How does trust affect the relationship between communication and interpersonal conflict in buyer-seller relationships? An uncertainty management perspective

• Main Authors: Chung-Kuang Lin, 林重光
• Other Authors: Kuang-Peng Hung
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/90839685919270939965

博士 === 銘傳大學 === 企業管理學系博士班 === 102 === Facing some uncertainty in sales interaction, bidirectional communication can provide the buyer a conduit to seek information from salespersons and develop a common understanding of the message to reduce perceived uncertainty. According to uncertainty management theory, information can be used to manipulate uncertainty in a desired direction. Moreover, the purchaser’s perceived trust toward a salesperson may be a critical factor to manipulate the direction of uncertainty, and thus, affect the impact of communication on interpersonal conflict. Based on uncertainty management theory, the study examines how credibility and benevolence moderate the impacts of bidirectional communication on reducing task conflict and the impacts of bidirectional communication on reducing relationship conflict is mediated by task conflict. Surveying data from 298 procurement professionals revealed that the negative relationship between bidirectional communication and relationship conflict is mediated by task conflict. Moreover, benevolence not only weakens the negative relationship between bidirectional communication and task conflict, but also weakens the negative relationship between bidirectional communication and relationship conflict through task conflict. In addition, credibility weakens these moderating effects of benevolence. Therefore, credibility affects information seeking and uncertainty management, whereas benevolence only affects uncertainty management. Furthermore, credibility is more likely to be a critical factor to affect the impact of communication on reducing interpersonal conflict.