Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
An examination of dark side behaviour in business-to-business relationships
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2021
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613945274040320 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Laubscher, Nina |
| author2 | Human, Gert |
| author_browse | Human, Gert Laubscher, Nina |
| author_facet | Human, Gert Laubscher, Nina |
| author_sort | Laubscher, Nina |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/110256 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:12.049Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/110256 An examination of dark side behaviour in business-to-business relationships Laubscher, Nina Human, Gert Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept of Business Management. Business-to-business management, dark side relationship behaviour, relationship marketing, shared values, trust, opportunistic behaviour, uncertainty, conflict, power, dependence, commitment, relational myopia, complacency, vulnerability, suspicion Relationship marketing Marketing -- Management Industrial marketing UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH SUMMARY: Companies often invest a substantial amount of time and resources in building and maintaining business relationships with key stakeholders. Although, these efforts usually result in strengthening relations between partners, it is not enough to ensure continuous relationship functionality and desirability. Recently, researchers and managers alike have begun to realise that reducing the impact of negative (or dark side) elements inherent to business relationships can have a significant effect on relationship success and performance. Despite the growth of studies investigating the dark side of business relationships over the last decade, little insight has been offered in terms of how and why dark side behaviour surfaces. Hence, this study focuses on exploring the onset of dark side behaviour in business-to-business relationships by investigating identified antecedents (i.e. trust, shared values, opportunistic behaviour, and uncertainty), behavioural outcomes (i.e. conflict, power, dependence, and commitment), and symptoms (relational myopia, complacency, vulnerability, and suspicion). To test the conceptual model, data was collected from key account managers and other toplevel executives who possess knowledge and experience regarding their company’s business relationships with other partnering organisations. A survey of the target population yielded a realised sample of N=212, and the data was analysed using SPSS and PLS-SEM in order to generate descriptive and inferential statistics, respectively. The findings suggest that some antecedents of dark side behaviour (especially trust, shared values and opportunistic behaviour) can lead to certain negative behavioural outcomes. While the data showed no relationship between dysfunctional conflict and any of the symptoms associated with the dark side of business relationships, significant relationships were found between the identified behavioural outcomes (i.e. functional conflict, non-coercive power, coercive power, dependence, and commitment) and symptoms of dark side behevaiour. This study can, thus, explain the onset of dark side behaviour in business relationships to some extent – even though it possesses some research limitations. These limitations, along with future research recommendations, refer to the sampling procedure, the need to explore alternative conceptual models, the possibility of conducting longitudinal research, and the opportunity to assess additional moderating and mediating variables. This study aspires to contribute to current literature by broadening the understanding of dark side behaviour in business relationships. Practical implications, on the other hand, include providing managers and executives with the knowledge and insight to identify and accordingly reduce dark side behaviour in their business relationships. The originality of the current study resides in the examination of novel relationships between known relational variables, as well as the investigation of underexplored variables (i.e. symptoms) indicating that a business relationship may not be as functional as it once was. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Maatskappye bele dikwels 'n aansienlike hoeveelheid tyd en hulpbronne in die vestiging en instandhouding van sakeverhoudings met sleutel belanghebbendes. Alhoewel hierdie pogings gewoonlik lei tot die versterking van verhoudings tussen firmas, is dit egter nie genoeg om deurlopende verhouding funksionaliteit en wenslikheid te verseker nie. Beide besigheidsbestuurnavorsers en maatskappybestuurders het onlangs begin besef dat die vermindering van die impak van negatiewe (of donker) elemente in verhoudings 'n aansienlike uitwerking op verhoudingsukses en -prestasie kan he. Ten spyte van die toename in studies wat die donkerkant van sakeverhoudinge ondersoek, is daar nog min insig gegenereer in terme van hoe en waarom donkerkant gedrag ontstaan. Hierdie studie fokus dus daarop om die aanvang van donkerkant gedrag in sakeverhoudings te verduidelik deur geidentifiseerde bronne (vertroue, gemeenskaplike waardes, opportunistiese gedrag en onsekerheid), gedragsuitkomste (konflik, mag, afhanklikheid en toewyding) en simptome (verhoudingskortsigtigheid, alvoldaanheid, kwesbaarheid en verdagsaamheid) te ondersoek. Om die konseptuele model te toets, is data ingesamel van rekeningbestuurders, asook ander topvlak werknemendes wat kennis en ervaring het aangaande hul maatskappy se besigheidsverhoudings met ander organisasies. Die data is ingesamel van die teikenbevolking deur middel van 'n vraelys. 'n Werkende steekproef van N=212 is verkry en die data is geanaliseer deur middel van SPSS en PLS-SEM om beskrywende en inferentiele statistiek te genereer. Die resultate dui daarop dat sommige bronne van donkerkant gedrag (veral vertroue, gemeenskaplike waardes en opportunistiese gedrag) tot sekere negatiewe gedragsuitkomste kan lei. Terwyl die data aandui dat geen verhouding is tussen disfunksionele konflik en enige van die donkerkant simptome nie, dui die resultate wel aan dat daar beduidende verhoudings is tussen meeste van die geidentifiseerde gedragsuitkomste (d.w.s. funksionele konflik, niekoerierkrag, koeratiewe krag, afhanklikheid en toewyding) en simptome van donkerkant gedrag. Hierdie studie kan dus die aanvang van donkerkant gedrag in sakeverhoudinge tot 'n mate verduidelik – alhoewel dit oor navorsingsbeperkings beskik. Hierdie beperkings hou verband met die steekprosedure, die ondersoek van alternatiewe konseptuele modelle, die moontlikheid om longitudinale navorsing te doen, asook die geleentheid om addisionele modererende en bemiddelde veranderlikes te bestudeer. Hierdie studie streef daarna om tot huidige literatuur by te dra deur die begrip van donkerkant gedrag in sakeverhoudings te verbreed. Praktiese implikasies, aan die ander kant, sluit die voorsiening van kennis en insig aan bestuurders in om sodoende donkerkant gedrag in hul sakeverhoudings te kan identifiseer en op ‘n gepasde wyse te kan verminder. Die oorspronklikheid van hierdie studie is ten vonde in die ondersoek van nuwe verhoudings tussen bekende verhoudingsveranderlikes, asook die bestudering van onderverkende veranderlikes (d.w.s. simptome) wat aandui dat 'n besigheidsverhouding dalk nie meer so funksioneel is soos dit eens was nie. Masters 2021-01-18T12:00:21Z 2021-04-22T10:11:17Z 2021-07-18T03:00:10Z 2021-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110256 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xviii, 323 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Business-to-business management, dark side relationship behaviour, relationship marketing, shared values, trust, opportunistic behaviour, uncertainty, conflict, power, dependence, commitment, relational myopia, complacency, vulnerability, suspicion Relationship marketing Marketing -- Management Industrial marketing UCTD Laubscher, Nina An examination of dark side behaviour in business-to-business relationships |
| title | An examination of dark side behaviour in business-to-business relationships |
| title_full | An examination of dark side behaviour in business-to-business relationships |
| title_fullStr | An examination of dark side behaviour in business-to-business relationships |
| title_full_unstemmed | An examination of dark side behaviour in business-to-business relationships |
| title_short | An examination of dark side behaviour in business-to-business relationships |
| title_sort | examination of dark side behaviour in business to business relationships |
| topic | Business-to-business management, dark side relationship behaviour, relationship marketing, shared values, trust, opportunistic behaviour, uncertainty, conflict, power, dependence, commitment, relational myopia, complacency, vulnerability, suspicion Relationship marketing Marketing -- Management Industrial marketing UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110256 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laubschernina anexaminationofdarksidebehaviourinbusinesstobusinessrelationships AT laubschernina examinationofdarksidebehaviourinbusinesstobusinessrelationships |