IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joamsc/v46y2018i6d10.1007_s11747-018-0582-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Institutions and opportunism in buyer–supplier exchanges: the moderated mediating effects of contractual and relational governance

Author

Listed:
  • Shibin Sheng

    (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

  • Kevin Zheng Zhou

    (The University of Hong Kong)

  • Julie Juan Li

    (City University of Hong Kong)

  • Zhaoyang Guo

    (Xiamen University)

Abstract

The marketing channel literature has paid limited attention to institutional environments that constrain buyer–supplier exchanges, though such institutions are fundamental determinants of transaction costs, and thus of the occurrence of opportunism in the buyer–supplier dyads. Drawing on transaction cost economics and institutional theory, this study uncovers the critical influence of formal and informal institutions (i.e., legal effectiveness and networking expenditure) on the use of governance in deterring opportunism, as well as the moderating role of government support on the efficacy of governance mechanism. The findings from a buyer–supplier dyadic survey and 2 secondary datasets reveal that legal effectiveness mitigates opportunism through increased use of both contractual and relational governance; in contrast, networking expenditure reduces opportunism through relational governance, yet increases opportunism via lowering contractual governance. In addition, contractual governance is more efficient in constraining opportunism when government support is high, whereas relational governance deters opportunism more when government support is low. These findings offer important implications for academic research and managerial practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Shibin Sheng & Kevin Zheng Zhou & Julie Juan Li & Zhaoyang Guo, 2018. "Institutions and opportunism in buyer–supplier exchanges: the moderated mediating effects of contractual and relational governance," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 1014-1031, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joamsc:v:46:y:2018:i:6:d:10.1007_s11747-018-0582-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11747-018-0582-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11747-018-0582-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11747-018-0582-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paul R. Milgrom & Douglass C. North & Barry R. Weingast*, 1990. "The Role Of Institutions In The Revival Of Trade: The Law Merchant, Private Judges, And The Champagne Fairs," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(1), pages 1-23, March.
    2. C Zhang & S T Cavusgil & A S Roath, 2003. "Manufacturer governance of foreign distributor relationships: do relational norms enhance competitiveness in the export market?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(6), pages 550-566, November.
    3. Avner Greif, 2008. "Commitment, Coercion and Markets: The Nature and Dynamics of Institutions Supporting Exchange," Springer Books, in: Claude Ménard & Mary M. Shirley (ed.), Handbook of New Institutional Economics, chapter 28, pages 727-786, Springer.
    4. Katharina Pistor & Martin Raiser & Stanislaw Gelfer, 2000. "Law and Finance in Transition Economies," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 8(2), pages 325-368, July.
    5. Glenn Hoetker & Thomas Mellewigt, 2009. "Choice and performance of governance mechanisms: matching alliance governance to asset type," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(10), pages 1025-1044, October.
    6. Jeff S. Johnson & Ravipreet S. Sohi, 2016. "Understanding and resolving major contractual breaches in buyer–seller relationships: a grounded theory approach," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 185-205, March.
    7. Kevin Zheng Zhou & Dean Xu, 2012. "How foreign firms curtail local supplier opportunism in China: Detailed contracts, centralized control, and relational governance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 43(7), pages 677-692, September.
    8. Klein, Benjamin, 1996. "Why Hold-Ups Occur: The Self-Enforcing Range of Contractual Relationships," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 34(3), pages 444-463, July.
    9. Douglass C. North, 2005. "Introduction to Understanding the Process of Economic Change," Introductory Chapters, in: Understanding the Process of Economic Change, Princeton University Press.
    10. Jeffrey J. Reuer & Africa Ariño, 2007. "Strategic alliance contracts: dimensions and determinants of contractual complexity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(3), pages 313-330, March.
    11. Mike W Peng & Denis Y L Wang & Yi Jiang, 2008. "An institution-based view of international business strategy: a focus on emerging economies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(5), pages 920-936, July.
    12. Simon Johnson & John McMillan, 2002. "Courts and Relational Contracts," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 18(1), pages 221-277, April.
    13. Avner Greif & Guido Tabellini, 2010. "Cultural and Institutional Bifurcation: China and Europe Compared," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(2), pages 135-140, May.
    14. Laura Poppo & Kevin Zheng Zhou & Julie J. Li, 2016. "When can you trust “trust”? Calculative trust, relational trust, and supplier performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 724-741, April.
    15. Yadong Luo, 2007. "Are joint venture partners more opportunistic in a more volatile environment?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 39-60, January.
    16. Sandy D. Jap & Erin Anderson, 2003. "Safeguarding Interorganizational Performance and Continuity Under Ex Post Opportunism," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(12), pages 1684-1701, December.
    17. Christine M. Chan & Shige Makino & Takehiko Isobe, 2010. "Does subnational region matter? Foreign affiliate performance in the United states and China," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(11), pages 1226-1243, November.
    18. of England, Bank, 2016. "Markets and operations," Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin, Bank of England, vol. 56(4), pages 212-221.
    19. Tom Ginsburg & Glenn Hoetker, 2006. "The Unreluctant Litigant? An Empirical Analysis of Japan’s Turn to Litigation," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 35(1), pages 31-59, January.
    20. Klaus E. Meyer & Hung Vo Nguyen, 2005. "Foreign Investment Strategies and Sub‐national Institutions in Emerging Markets: Evidence from Vietnam," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(1), pages 63-93, January.
    21. Kevin Zheng Zhou & Laura Poppo, 2010. "Exchange hazards, relational reliability, and contracts in China: The contingent role of legal enforceability," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(5), pages 861-881, June.
    22. Julie Juan Li & Laura Poppo & Kevin Zheng Zhou, 2008. "Do managerial ties in China always produce value? Competition, uncertainty, and domestic vs. foreign firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 383-400, April.
    23. Erica L. Plambeck & Terry A. Taylor, 2006. "Partnership in a Dynamic Production System with Unobservable Actions and Noncontractible Output," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(10), pages 1509-1527, October.
    24. Xinshu Zhao & John G. Lynch & Qimei Chen, 2010. "Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and Truths about Mediation Analysis," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 37(2), pages 197-206, August.
    25. Laura Poppo & Kevin Zheng Zhou & Sungmin Ryu, 2008. "Alternative Origins to Interorganizational Trust: An Interdependence Perspective on the Shadow of the Past and the Shadow of the Future," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(1), pages 39-55, February.
    26. Sean M. Handley & Corey M. Angst, 2015. "The impact of culture on the relationship between governance and opportunism in outsourcing relationships," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(9), pages 1412-1434, September.
    27. Moses Acquaah, 2007. "Managerial social capital, strategic orientation, and organizational performance in an emerging economy," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(12), pages 1235-1255, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yang, Defeng & Sheng, Shibin & Wu, Shuilong & Zhou, Kevin Zheng, 2018. "Suppressing partner opportunism in emerging markets: Contextualizing institutional forces in supply chain management," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 1-13.
    2. Wang, Liwen & Sheng, Shibin & Wu, Shuilong & Zhou, Kevin Zheng, 2017. "Government role, governance mechanisms, and foreign partner opportunism in IJVs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 98-107.
    3. Wang, Lei & Zhang, Chun & Jiang, Fuming, 2019. "Matching governance mechanisms with transaction-specific investment types and supplier roles: An empirical study of cross-border outsourcing relationships," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 316-327.
    4. Lumineau, Fabrice & Jin, Jason Lu & Sheng, Shibin & Zhou, Kevin Zheng, 2022. "Asset specificity asymmetry and supplier opportunism in buyer–supplier exchanges," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 85-100.
    5. Yadong Luo & Huan Zhang & Juan Bu, 2019. "Developed country MNEs investing in developing economies: Progress and prospect," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(4), pages 633-667, June.
    6. Thomas Mellewigt & Glenn Hoetker & Martina Lütkewitte, 2018. "Avoiding High Opportunism Is Easy, Achieving Low Opportunism Is Not: A QCA Study on Curbing Opportunism in Buyer–Supplier Relationships," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(6), pages 1208-1208, December.
    7. Huo, Baofeng & Fu, Dijia & Zhao, Xiande & Zhu, Jingwen, 2016. "Curbing opportunism in logistics outsourcing relationships: The role of relational norms and contract," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 293-303.
    8. Ruey-Jer ‘Bryan’ Jean & Rudolf R. Sinkovics & Stefan Zagelmeyer, 2018. "Antecedents and Innovation Performance Implications of MNC Political Ties in the Chinese Automotive Supply Chain," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(6), pages 995-1026, December.
    9. Zhang, Zhikun & Zhang, Chuang & Shen, Lu, 2020. "Deterring dealer slackness: The role of supplier incentives and monitoring and the market environment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 353-363.
    10. George O. White & Jean J. Boddewyn & Tazeeb Rajwani & Thomas A. Hemphill, 2018. "Regulator Vulnerabilities to Political Pressures and Political Tie Intensity: The Moderating Effects of Regulatory and Political Distance," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(5), pages 743-769, October.
    11. Chun Yang & Bart Bossink & Peter Peverelli, 2018. "The Value of Business–Government Ties for Manufacturing Firms’ Product Innovation during Institutional Transition in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-27, December.
    12. White, George O. & Hemphill, Thomas & Weber, Thomas & Moghaddam, Kaveh, 2018. "Institutional origins of WOFS formal contracting: A judicial arbitrariness perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 654-668.
    13. Jia, Fang & Wei, Liyuan & Jiang, Ling & Hu, Zuohao & Yang, Zhilin, 2021. "Curbing opportunism in marketing channels: The roles of influence strategy and perceived fairness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 69-80.
    14. Pei-Li Yu, 2019. "Interfirm coopetition, trust, and opportunism: a mediated moderation model," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 13(5), pages 1069-1092, November.
    15. Vanesa Solís-Rodríguez & Manuel González-Díaz, 2019. "Prior interactions and contractual completeness in Spanish franchising," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 795-812, October.
    16. Maggie Chuoyan Dong & Yulin Fang & Detmar W. Straub, 2017. "The Impact of Institutional Distance on the Joint Performance of Collaborating Firms: The Role of Adaptive Interorganizational Systems," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 309-331, June.
    17. Sun, Sunny Li & Peng, Mike W. & Lee, Ruby P. & Tan, Weiqiang, 2015. "Institutional open access at home and outward internationalization," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 234-246.
    18. Zahoor, Nadia & Khan, Zaheer & Shenkar, Oded, 2023. "International vertical alliances within the international business field: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(1).
    19. Mike W. Peng & Joyce C. Wang & Nishant Kathuria & Jia Shen & Miranda J. Welbourne Eleazar, 2023. "Toward an institution-based paradigm," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 353-382, June.
    20. Huo, Baofeng & Ye, Yuxiao & Zhao, Xiande, 2015. "The impacts of trust and contracts on opportunism in the 3PL industry: The moderating role of demand uncertainty," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(PA), pages 160-170.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:joamsc:v:46:y:2018:i:6:d:10.1007_s11747-018-0582-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.