Social media is increasingly being used by business-to-business (B2B) firms to engage with their customers as they seek to maintain and grow their relationship with their customers. In my dissertation, I examine what communication objectives B2B firms seek to achieve via social media at different stages of the relationship cycle (exploration, expansion, maturity). I then use a panel of social media experts to evaluate the social media efforts of these firms to determine how well these firms achieve their social media objectives. I then contrast how the social media communication objectives of these firms at different stages of the relationship line up with what academic literature suggests as being the most appropriate at the given stage of the relationship and thus highlight the gaps between theory and practice.

This thesis describes a program of research which aimed to explore the role of relationship self-regulation (or relationship "effort") and wisdom in relationship satisfaction. Three separate studies were conducted to examine the association between self-regulation and satisfaction, and the mechanisms for this association. Study 1 examined self-regulation, wisdom and satisfaction, using a sample of 61 couples in long-term relationships, and found that while wisdom shared little association with satisfaction, self-regulation was a significant correlate of satisfaction for men and women. Study 2 examined whether the association between self-regulation and satisfaction was mediated by communication skills in a sample of 101 couples in the early stages of their relationship. Results replicated the self-regulation/satisfaction association found in Study 1, but provided no evidence for mediation by communication. Study 3 tested for mediation of the self-regulation/satisfaction association by attributions in a sample of 73 newly-wed couples. The association between self-regulation and satisfaction was partially mediated by attributions, but self-regulation also had a direct relationship with satisfaction. It was concluded that self-regulation is an important correlate of satisfaction in relationships, and that this association cannot be fully explained by communication or attributions. Several directions for future research were provided, including the need to examine self-regulation and its predictors longitudinally, ways in which a behavioural measure of self-regulation could be developed, and the implications of self-regulation for couple therapy.

The purpose of this research is to study the influence of different bonding strategies for customer relationship management on customer loyalty in online shopping. In particular, the research is focused on the mediation effect of relationship quality. ¡@¡@More Specifically, this study examines the following issues¡G(1) the relationship between relationship bonding strategies and relationship quality; (2) whether relationship bonding strategies will influence customer loyalty; and (3) the influence of relationship quality on customer loyalty. An online survey received 311 useful responses. The results include (1) social bondings had a positive effect on customer loyalty, but financial and structural bonding had no direct correlation with customer loyalty, (2) with respect to different dimensions of relationship quality, financial and structural bondings had a positive effect on customer satisfaction, trust and commitment. Social bonding had partial correlation with relationship quality; (3) Customer satisfaction, trust and commitment in relationship quality showed positive connection to customer loyalty. The effect of customer satisfaction was weaker than those of trust and commitment; and (4) Relationship quality is a moderator between bonding strategies and customer loyalty. A complete mediating effect has been observed.

This study examines how gender, deciding, and relationship confidence predict romantic relationship satisfaction using the Relationship Deciding Scale (Vennum & Fincham, 2011). Deciding refers to the thoughtfulness regarding the decisions made in and about relationships. Relationship confidence is the confidence a person has toward their ability to maintain a healthy relationship and handle conflicts in the relationship. Using an online survey, participants (age range: 18-22 years) answered questions about relationship confidence, deciding, and relationship satisfaction. They rated relationship satisfaction using their most recent relationship, so single people were included in the study. Multiple regression determined that deciding and relationship confidence positively predict relationship satisfaction for both sexes. Relationship confidence predicts above and beyond gender and deciding. Men were more satisfied than women.

This study examines how gender, deciding, and relationship confidence predict romantic relationship satisfaction using the Relationship Deciding Scale (Vennum & Fincham, 2011). Deciding refers to the thoughtfulness regarding the decisions made in and about relationships. Relationship confidence is the confidence a person has toward their ability to maintain a healthy relationship and handle conflicts in the relationship. Using an online survey, participants (age range: 18-22 years) answered questions about relationship confidence, deciding, and relationship satisfaction. They rated relationship satisfaction using their most recent relationship, so single people were included in the study. Multiple regression determined that deciding and relationship confidence positively predict relationship satisfaction for both sexes. Relationship confidence predicts above and beyond gender and deciding. Men were more satisfied than women.

Background: The need to cut costs, save money, become profitable, be innovative, improve product quality and be responsive to customers’ demands is encouraging some organizations to form strategic relationships with suppliers. In achieving this, certain joint investments, called structural bonds, are developed within the relationship life-cycle. Although the bonds tend to tie down the partners and also create impediments for the termination of the relationship, they inevitably contribute to the achievement of mutual goals and sustaining competitive advantage. Past researches failed to relate the structural bonds’ development to any of the stages of the relationship life-cycle, which this study investigated. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate why and in which stages of a strategic buyer-supplier relationship are structural bonds initiated. Method: A multiple case study approach, involving four companies, was undertaken to achieve the purpose of this study. The method used in collecting the empirical data is in-depth interviews with purchasing employees of these companies: Lagermetall AB, Atlas Copco AB, SAAB Tech AB and Husqvarna AB. Results: Most of the structural bonds, based on this study, were introduced at the beginning of the relationships. Some of the reasons for introducing these bonds are: improved product quality, joint product development, knowledge transfer, innovation and communication. Though the bonds may be introduced by the more powerful organization in the relationship, there is interdependency in the relationship. The bonds influenced the following in the relationship: trust, commitment and cooperation, information sharing, and performance but also generated lock-in effects.

The purpose of this study was to explore the significant differences on elementary school students¡¦ attitude toward gender and their sex role identity among different background. Four hundred eighty participants from 7 different elementary schools were selected by stratified random sampling for completing ¡§Gender Attitude Scale¡¨ and ¡§Sex Role Identity Scale¡¨. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, analysis of variance, correlation, and multiple stepwise regression analysis were conducted on the quantitative data. The major findings were as follows: 1. Girls had significantly higher score on femininity than their boy counterparts. 2. Girls had significantly higher means on gender attitude scale than these boys. 3. The 6th grade students had significantly higher means on gender attitude scale than the 5th grade students. 4. Children with different birth order and parental marital conditions had similar mean scores on gender attitude and sex role identity. 5. Children come from families with girl only had significantly higher means on the femininity and gender attitude than these boy family children. 6. Children come from authoritative and permissive father practices families had significantly higher scores on sex role identity than these children come from uninvolved father practice families. 7. Children come from authoritative mother practice had significantly higher scores on gender attitude than these children come from uninvolved mother practice families. 8. Children with good peer relationships had significantly higher scores on gender attitude and sex role identity than other group counterparts. 9. There was significant positive correlation between students¡¦ gender attitude and sex role identity. 10. The three highest significantly predictors for elementary school children¡¦s attitudes toward gender and sex role identity were good peer relationship, gender, and grades. The conclusions of this study were to provide several suggestions for family educators, school educators, education administrators, and academic institute for future research.

The characteristic of wildlife trading industry is taking the living animal as its product. Therefore, the wildlife trading process must abide by the internationals and local government laws to fit the trend of global natural convention. In addition, because of the complicated wildlife trading process, including the application of CITES permit, the import and export permits, air transportation, quarantine and customs, wildlife trading industry needs to have long-term partnership, suppliers, dealers, and brokers to make the trading process proceed smoothly and lower the trading cost. By the development of the legal wildlife trade, the animal welfare and ecological balance can be improved. In addition, ¡§Relationship Marketing¡¨ has been one of the most popular marketing tendencies since the early 90s. As times are changed, however, the non-interaction's marketing pattern has gradually declined, and so has the ¡§Relationship Marketing¡¨. Customer service has been emphasized to understand the customers¡¦ demand to develop and maintain long-lasting relationships with customers, and consequently better marketing patterns for business have developed. In the meantime, with the development of information technology, the relationship marketing has provided more opportunities on the internet. This research will analyze the case of ¡¨ Wildlife Asia¡¨. A domestic established international wildlife trading company, whose goal is to try to understand what its relationship marketing strategy is, and discover how it can compete successfully in the global wildlife trading market, and how it can use related strategies to carry on customer relationship management, including: Relationship Marketing strategies, Customer Relationship Management, and Internet Relationship Marketing. This research discovered: 1. This case use relationship marketing strategy to do wildlife trading business, 2. Wildlife trading industry is suitable for relationship marketing strategy. Consequently there are suggestions for this case: 1.There will be more advantage for this case to use relationship marketing strategy continuously, 2. The case can improve its CRM strategy to develop in this industry, 3. The case can use Internet relationship marketing to increase its marketing strategy.

The current study examined differences in intracultural and intercultural relationships. In this study, data were collected from 139 individuals currently in intracultural romantic relationships (same ethnicity and country of origin) and 120 individuals currently in intercultural romantic relationships (different ethnicity or country of origin) through MTurk. Participants completed measures for personality (20-item Mini-IPIP), individualism and collectivism (Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale), ethnic identity (Multi-group Ethnic Identity Measure), implicit relationship theory (Relationship Theory Questionnaire), relationship satisfaction (DAS: Dyadic Adjustment Scale and RAS: Relationship Assessment Scale), relationship commitment (Commitment Level Items of the Investment Model Scale), one question to address whether the individuals' partners are seen as one's soul mate, and demographics. Participants were compensated $0.85 for completing the survey. MANOVA analyses indicated that individuals in intracultural and intercultural relationships differ significantly in terms of RAS, DAS, and Commitment Level Item scores, with those in intercultural relationships scoring significantly lower on all three measures. Regression analyses indicated that the significant predictors for RAS, DAS, and Commitment Level items differ for individuals in intracultural and intercultural relationships. These findings suggest the type of relationship (intracultural versus intercultural) is an important factor to consider. Research on intracultural relationships may not translate to individuals in intercultural relationships.

The purpose of this Master’s thesis was to document parents’ and their children’s perspectives on parental involvement in sport during early-mid adolescence. Individual semi- structured interviews were conducted with eight parent-child dyads, composed of eight athletes (three males, five females) between 12 and 16 years of age (M= 14) and eight parents (six males, two females) between 36 and 53 years of age (M = 44). The dyads recruited were involved in four team sports: basketball (n=3), ice hockey (n=2), soccer (n=2), and Canadian football (n=1). Based on the data collected, two articles were written. In article one, Basic Needs Theory (BNT) was used as a theoretical framework (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2000) to examine parents’ and their children’s perspectives on how parental involvement in sport influences basic psychological needs during early-mid adolescence. The findings revealed how parental behaviours were generally believed to satisfy athletes’ basic psychological needs within the sport context, although need frustration was also reported. Article two explored how parents’ interactions with coaches and teammates were perceived to influence the sport climate. The findings demonstrated the importance of having parents make efforts to establish friendly and supportive relationships with their children’s coaches and teammates to nurture a positive sport climate. Collectively, the findings from this Master’s thesis contribute to the literature by providing a theoretically-informed and nuanced portrait of parental involvement in youth sport.