Uncertainty, opportunistic behavior, and governance in construction projects: The efficacy of contracts

Opportunism is recognized as a key factor that can affect the quality of relationship between buyers and sellers. However, there is a relative lack of research in the antecedents of opportunism. This paper draws upon transaction cost economics and relationship marketing paradigms to propose a conceptual framework involving six potential antecedents. Data from 270 franchisees in a Korea based franchise system is used to test the hypotheses. Results from a structural equation model show that the conflict in a relationship significantly increases franchisee opportunism. Furthermore, conflict mediates the effects of other antecedents in the framework which include alternative attractiveness, goal incongruity, unfairness, transaction-specific investments, and termination cost. The study provides theoretical and managerial insights into understanding and controlling opportunism.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2552335_code109254.pdf?abstractid=2505538&mirid=1&type=2

Opportunism in Buyer-Seller Relationships: Some Unexplored Antecedents

Exporting research is an established facet of the field of international marketing. That stated, the radical increase in recent export activity necessitates a sustained research effort devoted to the topic. In this article, the authors provide a qualitative review of the core theoretical exporting areas and evaluate the exporting domain quantitatively over six decades (1958–2016). For the quantitative analysis, they use multidimensional scaling and apply established bibliometric principles to offer an understanding of the field and to provide suggestions for future exporting research. For the evaluations, the authors used data from 830 articles with 52,191 citations from 35 journals. Using cocitation analysis as the basis to evaluate the data, they propose a series of intellectual structure implications on exporting that relate to internationalization process stages, dynamic capabilities, knowledge scarcity, social networks, export marketing strategy, absorptive capacity and learning, and nonlinea...

/pdf/an-assessment-of-the-exporting-literature-using-theory-and-5bpdr4fvq7.pdf

An Assessment of the Exporting Literature: Using Theory and Data to Identify Future Research Directions

This study seeks: (1) to identify whether the form of governance adopted (relational or contractual) drives suppliers' and buyers' collaboration in the same way; (2) to examine if both parties hold a similar view on the simultaneous use of both governance forms; and (3) to explore whether their perceptions on governance, collaboration and performance differ.,The study used data from a survey of 150 matched buyer–supplier dyads from South Korea, using structural equation modeling (SEM) for the analysis.,(1) While governance mechanisms assist collaboration and affect operational and innovation outcomes, the significance and relative strength of the proposed relationships are perceived differently by buyers and suppliers. (2) Contrasting results are found regarding the interaction effect of the governance mechanisms on collaboration: a complementary relationship for the buyer and a substitutive relationship for the supplier.,Studies on buyer–supplier relationships have yielded inconsistent results regarding whether the interactions of governance mechanisms function as substitutes or complements, because research has largely been conducted from the buyer's perspective, rather than the supplier's; this imbalanced view calls for integrated perspectives.

The interplay of governance mechanisms in supply chain collaboration and performance in buyer–supplier dyads: substitutes or complements

Breaching relational obligations in a buyer-supplier relationship: Feelings of violation, fairness perceptions and supplier switching

The dual effects of perceived unfairness on opportunism in channel relationships

Tripartite role of communications in channel relationships: Mitigating exchange hazards, reducing opportunism, and curtailing its ill effects on relationship performance

Performance Shortfall, Feedback Interpretation and R&D Search: The Differential Effects of Peers’ Performance Below Historical and Social Aspirations

Purpose




The purpose of this paper is to develop a nuanced framework for evaluating a channel partner’s performance in distribution channel relationships. Given a channel partner’s task environment characteristics (high/low munificence, dynamism and complexity), the study examines which performance metrics (output, activity or capability) are most relevant for evaluating its performance levels effectively.




Design/methodology/approach




The study adopts self-administered cross-sectional survey-based research design. Matched data were collected from 252 channel partners – manager relationship dyads. The latent change score (LCS) model within SEM framework provides mean paired-differences of the relevance ratings for each metrics. This was used to assess the empirical validity of the hypothesized relationships.




Findings




The study demonstrates the importance of calibrating performance evaluation metrics to a channel partner’s task environment state, made possible by its holistic approach to performance evaluation. Based on an extensive analysis, it shows that no single metric is relevant within all environmental states; rather, it could be dysfunctional, a result that differs from vast majority of the literature.




Research limitations/implications




Investigates individual linkages between task environment dimensions and performance metrics to provide a fuller understanding of these relationships. Also provides a theoretical framework to support further research on the topic.




Practical implications




The study provides managerial guidelines (and extensive graphical analysis) for nuanced and dynamic evaluation of channel partners’ performance that can enable firms to identify and promote their most valuable channel partners and prevent the deterioration of others.




Originality/value




First one to develop and empirically validate a nuanced framework for evaluating performance of exchange partners that operate under diverse task environment states.

Evaluating channel partner’s performance: impact of task environments on the relevance of measurement metrics

Purpose



– The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for performance evaluation of channel partners in distribution relationships and develop a scale to measure the proposed dimensions of performance. 




Design/methodology/approach



– The proposed framework is built on the theoretical foundations of salesforce control systems and organizational performance. The authors developed the measurement scale by the three-stage protocol and established the scale’s reliability, factor structure and validity through the data collected from 252 firm-channel partner dyads across automobile firms in India. 




Findings



– The proposed framework highlights three distinct dimensions of channel partners’ performance, i.e. output performance, the financial/other objective results; activity performance, the activities, behavior and process-compliance levels; and capability performance, the resources and capabilities of channel partners. An 18-item measurement scale is developed to measure the three proposed dimensions of channel partners’ performance. 




Research limitations/implications



– The proposed framework conceptualizes the three key dimensions of channel partners’ performance that can assist firms in exercising a focussed approach to performance management in distribution channel relationships and other inter-firm contexts. This study contributes to the legitimacy and further development of research in the area. 




Practical implications



– The measurement scale provides valid and reliable items for a rigorous performance analyses of channel partners, both at the individual level as well as at the level of the distribution channel as a whole. These performance analyses have multiple applications, right from managing the day-to-day channel activities to steering the channel strategy. 




Originality/value



– The paper presents a multidimensional conceptual framework for performance evaluation of channel partners and provides a suitable instrument for operationalizing future empirical research in the area.

Vikas Goyal

Papers

The dual effects of perceived unfairness on opportunism in channel relationships

Tripartite role of communications in channel relationships: Mitigating exchange hazards, reducing opportunism, and curtailing its ill effects on relationship performance

Performance Shortfall, Feedback Interpretation and R&D Search: The Differential Effects of Peers’ Performance Below Historical and Social Aspirations

Evaluating channel partner’s performance: impact of task environments on the relevance of measurement metrics

A framework for performance evaluation of channel partners in distribution relationships