Successful Long-term Relationships Research Articles

Impact of socioeconomic values collaboration on performance in franchising

Franchises exist within cultures and societies that establish distinct socioeconomic beliefs, values, opportunities, and threats, all of which can affect firms’ operational success. Disagreements between franchisees and franchisors about such social or economic issues potentially disrupt their cooperative equilibrium, whereas collaborations that prioritize shared socioeconomic values may facilitate successful long-term relationships. Using primary data, gathered through a survey of U.S. franchisees, the authors test a proposed model of franchisee performance. The structural equation modeling results reveal that socioeconomic values–based collaborations indirectly enhance performance, through their effects on customer relationship management cooperation and franchisor idiosyncratic investment. Control of local marketing mix decisions by the franchisee provides positive moderating effects.

Controlling forever love.

A stable and rewarding love relationship is considered a key ingredient for happiness in Western culture. Building a successful long-term relationship can be viewed as a control engineering problem, where the control variable is the effort to be made to keep the relationship alive and well. We introduce a new mathematical model for the effort control problem of a couple in love who wants to stay together forever. The problem can be naturally formulated as a dynamic game in continuous time with nonlinearities. Adopting a dynamic programming approach, a tractable computational formulation of the problem is proposed together with an accompanying algorithm to find numerical solutions of the couple’s effort problem. The computational analysis of the model is used to explore feeling trajectories, effort control paths, happiness, and stabilization mechanisms for different types of successful couples. In particular, the simulation analysis provides insight into the pattern of change of both marital quality and effort making in intact marriages and how they are affected by certain level of heterogamy in the couple.

The impact of social media influencers on travel decisions: the role of trust in consumer decision journey

ABSTRACT The growing presence of social media influencers (SMIs) is increasingly modulating consumer behaviour in the travel industry. Trust is a vitally important topic in influencer and tourism marketing and is responsible for creating and maintaining successful long-term relationships between organizations and consumers. This study uses customer journey theory to explain the impact of SMI trust on customer travel decision-making and focuses on evaluating the role of customer journey constructs (including desire, information search, evaluating alternatives, purchase decisions, satisfaction and experience sharing) in mediating the interrelation between SMI trust and the dimensions of customer journeys. Using Smart PLS to analyze the data collected, the results indicate that consumer trust in SMIs has a positive effect on each phase of travel decision-making. Moreover, each step of the decision-making journey mediates the trust effect on the next step, having a spillover effect on the whole journey, implying continuous SMI input. Tourism marketers are advised to use SMIs to increase and stimulate the desire to travel as clearly, a means by which consumers search for information about their next journey. Besides SMIs as a marketing tool, their trustworthiness serves as a highly important aspect to successfully influence tourists’ destination decision making.

Fulfilling External Stakeholders’ Demands—Enhancement Workplace Safety Using Fuzzy MCDM

Sustainable development and project stakeholder management indicate a business practice where an organization strives to fulfil the demands of the important stakeholders for the project’s success. If one company relies on subassembly parts from its supplier, then it might be considered that it has high interest for enhancing the business continuity of the supplier. This issue has become more complex during 2020 due to turbulent business conditions where the problem of the safety and health of workers during daily work has become one of main reasons for business vulnerability. Besides the above-mentioned, project stakeholders may have different demands. The implementation of the management actions that lead to the fulfilment of stakeholder demands (SDs), such as addressing ongoing issues, are almost always limited by the available budget. The contribution of this research is providing the input for determining the actions which should address the most important SDs. Those activities may be seen as part of the strategy for external stakeholder management and successful long-term relationship. The determination of the priorities of SDs is based on a fuzzy multicriteria optimization model with type-2 fuzzy sets.

A successful long-term relationship: Three years of LTI integrations in Canvas

As Florida State University transitioned to Canvas in 2017, the Distance Library Services team planned and implemented Springshare LTI, subject-specific Library Tools within the Learning Management System. These tools present invaluable teaching and learning opportunities for the libraries within digital classrooms and offer options for connecting students to library staff and services. With heightened interest from the distance library community in LMS integration, the goal of this paper is to examine an experience with LTI integration after three years of partnership. Furthermore, recommendations will be offered for other libraries interested in implementing LTI integrations in their LMS to support distance learning and on-campus populations.

Loving the Other: Fantastic Films and Unlikely Couples

This article uses a queer, critical disability studies framework to examine a diverse set of films in which one lover literally changes bodies to be like the other lover, such as in The Little Mermaid (1989), Avatar (2009), and the Twilight saga. The author argues that these films, what she calls "fantastic unlikely couple films," represent the values of companionate love, a relationship form that emphasizes similarity as the key to successful long-term relationships. Significantly, the values of companionate love are aligned with the (neo)liberal state. In the films analyzed, the physically transformed partner is also the weaker, more dependent partner. The shift to a more capable body—one similar to the body of the other partner—not only means that the couple will be more equal companions; it also means that the pair can now fulfill their destiny as productive workers and reproductive parents, independent of state subsidies and assistance.

Be yourself: Authenticity as a long-term mating strategy

We hypothesize that “being yourself” is the dating strategy of individuals that have successful long-term relationships. Study 1 examined the relationships between authenticity and personality variables that predict relationship outcome. Study 2 employed a two-part acts nomination design to enumerate “being yourself” while dating and to examine personality correlates of “being yourself”. Study 3 explored whether individuals being themselves are attractive and if being yourself results in assortative mating with authentic individuals. Study 4 determined the effect of “be yourself” mindset priming on “be yourself” dating behavior. Study 1 found that authenticity is associated with emotional intelligence and positive relational outcomes. Study 2 found that “being yourself” dating behavior is associated with authenticity, secure attachment, and low narcissism. Study 3 found that “be yourself” dating behavior is attractive and facilitates assortative mating with authentic individuals. Study 4 found that rejection sensitive individuals are more likely to engage in “be yourself” dating behavior when made to feel safe to be themselves. “Be yourself” is the dating strategy that authentic individuals use to facilitate successful long-term relationships.

The Impact of Perceived Reward Ability of Exporter on Reciprocity and Performance Perception in Import-Export Relationships

Reciprocity in the importer-exporter relationship is one of the crucial factors of international business success towards maintaining successful longterm relationships. The purpose of this study is to investigate a possible antecedent of reciprocity, namely, importers’ perception of foreign exporter’s ability to reward. In this study, importers’ perception of foreign exporter’s ability to reward was hypothesized to be affected by satisfaction with the social and economic aspects of the relationship, and with perceived similarity. It was also hypothesized that importers’ perception of foreign exporter’s ability to reward increases reciprocity magnitude and decreases reciprocity asymmetry. Finally, it was postulated that reciprocity magnitude increases perceived performance outcomes, while reciprocity asymmetry decreases it. The research model was tested with a sample of 200 purchasing managers of industrial products from companies located in the U.S. The results showed that all the hypotheses were supported. Theoretical and managerial implications of this study are likewise discussed.

The role of trust in outsourcing

The aim of this essay is to argue the importance of inter-organizational trust in global outsourcing relationships and the need to proactively develop trust between the outsourcing buyer and provider. Outsourcing of information technology (IT) and related business processes is a well-established business tactic for reducing costs and gaining other benefits which include access to rare skills and faster delivery of services. IT outsourcing frequently occurs as a contract arrangement between two large, complex global organizations. Inter-organizational trust is one of the key elements for success in the outsourcing arrangement. Given the complexity of many outsourcing arrangements, the management of trust between the two parties can be critical to a successful long-term relationship for both parties. The ability of both parties to repair trust without resorting to legal action is important. This essay examines the literature on inter-organizational trust and trust relationships in outsourcing, then introduces preliminary field data from surveys and a case study, and suggests directions for further research. This issue deserves focused research as outsourcing continues to grow.

The effects of service quality on student loyalty: the mediating role of student satisfaction

Purpose Student loyalty in higher education sector helps college administrators to establish appropriate programs that promote, establish, develop and maintain successful long-term relationships with both current and former students. The purpose of this study is to propose the use of mediation model that links service quality and student loyalty via student satisfaction and test the direct and indirect effects of service quality on student loyalty with the mediation role of student satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach The study used survey research design and collected data from three oldest state universities in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India to find the relationships between service quality, student satisfaction and student loyalty in higher education sector using structural equation modeling. Findings This study tested the proposed research model and proved the mediator role of student satisfaction between service quality and student loyalty. Service quality has been found to be an important input to student satisfaction. The result also shows that while university provides no basis for differentiation among the constructs, age and gender play a major role in determining the different perceptions of students about the constructs investigated. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on student satisfaction, of which service quality is an important antecedent. Identification of other variables, besides service quality, is crucial to contribute to the overall student satisfaction. Similarly, it is just as critical to identify the other elements like value, image or institution reputation which may have direct impact on service loyalty. It would be more precise when the studies also consider the opinion of the students before joining the institute based on word of mouth of passed-out students and after finishing the course. Longitudinal studies to collect predictor and criterion variables before and after the course would be much stronger. Practical implications A clearer understanding of the relationship between service quality, satisfaction and loyalty that helps ensure the management to take better strategies to concentrate and improve the performance is aided by this study. It is interesting to note that the student loyalty is primarily affected by age and gender. This type of analysis helps to identify the target students who have high potential of defection. Social implications Higher education and their respective institutions seek to enhance socio-cultural and economic development to promote active citizenship by inculcating ethical values among students. The Indian higher education institutions are facing enormous issues related to quality in education. The changing nature and need of higher education services and an increase in competitive intensity necessitates higher performance levels in the realm of Indian higher education (universities). These can be achieved through a thorough understanding of the expectations of students and the importance placed by them on aspects found by the study such as teaching, administrative services, support services, hostel facilities, library and lab facilities and internationalization. Originality/value Previous studies have proved the mediation role of satisfaction between service quality and loyalty in marketing literature, but no significant studies have empirically tested the same in higher education sector. The service quality measurement in higher education is complex because of some unique features like customers’ (student) cognitive participation in the service process, the needs of the students being fulfilled by different parties, long-term and continuous services. The study contributes to the existing field of knowledge by providing support for the contention that student satisfaction performs a mediating role in the link between service quality and student loyalty in higher education sector.

AAOMS Informational Campaign Communicates the OMS Story

As oral and maxillofacial surgeons, we have a unique and compelling story to tell, a story that is largely unknown to the average man or woman on the street. In 2012, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) House of Delegates authorized the Board of Trustees to explore and evaluate whether a public relations effort was feasible and whether such a campaign could effectively communicate the skills, training, and scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) practice to potential patients and family decision makers and allied dental specialties. The board conducted a nationwide search to identify a public relations firm that was experienced in addressing health care issues, with a particular focus on dental specialty practice. Athorn Clark & Partners, a New York–based firm with an impressive resume and a successful long-term relationship with the American Association of Orthodontists, was selected to develop a multifaceted branding and public relations campaign. Their charge was to target the decision makers in demographic groups who most broadly use our core surgical services. Athorn Clark’s first order of business was to engage an independent research firm to survey public and professional audiences to gauge their knowledge and elicit their opinions about OMS. The results were eye opening. Consumers inwhat should be our target audience—young adults in their 20s and 30s, mothers of teenagers, and adults older than 50 years—were unfamiliar with our specialty and the range of services we provide. At the 2014 annual meeting, the House of Delegates reviewed the survey results and authorized funds to develop the AAOMS Informational Campaign as a branding and patient-education endeavor. Led by the Special Committee on the AAOMS Informational Campaign, we worked with Athorn Clark to create a recognizable brand that resonates with public

Molecular signals required for the establishment and maintenance of ectomycorrhizal symbioses.

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbioses are among the most widespread associations between roots of woody plants and soil fungi in forest ecosystems. These associations contribute significantly to the sustainability and sustainagility of these ecosystems through nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. Unfortunately, the molecular mechanisms controlling the mutual recognition between both partners are still poorly understood. Elegant work has demonstrated that effector proteins from ECM and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi regulate host defenses by manipulating plant hormonal pathways. In parallel, genetic and evolutionary studies in legumes showed that a 'common symbiosis pathway' is required for the establishment of the ancient AM symbiosis and has been recruited for the rhizobia-legume association. Given that genes of this pathway are present in many angiosperm trees that develop ectomycorrhizas, we propose their potential involvement in some but not all ECM associations. The maintenance of a successful long-term relationship seems strongly regulated by resource allocation between symbiotic partners, suggesting that nutrients themselves may serve as signals. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the early and late signal exchanges between woody plants and ECM fungi, and we suggest future directions for decoding the molecular basis of the underground dance between trees and their favorite fungal partners.

English

Typically, potato production has a high level of asset specificity and uncertainty, which are the major causes of transaction cost. The South African table potato market is associated with the spot market governance whereas the processing potatoes mainly make use of the more hybrid format of contracting. The aim of this study was to assist potato processing companies in South Africa to establish long-term relationships with producers and also to reduce producers’ transaction costs. Questionnaires were used to determine the magnitude of transaction costs within the potato industry. Interviews were held with the managers of five successful alliances within the potato industry in order to establish if the alliance assisted in overcoming market obstacles and what elements should be in place in order to build a successful long-term relationship with their buyer. The spot market and the contract market within the potato industry were compared in terms of transaction costs. The results indicated that the contract market had the lowest transaction costs. The results indicated that by forming an alliance, producers were able to overcome the obstacles they faced and the elements which should be in place were sound administration, trust and loyalty, market research, marketing and traceability. Key words: Transaction cost theory, potato marketing, contracts, marketing power, farmer alliances.

Long-Term Relationships In Franchised Distribution Systems: Analysis Of Mutual Trust And Commitment

The purpose of this article is to determine the factors for relational marketing strategy success in channel relationships. The empirical analysis was carried out in the Spanish franchised system, considering both franchisors and franchisees perspectives in order to obtain a dyadic analysis of the relationship. Results showed, after applying a structural equations model, that cooperation, information exchange, trust and commitment are important variables for successful long-term relationships between franchisor and franchisees.

Learning to build quality business relationships in export markets: evidence from Vietnamese exporters

A firm's competitive advantage can be created through keeping long-term relationships with customers. To achieve successful long-term relationships, partners have to develop and maintain quality relationships with each other, especially in international markets. In this study, we examine the role of learning orientation in relationship quality between exporters in a transition economy, Vietnam, and their foreign importers. We also investigate the mediating role of exporter ethnocentrism. A test based on a random sample of 297 exporters in Vietnam indicates that learning orientation is a key factor that assists exporters in building quality relationships with their importers. In addition, learning orientation lessens the degree of exporter ethnocentrism, a behaviour which prohibits exporters to build quality relationships with their importers.

Restoring a Presence: American Indians and Yellowstone National Park

Placing American Indians in the center of the story, Restoring a Presence relates an entirely new history of Yellowstone National Park. Although new laws have been enacted giving American Indians access to resources on public lands, Yellowstone historically has excluded Indians and their needs from its mission. Each of the other flagship national parks--Glacier, Yosemite, Mesa Verde, and Grand Canyon--has had successful long-term relationships with American Indian groups even as it has sought to emulate Yellowstone in other dimensions of national park administration. In the first comprehensive account of Indians in and around Yellowstone, Peter Nabokov and Lawrence Loendorf seek to correct this administrative disparity. Drawing from archaeological records, Indian testimony, tribal archives, and collections of early artifacts from the Park, the authors trace the interactions of nearly a dozen Indian groups with each of Yellowstone's four geographic regions. Restoring a Presence is illustrated with historical and contemporary photographs and maps and features narratives on subjects ranging from traditional Indian uses of plant, mineral, and animal resources to conflicts involving the Nez Perce, Bannock, and Sheep Eater peoples. By considering the many roles Indians have played in the complex history of the Yellowstone region, authors Nabokov and Loendorf provide a basis on which the National Park Service and other federal agencies can develop more effective relationships with Indian groups in the Yellowstone region.

Electronic Supply Chain Partnerships

This study is focused on discovering important trading partner selection criteria that are relevant in electronic data interchange (EDI)-enabled relationships. Increasing implementation of integrated supply chain management (SCM) and collaborative commerce initiatives call for the cultivation and maintenance of long-term strategic partnerships such as those engendered by EDI. There is a body of evidence showing that hub firms (i.e., firms that initiate technology-enabled partnership networks) are, in fact, getting more selective about their trading partners. However, there is a need to understand specific trading partner attributes that are more likely to ensure successful long-term relationships. Using the survey technique, this study elicited respondents from customer and supplier firms engaged in EDI applications; the final respondent sample ended up with a pool of firms primarily in the manufacturing sector. Factor analysis uncovered six trading partner selection factors which both customer and supplier firms thought were critical in selecting partners: strategic commitment of top management; readiness for high-level EDI; joint partnering; trading partner flexibility; communications; and EDI infrastructure.

The Complexities of Global Clients

Although global clients share common elements with domestic clients, global clients have unique characteristics and complex needs that require special attention from investment counselors. Establishing a successful long-term relationship requires identifying and addressing key issues. Meeting tangible and intangible needs requires communication, a lot of handholding, and making the client feel special.

The Structure of Commitment in Exchange

Commitment is an essential part of successful long-term relationships. Whereas commitments by both parties in an exchange can provide the foundation for development of relational social norms, disproportionate commitments can lead to opportunism by the less committed partner. The authors study the effect of the credibility and proportionality of commitment inputs in an exchange upon the development of relational social norms, opportunism, and long-term commitment intentions. They also investigate longitudinal effects of the credibility of long-term commitment intentions, relational social norms, and opportunism in one time period on commitment inputs and long-term commitment intentions in later periods. Data gathered from a behavioral simulation suggest that (1) the credibility of commitment inputs in exchange is positively related to the development of relational social norms, (2) and is positively related to long-term commitment intentions in the same time period, (3) relational social norms may be undermined by opportunistic conduct, and (4) the presence of relational social norms in one time period is positively related to commitment inputs and long-term commitment intentions in later periods.