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Relationship marketing has been playing an important role in the development of marketing theory and practice. Though the concept has been extensively applied in international marketing in understanding the dynamics of exporter-importer relationships, few studies have looked at dyadic data to investigate the impact of mutuality of relational variables on the exporter-importer relationships. The objective of this study is to understand the impact of mutuality of key relational variables on exporter-importer relationship performance. A dyadic model of mutuality is proposed. The model highlights the impact of balance, level and quality of perceptual bi-directionality of relational variables.

The model was tested using dyadic data collected from exporter-importer relationships involving Australian exporters and their Southeast Asian import partners through a cross-sectional, quantitative survey. Mutuality of relationship constructs was measured using the perceptual bi-directionality (PBD) method.

The results support the central hypothesis that mutuality of relational constructs has an impact on relationship performance.

The study is the first to apply the perceptual bi-directionality method to measure mutuality of relational constructs in an exporter-importer setting. The study contributes to the general understanding of international business and exporter-importer relationship performance in particular.

The objective of this research is to describe and apply a method with which to measure and evaluate mutual trust in dyadic business relationships with both one‐to‐one and multiple informants, as well as symmetric and asymmetric interactions.

Application of the perceptual bi‐directionality method, i.e. the PBD‐method, is introduced in this context to measure and evaluate the relationship properties of mutual trust in the context of one‐to‐one and multiple informants, as well as the symmetric and asymmetric interactions, in dyadic business relationships.

The overall impression of the mutual trust in the studied relationships is that they are well balanced. It may erroneous, since there may be balance deficiencies between the various trust dimensions. The stepwise evaluation of a case example reveals that there are substantial differences between the various trust dimensions measured in the dyadic business relationship.

It is argued that the measurement and evaluation of unidirectional trust issues is not enough in itself to understand the relationship properties of trust between two actors in dyadic business relationships, but that a bi‐directional approach should be applied in terms of the relationship properties of mutual trust. Furthermore, the approach of one‐to‐one key informants might also be insufficient. Instead multiple informants should be used in the measurement and evaluation of the relationship properties of mutual trust in dyadic business relationships and, symmetric, as well as asymmetric, interactions of mutual trust in dyadic contexts should be considered.

The PBD‐method is a formalised and structured method of how to measure and evaluate the mutuality of relationship properties in dyadic contexts. The outcome of the present research is also a set of generic mutuality measures that can be useful in different management and research applications.

The PBD‐method may be used to measure and evaluate multiple key informants' in asymmetric interactions of mutual relationship properties in dyadic contexts, instead of only matching one‐to‐one key informants in symmetric interactions.

The objective of this research is to describe and develop a conceptual framework that differs between the constructs of mutual and interactive trust in business dyads.

This study is based upon the empirical findings of a survey between a vehicle manufacturer (VM) and its most important suppliers.

On an overall level, there is both mutual and interactive trust between the VM and its suppliers, although on a specific level there is hardly any mutual trust, while there is interactive trust in the studied dyads, where one's trust is increasing the other's trust is decreasing.

The fact that the research was based upon a VM and its most important suppliers implies that the empirical findings of this research might not be generalised beyond the automotive industry. Another limitation has been the use of a trend dimension to estimate the interactive trust in the studied business dyads. Theoretical and managerial implications, as well as concluding thoughts and suggestions for further research of multidisciplinary and marketing channel aspects, are also provided.

Empirically, the research contributes to explore the constructs of mutual and interactive trust in business dyads. The theoretical and empirical contributions serve as a fundament and a structure for further research of mutual and interactive trust.

Theoretically, the contribution is a conceptual framework that distinguishes between mutual and interactive trust based upon two generic determinants, namely condition and process. A suggestion for further research is therefore to explore the process of interactive trust in business dyads at several occasions, and to match this to the condition of mutual trust. Accordingly, the empirical findings of mutual and interactive trust have to be further explored in different business dyads across industries.

The study assess the selection ability and market timing skills of mutual fund and unit trust managers in Ghana.

The study uses an improved survivorship bias-free dataset of yearly after-fee returns of all mutual funds and unit trusts operating in Ghana from January 2011 to December 2019, cumulating in nine years of quantitative fund data. The authors assess Mutual funds and Unit trusts that ever existed, “alive” or “dead,” over the sample period in the study. The authors construct factor loadings to enable the application of multifactor models in the analysis. The authors apply the unconditional versions of the Jensen alpha, Fama-French three-factor, and Carhart four-factor models to determine the selection ability and market timing skills of 32 mutual funds and 17 unit trusts. The authors deploy HAC-consistent robust standard errors to the OLS estimations to subdue the effect of heterogeneity and autocorrelation.

The results indicate that, on average, mutual funds and unit trust managers possess market timing skills but no selection ability. When the results are decomposed into fund types, fixed-income and balanced mutual fund managers possess selection ability and market timing skills.

To the authors' best knowledge, this study is the earliest to examine the selection ability and market timing skills of both mutual fund and unit trust managers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It is also the earliest to construct factor loadings for the Ghana stock market.

Leveraging Emerson’s theory of power and motivated reasoning, this study aims to explore how the net power of an individual and actual, instead of perceived, vulnerability results in asymmetric trust and distrust development in a dyadic relationship.

Based on extant literature and gaps in the literature, this conceptual paper hypothesises and proposes trust formation based on power dynamics and vulnerability.

This research extends the knowledge base by exploring the role of actual vulnerability over perceived vulnerability in trust formation and distrust formation.

The research propositions imply that the dyadic trust formation process is not rational, and trust itself is not symmetrical but asymmetrical. The net power possessed by one individual over the other drives trust. Net power balance determines the actual vulnerability of the focal individual, and then the individual, through motivated reasoning, trusts or distrusts another individual. Scholars, going forward, could explore how trust formation varies at group and firm levels.

Extant literature has not explored the role of power imbalance in determining actual (versus perceived) vulnerability that influences trust formation between parties. The conceptual paper fills this gap.

The vast global unit trust/mutual fund industry was worth more than $16 trillion by the end of June 2005. Over time, investors’ interests seem to have shifted from individual shares to share funds. The unit trust industry in South Africa is no exception. Over the 40‐year period from its inception in 1965 to 2005, the industry has grown from only one fund to 567 different funds, worth more than R345 billion. This study highlights some of the most important changes that have occurred in the South African unit trust industry over the last 40 years. These shifts are compared to changes that the USA mutual fund industry has experienced in the 60 years of its existence. An attempt is then made to answer the question whether South African investors are better off with these changes or not.

This study aims to explore the effect of human resource (HR) strategy (e.g. empowerment and teamwork) on green supply chain integration (e.g. green supplier and customer integration), which further leads to economic performance. Moreover, the authors examined the moderating effects of information systems and mutual trust on the relationship between HR strategy and green supply chain integration.

Using the empirical data from 213 Chinese manufacturing firms, this study uses structural equation modeling and hierarchical regressions to examine the conceptual model.

The study’s findings reveal that empowerment and teamwork positively enhance green supplier and customer integration. Green supplier and customer integration are positively related to economic performance. Moreover, information systems positively moderate the relationship between empowerment and green supplier integration but negatively moderate the relationship between teamwork and green supplier/customer integration. Mutual trust positively moderates the relationship between empowerment and green supplier integration and the relationship between teamwork and green customer integration.

This study extends the existing understanding regarding how to enhance green supply chain integration by adopting an appropriate HR strategy in the context of different levels of information systems and mutual trust.

The purpose of this study was to establish the cause-effect relationship between determinants of trust in the buyer–supplier integration and the procurement performance of large manufacturing firms in Tanzania.

The study surveyed 52 firms from Temeke Municipality, Tanzania using questionnaire subjected to one procurement manager and one stores manager tallying a sample size of 104 respondents. Explanatory design was employed due to the presence of cause–effect relationship and the null hypotheses were tested using binary logistic regression technique at p values < 0.05 and ExpB > 1.

Mutual goals, geographical vicinity among partners, and supplier reliability are significant for the procurement performance of the manufacturing firms in Tanzania, whereas interpersonal and inter-organizational trusts and perceived buyers’ confidence are of no significant impact.

Buyer–supplier integration is a recently embraced and paramount practice for the manufacturing firms in Tanzania. Therefore, longitudinal study would further add value. The presence of the causality from the tested hypothesis appeals for the necessity of progress tracking.

Causality has been established, and a framework has been developed for the performance of large manufacturing firms using trust of buyer–supplier integration.

There shall be creation of more employment opportunities and timely availability of materials from large manufacturing firms in Tanzania.

Anchored on transaction cost economics and resource dependency theories, the study disclosed the root cause of procurement performance in the context of manufacturing firms in Tanzania whilst considering trust as a resource advantage of buyer–supplier integration.

Although trust is discussed widely in the literature, there are still discrepancies in the existing conceptualisations of the trust concept. These are usually either unidirectional or bi‐directional, and a limited or narrow approach is usually applied or taken into consideration. There is an apparent lack of mutual and simultaneous considerations beyond the dyadic business relationship. It is argued that an approach beyond dyadic business relationships is necessary to truly understand the trust between two actors in a marketing channel. In the first place, the trust in other upstream and downstream dyadic business relationships affects the trust in the dyad at focus. At the same time, the dyadic business relationship at focus is affected by upstream and downstream trust in other dyadic business relationships. Therefore, a generic model of the synchronised trust chain concept is introduced, as well as managerial implications and research proposals in the area.

This study aims to examine how two types of trust affect five key franchisee attitudes/behaviors within a setting where franchisees have strong contractual ties to the franchisor. The five attitudes/behaviors are: identification and satisfaction with the franchisor, compliance and non‐compliance with franchisor directives, and perceived relationship quality. These attitudes/behaviors were chosen because research has found each to affect franchise performance.

The model in the paper features two trusting beliefs that influence attitudes/behaviors. The study gathers US franchisee questionnaire data then analyzes the model using partial least squares techniques.

Trusting belief‐competence was found to reduce non‐compliance with the franchisor, and also increase identification with the franchisor. Both trusting belief‐competence and trusting belief‐honesty were found to enhance satisfaction with the franchisor and perceived relationship quality. Neither of these two trusting beliefs was found to influence compliance with franchisor directives. Perceived mutual commitment appears to strongly influence both trusting beliefs, whereas length of time as a franchisee does not.

The findings support relational contracting theory, showing that even within a contract, trust exerts a significant influence on vital franchisee attitudes. Other research shows these attitudes/behaviors influence franchise performance, though the present study does not measure performance.

The results suggest franchisee trust is key to the ongoing franchise relationship. Hence, franchisors should try to build franchisee trust. They can do so by enhancing mutual commitment and by supplying well‐conceived new products and marketing campaigns.

This study clearly shows the value of franchisee trust and suggests several ways to build it.