GLOSARIO DE TÉRMINOS TECNICOS

The concept of shared values is the only construct in the KMV model that is proposed to be an antecedent of both trust and commitment. This section aims to explain the concept of shared values, and explore how shared cultural values can lead to a higher level of both trust and commitment. According to Conway and Swift (2000), ‘the higher the level of psychic distance, the greater the time and effort required to develop successful relationships’ (p.1391). This highlights the fact that relationship development between people who share the same values is likely to be easier than the development of relationships between those who do not share the same values. It has also been found that the differences in values and norms between customers and service providers can also lead to misunderstanding during service encounters, which

in turn can lead to unhappy customers and frustrated service providers (Cushner & Brislin 1996).

The concept of shared values has been found to have a positive impact on relationship development. A number of previous studies link shared values and relationship development. Researchers have found that shared values can lead to many elements that influence successful relationships such as liking (Francis 1991), attraction, better communication (Anderson & Weitz 1989), trust (Dwyer, Schurr & Oh 1987; Morgan & Hunt 1994) and commitment (Dwyer, Schurr & Oh 1987; Morgan & Hunt 1994). However, the main emphasis of this thesis is to highlight the importance of shared values between resort guests and their service providers, as a major determinant of both trust and commitment.

Extending the proposition of Dwyer, Schurr and Oh’s (1987) research, Morgan and Hunt (1994) conducted an empirical study that confirms the positive links between shared values and the development of both trust and commitment. In their study, Morgan and Hunt (1994, p.25) define shared values as ‘… the extent to which partners have beliefs in common about what behaviours, goals, and policies are important or unimportant, appropriate or inappropriate, and right or wrong’. They emphasise the importance of shared ethical values as an antecedent of trust and commitment. Indeed, they have found that buyers who perceive their suppliers share the same ethical values are likely to have higher trust as well as higher commitment toward suppliers. Researchers who adopt the KMV model have repeatedly concluded that shared values between exchange partners provide a positive impact on the development of trust and commitment (MacMillan et al. 2005; Mukherjee & Nath

2003). MacMillan et al. (2005) have found that senior managers who are responsible for funding decisions are likely to have higher trust and commitment towards non- profit organisations (NPOs) when they believe that the NPOs share the same values, for example, the beliefs about the way staff should be treated. In their study, Mukherjee and Nath (2003) found that customers are more likely to trust and commit to banks that share values such as ethics, security, and privacy as their customers.

There is some evidence that shared cultural values have a similar impact on the development of trust between exchange parties. For example, Anderson and Weitz (1989) found that shared cultural values (or cultural similarity) encourage higher levels of trust toward an exchange partner. Armstrong and Yee (2001) have also found that similarity in cultural values is a very important determinant of trust for both Chinese ethnic industrial buyers and sellers in Malaysia. In line with Armstrong and Yee (2001), Golesorkhi (2006), also found that cultural similarity has a positive impact on judgements of trustworthiness. This is because, according to Golesorkhi (2006), ‘… judgements of trustworthiness are prone to cultural misunderstanding’ (p.206). He explains that cultural misunderstanding has a negative impact on the development of trust, whilst cultural similarity has a positive impact on the judgement of trustworthiness. Accordingly, it can be argued that people are likely to trust an exchange partner with whom they share a cultural similarity, rather than those exchange partners whom they find hold different cultural values to them, mainly because there are less likely to be cultural misunderstandings. Consequently, it could be argued that customers are likely to trust their local service providers, more than international service providers. Although Golesorkhi (2006) asserts a strong link between cultural similarity and the judgement of trust-worthiness, he also notes that

the impact of cultural similarity on the judgement of trustworthiness can be more or less important depending on the culture of that person. For example, in a collectivist society it is very important for an exchange partner to be recognised as a member of an in-group in order to gain trust (Holmes & Tangtongtavy 1995). A higher degree of similarity leads to a higher level of trust. For example, friends and family gain more trust than a person from the same country and a person from the same country gains more trust than a person from a different country. However, this logic does not always play out in the same way in an individualist society, where people do not make a great distinction between in-groups and out-groups. In such societies, people commonly trust people due to other factors rather than the degree of similarity. Consequently, the effect of similarity on the judgement of trustworthiness in collectivist societies is likely to be greater than in individualist societies. From that perspective, it can be argued that shared values might have less impact on the development of trust and commitment between Thai tourists and Thai service providers.

Despite the fact that a positive link between shared values and the development of trust and commitment has been found in many studies, no previous study has found a link between shared cultural values and commitment. However, it is arguable that shared cultural values provide the same impact on the development of trust and commitment as other types of shared values. According to Hofstede (1980), culture can be defined as ‘… the collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of another’ (p.24). From this perspective, it can be noted that all human values are rooted in culture, because values can be greatly influenced by culture (Hofstede 1980). Previous studies have found that culture has a strong influence on many aspects of values. For example, it

has been found that the differences in work values found in IBM workers are the result of differences in national cultures (Hofstede 1980). Moreover, Bartels (1967) has also found that culture has a significant impact on ethical values. Since ethics can be defined as a standard of what should be perceived as right or wrong, it can be noted that people from different societies might have different ethical standards due to cultural differences (Bartels 1967). In other words, ethical values that are acceptable in one society might not be accepted in another. Bartels’ contention has been supported by many business ethics researchers. For example, Sims (2006) found that there are significant differences in ethical values between respondents from Jamaica and other countries, including those who come from Israel, South Africa and the USA. Sims’ study found that people who share the same cultural values commonly share other values as well. Since sharing the same ethical values is proven to have a positive impact on the development of trust and commitment, and that sharing the same cultural values can also mean sharing the same ethical values, it is arguable that customers who share the same cultural values as their service providers, are likely to have higher levels of trust and commitment toward them.

In summary, it may be concluded that the concept of shared values has been linked to many elements of successful relationships. In line with Morgan and Hunt’s (1994) previous study, this thesis emphasises the importance of shared values as a determinant of trust and commitment and that shared cultural values provide a positive impact on both trust and commitment.