Differential Effects of Bilateral Norms on SMEs’ Export Relationships: A Dynamic Perspective
研究了连续性期望、公平和合作三种双边规范对出口中小企业海外分销商机会主义和角色绩效的差异化影响，发现规范能抑制机会主义并提升绩效，且依赖度削弱而心理距离和竞争强度增强其保护作用。
Prior research has established the pivotal role of bilateral norms in relationship marketing, identifying them as effective relational governance mechanisms that firms can use to manage their international alliances with overseas intermediaries. Unfortunately, few studies have examined differential effects of specific norms on positive and negative behaviors, let alone norms’ effectiveness in the harsh export context of resource-constrained small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To address these gaps, the authors explicate the effects of three norms (continuity expectations, equity, and cooperation) on both dysfunctional and productive behaviors of foreign distributors. Using two consecutive data collections, the results indicate that norms curb importer opportunism and help improve importer role performance and that continuity expectations and cooperation increase the chances of the survival of export ventures. The study further scrutinizes relational norms’ effects on opportunism in the context of exporting SMEs’ realities and tests relevant moderating effects. The findings indicate that while exporter dependence reduces the shielding effect of norms against opportunism, psychic distance and competitive intensity strengthen the protecting effect of relational norms. The results of this study underscore the heterogeneous nature of relational norms and suggest that norms such as continuity expectations play a leading role in structuring the ideology of a business dyad.