Changing marketing opportunities in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union

The changes in the business environment of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union indicate that U.S. firms must adjust their perceptions of socialist markets if they are to compete successfully with Western European and Japanese firms. Consensus among the managers of socialist enterprises agree that U.S. firms fail in these markets because they have made little effort to understand the general business environment and the market dynamics that are characteristic of countries in Eastern Europe and the Soviet union. The purpose of this article is to identify and discuss the key elements of the techniques needed to penetrate socialist markets. Sufficient understanding of these factors should produce a strong competitive position for the U.S. firms that are actively pursuing these marketing opportunities.     

Beyond market orientation: When customers and suppliers disagree

The essence of market orientation is the successful management of a relationship between suppliers and customers. During the past 15 years, a body of scholarship on antecedents and consequences of market orientation has emerged. But what is the appropriate level of market orientation, and what happens when customers and suppliers disagree about the appropriate level of a supplier's market orientation? To what extent does such disagreement concerning market orientation affect the customer-supplier relationship? Do answers to these questions vary by country? The authors examine these issues using data from a survey of leading Japanese and U.S. business firms and their key customers that employed a unique matched supplier-customer sampling methodology. The authors report several interesting results.     

Transference and congruence effects on purchase intentions in online stores of multi-channel retailers: initial evidence from the U.S. and South Korea

Drawing from research on retailing, online shopping behavior, and theories of cognitive psychology, we develop and test a framework that investigates purchase intentions in online stores of multi-channel retailers. The framework simultaneously examines the influence of transference of attitude and trust from the multi-channel retailer??s physical to online stores, image congruence between the multi-channel retailer??s physical and online stores, and image congruence between the multi-channel retailer??s online store and a prototypical online store. Further, recognizing that several retailers now operate as multi-channel retailers in different countries, we examine the influence of cultural differences in thought processes (i.e., holistic versus analytic thinking) on shoppers?? evaluation of online stores of multi-channel retailers. Toward this end, we test the framework using data collected from respondents in the U.S. (analytic thinkers) and South Korea (holistic thinkers). We conclude with a discussion of the findings, suggestions for future research, and potential limitations.     

Transaction cost economics and the roles of national culture: a test of hypotheses based on Inglehart and Hofstede

Transaction cost economics (TCE) is probably the most widely accepted theory on how firms can gain competitive advantage through efficient organization of their economic transactions. However, by focusing on the competitive environment in which companies operate, it abstracts from the cultural context in which governance decisions are made. We study the cultural boundedness of TCE using two seminal cultural theories: the political science/sociology framework of Inglehart and the management science framework of Hofstede. We use these theories to develop (main-effect) hypotheses about the cultural contexts in which TCE has higher predictive power as well as (interaction) hypotheses regarding particular cultural contexts that may inherently be more inclined than others to adopt certain non-market governance modes if the market “fails.” Hypotheses are tested using a meta-analysis on data collected from 128 studies from 12 countries on 3 continents, representing governance decisions of 60,926 companies. We find that TCE is a universal theory across all cultural contexts. This being said, we find that in societies low on power distance and in societies characterized by a strong emphasis on secular-rational and self-expression values, companies are more strongly guided in their governance decisions by economic, transaction-cost considerations than companies in societies high on power distance and in countries that are characterized by traditional and survival values. Further, TCE’s power to predict the specific type of non-market governance employed by the firm is systematically moderated by the national culture in which the firm operates. The power of TCE for predicting hierarchical governance is higher in countries that rate high on secular-rational values and on uncertainty avoidance and low on long-term orientation, whereas TCE is more diagnostic for predicting relational governance in countries high on self-expression values and low on power distance and on uncertainty avoidance. In sum, our meta-analysis provides support for our thesis that to fully understand governance choices made by firms, we need to integrate TCE and cultural theory. While managers around the world are guided by economic considerations, the cultural context in which they operate exerts a substantial—and predictable—contingent effect on their governance choices.     

中国企业的组织学习与创新能力——基于问卷调查的实证研究

在目前竞争日益激烈,变化日新月异的外部环境下．一个企业的组织学习能力已成为其能否生存的必备条件之一。但关于组织学习的文献大多都局限在发达国家中的一些大型企业。而即便在西方与日本,对于组织学习的定义还存在着明显的分歧。中国作为世界上最大的制造业和服务提供国,受到了越来越多的关注,理解中国企业中组织学习活动已经成为研究组织学习和创新能力之间关系的一个新起点。本研究通过问卷对不同行业典型企业的中层和普通管理人员及大量员工进行调查．得出一系列中国企业有关组织学习和创新能力的特征。研究发现中国企业组织学习与创新能力同企业所在行业特征和企业的所有权结构、业务特征等因素相关,但很难显示出文化特异性的迹象。这一研究对于今后在研究中通过控制以上变量．以问卷以外的访谈方式．更好地进行研究设计,挖掘跨国家、跨地域和跨文化特征具有重要的意义．     

The impact of product market strategy-organizational culture fit on business performance

Drawing on the organization theory literature concerning configuration theory, competing values theory, and fit assessment methodologies, we examine the existence and performance impact of product market strategy–organization culture fit. Specifically, we assess the relationship among three important elements of a firm’s product market strategy and the four cultural orientations that comprise the competing values theory of organizational culture using primary and secondary data from the US trucking industry. Using two different conceptualizations and operationalizations of fit, our results provide the first empirical support for the existence of interrelationships among product market strategy decisions and organizational culture orientations consistent with configuration theory conceptualizations of product market strategy–organizational culture fit. We also find support for theorized but previously untested relationships between product market strategy–organizational culture fit and firms’ customer satisfaction and cash-flow return on assets (CFROA) performance. Since product market strategy is heavily reliant on the input of marketers, and organizational culture has long been recognized as having an important impact on marketing-related decision making, these findings have important implications for marketing strategy research and practice.     

The effect of market orientation and its components on innovation consequences: a meta-analysis

While there is a rich body of research on market orientation’s effect on business performance, much little attention has been given to its effect on innovation consequences. This is the first meta-analytic effort to study the independent effects of market orientation components (customer orientation, competitor orientation, interfunctional coordination) on innovation consequences. Also, it is the first meta-analysis to study the impact of contextual characteristics on the way market orientation affects innovation consequences. The study finds that market orientation components positively affect innovation consequences but that competitor orientation’s effect depends on a minimum level of customer orientation. The study also suggests that the relationship between market orientation and innovation consequences is stronger in highly competitive environments but weaker in technology turbulent ones. Finally, findings suggest that the relationship is stronger in large firms, service companies, and in countries characterized by high individualism and high power distance national cultures.

R&D-marketing integration in Japanese high-technology firms: Hypotheses and empirical evidence

The authors review studies of U.S. high-technology firms and hypothesize that, in Japanese high-technology firms, the perceived level of achieved integration reflects perceptions of organizational structure and climate. To evaluate these hypotheses, the authors examine the perceptions of marketing managers from 264 Japanese high-technology firms. Findings indicate that managerial perceptions of information-sharing and integration in budgeting were negatively correlated with perceptions of formalization. The authors also find that perceptions of information-sharing and integration in the early stages of new product development were positively correlated with perceptions of employee participation in decision-making and with perceptions of the value placed by senior management on R&D-marketing integration. He holds a B.S. in mathematics from Jian University in China, an M.S. in statistics from Cornell University, and an MBA and Ph.D. from the University of Virgina. His articles appear in theJournal of Product Innovation Management andResearch-Technology Management. His research interests focus on improving new product development processes in high-technology firms. One current project addresses the determinants of new product success and failure in Japanese firms, and a second examines cross-functional project team management in Japan. He holds a B.A. in history from Metropolitan State College, an M.D. in economics from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Ph.D. in management science from the University of Texas at Dallas. His articles appear inMarketing Science, Marketing Letters, International Journal of Research in Marketing, and theJournal of Product Innovation Management, among others. His current research focuses on new product development in Japan and China.     

How European retailers view American imported products: Results of a product image survey

With the dimensions of international trade widening each year, and the oil generated U.S. balance of payments deficit unacceptably high, the need for American firms to export their products to overseas markets has never been greater. Formulation of a successful export marketing strategy for the European Community can be greatly assisted by gaining some insight into how the consumers and businessmen in the various European member nations view American products. With this in mind, a total of 163 retail store managers in Britain and France were asked to rate products “made in the U.S.A.” on each of 13 product image dimensions, and to “vote” for which of the 3 countries offered the products of greatest value in 6 different consumer product categories. The results offer some useful insights for U.S. firms seeking to tap the potential consumer markets in Britain and France.     

Marketing at the retail shelf: an examination of moderating effects of logistics on SKU market share

Given that the impact of retail shelf facings and price on a product’s market share is of substantial interest to marketing managers in the retail supply chain, we examine whether these relationships may be interdependent with the firm’s supply chain activities. We offer predictions regarding the interdependence of the marketing and supply chain variables using monthly in-store observations from 62 different retail stores from five different chains, taken over a 24-month period. The in-store observations included price and number of facings, which is combined with data obtained from the manufacturer on case pack quantity and market share data from the ACNielsen HomeScan consumer scanner panel. Results indicate that shelf facings impact the effects of price and case pack quantity on market share. In addition, we explore the strength of relationships across retailers employing everyday low price versus HiLo pricing strategies. Generally, our findings suggest that retailers and suppliers must work to integrate marketing activities and supply chain processes both within and across firms to most effectively serve the consumer at the retail shelf and increase market share.     

浅议《零售商供应商公平交易管理办法》的症结

零售商与供应商的关系是当前最为重要的商业关系之一,在零供关系日趋紧张的情况下,维护和谐的零供关系是稳定商业秩序的当务之急。2006年《零售商供应商公平交易管理办法》旨在构建和谐的零供关系,但因其自身症结导致该规定未能很好地发挥作用。在零强供弱市场格局下,零售商与供应商之间的合作关系缺乏自觉的自我克制,正常的零供关系需要法律和政府的约束。     

When customers disappoint: A model of relational internal marketing and customer complaints

The objective of this study is to examine internal marketing relationships and their influence on salesperson attitudes and behaviors in retail store environments. The authors investigate the moderating role of customer complaining behavior on the nature of these relationships. Specifically, they examine the relationship between organization-employee and supervisor-employee relationships and their association with salesperson job motivation and commitment to customer service. Customer complaints are expected to have differential moderating effects on the relationship between organizational and supervisory support and these salesperson outcomes. Our hypotheses were tested using a sample of 392 retail employees within 115 stores of a national retail organization. The model was partially supported. Theoretical and managerial implications are explored.     

National culture and industrial buyer-seller relationships in the United States and Latin America

This study examined whether national culture directly moderates the link between buyer-seller relationship strength and repurchase intentions in industrial markets, as well as indirectly moderates the same link through its influence on corporate culture. Hypotheses were tested using a mail survey among industrial buyers in the United States and Latin America. Results based on 126 responses from Latin American firms and 81 responses from U.S. firms showed that national culture and corporate culture moderate the relationship-repurchase link and that national culture is associated with corporate culture. Using national culture index scores computed from administering Hofstede’s Value Survey Module 94, the authors further show that uncertainty avoidance is the primary driver of national culture’s influence on this link and that power distance is most directly associated with corporate culture. Kelly Hewett (kelly_hewett@moore.sc.edu) is in the Department of Marketing at the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. Her research focuses on the management of relationships between buyers and sellers, as well as between headquarters and foreign subsidiaries in managing the marketing function globally. Her research has been published in theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and theJournal of International Business Studies, among others. R. Bruce Money (moneyb@byu.edu) is the Donald Staheli Fellow and an associate professor of marketing and international business in the Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University. His articles have been published in journals such as theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, theJournal of International Business Studies, andSloan Management Review. His research interests include the international aspects of national culture’s measurement and effects, business-to-business marketing, word-of-mouth promo-tion, services marketing, and negotiation. Subhash Sharma (sharma@moore.sc.edu) is the James F. Kane Professor of Business in the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. Professor Sharma’s research interests include marketing strategy, structural equation modeling, data mining, customer relationship management, e-commerce, the marketing-operations interface, and global marketing strategies. He has published numerous articles in these areas in leading academic journals such as theJournal of Marketing Research, theJournal of Marketing, Marketing Science, theJournal of Retailing, theJournal of Operations Management, theInternational Journal of Research in Marketing, and Management Science. Professor Sharma has also authored two textbooks:Applied Multivariate Techniques (John Wiley, 1996) andScaling Procedures: Issues and Applications (with Richard G. Netemeyer and William O. Bearden, Sage, 2003). Professor Sharma was a member of the editorial boards of theJournal of Marketing Research and theJournal of Marketing and currently serves on the editorial review board of theJournal of Retailing.     

Firm-to-firm and interpersonal relationships: Perspectives from advertising agency account managers

We do things for people we like, our friends. However, in firm-to-firm exchange relationships, boundary spanners are economic agents representing their firms contractually to achieve specific goals. Thus, questions arise as to whether close interpersonal relationships exist in business settings, how they are defined, and whether they influence the nature and functioning of interfirm exchange. A qualitative study with advertising agency account managers finds that analyzing interpersonal relationships across groups from both sides defines firm-to-firm relationships. Participants define these relationships based on the extent to which the agency is involved in the client’s business across categories including vendor, partner, and surrogate manager. Interpersonal relationship exist across categories including strictly business, business friends, and highly personal. The relationships are distinguished based on the knowledge base developed about the brand manager. Overwhelmingly, the participants claim that devoloping close, interpersonal relationships is beneficial to both their professional and personal lives. Diana L. Haytko (DianaHaytko@smsu.edu) is an associate professor of marketing at Southwest Missouri State University. She received a B.S. in advertising from the University of Colorado, an M.S. in advertising from the University of Illinois, and an M.B.A. and Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Wisconsin. Her research interests are in the field of relationship marketing, both from a business-to-business and a consumer perspective. Her work has been published in theJournal of Consumer Research, theJournal of Retailing, theJournal of Marketing Communications, and theJournal of Shopping Center Research.     

文化差异对国际战略联盟经营绩效的影响

通过对三种文化差异的分析,探寻三种文化差异的内在联系,指出过去人们常把资金和技术作为企业跨国经营不可缺少的两大支柱,却忽视了各种层面上的文化差异;在国家文化差异对国际战略联盟经营绩效的影响上,忽视了组织及行业文化差异。总结出文化差异对于国际战略联盟经营绩效的影响模型。     

The desired level of market orientation and business unit performance

Existing studies of market orientation have hypothesized that the strength of the market orientation/performance relationship depends on environmental variables such as market turbulence, technological turbulence, and competitive intensity. To date most empirical studies have failed to confirm these hypotheses; however, these studies (1) assumed that performance is a linear function of the achieved level of market orientation and (2) tested whether environmental uncertainty moderates this relationship. A complementary explanation for the impact of environmental variables on a firm’s market orientation arises from studies of organizational behavior that link the need for coordination and control to environmental uncertainty and organizational strategy. Building on this perspective, the authors argue that (1) environmental uncertainty influences the desired level of market orientation and (2) the gap between the desired and achieved levels of market orientation influence business unit performance. The authors test these hypotheses with data collected from multiple respondents in 308 US firms. The data analysis confirms that the desired level of market orientation is a function of market turbulence, competitive intensity, technological turbulence, and innovation strategy. In addition, the desired level of market orientation positively influences the achieved level. Finally, when the achieved level of market orientation is less than the desired level, business unit performance is a negative function of the gap between the desired and achieved levels of market orientation.

Searching for the best price: An experimental look at consumer search effort

Certain factors may influence the extent to which consumers are willing to expend effort bargaining with retailers in order to gain additional pre-purchase information. One factor could be the consumer's favorable or unfavorable orientation toward the bargaining process itself. Another factor could be consumer expectation as to whether bargaining is permitted by retailers. A third factor might be whether a consumer's actual participation in bargaining encourages, or discourages, additional search activity. This research reports the results of a shopping simulation experiment which suggests that greater search effort is associated with individuals who are favorably predisposed toward retail bargaining and/or expect bargaining to be appropriate in a given situation.     

A measure of long-term orientation: Development and validation

Long-term orientation (LTO) is a salient aspect of national culture values and as such influences consumers’ decisionmaking processes. This article describes the development and validation of measures to assess LTO. Scale development procedures resulted in a two-factor, eight-item scale that reflects the tradition and planning aspects of LTO. A program of studies involving more than 2,000 respondents in four countries demonstrated the psychometric properties of the measures, their discriminant and convergent validities, and the relationship of the measures to other important theoretical concepts (e.g., consumer frugality, compulsive buying, and ethical values). The measures are applicable for investigating individual differences in LTO both within and across cultures. William O. Bearden (bbearden@moore.sc.edu) is the Bank of America Chaired Professor of Marketing in the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. His articles have been published in journals such as theJournal of Consumer Research, theJournal of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing Research, theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and theJournal of Retailing. His research interests include consumer perceptions of value and prices, the measurement of consumer and marketing constructs, and the effects of marketplace promotions. R. Bruce Money (moneyb@byu.edu) is the Donald Staheli Fellow and an associate professor of marketing and international business in the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. His articles have been published in journals such as theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, theJournal of International Business Studies, andSloan Management Review. His research interests include the international aspects of national culture’s measurement and effects, business-to-business marketing, word-of-mouth promotion, services marketing, and negotiation. Jennifer L. Nevins (nevinsjl@appstate.edu) is an assistant professor of marketing in the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University. Her research interests include export marketing, distribution channels, and the influence of cultural values on international channel relationships.     

美国再工业化的深层透视与中国的应对之策

美国再工业化不仅影响全球制造业的现有格局,而且与我国经济结构转型升级不期而遇,因此,中关两国不可避免在一些产业上产生“交集”,构成“头碰头”的正面竞争。面对美国为缓解金融危机后虚拟经济与实体经济失衡而开启的新一轮技术和产业革命,我国应从国家竞争的战略层面高度关注这一发展态势,正视国内制造业成本上升现实,实施内需主导型工业化战略,改善企业宏微观经营环境,鼓励有条件的企业“走出去”。     

国有商业银行战略转型：理论框架与路径选择

新形势下银行面临的内外部经营环境、经营态势和客户需求均发生了深刻的变化,国有商业银行迫切需要重新审视自身的经营战略,进行再次定位,战略转型势在必行。国有商业银行应立足国内外经济金融形势,结合商业银行发展格局,明确差异化的市场定位和客户定位,重筑组织架构,进行结构调整,加速国际化进程,推进银行业务和盈利渠道的多元化,最终...