What Drives Importer Opportunism? Learning from a Developing Country in Latin America

This research integrates transaction cost and relational exchange theories to depict a more nuanced explanation of exporter-importer exchange relationships when exporters operate from a developing country. Our study examines whether exporters' investments in specific assets directly influence p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of global marketing 2021, Vol.34 (2), p.146-164
Main Authors: Ahamed, A. F. M. Jalal, Stump, Rodney L., Noboa, Fabrizio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Developing countries
Exports
inter-organizational trust
Interpersonal trust
Knowledge and Innovation Management (KIM)
LDCs
opportunism
power
specific assets
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Summary:This research integrates transaction cost and relational exchange theories to depict a more nuanced explanation of exporter-importer exchange relationships when exporters operate from a developing country. Our study examines whether exporters' investments in specific assets directly influence perceived importer opportunism, or whether these perceptions are driven by the mediating effects of interpersonal and inter-organizational trust and power. Contrary to the general transaction cost argument, we did not find any direct effect of exporter specific assets on perceived importer opportunism. Instead, we found that perceived importer power and exporter inter-organizational trust jointly mediate the exporter specific assets - perceived importer opportunism relationship. By incorporating a dimensional view of trust, we help to resolve conflicting theoretical specifications and empirical results found in the extant literature.
ISSN:0891-1762
1528-6975
1528-6975
DOI:10.1080/08911762.2020.1853866