Within interstate militarized disputes, states use different kinds of influence strategies, like bullying, reciprocating, and trial-and-error. My dissertation examines state influence strategies within border disputes. This context serves as a hard test which could testify if state behaviors in world politics are mainly driven by the salience of contested issues. Or other factors, like leader militarized backgrounds (e.g., participating in rebellions or military service), may also at work. On the other hand, focusing on state influence strategies could be a promising direction to investigate the dynamics of border disputes, like border crisis outcomes. My dissertation contains three chapters. The first chapter explores the rationales behind state choices of influence strategies in border crises by focusing on leaders and their militarized experiences. The second chapter focuses on the influence strategy's short-term effect by examining how do hey influence border crisis outcomes? The third chapter examines the influence strategy's long-term impact by investigating how do they affect the durability of border claims? My dissertation has some important findings. First, leader militarized backgrounds influence state choices of influence strategies. Second, bullying strategies create escalations, which make border crises more likely to end in stalemate or decisive outcomes. By contrast, both reciprocating and trial-and-error ease the tension and make border crises more likely to end in compromises. Third, in the long term, the bullying strategies enable states to learn the costs of territorial fights, who then are willing to drop territorial claims. Neither reciprocating or trial-and-error strategies has this effect.

This dissertation developed a comprehensive model conceptualizing the factors affecting children's choice of influence strategy and relative influence in family consumption decisions. In particular, the model asserted that antecedent variables (i.e., family variables, individual characteristics of children, individual characteristics of parents, and parent-child interdependence) affect both directly and indirectly children's choice of influence strategy and relative influence. Process variables (i.e., family socialization and power structure) mediate the effects of the antecedent variables. In addition, effects of family socialization and power structure on children's choice of influence strategy and subsequent relative influence vary with the product type, decision stage, and subdecision. Finally, children's relative influence is also dependent on their choice of influence strategy. An empirical study was advanced to partially test the model. Specifically, relationships among family socialization, power structure, children's choice of influence strategy, and their relative influence were empirically examined. A field experimental interaction procedure was designed for data collection from parent/child dyads. Multiple regressions were conducted to analyze the data. Results showed moderate support to the hypothesized relationships. However, most links in the testing model presented significant results. It appears that the integration of consumer socialization theory and power relational theory provides better explanation to children's influence behavior than either theory does individually. / Ph. D.

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. However in order to be successful in influencing others, a manager must be able to know what their subordinates think. With the knowledge of subordinate¡¦s perceptions, managers can perfect their use of influence tactics and then be able to easily perform influence on others. One of the most important aspects that can influence perspectives is culture. In Hofstede¡¦s (1980) study it was found that Chinese societies are high in power distance and can be classified as collective societies. This is the result of Confucianism, which spreads values of social order and harmony. In this society, relationships are extremely important. Another characteristic of the Chinese is that they are elitists, and have a deep-rooted belief that education can raise a person to higher levels in society, thus we can see the importance of having expertise. Because of the high power distance which implies inequality and love of power, and collectivity which implies the difference in treatment between in-group and out-group members, it can be inferred that the Chinese tend to have Machiavellian personality. Thus we can see that the three main factors that influence the acceptableness of different influence tactics are expertise, relationships and Machiavellianism. The purpose of this study is to examine influence tactics from the subordinate¡¦s perspective, and to explore the relationship between expertise, personal relationships, Machiavellianism and influence strategies. The results show that (1) the closeness of the relationship is the most important factor to consider when choosing influence tactics, the closer the relationship, the more tactics one can use, both hard and soft tactics would be acceptable, (2) If the manager is known as having expertise, it would be best to use soft tactics, however subordinates will also accept hard tactics from managers who have a higher education level, (3) there was no significant relationship between influence tactics and Machiavellianism.

This thesis is an exploring study. It is exploded which source and base of human resource (HR) executives¡¦ influence power come from. It is studied what factors of outside and insides impact the influence power. In the process of study, it is used the method of the focus group interview. From the experience practices of human resource executive it could be analysis and understood how human resource executives to influence their boss, colleague, subordinate and so on. It could be referred for human resource workers or specials. At last this study generalize the sources, base, and strategy and tactics of human resource executives¡¦ influence power, and propose some propositions as fellows: Proposition 1: The highly position or title of HR executives, the effectively they could introduce HR function. Proposition 2: The influent sources of HR executives mainly include business knowledge, capabilities, experience background, interpersonal relationship, performance of work, and personal characteristic. Those could push effectively the influent power. Proposition 3: HR executives of new companies could easily develop their job than old companies. Proposition 4: HR executives of foreign companies could easily develop their job than local companies. Proposition 5: HR executives of affiliate companies could easily develop their job than central companies. Proposition 6: HR executives of high tech companies could easily develop their job than heredity manufacture companies. Proposition 7: the concept of boss could impact the function and job of HR executives. Maybe the bosses of heredity manufacture companies could be conservatism, so the HR executives of heredity manufacture companies must use special method or strategy of influence. Proposition 8: the different strategies of influence for the object have interactive and reinforcing effect. Proposition 9: The roles of HR executives¡¦ of different industries (e.g. high tech vs. heredity manufacture) are different. Accordingly strategies of influence for the subject or issues object are different. Proposition 10: HR executives expect different influence effect, so they choose different strategies of influence. Proposition 11: HR executives choose different strategies of influence because their personalities and preferences. Proposition 12: HR executives choose different strategies of influence because their different levels (e.g. position or title)

Franchising is a form of business arrangement which has been claimed to offer a high possibility of business success. The reason for its growing support may be due to the benefits franchising offers to the individuals (franchisees), the organisations (franchisors), the public and the whole economy. The notion that franchising offers a successful guarantee for business operations warrants investigation into what factors contribute to likely success. The characteristics of franchise firms have been identified as a significant factor in ensuring franchise success. In this study, franchise firms were classified into four groups using hierarchical cluster analysis: the beginners, the developers, the growers and the matures. The profiles were tested against reported performance measures, indicating that franchise firms in the growing group outperform firms in other groups. However, this is only one component which may influence a successful franchise development. Relationship management is a second, critical area in building a strong franchise network. Some significant relationship building factors are explored in this thesis. Control, influence strategy, franchisee information asymmetry and communication strategy were found to be significant factors which lead to franchise competitive advantage. The results show that control and coercive influence strategy negatively influence franchise outcomes, while noncoercive influence strategy, information asymmetry and communication strategy positively enhance the franchise relationship. The results of multiple regression analyses also indicate that the combined effects of these franchise strategies have a significant impact on franchise outcomes; namely, financial performance, franchise goal congruence and franchisee satisfaction. The findings suggest that franchise firms can adjust their strategies to enhance their business success. Control, influence, information and information strategies can be used to maintain and induce healthy franchise relationships within the franchise dyad. The study also significantly extends the existing understanding of franchise heterogeneity theories, key criteria of franchise business competitiveness, the unique business relationship between franchisor and franchisee and franchise factors contributing to franchise success in the current franchising literature.

在如今高度競爭且變化快速的職場中，僅僅被動接受、完成主管工作指令的部屬，已不足以幫助自己在職涯中取得成功，如何有效的向上影響主管，建立良好的上下互惠關係，已成為所有員工的首要課題，也是支持組織永續發展的關鍵。 有別於傳統以領導者為主軸的管理研究，向上影響研究強調部屬可能反過來管理主管，透過特定手段與策略來改變主管的態度與行為。過去研究已對於向上影響策略的定義與分類建立了初步的共識，與策略效能有關的研究，則大多關注於對部屬所帶來的好處，鮮少從主管的角度探討其被影響的歷程，因此本研究將主管的角色納入考量，以訊息處理理論為基礎，探討部屬向上影響策略對於主管授權的影響效果，並試圖瞭解人際信任在其中的中介作用，以及主管權力距離傾向可能扮演的調節角色。 本研究採問卷調查法施測，共蒐集291對主管-部屬對偶樣本，研究結果顯示：部屬的向上影響策略對主管授權具有顯著的影響效果，且主管對部屬的人際信任會中介向上影響策略與主管授權之間的關係，此外，本研究亦發現主管的權力距離傾向會調節部屬向上影響策略（軟性策略、硬性策略）以及人際信任之間的關係。最後，本研究針對研究結果進行討論，並對理論貢獻、實務意涵、研究限制，及未來研究方向加以闡述。 / Upward influence strategy is a gradually concerned research topic, which is considered to be highly related to organization effectiveness and numerous job outcomes. However, most of studies explored this issue from subordinates’ perspective and focused on subordinates’ outcomes, such as job satisfaction, promotion and salary progression. The present study aims at investigating the dynamic process of upward influence strategy from the perspectives of the supervisor, examining the relationship among upward influence strategies, interpersonal trust, delegation and power-distance orientation. Results from over 200 supervisor-subordinate dyads in Taiwan generally supported the hypothesis. Supervisor-perceived subordinate’ s upward influence strategies, i.e. soft, hard, rational, had a significant impact on delegation through the mediating effect of interpersonal trust. In addition, supervisor’s power-distance orientation moderated the relationships between upward influence strategies (soft strategy, hard strategy) and interpersonal trust. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.