The authors integrate theory developed in several disciplines to determine five cognitive processes through which industrial buyers can develop trust of a supplier firm and its salesperson. These p...

An Examination of the Nature of Trust in Buyer–Seller Relationships:

The authors respond to concerns raised by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1994) about the relative efficacy of performance-based and perceptions-minus-expectations measures of service quality. Th...

/pdf/servperf-versus-servqual-reconciling-performance-based-and-3w93ia1szy.pdf

Servperf versus Servqual: Reconciling Performance-Based and Perceptions-Minus-Expectations Measurement of Service Quality:

The study reported here raises some questions about the conventional wisdom that the Internet creates a “level playing field” for large and small retailers and for retailers with and without an established reputation. In our study, consumers recognized differences in size and reputation among Internet stores, and those differences influenced their assessments of store trustworthiness and their perception of risk, as well as their willingness to patronize the store. After describing our research methods and results, we draw some implications for Internet merchants.

/pdf/consumer-trust-in-an-internet-store-vd5c7ssi3u.pdf

Consumer trust in an Internet store

SERVPERF versus SERVQUAL: Reconciling performance-based and perceptions-minus-expectations

Cluster analysis is a statistical technique that sorts observations into similar sets or groups. The use of cluster analysis presents a complex challenge because it requires several methodological choices that determine the quality of a cluster solution. This paper chronicles the application of cluster analysis in strategic management research, where the technique has been used since the late 1970s to investigate issues of central importance. Analysis of 45 published strategy studies reveals that the implementation of cluster analysis has been often less than ideal, perhaps detracting from the ability of studies to generate knowledge. Given these findings, suggestions are offered for improving the application of cluster analysis in future inquiry.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2486927.pdf

The application of cluster analysis in strategic management research: an analysis and critique

Success in selling demands effective trust earning behavior. This article examines and compares the perceptions of manufacturers' reps and purchasing executives in relation to this process of earning the buyer's trust. The results indicate statistically significant differences over the two groups in their perceptions of how various trust earning components contribute to the development of buyer trust. Manufacturers' reps overestimated the trust earning potential of the “likeable,” “competent,” and “dependable” constructs. Manufacturers' reps also held an inflated view of the overall extent to which they were trusted by purchasing executives.

Trust Earning Perceptions of Sellers and Buyers

An important aspect of any scientific investigation involves classifying the phenomena being studied. This research focused on a taxonomic analysis of the limited domain of competitive retailing strategies employed by U.S. supermarket chains for generic brand grocery products. Using cluster analysis, an empirically derived taxonomy was developed, and the characteristics of firms in each of the four strategic groups were examined. In addition, the performance of particular strategic groups was analysed. Firms in one of the strategic groups (aggressive initiators) consistently indicated higher levels of success.

A taxonomy of competitive retailing strategies

Importance-performance analysis is a useful marketing research technique that can be easily and effectively applied in the health care sector to suggest successful marketing strategies. This article describes how this procedure was used to develop marketing strategies for hospital obstetric services in a southwestern community.

Using importance-performance analysis to develop health care marketing strategies.

Shopping patterns of the rural consumer: Exploring the relationship between shopping orientations and outshopping

Consumers can select products from a wide variety of retail patronage alternatives. This article examines the amount of perceived risk that is associated with shopping at six different patronage modes. Department and specialty stores are generally considered low risk modes, while media advertisements represent the highest risk alternative. This research also examines the importance of various risk-handling tactics that may help the consumer deal with the perceived risk involved with the selection of a particular retail patronage mode.

Jon M. Hawes

Papers

Trust Earning Perceptions of Sellers and Buyers

A taxonomy of competitive retailing strategies

Using importance-performance analysis to develop health care marketing strategies.

Shopping patterns of the rural consumer: Exploring the relationship between shopping orientations and outshopping

Perceived risk and the selection of a retail patronage mode