CONTACT INFORMATION
Office:	213A Kalkin  FIND OFFICE
Phone:	656-4116
E-Mail:	chun.zhang@uvm.edu
Office Hours:	2:00pm-4:00pm, Tuesdays or by appointment

• BSAD 150 - Marketing Management
  Section A, 004 Kalkin 11:00-12:15 MW - ON-LINE SYLLABUS
  Section Z1, 004 Kalkin 11:00-12:15 MW - ON-LINE SYLLABUS
   
• BSAD 258 - International Market Analysis
  Section A, 001 Kalkin 3:30-4:45 MW - ON-LINE SYLLABUS
  Section Z1, 001 Kalkin 3:30-4:45 MW - ON-LINE SYLLABUS

Publication History

Journal Article, Academic Journal

• Henke, Jr., J. W.; Zhang, C. - "Increasing Supplier Innovation -What's a Customer to Do?" (Refereed) - MIT Sloan Management Review - 2010 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: To gain insights into how relational stress imposed by industrial customers impacts suppliers' willingness to share technology and invest in customer-related technology, we undertook an investigation of supplier innovation-related behavior in the North American automotive industry. We studied over 2000 buying situations involving Tier 1 suppliers to Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota over a three year period. Our findings show that a customer can increase supplier innovation activities by undertaking collaborative activities with its suppliers that mitigate the relational stress caused by its competitive activities with the same suppliers.
  
• Zhang, C.; Henke Jr., J. W.; Griffith, D. A. - "Do Buyer Cooperative Actions Matter Under Conditions of Relational Stress?" (Refereed) - Journal of Operations Management - 2009 [View publication] [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: Buyers can create relational stress even as they work cooperatively with suppliers. This study investigates the moderating effects of relational stress on the ability of buyer-initiated cooperative actions to influence a supplier's willingness to invest in technology that will be of benefit to the buyer. Data on 2012 buying situations were collected from Tier 1 suppliers to three U.S. domestic automotive assemblers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors) and three Japanese transplant automotive assemblers (Honda, Nissan, and Toyota) over three consecutive years (2003???2005). The results indicate that (1) buyer-initiated cooperative actions of communication, assistance, and supplier involvement increase a supplier's willingness to invest in technology, (2) the relationship-enhancing effect of buyer assistance increases under high relational stress, while the effectiveness of buyer communication decreases, and (3) that the effect of supplier involvement is not significantly influenced by relational stress levels. Furthermore, we found that supplier relations with Japanese transplant assemblers are characterized by higher levels of cooperative actions, lower levels of relational stress, and higher levels of supplier willingness to invest in technology when compared to those of U.S. domestic assemblers.
  
• Henke Jr., J. W.; Yeniyurt, S.; Zhang, C. - "Supplier price concessions: A longitudinal empirical study" (Refereed) - Marketing Letters - 2009 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: The competitive nature of today's business-to-business markets requires companies to continually look for ways to reduce costs; one of the easiest of which is to demand price reductions from suppliers. In this research, price reduction demands and the corresponding concessions given by 238 suppliers to the six major North American Automotive OEMs during 2001-2007 are analyzed utilizing a simultaneous equation model. The three stage least squares estimates indicate that suppliers are willing to give higher price concessions when buyers align specific interfacing characteristics and processes with their suppliers so that the suppliers perceive greater opportunities for future business and profit. These results provide, for the first time, an understanding of the dynamic nature of the impact of buyer-supplier relational components on supplier price concessions.
  
• Zhang, C.; Hu, Z.; Gu, F. F. - "Intra- and Interfirm Coordination of Export Manufacturers: A Cluster Analysis of Indigenous Chinese Exporters" (Refereed) - Journal of International Marketing, American Marketing Association - 2008 - v. 16, Issue: 3, no. 1069-031X, pp. 108-135 [View publication] [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: Export manufacturers face challenges associated with intrafirm coordination among functional units and interfirm coordination with foreign distributors. The majority of research on export coordination examines intra- and interfirm coordination strategies separately. Consequently, limited insights have been gained on how export manufacturers combine the various intra- and interfirm coordination strategies to achieve export success. Using a cluster analysis, the current study incorporates both intra- and interfirm coordination strategies as inputs to identify profiles of export manufacturers. Four distinct profiles were identified: balanced coordinators, interactive coordinators, flexibility-only coordinators, and unfocused coordinators. We found that the best performers are balanced coordinators, the export manufacturers who concurrently deploy multiple intra- and interfirm coordination strategies.
  
• Griffith, D.; Zhang, C.; Cavusgil, S. T. - "The Influence of National Culture on Attributions of Noncooperative Incidents and Response Strategies in Global Supply Chain Partnerships" (Refereed) - Journal of World Business - 2006 - v. 41, pp. 356-367 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: This constructs a conceptual framework of global inter-organizational managers' responses to incidents of noncooperation, integrating attribution theory, national character theory, and elements of the inter-organizational management literature. We provide a managerial assessment process to assist firms in minimizing attribution error in assessing and responding to noncooperative incidents. In particular, we emphasize the importance of inpatriation strategy in minimizing variations in non-cooperative incident attribution between members of the exchange. Theoretical and managerial implications are presented in the end.
  
• Zhang, C.; Griffith, D. A.; Cavusgil, S. - "The Litigated Dissolution of International Distribution" (Refereed) - Journal of International Marketing - 2006 - v. 14, no. 2, pp. 85-115 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: The litigated dissolution of international distribution relationships severely hampers exchange partners' international efforts. Although relationship dissolution via litigation is a central issue in international business, limited research has been conducted to understand this process, thus leaving academics and practitioners with an incomplete theoretical or practitioner understanding of issues involved in this process. As such, this study employs a systematic analysis of legal cases over the period of 1985-2005 to better understand this issue from a longitudinal perspective. Through the employment of legal case data, a process framework, inclusive of formalized propositions, is developed denoting two separate litigation dissolution processes, i.e., proactive and reactive. The legal case analysis indicated that the two types of relationship dissolution processes have unique triggers and outcomes, suggestive of differences in theoretical models and managerial actions. Academic and practitioner implications are presented.
  
• Cavusgil, S.; Delingonul, S.; Zhang, C. - "Curbing Foreign Distributor Opportunism: An Examination of Trust, Contracts, and The Legal Environment In International Channel Relationships" (Refereed) - International Marketing Review - 2004 - v. 12, no. 2, pp. 7-27 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: Many tenets of cross-border governance arrangements are broad brush projections of domestic findings. In order to explore such generalizations this study formulates and tests propositions about limiting the potential opportunistic behavior of foreign distributors by using data from a large set of U.S. based manufacturers. The findings challenge two sweeping generalizations about governance arrangements in the cross-border context. The first is that a manufacturer is often handicapped disproportionately by its level of brand and scale prominence. Formal contracts as prescribed by transaction cost analysis, though negatively related to opportunism, do not have a significant effect on alleviating foreign distributor opportunism. The second is that the joint use of trust and formal contracts is not significantly associated with opportunism. Trust and formal contracts serve different purposes. Trust makes the relationship function, and contracts institute and legitimize it. Furthermore, earlier studies investigate opportunism in isolation, whereas this study points to the influence of legal hostility on the management of opportunism in the export market
  
• Di Benedetto, C. A.; Calantone, R. J.; Zhang, C. - "International Technology Transfer: Model and Exploratory Study in the People's Republic of China" (Refereed) - International Marketing Review (Special Issue on New Product Development) - 2003 - v. 20, no. 4, pp. 446-462 [View publication] [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: Adoption of foreign-developed technology by firms in developing nations will accelerate the speed by which they become globally competitive in new product development. In this study, we build and empirically test an extension of the technology acceptance model (TAM) - the "extended TAM" - applied to the study of international transfer of product technology. The extended TAM model derives from the TAM of Davis et al., extensively used in information technology applications. The extended TAM is built on the premise that a person's attitudes toward a behavior influence their intentions to perform that behavior, and behavioral intentions influence the actual performance of the behavior. In the extended TAM, perceived ease of use is operationalized as two independent variables, technological compatibility and ease of adoption, and anticipated benefits of adoption are operationalized in terms of technical and economic benefits to the adopting firm. These antecedents have direct and indirect effects on attitudes toward the adoption of foreign-developed technology by managers from developing countries, and on behavioral intentions to adopt such technology. We conduct an exploratory empirical test of the model using a convenience sample of respondents representing several industries in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Strong support is found for all hypotheses in the model. We conclude with research and managerial implications regarding international technology transfer and new product development.
  
• Zhang, C.; Cavusgil, S. T.; Roach, A. S. - "Manufacturer Governance of Foreign Distributor Relationships: Do Relational Norms Enhance Competitiveness In The Export Market?" (Refereed) - Journal of International Business Studies - 2003 - v. 34, no. 6, pp. 1-17 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: In this study, we examine the importance of relational norms and trust-building activities between buyers and sellers in international channels. In addition, we include cultural and environmental factors that may affect the use of relational norms and trust. Using a sample of U.S. manufacturing exporters, we found support for both direct and indirect effects between the manufacturer's use of governance via relational norms and its competitiveness in the export market. The indirect effect results from the mediating role of trust, a finding that makes a key contribution to the understanding of the role of relational governance in cross-border relationships
  
• Cavusgil, S. T.; Chan, K.; Zhang, C. - "Strategic Orientations in Export Pricing: A Clustering Approach to Create Firm Taxonomies" (Refereed) - Journal of International Marketing - 2003 - v. 11, no. 1, pp. 47-72 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: Uses a firm's strategic orientations to meaningfully differentiate between approaches to export pricing. Using cluster analysis, four distinct types of strategic orientations with respect to export pricing (SOEP) are identified in this study: Standardized, Learning, Limited Differentiation, and Systematic. These four clusters were found to differ meaningfully across organizational, venture-related, export market, and performance variables. The findings of this investigation indicate that a firm's strategic orientation in export pricing can be successfully used to group firms in terms of how they approach pricing decisions, and specific types of strategic orientation may lead to superior performance.
  

Conference Proceeding

• Zhang, C.; Wu, F.; Henke Jr., J. W. - "Linking Boundary Spanner Capability with Firm Relational Capital" (Refereed) - Academy of International Business - 2008 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: Linking Boundary Spanner's Capability with a Firm's Relational Capital - A Cross-Country Study of Buyer-Supplier Relations
  
• Zhang, C.; Hu, Z. - "Coordination Practices of Export Manufacturers: A Cluster Analysis of Indigenous Chinese Exporters" (Refereed) - Academy of Marketing Science - 2007
• Zhang, C. - "Recuperative Strategies to Non-cooperative Incidents in International Distribution Partnerships" (Refereed) - Academy of International Business - 2006
• Zhang, C. - "Managing Salesperson Opportunism: The Relational Governance Mechanisms" (Refereed) - American Marketing Association Winter Educators' Conference Proceedings - 2003
• Zhang, C. - "Relational Norms and Competitiveness in a Manufacturer-Distributor Export Market Context" (Refereed) - Academy of International Business Conference Proceedings - 2003
• Zhang, C.; Cavusgil, S. T.; Delinogul, S. Z. - "The Role of Relational and Formal Governance in the Diverse Legal and Institutional Environment" (Refereed) - American Marketing Association Summer Educator's Conference - 2003
• Zhang, C.; Cavusgil , S. T.; Delinogul, S. Z. - "The Role of Relational Governance and Formal Governance on Foreign Distributor Opportunism in Diverse Legal and Institutional Environment" (Refereed) - American Marketing Association Summer Educators' Conference Proceedings - 2003

Research Report

• Di Benedetto, C. A.; Calantone, R. J.; Zhang, C. - "Model and exploratory study in the People's Republic of China" (Refereed) - 2003 - v. 20, no. 4, pp. 446-462 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: Adoption of foreign-developed technology by firms in developing nations will accelerate the speed by which they become globally competitive in new product development. In this study, we build and empirically test an extension of the technology acceptance model (TAM) ??? the ???extended TAM??? ??? applied to the study of international transfer of product technology. The extended TAM model derives from the TAM of Davis et al., extensively used in information technology applications. The extended TAM is built on the premise that a person's attitudes toward a behavior influence their intentions to perform that behavior, and behavioral intentions influence the actual performance of the behavior. In the extended TAM, perceived ease of use is operationalized as two independent variables, technological compatibility and ease of adoption, and anticipated benefits of adoption are operationalized in terms of technical and economic benefits to the adopting firm. These antecedents have direct and indirect effects on attitudes toward the adoption of foreign-developed technology by managers from developing countries, and on behavioral intentions to adopt such technology. We conduct an exploratory empirical test of the model using a convenience sample of respondents representing several industries in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Strong support is found for all hypotheses in the model. We conclude with research and managerial implications regarding international technology transfer and new product development.
  

Book Review

• Zhang, C. - "Book Review: Relationship between Exporters and Their Foreign Sales and Marketing Intermediaries" - International Business Review - 2007 , ELSEVIER
• Zhang, C. - "The Chinese Market In Foreign Eyes: A Review of 400 Million Customers and Oil for the Lamps of China" (Refereed) - Special issue on globalization, Journal of Macromarketing - 2004 - v. 24, no. 2,