Customer Dependence Research Articles

Research on the promotion of efficient and energy-saving architecture in brand management

With the rapid increase of the number of people on the earth, the environment is deteriorating gradually, and there is a shortage of resources. Therefore, it is urgent to actively participate in the creation of efficient energy-saving technology. The purpose of this article is to study the role of high-efficiency and energy-saving architecture in corporate brand building, explore the relationship between energy-efficient technologies and corporate brands, and make a little contribution to reducing resource waste and environmental pollution and promoting sustainable development. As the facade of an enterprise, the value of brand is relative to the customer. Improper brand management will lead to problems in the service quality of enterprises, so that the perceived value of customers will decline rapidly the number of customers will be less and less. In this paper, we first propose solutions to the problems in the establishment of energy-efficient architecture and repair the complete architecture. Secondly, it expounds the importance of brand in the enterprise and its role. Finally, the paper uses the constructed high-efficiency and energy-saving architecture to be applied in an enterprise for half a year to explore the promotion effect of the high-efficiency and energy-saving architecture on the brand processing of enterprises. Through the test, it is concluded that the construction of a complete university energy-saving program plays an important role in the enterprise brand processing, which can ensure the implementation of the enterprise brand. To promote each member of the enterprise group and the brand complement each other, improve the customer's dependence on the brand products, and help customers to stabilize consumption.

Are We in This Together? The Dynamics and Performance Implications of Dependence Asymmetry and Joint Dependence in Logistics Outsourcing Relationships

AbstractThis study investigates the mechanisms through which two dimensions of interorganizational interdependence—dependence asymmetry and joint dependence—impact a customer's key attitudinal and behavioral dimensions in the relationship with a third-party logistics provider (3PL), as well as associated performance outcomes. Results of a survey with customers of a large 3PL in Brazil indicate that customers embedded in relationships with high levels of joint dependence exhibit higher levels of long-term orientation toward and operational information exchange with the 3PL, which positively impact their logistics outsourcing performance. In addition, it is found that the direction of the customer's dependence asymmetry—advantage or disadvantage—in the relationship with the 3PL enhances or hinders the effects of joint dependence. Specifically, while a customer's dependence disadvantage positively impacts its long-term orientation, a customer's dependence advantage negatively impacts its long-term orientation, which can be detrimental to its logistics outsourcing performance.

Financial benefits and risks of dependency in triadic supply chain relationships

The economic consequences of interdependent relationships with suppliers and customers have long been of interest to supply chain managers and academics alike. Whereas previous studies have focused on the benefits or risks of embedded relationships that accrue to buying firms, this study simultaneously investigates the effects of a supplier's and a customer's embeddedness, arising from resource dependency, on a focal firm's financial performance in triadic supply chain relationships. Using 1,144 unique focal firm-years for U.S. firms from Compustat, we find that a supplier's and a customer's dependency both increase the focal firm's performance in terms of return on assets (ROA) and return on sales (ROS) by increasing asset turnover (ATO). As levels of supplier and customer dependency on the focal firm increase, however, the economic benefits of customer dependency diminish beyond a certain point, while those of supplier dependency continue to increase above that threshold. Thus, our findings show the paradoxically differing risks of the supplier's versus the customer's dependency, while establishing the unequivocal economic benefits of supplier and customer relations for focal firms in the middle of concentrated triadic relationships.

Does a Supplier's Operational Competence Translate into Financial Performance? An Empirical Analysis of Supplier–Customer Relationships

ABSTRACTWe conduct an empirical investigation of how a supplier's operational competence, as reflected by outcomes in the areas of quality, cost, delivery, flexibility, and new product development, translates into financial gains from a key customer. In contrast to previous research directed at the firm level, this study focuses on the supplier–customer relationship level. Using survey data from 158 suppliers in the manufacturing industry, we perform structural equation modeling to map out the paths from operational competence to financial performance—via dependencies and cooperative behaviors between suppliers and their customers. This study is the first scholarly attempt to examine the link between suppliers’ operational competencies and financial performance in interorganizational relationships. It is also an early investigation into operational competence as a source of bi‐lateral dependence. Our findings show that the supplier's operational competences increase its customer's dependence by enhancing the value of its products/services. However, the resulting increase in the supplier's power is not leveraged to shape relationship behaviors or capture value from its customer. In contrast, the customer's existing power as a major buyer plays an important role in shaping cooperative behaviors and affecting the supplier's financial performance from the customer relationship.

Service Contract Negotiations in Marketing Channels:

This study investigates the factors that influence motor carriers perceptions of the success of negotiations with customers over contractual transportation service in marketing channels. The findings indicate that the motor carrier's perceived success of the negotiation is influenced directly by his/her trust of the customer, and indirectly by the customer's dependence on his/her organization. The results also suggest that though the nature of contract negotiation for motor carriage service has become more cooperative in the deregulated environment, a certain degree of opportunism still influences the negotiator's behaviors. From these findings, issues are presented which can aid the channel members in developing successful strategy for future negotiation with motor carriers.