Competitive Intent Research Articles

Competitive (but not cooperative) body odors bias the discrimination of action intentions towards cooperation

Odors help us to interpret the environment, including the nature of social interactions. But, whether and how they influence the ability to discriminate the intentional states embedded in actions is unclear. In two experiments, we asked two independent groups of participants to discriminate motor intentions from videos showing one agent performing a reach-to-grasp movement with another agent with a cooperative or a competitive intent, and the same movement performed alone at either natural- or fast-speed, as controls. Task-irrelevant odor primes preceded each video presentation. Experiment 1 (N = 19) included masked cooperative and competitive body odors (human sweat collected while the donors were engaged in cooperative and competitive activities), whereas Experiment 2 (N = 20) included a common odor (cedarwood oil) and no odor (clean air) as primes. In an odor-primed, two-alternative forced choice task, participants discriminated the intention underlying the observed action. The results indicated that the odor exposure modulated the discrimination speed across different intentions, but only when the action intentions were hard to discriminate (cooperative vs. individual natural-speed, and competitive vs. individual fast-speed). Contrary to our hypothesis, a direct odor-action intention compatibility effect was not found. Instead, we propose a negative arousal compatibility-like effect to explain our results. Discrimination of high arousing action intentions (i.e., competitive) took longer when primed by high arousing odors (common odor and competitive body odor) than by low arousing odors (cooperative body odor and no odor). Discrimination of low arousing action intentions (i.e., cooperative) took longer when primed by low arousing odors than by high arousing odors. All in all, competitive (but not cooperative) body odors bias the discrimination of action intentions towards cooperation.

Neurocomputational mechanisms involved in adaptation to fluctuating intentions of others

Humans frequently interact with agents whose intentions can fluctuate between competition and cooperation over time. It is unclear how the brain adapts to fluctuating intentions of others when the nature of the interactions (to cooperate or compete) is not explicitly and truthfully signaled. Here, we use model-based fMRI and a task in which participants thought they were playing with another player. In fact, they played with an algorithm that alternated without signaling between cooperative and competitive strategies. We show that a neurocomputational mechanism with arbitration between competitive and cooperative experts outperforms other learning models in predicting choice behavior. At the brain level, the fMRI results show that the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex track the difference of reliability between these experts. When attributing competitive intentions, we find increased coupling between these regions and a network that distinguishes prediction errors related to competition and cooperation. These findings provide a neurocomputational account of how the brain arbitrates dynamically between cooperative and competitive intentions when making adaptive social decisions.

Effects of Different-Syllable Aggressive Calls on Food Intake and Gene Expression in Vespertilio sinensis.

Social animals enjoy colony benefits but are also exposed to social stress, which affects their physiology in many ways, including alterations to their energy intake, metabolism, and even gene expression. Aggressive calls are defined as calls emitted during aggressive conflicts between individuals of the same species over resources, such as territory, food, or mates. Aggressive calls produced by animals in different aggressive states indicate different levels of competitive intentions. However, whether aggressive calls produced in different aggressive states exert different physiological effects on animals has yet to be determined. Importantly, bats live in clusters and frequently produce aggressive calls of different syllables, thus providing an ideal model for investigating this question. Here, we conducted playback experiments to investigate the effects of two types of aggressive calls representing different competitive intentions on food intake, body mass, corticosterone (CORT) concentration, and gene expression in Vespertilio sinensis. We found that the playback of both aggressive calls resulted in a significant decrease in food intake and body mass, and bats in the tonal-syllable aggressive-calls (tonal calls) playback group exhibited a more significant decrease when compared to the noisy-syllable aggressive-calls (noisy calls) playback group. Surprisingly, the weight and food intake in the white-noise group decreased the most when compared to before playback. Transcriptome results showed that, when compared to the control and white-noise groups, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in energy and metabolism were detected in the noisy-calls playback group, and DEGs involved in immunity and disease were detected in the tonal-calls playback group. These results suggested that the playback of the two types of aggressive calls differentially affected body mass, food intake, and gene expression in bats. Notably, bat responses to external-noise playback (synthetic white noise) were more pronounced than the playback of the two aggressive calls, suggesting that bats have somewhat adapted to internal aggressive calls. Comparative transcriptome analysis suggested that the playback of the two syllabic aggressive calls disrupted the immune system and increased the risk of disease in bats. This study provides new insight into how animals differ in response to different social stressors and anthropogenic noise.

‘We will show our strength!’: the independentists’ support for group-based hierarchy to guarantee and legitimate ingroup status-enhancement (‘¡Mostraremos nuestra fuerza!’: el apoyo de los independentistas a la jerarquía basada en el grupo para garantizar y legitimar la mejora del estatus del endogrupo)

ABSTRACT We propose that support for group-based hierarchy among members of low-status or subordinate groups may be boosted by beliefs in future ingroup high status. Specifically, the more individuals believe their group may hold a higher status, the more they support hierarchical intergroup relations (i.e., high social dominance orientation; SDO), by boosting ingroup favouritism. In turn, SDO should be positively associated with collective action tendencies by increasing social competition intentions. Using samples from Catalonia (N = 152) and the Basque Country (N = 262), results showed that independence supporters’ beliefs in future ingroup status enhancement reinforced participants’ SDO, through nationalist sentiments (i.e., ingroup bias) but not through patriotism in the Catalan sample, and directly in the Basque sample. In turn, SDO increased collective actions towards independence by reinforcing individuals’ motivation to compete with the opponent dominant outgroup (Madrid region), especially in the Catalan sample. We discuss the implications of considering situational and contextual factors to better understand individuals’ support for group-based hierarchies and inequality.

Mate-value moderates the function of make-up as a signal of intrasexual aggression

Make-up increases facial attractiveness. This may impress potential mates, but can also cause potential rivals to underestimate their own competitive potential. Such self-promotional behaviours may function even in the absence of potential mates, becoming signals of intrasexual competitive intent. Here we present data from two studies investigating the effects of digitally applied make-up on perceptions of intrasexual competitive intent, and on female perceivers' self-rated facial and body attractiveness, and self-esteem. In study 1, stimulus attractiveness moderated the impact of make-up: highly attractive women were perceived as more interpersonally aggressive when made-up, while less attractive women were perceived as having more leadership potential when made-up. In study 2, high mate-value participants who viewed made-up (compared to non-made-up) attractive faces subsequently reported lower own facial attractiveness. Low mate value participants and participants who viewed less attractive faces did not adjust their own facial attractiveness in response to make-up; and make-up did not impact ratings of body image or self-esteem. We suggest that self-promotional acts, such as wearing make-up, can signal competitive intent to rivals, independently of direct impacts on the wearers' own attractiveness. Make-up may function in this way primarily between high mate-value women, serving other social functions on less attractive women.

P.3.022 - Temporo-parietal junction detects competitive intentions of others in healthy controls and patients with schizophrenia

P.3.022 - Temporo-parietal junction detects competitive intentions of others in healthy controls and patients with schizophrenia

Brand competition, peer influence, and purchase intentions towards fashion apparel in Mexico

Brand competition, peer influence, and purchase intentions towards fashion apparel in Mexico

Brand competition, peer influence, and purchase intentions towards fashion apparel in Mexico

This study examines the effectiveness of different fashion marketing strategies and analyses of the consumer behaviour in a cross-section of demographic settings in reference to fashion apparel retailing. The study discusses the determinants of consumer behaviour and their impact on purchase intentions towards fashion apparel in reference to brand image, promotions, and external-market knowledge. The constructs of the study were measured using reflective indicators showing effects on the product related, economic, and cognitive variables. All variables were chosen following a focus group analysis of the potential respondents. The confirmatory factor analysis, scale reliability, and regression method were used to analyse the data. Data was collected from 217 respondents within the age group of 18-45 in reference to 35 variables on 11 fashion apparel brands in Mexico. The results reveal that socio-cultural and personality related factors induce the purchase intentions among consumers. One of the contributions that this research extends is the debate about the converging economic, cognitive and brand related factors to induce purchase intentions. Fashion loving consumers typically patronage multi-channel retail outlets, designer brands, and invest time and cost towards an advantageous product search. The results of the study show a positive effect of store and brand preferences on developing purchase intentions for fashion apparel among consumers.

The Impact of Individual Difference Factors on Men’s Competitive Intent Against a Female Confederate Following Social Stress

The perpetration of violence against women by men is an important social issue. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that particular individual factors increase risk of perpetration; however, much of the research occurs outside of social contexts. The current study examined the manipulation of feedback valence on male participants’ competitive intent, conceptualized as a precursor to aggression, against a female confederate following a social stress task. It was expected that negative feedback (i.e., experimental condition) would elicit greater increases in competitive intent compared with positive feedback (i.e., control condition). However, it was also expected that this increase in competitive intent would be moderated by individual difference factors (i.e., physical aggression, hostility, emotion regulation difficulties, and psychological symptoms). The results suggest differential responding between the experimental and control conditions for competitive intent. Physical aggression, emotion regulation difficulties, and depression symptom severity moderated the differences in competitive intent in the experimental condition.

Fantasia: Being emotionally involved with a stereotyped target changes stereotype warmth

Dimensions of stereotypes, warmth and competence, may respond differentially to perceivers’ emotional involvement. Two studies tested the effect of being emotionally involved with a fictional immigrant target on stereotypic warmth but not competence dimension. Emotional involvement with a target affects the target’s perceived trustworthiness, warmth-related attributes, but not competence. Emotional involvement was operationalized as a personal variable, fantasizing tendency (tendency to empathically engage with fictitious characters) and a situational variable (emotion-focused instructions to adopt the target’s perspective). After reading an immigrant’s blog, Study 1 participants with a strong tendency to become involved with characters, if also instructed to focus on targets’ emotional reactions, rated an immigrant as warmer than did all other combinations, but perceived competence did not change. In Study 2, priming the perceived competitive intent of the immigrant’s group (an anti-warmth predictor) impeded involvement with the target and decreased perceived warmth. Priming perceived cooperative intent (a warmth predictor) replicated Study 1’s results. Together, the studies show preliminary support for a specific emotional involvement-warmth link.

Building a scale for dynamic learning capabilities: The role of resources, learning, competitive intent and routine patterning

Those researching organizational capabilities have largely accepted that the most fundamental operational capabilities form a hierarchy ranging from the lower-order dynamic functional to higher-order dynamic learning capabilities. Measurability has advantaged the first two types, resulting in numerous operationalized measurement scales. Yet at the strategic level, higher-order capabilities remain unmeasured, thus perpetuating issues of causal ambiguity. This paper responds by developing and presenting a measurement scale of dynamic learning capabilities (DLCs). Using multiple sources of data, we follow a five-step process to propose to measure and then validate a reliable scale consisting of three subscales. These subscales complement and thus extend the existing exploration and exploitation learning subscales. This predictive validity is further supported by relating all our subscales to perceived performance. Employing this dedicated new scale will enhance both the validity of studies on higher-order dynamic capabilities and the understanding of how firms create and use capabilities to drive performance.

A reversal theory in internationalization: case of Korean jewelry inside China

PurposeThis paper aims to examine Korean jewelry manufacturers operating in China to assess the relationship between their perceptions of external risks and their intentions to relocate. The authors hypothesize that foreign firms finding risk in the current external environment are more likely to consider moving their facilities outside China. In particular, this paper explores whether firm performance and technological capability moderate the relationship between perceived external risk and relocation intentions.Design/methodology/approachKorean jewelry manufacturers were among the first Korean firms entering China in the early 1990s to avoid Korea’s rising labor costs. After 20 years, they face similar external risks in China. The authors collected and analyzed 238 survey samples from Korean jewelry manufacturers operating in China to determine whether perceived external risks affect decisions to relocate. Logistic regression was used to examine the hypotheses. In addition to an empirical method, five case studies related to empirical results have been included.FindingsAnalysis results suggest that firms perceiving riskier managerial and competitive environments are more likely to have relocation intentions. Perceptions of risks from the governmental/political environment and macroeconomic environment have no significant relationship with relocation intentions. Also, firms’ performance and technological capability negatively moderate the relationship between perceptions of managerial competitive environment risks and relocation intentions.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on international business relocation strategies by examining perceptions of external risks that determine whether foreign manufacturing firms will relocate. In addition, the research sheds light on the transformation of Chinese economics from labor-intensive to capital-, technological- and knowledge-intensive structures. By applying multi-methods, this research further elaborates empirical results with five case studies.

Hostile sexism (de)motivates women's social competition intentions: The contradictory role of emotions

In the present research, we examine the ways in which exposure to hostile sexism influences women's competitive collective action intentions. Prior to testing our main model, our first study experimentally induced high versus low levels of security-comfort with the aim of providing experimental evidence for the proposed causal link between these emotions and intentions to engage in social competition. Results showed that lower levels of security-comfort reduced women's readiness to compete socially with men. Experiment 2 investigated the effect of hostile sexism on women's emotional reactions and readiness to engage in social competition. Consistent with the proposed model, results showed that exposure to hostile beliefs about women (1) increased anger-frustration and (2) decreased security-comfort. More specifically, exposure to hostile sexism had a positive indirect effect on social competition intentions through anger-frustration, and a negative indirect effect through security-comfort.

Tacit Agreement Under Section 1 of the Sherman Act

In dozens of cases each year alleging horizontal price fixing and other per se violations of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, the central issue is whether the defendants ever formed an agreement. One source of uncertainty in resolving this issue in litigation is the meaning of “tacit agreement,” a term the Supreme Court has continued to include within the reach of Section 1, even as it has emphatically excluded “mere interdependence” or tacit collusion. In this article, I try to clarify the meaning of tacit agreement and show its practical significance in litigation. After examining how the Court used the term in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, I situate tacit agreement in the hierarchy of means of coordination, distinguishing it especially from mere interdependence on the one hand and express agreement on the other. Then I argue for a definition of tacit agreement — interdependent conduct coordinated by prior private communications of competitive intentions—and consider what forms of communication and conduct fit that definition. I argue that, so defined, tacit agreement is more effective than simple interdependence as a means of coordinating noncompetitive equilibria, and is easier for courts to penalize or enjoin without doing more harm than good. To show the analytical significance of the concept, I distinguish among four categories of communications based upon whether the communications are public or private on the one hand, and whether they relate to present or future conduct on the other. I then examine cases involving all four kinds of communication to show their relative importance in the identification and inference of tacit agreement. In the process, I consider the proper meaning and significance of “signaling” as communication that might form or implement an agreement. The clarified definition, illustrative cases, and categories of relevant communications will, I argue, help courts resolve, at every stage of litigation, whether rivals restricted competition by agreement.

New-school brand creation and creativity – Lessons from Hip Hop and the global branded generation

Although academic marketing literature exists on the value of hip hop as a marketing tool, there appears to be less on hip hop's philosophical roots and why it proves to be so effective. This study attempts to fill this gap, investigating the apparent natural synergy with brand theory – in that they are both able to captivate and engage consumer-centric sub-cultural groups. Findings indicate that brands and hip hop weave themselves into the fabrics of society – creating social capital and providing a way for individuals to connect with the world. Through metaphor, slang, symbolism and sampling, they recycle and preserve aspects of culture; but in doing so, they also innovate. Two critical success factors in both appear to be the ratification of authenticity and an encouragement towards shared ownership. However in contrast, hip hop places precedence on overt and clear signalling of competitive intent. The methodology used is an Expert Delphi study – which also draws from a review of song lyrics, participant observation studies and in-depth interviews. This provides a basis for inductive reasoning and syllogisms. The aim is twofold: to present a new hip hop-inspired model for brand creation; and second to offer an innovative approach to in-depth qualitative studies, using ‘Word Cloud’ software.

Bimorphism in Male Verreaux’s Sifaka in the Kirindy Forest of Madagascar

Male primates in species with pronounced secondary sexual adornments can exhibit reversible or irreversible bimorphism, i.e., striking variation in the degree to which males express the adornments. Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi) use scent marking as a form of communication and exhibit sex differences in scent glands. Some males exhibit a pronounced brown staining around their sternal gland, whereas others do not. We studied morphological and behavioral characteristics of males in 6 social groups in Kirindy Forest, Madagascar, from November 2000 to March 2002 to evaluate the hypotheses that the bimorphism in male sifaka chest status represents alternative mating tactics and is a badge of status. Males are clearly divided into 2 categories: clean and stained chests, with rare, but informative, intermediate males. The chest staining probably results from the males scent marking with their sternal glands, because stained-chested males scent marked significantly more often than clean-chested males. Though sample sizes are small, chest status did not appear to depend on body size. Chest status is reversible and related to dominance rank. In each group, only 1 male, the dominant, was stained-chested, whereas all other (subordinate) males were clean-chested. These findings suggest that stained chests are visual and olfactory signals of dominance rank and that clean chests signal lack of competitive intent. Thus, this bimorphism may reflect alternative mating tactics used by males to maximize their reproductive success based upon their social environment.

A philosophical justification for a realist approach to strategic alliance research

In a comparison to the more commonly adopted philosophical extremes of positivism or grounded theory, this paper presents the case for the adoption of a realist perspective to strategic alliance research. Using previous research conducted into the drivers of internal co‐operative and competitive intent within alliances, the paper outlines the benefits of combining both deductive and inductive methods. It argues that this approach provides an appropriate basis for the interpretation of research in this field whilst also acting as a springboard for further investigation into the exploratory areas that arise from it.

TRUST MANAGEMENT THROUGH FUZZY REPUTATION

Open electronic communities may bring together people geographically and culturally unrelated to each other. In this context, taking costly decisions depends on the expectations created according to past behaviour of others. This kind of information is usually called reputation and it is one of the most significant factors to trust merchants and recommenders in electronic commerce interactions. When agents are acting on behalf of humans in such commercial scenarios, they should represent and reason about trust and reputation as humans do. In this paper a trust management mechanism tackles the vague, subjective and uncertain information about others using fuzzy sets. The operations defined over such fuzzy sets updates the reputation of merchants according to the general situation faced. This trust management mechanism is applied to a multiagent system of merchants, recommenders and buyers, where collaborative recommendations coexist with competitive intentions. The developed multi-agent system is used to compare the level of success of predictions obtained from the fuzzy computations with some of the most well known (crisp) reputation mechanisms: ebay, bizrate, sporas and regret when the behaviour of merchants change in different degrees. Finally, the potential benefits of using fuzzy sets to manage reputation in multi-agent systems are analyzed according to the excellent experimental results shown.

Creative Relationship‐Focused Negotiations in International Business

In the international business arena, negotiators are advised to use creative strategies and tactics that are directed toward enhancing relations among the parties rather than use cooperative tactics to the exclusion of competitive ones. International negotiations are usually of a mixed‐motive nature, i.e. they involve issues which inherently and appropriately elicit both cooperative and competitive intentions and behaviours, often referred to as win‐win and win‐lose tactics. However, the popular literature on negotiation fails to consider this reality and often ignores the critical role of relationship building. Lack of focus on relationship building in negotiation can lead not only to inappropriate uses of problem solving techniques but also to unsuccessful outcomes. Various creative techniques appropriate for competitive situations are proposed that can enhance or, at least, maintain positive relationships.

Strategic users of information technology: a longitudinal analysis of organizational strategy and performance

While discussed extensively, very few studies have attempted to formally integrate the notions of organizational strategy, competitive advantage, and the strategic use of information technology. Utilizing the typology of Miles and Snow, this study attempts to identify the strategic orientation (prospector, analyzer, defender) of widely cited users of ‘strategic information technology’ before and after the launch of their innovative systems. Also, measures of financial performance are compared between emergent groups in order to determine if any particular strategic orientation consistently outperforms the others. In general, this study reports four findings. First, it appears that strategic users of information technology are not concentrated along a singular strategic dimension. The firms examined in this study exhibited characteristics associated with each of Miles and Snow's strategy types. Second, it seems that many firms shifted strategic orientation after the launch of their systems. Interestingly, these shifts were rather dramatic and seem to represent a fundamental change in strategic direction from earlier ‘pre-system’ operating philosophies. Third, case descriptions along with narratives of annual reports suggest that usage or competitive intent of these strategic systems matches the prevailing strategic profile of the initiating firms. In other words, the systems seem to support organizational strategy. Finally, it seems that prospectors and defenders realized significantly higher measures of financial performance immediately after the implementation of ‘strategic information technology’; however, in the long-term no strategic orientation seemed to outperform the others.