Perceptions of International Buyer-Supplier Relational Exchange
Jukka, Minna (2017-11-10)
Väitöskirja
Jukka, Minna
10.11.2017
Lappeenranta University of Technology
Acta Universitatis Lappeenrantaensis
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-335-156-1
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-335-156-1
Tiivistelmä
Business relationships are perceived as successful, when they fulfil the expectations of the exchange parties. Though, the perceptions of business relationships can differ between crosscultural business partners. The objectives of this study were to identify personal constructs associated with successful business relationships, and reveal possible differences in the perceptions of Chinese, Russian, and Finnish managers. The research question was how relational exchange is perceived in buyer-supplier relationships from the perspectives of Chinese, Finnish and Russians.
The dissertation includes a collection of five mutually supportive research articles. The repertory grid method was used to elicit constructs differentiating well-functioning and poorly functioning buyer-supplier relationships from 45 Chinese, Finnish and Russian managers participating in international trade. According the theoretical assumptions of the psychology of personal constructs individuals create subjective meaning systems to conceptualise their own perceptions, and revealing these meaning systems will make it possible to study culturally shared meanings.
Strong evidence was found that relational exchange is perceived differently in cross-cultural buyer-supplier exchange. Using three countries of different levels of cultural values, and different market context (transitional and mature markets) both culture and market circumstances were found to affect perceptions of relational exchange. Who is considered the business partner, the organisation or the key person is a fundamental difference between the individualistic Finnish and the collectivistic Chinese and Russian managers. This difference in perceptions is reflected in all areas of relational exchange. The typical perceptions of the Chinese (reciprocal favours) and Russian (informal communication) were related to inter-personal interactions, while the perceptions of the Finns were focused on cooperation between organisations. This study provides novel findings by identifying the relational exchange perceptions of Chinese, Finnish, and Russian managers. It argues that relational norms of flexibility, information exchange, long-term orientation, mutuality, and solidarity are equally important for business partners of dissimilar cultural backgrounds. It enriches the view of trust as a holistic process by simultaneously evaluating both trustworthiness and distrustworthiness, and introduces the concept of trust ambivalence. As a methodological contribution, the study demonstrates how individual meaning systems can be utilised to study larger social groups in studying buyer-supplier relational exchanges.
The dissertation includes a collection of five mutually supportive research articles. The repertory grid method was used to elicit constructs differentiating well-functioning and poorly functioning buyer-supplier relationships from 45 Chinese, Finnish and Russian managers participating in international trade. According the theoretical assumptions of the psychology of personal constructs individuals create subjective meaning systems to conceptualise their own perceptions, and revealing these meaning systems will make it possible to study culturally shared meanings.
Strong evidence was found that relational exchange is perceived differently in cross-cultural buyer-supplier exchange. Using three countries of different levels of cultural values, and different market context (transitional and mature markets) both culture and market circumstances were found to affect perceptions of relational exchange. Who is considered the business partner, the organisation or the key person is a fundamental difference between the individualistic Finnish and the collectivistic Chinese and Russian managers. This difference in perceptions is reflected in all areas of relational exchange. The typical perceptions of the Chinese (reciprocal favours) and Russian (informal communication) were related to inter-personal interactions, while the perceptions of the Finns were focused on cooperation between organisations. This study provides novel findings by identifying the relational exchange perceptions of Chinese, Finnish, and Russian managers. It argues that relational norms of flexibility, information exchange, long-term orientation, mutuality, and solidarity are equally important for business partners of dissimilar cultural backgrounds. It enriches the view of trust as a holistic process by simultaneously evaluating both trustworthiness and distrustworthiness, and introduces the concept of trust ambivalence. As a methodological contribution, the study demonstrates how individual meaning systems can be utilised to study larger social groups in studying buyer-supplier relational exchanges.
Kokoelmat
- Väitöskirjat [1037]