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Deterrence, Reputations, and Competitive Cognition

Author

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  • Bruce H. Clark

    (College of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115)

  • David B. Montgomery

    (Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305)

Abstract

This study examines an aspect of competitive interactions that has attracted increasing research attention: the relationship between deterrence and competitive reputations. We build a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of a firm's reputation for being a credible defender of its markets. Theory and limited empirical evidence suggests a firm with this reputation should deter competitive attacks against it. We explore how a manager's competitive cognition about her opponents' (1) patterns of activity in the marketplace and (2) previous success can lead her to perceive a competitor as a credible defender. We test the framework using MBA students in a quasi-field setting, the Markstrat2 simulation game. The results of this study suggest that reputation deters attack only when the potential attacker considers the target firm a minor competitor. Managers consider defenders that have previously been successful as credible defenders of their markets. They also weigh consistency of activity relative to industry average in making inferences about credibility. The study indicates that the deterrence-reputation link is more complex than previous theory and evidence might imply, and suggests considerable promise for a psychological approach to examining competitive interactions.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruce H. Clark & David B. Montgomery, 1998. "Deterrence, Reputations, and Competitive Cognition," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(1), pages 62-82, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:44:y:1998:i:1:p:62-82
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.44.1.62
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    9. Basir, Nada & Beyhaghi, Mehdi & Mohammadi, Ali, 2014. "The Fate Of Patents: An Exploratory Analysis Of Patents As Ipo Signals Of Reputational Advantage," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 348, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    10. Claussen, Jörg & Kretschmer, Tobias & Spengler, Thomas, 2010. "Backward Compatibility to Sustain Market Dominance – Evidence from the US Handheld Video Game Industry," Discussion Papers in Business Administration 11499, University of Munich, Munich School of Management.
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    15. Upson, John W. & Ranft, Annette L., 2010. "When strategies collide: Divergent multipoint strategies within competitive triads," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 49-57, January.
    16. Anamaria MISA, 2023. "Reputation: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis," Economics and Applied Informatics, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 3, pages 134-141.
    17. Morgan, Neil A. & Clark, Bruce H. & Gooner, Rich, 2002. "Marketing productivity, marketing audits, and systems for marketing performance assessment: integrating multiple perspectives," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(5), pages 363-375, May.
    18. Antoaneta P Petkova, 2016. "Standing Out or Blending In? The Formation of New Firms’ Legitimacy and Reputation under Different Levels of Market Uncertainty," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(1), pages 22-34, February.
    19. José Luis Galdón Salvador & Gabriel Marín Díaz, 2024. "Enhancing Business Decision Making through a New Corporate Reputation Measurement Model: Practical Application in a Supplier Selection Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-28, January.
    20. Kocaman, Barış & Gelper, Sarah & Langerak, Fred, 2023. "Till the cloud do us part: Technological disruption and brand retention in the enterprise software industry," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 316-341.
    21. Wierenga, Berend, 2011. "Managerial decision making in marketing: The next research frontier," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 89-101.
    22. Kim, Jai-Beom & Kim, Jai-June, 2000. "Reputation and international technology transfer: a comparative study of Japanese, European and American corporations in Korea," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 9(5), pages 613-624, October.
    23. Jerayr J. Haleblian & Michael D. Pfarrer & Jason T. Kiley, 2017. "High-Reputation Firms and Their Differential Acquisition Behaviors," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(11), pages 2237-2254, November.
    24. Ailie K.Y. Tang & Kee‐hung Lai & T. C. E. Cheng, 2012. "Environmental Governance of Enterprises and their Economic Upshot through Corporate Reputation and Customer Satisfaction," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(6), pages 401-411, September.
    25. Anastasios Karamanos, 2002. "Market Networks and the Value in Knowledge Exchanges: Evidence from Biotechnology Strategic Alliances," Working Papers wp240, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.

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