This thesis is a study of how a combination of process improvement and the action research approach was developed and used to change the work behaviour of Chinese employees, in terms of staff commitment and consequent customer satisfaction in a foreign-owned elevator-company service division in China. The case organisation is the multi-national company KONE and its operations in mainland China. / Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2001.

Healthy buyer-seller relationships are seen as a source of buyers’ satisfaction, commitment and loyalty. However, creating fruitful relationships with buyers is not always simple and straightforward for salespersons, especially when they seek to establish relationships with buyers from different cultures. Given the challenging nature of intercultural interaction, it becomes imperative for salespersons to identify the behaviours that will best suit such relationships. There is much evidence that salespersons frequently adopt acculturation behaviours in order to build relationships with buyers from different cultures, however the study of acculturation behaviours, though not unknown to marketing scholars, has not been well explored in relationship marketing domains. Studies on the impact of acculturation behaviours from the viewpoint of salespersons are particularly non-existent. The present study examines the limited available literature on this subject, and attempts to develop a better understanding of the concept of salespersons’ acculturation behaviours by proposing a model that explains the relationship between salespersons’ acculturation behaviours and buyers’ satisfaction as well as commitment in the banking context. The hypotheses are empirically tested in the present study by using appropriate statistical techniques. Results of the study indicate that the hypothesised model of salespersons’ acculturation behaviours fits the data well. The hypotheses focus on four dimensions of salespersons’ acculturation behaviours: assimilation, separation, integration and marginalisation. All of these dimensions, excluding separation, show an inter-relationship among the variables of the model and are confirmed with the right significance. Separation is not examined closely within the study as by its nature it is itself exclusionary of any form of interaction with buyers. Findings from the study indicate however that integration and assimilation positively affect buyers’ satisfaction, whereas marginalisation is negatively associated with buyers’ satisfaction. The results also reveal that buyers’ satisfaction has a mediation effect on the relationships between assimilation, integration, marginalisation and buyers’ commitment. The model also includes the constructs of interaction intensity, which is positively related to buyers’ satisfaction and buyers’ commitment. This study can be considered as an important step in establishing the linkage between salespersons’ acculturation behaviours and buyers’ satisfaction and commitment. It establishes that salespersons’ acculturation is needed to perform better and create sustainable intercultural interaction.

The main aim of this research is to investigate how elements of the dynamic and temporary team environment of construction project teams influence trust, commitment, satisfaction and learning in the teams. While much can be learnt from the current literature about teams, the theories have mainly derived and focused on teams from permanent environments such as manufacturing, hospitality, health care, education and technology sectors. The uniqueness of construction project teams (for example, temporariness and multi-organisations involvement) creates a team working environment different from common permanent work teams. As such, numerous questions arise when we consider how construction project teams function and how the members are influenced by the temporary and dynamic team environment. For example, how do the project team members establish trust and commitment in the project team environment? How does the interdependency on each other to accomplish their assigned tasks influence individual members?? attitudes and learning in the project teams? The research adopted a cross-sectional mixed method research design employing both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection in Singapore construction industry. The quantitative method involved survey questionnaires collected from 136 construction practitioners from 47 project teams. The qualitative method involved in-depth interviews with 28 construction practitioners. Quantitative statistical analysis was performed on the survey data using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) and qualitative thematic analysis was performed on the interview data using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software - NVivo. Amongst other things the research findings indicated that individual team members?? perceived task interdependence and reward interdependence are positively related to their trust and commitment in the team. Additionally, their satisfaction in the team played a mediating role between the relationships. With respect to team learning, the research found that team goals, task interdependence and reward interdependence influence team learning, and team learning contributes to the performance of project teams. On a broad view, the circumstances in which how team members?? trust, commitment, satisfaction and team learning are influenced appear to be similar with other work teams. However, in-depth interviews with construction professionals revealed many complex and subtle factors relating specifically to construction project teams, such as, multi-projects and multi-organisations involvement, and degree of familiarity between the members before the team is set up. These factors are central to the team members. In conclusion, this study has brought insights into how temporary construction project team environment influence members?? team attitudes and team learning experience.

Healthy buyer-seller relationships are seen as a source of buyers’ satisfaction, commitment and loyalty. However, creating fruitful relationships with buyers is not always simple and straightforward for salespersons, especially when they seek to establish relationships with buyers from different cultures. Given the challenging nature of intercultural interaction, it becomes imperative for salespersons to identify the behaviours that will best suit such relationships. There is much evidence that salespersons frequently adopt acculturation behaviours in order to build relationships with buyers from different cultures, however the study of acculturation behaviours, though not unknown to marketing scholars, has not been well explored in relationship marketing domains. Studies on the impact of acculturation behaviours from the viewpoint of salespersons are particularly non-existent. The present study examines the limited available literature on this subject, and attempts to develop a better understanding of the concept of salespersons’ acculturation behaviours by proposing a model that explains the relationship between salespersons’ acculturation behaviours and buyers’ satisfaction as well as commitment in the banking context. The hypotheses are empirically tested in the present study by using appropriate statistical techniques. Results of the study indicate that the hypothesised model of salespersons’ acculturation behaviours fits the data well. The hypotheses focus on four dimensions of salespersons’ acculturation behaviours: assimilation, separation, integration and marginalisation. All of these dimensions, excluding separation, show an inter-relationship among the variables of the model and are confirmed with the right significance. Separation is not examined closely within the study as by its nature it is itself exclusionary of any form of interaction with buyers. Findings from the study indicate however that integration and assimilation positively affect buyers’ satisfaction, whereas marginalisation is negatively associated with buyers’ satisfaction. The results also reveal that buyers’ satisfaction has a mediation effect on the relationships between assimilation, integration, marginalisation and buyers’ commitment. The model also includes the constructs of interaction intensity, which is positively related to buyers’ satisfaction and buyers’ commitment. This study can be considered as an important step in establishing the linkage between salespersons’ acculturation behaviours and buyers’ satisfaction and commitment. It establishes that salespersons’ acculturation is needed to perform better and create sustainable intercultural interaction.

Zugl.: Hamburg, Univ., Diss., 2007

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1988. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 218-223).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-150).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wyoming, 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Nov. 15, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 54-66).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 173-176).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on January 3, 2008 ) Includes bibliographical references.