Relational Incongruity and Customer Ownership
Description
, the structural path and path coefficients, along with their statistical significance, were examined to assess the structural model relationships. H1a and H1b evaluated the impact of customer complexity on two customer ownership factors: customer rapport and customer connection. The results revealed that customer complexity did significantly influence the level of customer rapport (H1a) (ß = 0.520, t = 11.944, p = <0.001) and customer connection (H1b) (ß = 0.354, t = 7.485, p = <0.001), but the results were in a positive direction thus demonstrating that higher levels of customer complexity increase the level of customer rapport and customer connection. H1c and H1d evaluated the impact of organizational complexity on the two factors of customer ownership, customer rapport, and customer connection. The results revealed that organizational complexity did not significantly influence the level of customer rapport (H1c) (ß = 0.027, t = .563, p = .573) but did have a significant negative impact on customer connection (H1d) (ß = -0.107, t = -2.466, p = 0.014). H2a and H2b examined the influence of customer rapport on relational incongruity (H2a), and Role Conflict (H2b). Customer rapport significantly decreased relational incongruity (ß = -0.095, t = -1.880, p = 0.060 supporting H2a. Additionally, the results revealed that customer rapport did not have a significant influence on role conflict (ß = 0.522, t = 1.021, p = 0.307). H2c and H2d evaluate the impact of customer connection on relational incongruity (H2c) and role conflict (H2d). The results demonstrated that customer connection significantly increased relational incongruity (ß = -0.537, t = 13.356, p = <0.001), which was again an unexpected finding regarding the directionality of the impact. Additionally, the results revealed that customer connection significantly negatively influenced role conflict (ß = -0.198, t = -4.926, p = <0.001). In evaluating H3, the results demonstrated that relational incongruity significantly increased the level of role conflict (ß = 0.187, t = 4.652, p = <0.001). H4a, H4b, H4c, and H4d evaluated the impact of the two factors of customer ownership (customer rapport and customer connection), relational incongruity, and role conflict on perceived sales performance. The results demonstrated that the relationship between customer rapport (H4a) and perceived sales performance (ß = 0..188, t = 3.946, p = <0.001) as well as customer connection (H4b) and perceived sales performance (ß = 0.403, t = 6.827, p = <0.001) was positive and significant. (ß = 0.255, t = 5.409, p = <0.001). Thus, H4a and H4b were supported. Relational incongruity was significant at the 0.10 level and decreased perceived sales performance (ß = -0.100, t = -1.825, p = 0.068). Thus, H4c was supported. The results demonstrated that role conflict was significant and decreased perceived sales performance (ß = -0.180, t = -3.139, p = 0.002) thus supporting H4d.
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Institutions
- Middle Tennessee State UniversityTennessee, Murfreesboro