Spirituality as an antecedent of trust and network commitment: The case of Anatolian Tigers

• Kurt, Yusuf, Mo Yamin, Noemi Sinkovics, and Rudolf R. Sinkovics (2016), "Spirituality as an antecedent of trust and network commitment: The case of Anatolian tigers," European Management Journal, 34(6), 686-700. (DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2016.06.011).

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2016.06.011

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Authors

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Authors — Kurt, Yamin, Sinkovics & Sinkovics

• Dr Yusuf Kurt» Lecturer in International Business and Management

The University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business Schoolyusuf.kurt@manchester.ac.uk

• Prof Mo Yamin» Professor of International Business

The University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business SchoolMo.Yamin@manchester.ac.uk www.manchester.ac.uk/research/mo.yamin

• Dr Noemi Sinkovics» Lecturer in International Business and Management

The University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business SchoolNoemi.Sinkovics@manchester.ac.ukwww.manchester.ac.uk/research/noemi.sinkovics/

• Prof Rudolf R. Sinkovics» Professor of International Business

The University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business SchoolRudolf.Sinkovics@manchester.ac.uk www.manchester.ac.uk/research/rudolf.sinkovics/

Background, problem and motivation

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Research background

Recently, in Turkey, a rapidly growing number of firms referred to as Anatolian Tigers have exhibited significant

success in both their home and foreign market operations. The success of the Anatolian Tigers has primarily been associated with their effective network mechanisms.

Although previous research has emphasized the role of effective network mechanisms as a significant antecedent of their remarkable progress, there is still a need for deeper and more comprehensive research exploring the idiosyncratic characteristics of these networks.

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Problem and research motivation

Traditional economic perspectives have historically argued that that commitment is driven by utilitarian, profit- and utility-maximizing motivations and economic self-interests.

Besides, it is clearly indicated in the relevant literature that “we still know very little regarding the particular antecedent conditions that give rise to commitment in networks” (Clarke, 2006, p.1185)

This study focuses on the specific network context of Anatolian Tigers from Turkey and aims to understand the role played by spirituality, a higher-order dimension of human life, in commitment at a network level. In other words, it proposes spirituality as a significant antecedent condition of network commitment.

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Hypotheses and Conceptual Model

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Hypotheses and conceptual model

Three hypothesized relationships are developed as;

H1: The greater the experience of spirituality among the network members, the greater is their commitment to the networks.H2: The greater the experience of spirituality among the network members, the more trust exists among them. H3: The greater the trust built through the spiritual climate among the network members, the greater is their commitment to the networks.

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Methodology

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Methodology-1: Data collection and descriptive statistics

• We initially conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve owners/top managers of firms that are members of two business associations (MUSIAD and TUSKON) to inform the subsequent survey-based stage. The data were collected over five weeks during April and May 2013.

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• In the second phase of the research, we used a questionnaire, developed from the existing measures in the light of findings from the initial qualitative stage. Questionnaires were implemented, face to face, with the owners/top managers of 120 SMEs belonging to MUSIAD or TUSKON.

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Methodology-2: PLS-SEM

We used PLS-SEM to analyse the proposed model using our data, applying SmartPLS 3 software whose following key features made it the most appropriate choice for this study;

PLS-SEM is considered one of the most suitable techniques for examining predictive research models that focus on the early stages of theory development.

We have a complex research model including both first- and higher-order constructs in the type of variables and also direct and mediated effects in the hypothesized relationships.

PLS enables one to simultaneously assess the reliability and validity of the measurement model (outer model) and the estimation of the relationships of the structural model (inner model).

We followed a two-stage approach for the operationalization of the superordinate multidimensional construct; spirituality. We first assessed the measurement model and then proceeded with the assessment of the structural model.

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Methodology-3: Data analysis

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Assessment of the Structural ModelAssessment of the Measurement Model

Discriminant validity

Findings, contribution, and future research

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Findings and contribution

The results support the three hypothesized relationships between

spirituality, trust and network commitment;

Firstly, spirituality was found to be a significant driver of both trust and

network commitment. Secondly, trust positively affects network commitment and also partially

mediates the relationship between spirituality and network

commitment.

This research extends spirituality-commitment research from the

organizational to the network level. It imports spirituality into our research

context and investigates its relationships with trust and particularly with

network commitment, which has not been addressed before.

Whereas previous research has studied the relationship between trust and

commitment in both directions, this research proves that, in the spirituality

context, trust is the source of network commitment.

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Future research

We recommend future research to investigate the role

spirituality plays in network commitment in different

religious contexts (e.g. Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and

Judaism) or on other categories of spirituality, such as

world-oriented or people-oriented spirituality.

We strongly call for further research investigating the

relationship between the antecedent conditions of

network commitment and network outcomes.

Future research could also apply social network analysis

(SNA), as an analytical methodological tool, to the research

context in or- der to reveal the structural characteristics of

spiritual-based social net- works.