Management Research News

Sergio Biggemann; Francis Buttle

2007 Management Research News

doi: 10.1108/01409170710751890

Purpose – This paper seeks to analyse the effects that previous episodes have on business‐to‐business relationships and how these episodes can influence the parties’ responses to a particular act. This investigation uses a network approach to investigate this relational situation. Design/methodology/approach – A single case study was used based on dozens of semi‐structured interviews to explore this phenomenon. Qualitative information was gathered. In addition to interviews, review of documents and observation were also completed. Findings – It was found that varied outcomes occurred in the relationships and are a consequence of the contexts brought to bear on the dealers’ interpretations of the act of introducing a new agreement. New dealer relationships were strengthened, while established dealer relationships may have been weakened. Practical implications – A long‐term relationship, built through exchanging acts over time, conditions the counterpart's response to the focal company's act. This research shows that this can happen even in cases in which the relationship could be reasonably classified as Customer partnership. The dealers’ reactions suggest that different network positions were occupied by the two different types of dealers, established and new. Even though their roles in the supply chain could be deemed as identical, it appears as if the parties’ obligations and rights were different. Originality/value – The paper illustrates the importance of good business relationships.

Özlem Atalik

2007 Management Research News

doi: 10.1108/01409170710751908

Purpose – This paper aims to identify common complaints made by Turkish frequent flyers related to their program membership. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was administered via the internet for the research study reported here. The population consists of 15,000 passengers who are Elite members of the Frequent Flyer Program of Turkish Airlines (THY). For sampling purposes, 2,000 members were randomly selected from the Elite membership in February 2003. Following the survey, 608 usable questionnaires were included in the analysis stage, which represented a response rate of 30.4 per cent. Findings – In the context of this study of the Elite members of the Miles&Miles program of THY, the common complaints of members fall into five categories. The main concerns are related to the availability of free tickets and upgrades of the flight class, the behaviour of personnel, card ownership issues (e.g. high number of miles needed to retain membership), level and type of priority services offered within the program and the lack of alliances with other airlines. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited by the sample – THY is the only airline that provides a frequent flyer program in Turkey. Nevertheless, the findings provide a fresh perspective on the opinions of Turkish frequent flyers about the quality of their particular program. Originality/value – Although customer complaints have become increasingly common in many industries, research on this aspect of marketing is not extensive. In particular, studies about the specific complaints of frequent flyers concerning their respective program are limited. This paper will be of interest to executives in Turkey, airline companies with operations in Turkey and researchers interested in international management and marketing practices generally.

T. Ramayah; May‐Chiun Lo

2007 Management Research News

doi: 10.1108/01409170710751917

Purpose – This article seeks to examine the impact of shared beliefs concerning the benefits of enterprise resource planning (ERP) among executives and engineers in the northern region of Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – Respondents comprise managers in the departments of production control, production, materials, engineering and information technology, and executives within the organization, who are cognizant of the ERP implementation. A questionnaire was sent to managers in 113 manufacturing organizations. A total of 69 responses was received, all of which were used in the analysis. Findings – The findings support the notion that systems or technologies, which are perceived to be easy to use and understand, will be viewed as more useful from the end‐user's perspective. In addition, perceived ease of use (PEU) was found to mediate partially the effects of shared beliefs concerning the usefulness of the ERP system. Practical implications – This study provides evidence that the level of managerial support, in terms of shared beliefs about the benefits of ERP, is critical in increasing the level of PEU and perceived usefulness. Originality/value – There is a gap in the literature concerning what influences these two salient beliefs. Thus, this paper examines the impact of shared beliefs on the perceived usefulness and ease of use of an ERP system in a developing country.

Robert G. DelCampo

2007 Management Research News

doi: 10.1108/01409170710751926

Purpose – This paper sets out to review selected psychological contract literature to aid in developing understandings about the unique nature of today's work agreements and work environment. This conceptual paper aims to provide practical knowledge, future research directions and fill several gaps in knowledge about the contract. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides insights and directions for future psychological contract research, while explaining the implications for research and practice of the work previously undertaken in developing this area of research. Findings – This paper suggests that psychological contract measurement and its theoretical implications must be reconsidered. In this context, the interface with organizational justice literature is discussed. Originality/value – Limited research in the field has focused on the implications of previous research. This paper aims to bring together what has been done previously and provide directions for future study.