity, including contractual control, coordination and adaptation, makes a difference to the task and relationship conflict, and then, to investigate the moderating roles played by both, total interdependence and interdependence asymmetry, in altering the association between the two types of conflicts.Design/methodology/approachThis study obtained data through a questionnaire survey in the Chinese construction industry and the final sample consisted of 232 responses. The data were analysed using hierarchy analysis using SPSS.FindingsThe results are as follows: first, higher contractual control and coordination reduce the level of relationship conflicts, and higher contractual coordination also reduces the level of task conflicts; second, task conflict positively affects relationship conflict; third, task conflict mediates the relationship between contractual coordination and relationship conflict; and finally, when total interdependence is higher, task conflict induces more relationship conflict. On the contrary, high interdependence asymmetry weakens the positive relationship between task and relationship conflicts.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the importance of contracts in conflict management. The findings can guide practitioners in drafting suitable contracts to deal with task and relationship conflicts more effectively.Originality/valueThis study differentiates the effects of distinct components of contracts on task and relationship conflicts, and then reveals the contingent effects of interdependence on the relationship between task and relationship conflicts in inter-organisational transactions.

When can B2B firms improve product innovation capability (PIC) through customer participation (CP)? The moderating role of inter-organizational relationships?

PurposeWhen can B2B firms improve product innovation capability (PIC) through customer participation (CP)? The purpose of this paper is to shed light on this interesting question by providing a framework to interpret how interorganizational relationships (IORs), including customer relationship commitments, firm’s relational capability and bilateral dependence structure moderate the relationship between CP and PIC.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey is conducted among 376 business to business (B2B) firms located in mainland China. Six hypotheses on how IORs moderate the CP–PIC relationship are examined using hierarchical regression analysis technique.FindingsThe empirical research reveals that CP positively impacts PIC of B2B firms, which will be strengthened when either customer affective commitment, supplier’s relational capability or total interdependence is high. In addition, the relationship between CP and PIC weakens as customer’s calculative commitment or interdependence asymmetry strengthens.Originality/valueThis study enriches customer participation literature by highlighting the PIC outcomes of CP and examining the complex and contingent roles of the buyer–supplier relationship in moderating CP’s impact upon PIC.

Virtual interorganizational relationships in business-to-business electronic markets: heterogeneity in the effects of organizational interdependence on relational outcomes

Business-to-business electronic markets have emerged as robust, legitimate channels for conducting transactions, where firms participate in these markets according to their investments in the channel, such that they might participate as an expert, explorer, or passive firm. Over time, repeated interactions with the same trading partners can result in virtual interorganizational relationships even in an environment predicated to promote transactional exchange. We suggest that the nature of firm participation should moderate the influence of organizational interdependence—which comprises both total interdependence and interdependent asymmetry—on relational outcomes such as trust and satisfaction for virtual interorganizational relationships that arise in the electronic market. Results from analysis of data collected from a survey of participant firms in an electronic market confirm the moderating role of the nature of participation. Across the three participation states, total interdependence enhances relational outcomes at a diminishing rate. In contrast, interdependence asymmetry does not influence relational outcomes for expert firms, diminishes them at an increasing rate for explorer firms, and increases trust at a decreasing rate for passive firms. The interaction between total interdependence and interdependence asymmetry increased satisfaction for expert firms and decreased trust and satisfaction for explorer firms.

Asymmetric interdependence in the Czech–Russian energy relations

This paper addresses the issue of asymmetric energy relations between the Czech Republic and the Russian Federation. The theory of interdependence is a widely used concept in political and economic studies of international relations. As can be seen from the analysis of Czech–Russian energy relations and its costs and benefits, the interdependence cannot be limited to a situation of equal interdependence. Energy sensitivity and vulnerability of the Czech Republic towards Russia is considered as a key source of power for the energy policy of Russia vis-à-vis the Czech Republic. The evidence for this claim can be found in the procedures and expressions of Russia’s energy policy. On the other hand, the energy policy of the Czech Republic is influenced by the European Union and its focus on the liberalization of the energy market, diversification of the currently existing transportation routes and legislative proposals aimed at strengthening the EU’s own energy security. The European Union significantly contributes to an increase of the energy security of the Czech Republic. The European Union and regional cooperation (such as the V4 group) could balance out the asymmetry of interdependence, thus lowering the sensitivity and vulnerability of the Czech Republic towards Russia.

Process Integration and Information Sharing in Supply Chains

ABSTRACTThis study examines whether the potential for hold-up in supply chains influences the extent of process integration and information sharing between partners. The analysis uses performance scorecards and financial performance data collected from a major manufacturer regarding its contractual arrangements with 156 distributors. I find that distributors engage in less extensive process integration and information sharing with the manufacturer as the potential for hold-up increases, measured by the asymmetry of interdependence between partners. I also find that distributors engage in more extensive process integration and information sharing as the potential for hold-up decreases, measured by the magnitude of interdependence between partners. Additional evidence shows that more extensive process integration and information sharing have favorable financial performance implications for supply chain partners and enhance the likelihood of distributor contract renewal. Overall, the results indicate that the potential for hold-up can restrict the performance benefits available to partners from developing more extensive supply chain integration practices.Data Availability: A confidentiality agreement restricts data availability. Some data have been modified by a common factor to preserve research site confidentiality.

The use of influence strategies in interdependent relationship: The moderating role of shared norms and values

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of interdependence on the influence strategies and investigate the moderating role that “shared norms and values” play in the relationships between interdependence and influence strategies. The results reveal that when the degree of total dependence between suppliers and retailers gets higher, the suppliers adopt fewer hard coercive strategies and more promise and noncoercive strategies. When retailers dependent much more on suppliers, suppliers adopt more hard coercive strategies and fewer noncoercive strategies, but there is no significant effect on promise strategies. Under a higher degree of shared norms and values, the negative relationship between total interdependence and hard coercive strategies, and the positive relationship between total interdependence and (1) promise strategies and (2) noncoercive strategies increase. Moreover, the relationship between interdependence asymmetry and influence strategies is also moderated by shared norms and values. It implies that under a higher degree of shared norms and values and a higher extent to which retailers depend on suppliers, suppliers adopt fewer hard coercive strategies and more promise and noncoercive strategies.

The effect of interfirm dependence structures on governance mechanisms

Despite recent developments regarding the study of interdependence structures, previous research has rarely investigated the simultaneous effect of both interdependence magnitude and interdependence asymmetry on governance mechanisms among exchange parties. A survey of manufacturing companies has been used to test a theory about the interactive effect of buyer dependence and supplier dependence on inter-firm governance. The analysis of the survey supported the proposition that both buyers and suppliers that are highly dependent on each other (high interdependence magnitude and low interdependence asymmetry) may choose to rely on monitoring and the norm of information sharing. However, when a buyer's dependence is low regardless of the supplier's dependence level, the buyer does not rely on the norm of information sharing (buyer's relative interdependence advantage, buyer's relative interdependence disadvantage, and low interdependence magnitude). On the other hand, when the supplier's dependence on the buyer is low, the buyer relies on monitoring regardless of its dependence level (buyer's relative interdependence disadvantage and low interdependence magnitude). However, this study did not empirically measure performance. Further research should be done on the effect of congruence between the governance mechanism and its antecedents on buying performance.

The moderating effect of power distance on perceived interdependence and relationship quality in commercial banking

PurposeThe purpose of this cross‐cultural study is to examine the moderating effect of power distance on perceived interdependence and relationship quality in a bank‐corporate client relationship.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through surveys administered to bank customers in India and Canada. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Multiple Regression were employed to assess the relationships among model variables.FindingsResults indicate that Power distance moderates the Interdependence and Relationship Quality Relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was limited to only Indian and Canadian customers and their banks. Only one dimension of culture was used as a moderator of the Interdependence and Relationship Quality relationship. The study is limited to a single dimension of service banking.Practical implicationsBuyer‐seller relationships are dependent on the specific cultural basis of the parties. Managers must be cognizant of the cultural values of the buyer/client in order to understand the most effective means of establishing and nurturing the buyer‐seller relationship.Originality/valueGiven that Values, Interdependence, Interdependence Asymmetry, Trust and Commitment are critically important to the development of effective relationships, statistical data are presented supporting the fact that an element of national culture (Power Distance) moderates the degree of interdependence and the strength of the trust‐commitment linkage. To date, these relationships have not been explored in an eastern cultural context.

Joint and interactive effects of trust and (inter) dependence on relational behaviors in long-term channel dyads

The authors investigate the effects of trust on the relational behaviors of firms in long-term channel dyads across different interdependence structures. Based on the long-term nature of the empirical setting, trust is posited to exert a positive effect on the emergence of relational behaviors in all interdependence conditions. This positive effect of trust is hypothesized to be stronger in highly and symmetrically interdependent channel dyads than in low-interdependence-type symmetric dyads. In addition, for both relatively more dependent and relatively less dependent members of asymmetric dyads, the effect size of trust is hypothesized to increase as the perceived level of interdependence asymmetry increases. Data collected from automobile dealers in Turkey reveal that trust in the supplier has the strongest positive effect on the relational behaviors of dealers in asymmetric dealer–supplier dyads that perceive themselves relatively less dependent than their suppliers. For relatively more dependent dealers, trust is found to exert a modest positive effect. In symmetrically interdependent dealer–supplier dyads, trust exerts a modest positive effect on dealer relational behaviors in the low mutual dependence condition, and this effect size reduces to the point of nonsignificance in the high mutual dependence condition. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

A cross-national study of interdependence structure and distributor attitudes: the moderating effect of group orientation

Extant literature on channel management highlights the important link between the interdependence of channel members and distributor attitudes. The study reported here expands the scope of this research stream in two ways. First, expanding the national scope of the research, the author contrasts the United States with Japan and suggests that the interdependence structure and its links with distributor attitudes are contingent on the cultural context of a distribution channel system: the extent of group orientation. Second, expanding the scope of the research beyond consumer product channels, the author examines distribution channels for industrial products. The author conducts a two-stage analysis with the data from national surveys of industrial distributors in the United States and Japan. The results of the cross-national analysis support the moderating effect of group orientation on the link between interdependence asymmetry and distributor attitudes partially. The results of the country-level analysis show some intriguing similarities and differences between the United States and Japan.

Gaiatsu and Japan's Foreign Aid: Rethinking theReactive-Proactive Debate

This article examines the role of the United States in Japan's foreign aid policy. The Japanese government often alters its course of action under U.S. pressure even if doing so would apparently undermine its own interests. Japan's unusual responsiveness to U.S. preferences appears counterintuitive given the fact that at least in the realm of foreign aid Japan's power clearly surpassed that of the United States. This article posits that Japan's responsiveness stems in large part from the asymmetry of interdependence between the two countries. After critically reviewing the existing literature, it conducts two case studies to examine the validity of the argument. The article concludes that the United States played a crucial role but Japan's responsiveness to American pressure reflects an act of will rather than a lack of coherent policy stemming from bureaucratic politics. The findings have important implications to the ongoing debate over whether Japan is a “reactive state.”

Interdependence, Punitive Capability, and the Reciprocation of Punitive Actions in Channel Relationships

Using data from automobile dealers in the Netherlands, the authors find that dealers’ punitive actions toward their key suppliers are affected by their perceptions of their own and their supplier's interdependence and punitive capabilities, as well as by the supplier's punitive actions. Punitive actions are affected by interdependence, but a more complete picture is achieved by also examining punitive capability. The authors test hypotheses based on bilateral deterrence, conflict spiral, and relative power theories, but none of these comprehensively explains the effects of both total power and power asymmetry. Dealer punitive actions are inhibited as total interdependence increases, but are promoted as total punitive capability increases. Using spline regression, the authors find that interdependence asymmetry has no direct effect on punitive actions, whereas punitive capability asymmetry does. As dealers’ punitive capability advantage as compared with their suppliers’ increases, dealers make greater use of punitive actions, whereas they use fewer punitive actions as their punitive capability deficit increases. The authors also find that dealers with a relative advantage in dependence or punitive capability are more likely to reciprocate their supplier's punitive actions.

The effects of trust and interdependence on relationship commitment: A trans-Atlantic study

In recent years, interorganizational relationship management has become of paramount interest in marketing channels research. Marketing managers and researchers have identified mutual commitment among exchange partners in a marketing channel as central to successful relationship marketing and as key to producing significant benefits for firms. We consider two types of commitment that may characterize interfirm relationships. Affective commitment expresses the extent to which channel members like to maintain their relationship with specific partners. Calculative commitment measures the degree to which channel members experience the need to maintain a relationship. After conceptualizing commitment, we offer a set of hypotheses concerning the joint impact of trust and interdependence on both affective and calculative commitment. Testing our hypotheses in a field study involving two countries, we find strong evidence that total interdependence enhances both affective and calculative commitment. Which type of commitment develops depends on trust. The unexpected positive effect of interdependence asymmetry on affective commitment seems to be in line with a stream of research that has emphasized the positive role of power differences in promoting the effective coordination of channel relationships.

The Effects of Perceived Interdependence on Dealer Attitudes

Channels research has consistently argued that asymmetric channel relationships are more dysfunctional than those characterized by symmetric interdependence. The authors propose that the degree of both interdependence asymmetry and total interdependence affect the level of interfirm conflict, trust, and commitment. Using survey data from automobile dealers, they demonstrate that, with increasing interdependence asymmetry, the dealer's trust in and commitment to the supplier decline while interfirm conflict increases. In addition, they demonstrate that relationships with greater total interdependence exhibit higher trust, stronger commitment, and lower conflict than relationships with lower interdependence. The effects on conflict are consistent with those predicted by bilateral deterrence theory, and the effects on trust and commitment are in accord with the authors’ bilateral convergence predictions.

The asymmetry of interdependence: The united states and the geopolitics of international financial relations

The asymmetry of interdependence: The united states and the geopolitics of international financial relations

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