Thesis--Wisconsin. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-167).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-47).

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Konstanz, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [225]-267).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, / Title from title page screen, viewed Dissertation Committee: Elizabeth T. Lugg (chair), Albert T. Azinger, Patricia H. Klass, Richard Wiggall. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-92) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brown University, 2005. / Vita. Thesis advisor: Roberto Serrano. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-163). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1984. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-155). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

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The main research problem in this study was to identify what trust-building strategies can be utilised by organisations to enhance collective bargaining processes. To achieve this objective a theoretical Institutional Arrangements-Based Model of trust-building was conceptualised, developed and presented in Chapter 5. The presentation of this model was the culmination of the research design phases outlined below: -The first phase consisted of a literature survey undertaken to discover the nature and dynamics of the concept "trust". -The second phase consisted of surveying the literature attempting to understand the nature of the collective bargaining process, its elements and types and the environmental factors that tend to impinge on it. -The final phase of the literature survey focused on various trust-building strategies, theories and models that can be utilised by organisations to ii enhance collective bargaining processes. Trust is generally acknowledged as a necessary requirement for effective and successful workplace relationships. Because of this factor it is crucial that South African employer-employee relationships are improved in a conscious and sustainable way in order for our businesses to remain competitive in the face of global competition. With this reality in mind there is still much in the South African labour relations environment that fosters conflict. One of the primary factors that impinge on trust in employer-employee relations in South Africa is the previous government‘s divisive and racist apartheid policies. These policies have resulted in serious structural imbalances in the economy, the skewed distribution of wealth and the general scarcity of resources to address these attendant challenges. Finnemore and van Rensburg (2002, p. 36) surveys the current labour relations scenario and comments about the extent to which it has been severely affected by apartheid. Some of its appalling outcomes are: racial divisions between skilled and unskilled workers, apartheid wage gaps, poorly educated workers, dictatorial management styles and a lack of protection for the most vulnerable workers. As revealed in this research study there are still widely divergent views at the workplace regarding the nature and levels of trust that are prevalent. The overwhelming view, however, is that there is, generally, a lack of trust between managerial and employee collective bargaining teams. This lack of trust which is evident between employer and employee parties will tend to result in collective bargaining processes being embarked upon in a climate imbued with the negative spirit of distrust. The recommended Institutional Arrangements-Based Model of trust-building advocates for a process of trust-building prior to any collective bargaining initiatives. This process, as depicted in the elements of the recommended model, needs to begin with phases which will focus on frame-alignment and the identification of all sources of distrust between the parties. These prescribed sessions seek to culminate in a common understanding, between the contesting parties, of their real divergent issues and concerns as well as their existing commonalities. The next phases of the recommended model entail the parties, jointly, developing proposals and policies that in the short and long term will aim at the resolution of the identified sources of distrust and thereby reduce the psychological distance between them. The final phase of the model entails the implementation of joint problem–solving resolutions and the development of appropriate policies i.e. institutional arrangements, to deal with all conflict-prone areas of the business operations. Simultaneously, there needs to be continuous evaluation and monitoring of organisational trust and the "agreed to" trust-building strategies to ensure that distrust is reduced or eliminated in the long term, allowing the organisation and the individual employees to perform at their optimum in order to achieve their common goals.

In North America, automobile prices are largely determined through negotiation. Recognizing that some consumers have a strong aversion to negotiation, some manufacturers and dealers are now offering consumers the option of buying cars at a “no-haggle”, or fixed price. This dissertation consists of three essays which address how a fixed price alternative impacts both consumer behavior and firm strategies. The first essay explores the conditions under which a dealer would simultaneously offer a “no-haggle” Internet price and a negotiable price on the lot (which we term a dual-channel), and studies the marketing strategies adopted under this structure. We use consumer haggling cost as a key to understanding a dealer’s choice of pricing strategy. We find that a dual-channel is optimal for the dealer when there is sufficient diversity in consumer haggling cost. We also find that it is optimal for a dealer to specify a higher-than-cost “minimum acceptable price” to the salesperson as a price floor for negotiations. Surprisingly, a dual-channel may serve fewer customers while still being more profitable than a single channel structure. The second essay examines the competitive implications of a no-haggle pricing policy. By using Toyota’s fixed pricing policy in Canada as a natural experiment, we explore the impact of such a strategy on the prices and sales of Toyota and that of its close competitor, Honda. We find that the program has had important competitive consequences. While prices of both Toyota and Honda were higher in provinces with the program, there was an increase in Honda’s sales but with no effect on the sales of Toyota. The third essay determines the impact of a consumer’s bargaining behavior and information she collects on the final price paid. Using an extensive dataset, we find that a consumer’s negotiation skill and attitude toward negotiating significantly influences the negotiation outcome. In particular, consumers that enjoy negotiating have a greater propensity to search for price information which then allows them to obtain a better deal. In addition, we find that, while Internet users pay a lower price, the savings depend on the type of information collected by the buyer. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate