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When people want to conduct a transaction, but doing so would be morally disreputable, they can obfuscate the fact that they are engaging in an exchange while still arranging for a set of transfers that are effectively equivalent to an exchange. Obfuscation through structures such as gift-giving and brokerage is pervasive across a wide range of disreputable exchanges, such as bribery and sex work. In this article, we develop a theoretical account that sheds light on when actors are more versus less likely to obfuscate. Specifically, we report a series of experiments addressing the effect of trust on the decision to engage in obfuscated disreputable exchange. We find that actors obfuscate more often with exchange partners high in loyalty-based trustworthiness, with expected reciprocity and moral discomfort mediating this effect. However, the effect is highly contingent on the type of trust; trust facilitates obfuscation when it is loyalty-based, but this effect flips when trust is ethics-based. Our findings not only offer insights into the important role of relational context in shaping moral understandings and choices about disreputable exchange, but they also contribute to scholarship on trust by demonstrating that distinct forms of trust can have diametrically opposed effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of distribution channel choices of new entrepreneurial ventures (NEVs). First, factors that influence NEVs' choice of distribution channels are examined. Second, performance consequences of [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2009.10.001 Byline: Martin Reimann (a), Oliver Schilke (b), Jacquelyn S. Thomas (c) Keywords: Marketing strategy; Survey research Abstract: This paper aims to improve current knowledge on the commoditization of industries, a unique phenomenon of evolving marketing competition characterized by increasing homogeneity of products, higher price sensitivity among customers, lower switching costs, and greater industry stability. As commoditization is relevant to an ever-greater number of diverse industries, this research addresses two main questions: (1) How can managers assess their industry's level of commoditization to be better informed about their firm's competitive environment? and (2) How does the level of commoditization in an industry affect the effectiveness of marketing strategies? Initially, in-depth field interviews identified the characteristics of the commoditization phenomenon. Subsequently, a survey study among 141 companies from ten industries applied a measure to assess an industry's commoditization level. The results showed significant differences between high and low commodity markets in terms of the impact of three different strategic orientations on firm performance. The application of the value disciplines framework revealed that as commoditization increases, operational excellence and product leadership lose impact, while customer intimacy becomes a more vital performance driver. The results indicate that commoditization assessment may become a vital part of a firm's strategic efforts to address evolving marketing competition. Author Affiliation: (a) University of Southern California, Seeley G. Mudd Building, 3620 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90089-1061, United States, Tecnologico de Monterrey, EGADE Business School, Campus Monterrey, 66269 Monterrey, Mexico (b) Stanford University, Building 370, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, California 94305, United States, RWTH Aachen University, Center for Entrepreneurship, 52056 Aachen, Germany (c) Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750333, Dallas, TX 75275-0333, United States Article History: Received 13 December 2008 Article Note: (miscellaneous) Area editor: Aradhna Krishna

As managers and academics increasingly raise issues about the real value of CRM, the authors question its direct and unconditional performance effect. The study advances research on CRM by investigating the role of critical mechanisms underlying the CRM-performance link. Drawing from the sources--positions--performance framework, the authors build a research model in which two strategic postures of firms--differentiation and cost leadership--mediate the effect of CRM on firm performance. This investigation also contributes to the literature by drawing attention to the differential impact of CRM in diverse industry environments. The study analyzes data from in-depth field interviews and a large-scale, cross-industry survey, and results reveal that CRM does not affect firm performance directly. Rather, the CRM-performance link is fully mediated by differentiation and cost leadership. In addition, CRM's impact on differentiation is greater when industry commoditization is high. Keywords CRM * Customer relationship management * Business strategy * Structural equation modeling * Mediation * Industry commoditization, Introduction Understanding how firms can profit from their customer relationships is highly important for both marketing practitioners and academics (Boulding et al. 2005; Payne and Frow 2005). Prior research has [...]