Conceptualisations of Trust

Brand experience, direct mail communication, trust and attitudes toward advertising are major antecedents of customers’ satisfaction for a brand and satisfied customers may buy more, accept higher prices and have a positive word-of-mouth effect.  Also, we know that the cost of selling to new customers is much higher than selling to existing customers. In this context, the main aim of this paper is to investigate the relations among direct mail communications, brand experience, trust, attitudes toward advertising, satisfaction and behavioural intentions. We work with Structural Equation Model (SEM) to analyse and explain the relationships between the variables in the model. The findings supported the proposed hypotheses, which are consistent with theoretical framework. All results are in line with the study expectations, with an exception that it refers to the relation between satisfaction and price premium. Our study suggests that to combine high customers’ satisfaction rates with delivering positive brand experience, trust, and direct mail communication have a strategic opportunity to differentiate brand and reinforce customer behavioural intentions for a brand. Our study indicates that managers should know that overall evaluations of performance (brand experience, advertising, direct mail communication and trust) to predict customers’ behavioural intention battery through satisfaction.  Research has investigated previously unexplored relations among brand experience, direct mail communications, trust, and attitudes toward advertising, satisfaction and behavioural intentions via SEM.

Key words: Key words: Behavioral intentions, brand experience, satisfaction, brand trust, attitudes toward advertising, and direct email communication

Managing the relationships between the various parties involved in construction is becoming
more crucial as the industry moves away from fragmented and adversarial ways of working.
Under less-adversarial procurement routes and contractual arrangements such as partnering, it
is essential that the parties develop mutually beneficial objectives and a high level of
commitment, cooperation and trust. When disputes do occur, without good relationships
between the parties they are likely to refer back to the clauses of the contract which, in turn,
may start a return to adversarial ways of working. The concept of ‘relational contracting’ has
been developed by Macneil (1974, 1980, 1981 and 1983). This considers a contract to
represent a relationship between the parties and introduces a degree of flexibility into the
contract on the basis of understanding the other party’s objectives. Based on a review of recent
literature, this paper explores the dimensions of relational contracting that are applicable to the
construction industry. Since the principles of relational contracting have received relatively
little attention in the construction management literature, work from other disciplines have
been explored in order to promote a fuller understanding of its implications to understanding
the way in which people from different organizations work together. It is suggested that
previous work has viewed the concept of relational contracting in isolation rather than as an
integrated set of relational principles. It is argued that when viewed as a joined-up set of
dimensions, relational contracting has the potential to facilitate a better understanding of interorganizational
relationships within the industry.

Keywords: relational contracting, long-term relationship, construction supply chain.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship development process between consultants and a project management firm in Malaysia.
Research approach: This qualitative study was based on 6 in-depth semi-structured interviews which were carried out with the owners and senior managers of five consultant firms (an architect, quantity surveyors and structural and civil consultants) and the director of a project management firm. The data were analysed using thematic analysis method.
Findings and Originality: Although theoretically, a well developed relationship has to go through five phases of relationship development process (awareness, exploration, expansion, commitment and dissolution), the findings reveal that every consultant’s relationship with the project management firm appeared to exhibit additional developmental stages to those which are established within the literature. The results revealed that the practices that lead to a successful or failed inter-organisational relationship are greatly influenced by interpersonal factors rather than the organisation’s performance-related factors.
Research impact: This study has explored various ways in which the cultural values play significant roles in the development of long term relationships among organisations in the construction supply chain.
Practical impact: This study brings new dimensions in the context of inter-organisational construction supply chain through the significant use of cultural values, which could be practiced by other supply chains.