Marketing controls and employee responses: The moderating role of task characteristics

A key concern in implementing organizational controls is that little is known about when controls lead to “negative” employee responses. Previous research has suggested that lower levels of negative responses will be observed only if the controls that are being employed “fit” the characteristics of the tasks being controlled. The two task characteristics usually referred to include performance (outcome) documentation and procedural (cause-effect) knowledge. Unlike previous studies, however, this study assumes that the two task characteristics should have a joint, rather than independent, influence on employee responses to controls. The reason is that knowledge of how well one is doing is not sufficient for expecting lower levels of negative responses if information on procedures that may lead to better performance is not available. Knowledge of procedures, likewise, is not sufficient for lower levels of negative responses if performance documentation is not available. Results of an empirical study provide general support for the above line of reasoning. He obtained his Ph.D. at the Ohio State University. His research interests include the areas of international marketing and sales management. He has previously published inAdvances in International Marketing, International Trade Journal, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, and contributed to several national and international conference proceedings. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include sales management, marketing strategy, and international marketing. He has previously published inInternational Journal of Research in Marketing, International Trade Journal, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Technology Forecasting and Social Change, and contributed to numerous conference proceedings.     

The role of climate: implications for service employee engagement and customer service performance

This research attempts to challenge the resource–engagement and engagement–performance linkage of the job demands–resources model by testing these links under the moderating role of two climates: performance-focused and service failure recovery. Two studies test a model on the boundary conditions of the linkages across four service industries. The results suggest that whether a resource (i.e., self-efficacy and job autonomy) positively or negatively affects engagement depends on whether (1) a climate is appraised as a challenge or hindrance demand and (2) a climate is deemed a complementary or compensatory resource. Using multi-respondent data from customer service employees and their supervisors in the health care industry, Study 1 conceptualizes climate as organizational climate and finds that performance-focused climate strengthens (weakens) the positive effect of self-efficacy (job autonomy) on engagement while service failure recovery climate weakens the positive impact of self-efficacy on engagement. Study 2 generalizes the findings from Study 1 and provides broad support by testing the model using psychological climate in the financial services, tourism and hospitality, and retailing industries. This study closes with a configuration approach to climate research by discussing when multiple climates can co-exist under different types of resources.     

Firm capabilities and growth: the moderating role of market conditions

Using a contingency theory lens, this study explores the impact of multiple firm-level capabilities and their interactions on firm growth under different market conditions, using panel data from 612 U.S. public firms across 16 years in 60 industries. Specifically, this study empirically examines how three key firm capabilities (marketing, R&D, operations) interact to impact firms’ revenue growth and profit growth over time, and how external boundary conditions (market munificence and competitive dynamism) influence the interactive growth effects of these capabilities. The results indicate that firms’ R&D (operations) capabilities positively (negatively) influence the effects of marketing capabilities on firm growth and that such effects vary across different market conditions. This study provides insights to researchers and managers regarding how to manage and deploy resources across multiple capabilities simultaneously under different market conditions to drive firm growth.     

领导差异化授权对团队绩效的影响及其作用机制研究

文章基于自我调节理论,运用跨层次分析方法探究领导差异化授权对员工创新绩效的影响。通过对66个团队331名员工的数据进行分析,得出如下结论：领导差异化授权正向影响员工创新绩效;领导差异化授权正向影响员工工作重塑,员工工作重塑在领导差异化授权与员工创新绩效之间起中介作用;成就目标导向显著正向调节领导差异化授权与员工工作重塑的关系,并且正向调节员工工作重塑在领导差异化授权与员工创新绩效之间的中介作用。

     

Machiavellianism and personal success in marketing: The moderating role of latitude for improvisation

According to theory, the success of Machiavellians rests, in part, on the situational factor “latitude for improvisation”—the freedom to improvise in order to successfully manipulate others. In their study of Machiavellianism and marketing, Hunt and Chonko concluded that Machiavellianism is unrelated to success; however, the analysis did not include latitude for improvisation as a moderating variable. The data are reanalyzed with a measure of latitude for improvisation included. Theory predicts that Machiavellianism is positively related to success when latitude for improvisation is high. The results of this analysis suggest that Machiavellianism is unrelated to personal success in marketing when latitude for improvisation is high but is negatively related to success when latitude for improvisation is low. His research interests include marketing ethics, advertising, and marketing communication.     

Innovation pathway to profitability: the role of entrepreneurial orientation and marketing capabilities

Drawing from the marketing capabilities and innovation literatures, we identify aprocess by which a firm’s entrepreneurial orientation impacts profits and show that it is dependent on marketing capabilities. Using a half-longitudinal design we integrate survey data with performance metrics over two time periods, from a sample of 190 firms. While the effect of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on innovation is enhanced by architectural marketing capabilities, the effect of innovation outcomes on profits is enhanced by specialized marketing capabilities. Ultimately, the pathway from EO to performance, mediated by innovation, is positively significant at higher levels of both marketing capabilities. The results uncovered using Bayesian conditional process modeling, are robust to alternate model specifications, endogeneity tests, and provide insights into the capabilities-based understanding of entrepreneurism-marketing interface. We discuss resource allocation implications for managers as they attempt to maximize profits through innovation.     

The relationship of learning and memory with organizational performance: The moderating role of turbulence

Extensive research has documented how firms’ learning orientation and memory are related to organizational performance. The objective of this study is to examine the moderating role of turbulence on the relationships between firms’ learning orientation and memory and their organizational performance and innovativeness. The study also provides insight into the differential relationships of firms’ learning orientation and memory to their performance and innovativeness. Using survey data collected from 200 supply management professionals, the results suggest that the extent to which learning and memory are associated with organizational performance is contingent on the level of environmental turbulence. Specifically, under low environmental turbulence, learning orientation and organizational memory appear to be related to performance and innovativeness; however, under high environmental turbulence, only learning orientation is a useful predictor. Sangphet Hanvanich (hanvanich@xavier.edu) is an assistant professor of marketing at Xavier University. She received her PhD from Michigan State University. She has published in various journals including theJournal of Service Research andStrategic Management Journal. Her primary research interests are in the areas of marketing strategy, marketing alliances, international business, and international marketing. K. Sivakumar (k.sivakumar@lehigh.edu) (PhD, Syracuse University) is the Arthur Tauck Professor of International Marketing and Logistics, chairperson, and a professor of marketing in the Department of Marketing at Lehigh University. Before joining Lehigh in 2001, he spent 9 years as a faculty member with the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research interests include pricing, global marketing, and innovation management. His research has been published in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, the Journal of Marketing, theJournal of International Business Studies, Decision Sciences Journal, Marketing Letters, the Journal of Business Research, the Journal of Interactive Marketing, theJournal of International Marketing, International Marketing Review, theJournal of Product Innovation Management, Pricing Strategy & Practice: An International Journal, Psychology & Marketing, Marketing Science Institute’s Working Paper Series, and other publications. He has won several awards for his research (including the Donald Lehmann Award) and is on the editorial review board of several scholarly journals. He has won outstanding reviewer awards from two journals. Home page: www.lehigh .edu/~kasg. G. Tomas M. Hult (nhult@msu.edu) is a professor of marketing and supply chain management and director of the Center for International Business Education and Research at Michigan State University. He serves as executive director of the Academy of International Business. He is associate editor of theJournal of International Business Studies, Decision Sciences, and theJournal of Operations Management. His research has been published in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, theJournal of Marketing, Decision Sciences, theJournal of Operations Management, theJournal of Management, and theJournal of Retailing, among others.     

The effects of price on brand extension evaluations: The moderating role of extension similarity

This research explores the effects of price information on brand extension evaluations across different levels of similarity. Brand extension similarity is proposed as a moderator of the effects of price on brand extension perceived quality, perceived value, and purchase intentions. Specifically, price is hypothesized to have a larger positive impact on perceived quality evaluations of dissimilar extensions, but a larger negative impact on perceived value and purchase intentions for similar extensions. Results indicate that a high-price introductory strategy used to suggest a high-quality product will likely be more effective for dissimilar extensions than similar extensions. The results of this research suggest a number of implications for new product pricing. Directions for subsequent research are offered as well. Valerie A. Taylor is an assistant professor of marketing in the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She received her Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include product branding strategies, and consumer perception and use of quality cues and signals, and health communication issues. Her research has been published inAdvances in Consumer Research andAmerican Marketing Association Educator's Proceedings. Her teaching interests include marketing communications, marketing strategy, consumer behavior, and marketing research. She has also held positions in the telecommunications industry. William O. Bearden is the Bank of America Chaired Professor of Marketing in the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. He is on the editorial review boards of theJournal of Marketing Research, theJournal of Consumer Research (JCR), theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of Retailing, and theMarketing Education Review and is currently serving as an associate editor forJCR. He has published frequently in theJournal of Marketing Research andJCR, and has a number of publications in other marketing and consumer research journals. His teaching and research interests include consumer behavior, marketing research, and the evaluation of marketing promotions.     

An exploration of the moderating role of buyer corporate culture in industrial buyer-seller relationships

In this study, the authors examine industrial buyer-seller relationships, exploring the influence of buyer perceptions of their relationships on their repurchase intentions. In particular close relationships as opposed to pure transactions, are examined. Using data collected from buyers of industrial goods and services, the authors examine the association between buyers' perceptions of relationship quality and repurchase intentions and the moderating effect of the corporate culture of the buying firms. The results suggest a significant relationship between buyer perceptions of the relationship and their repurchase intentions, as well as a significant moderating effect of buyer firm corporate culture. The implications of these findings for the study of marketing relationships, as well as for marketing practice, are also offered. Kelly Hewett is an assistant professor of marketing at Winthrop University. 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, Journal of International Marketing, andPsychology and Marketing. R. Bruce Money is an associate professor of international business at the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. His research interests include international aspects of business-to-business marketing, word-of-mouth promotion, services marketing, and negotiation. His research has been published in theJournal of Marketing, Journal of International Business Studies, andSloan Management Review. Subhash Sharma is a professor of marketing and the Charles W. Coker Sr. Distinguished Foundation Fellow at the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. His research interests include research methods, pricing, CRM, and e-commerce. His research has been published in major marketing and related journals, and he serves on the editorial review board of theJournal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Reserch, andJournal of Retailing.     

Coping with organizational role stress: Intrinsic motivational orientation,perceived role benefits,and psychological withdrawal

Researchers have long recognized that individuals in stressful marketing roles find ways to cope with organizational role stress. This study examines the effects of three psychological coping strategies—intrinsic motivational orientation, perceived role benefits, and psychological withdrawal—in a model of organizational role stress. Results indicate that intrinsic motivational orientations reduce perceptions of role conflict and role ambiguity, and increase job satisfaction; that perceived role benefits positively influence job satisfaction; and that job dissatisfaction is the primary cause of psychological withdrawal. The study supports the importance of coping efforts in models of organizational role stress among marketing personnel. Dr. Keaveney’s research interests focus on retailing issues including retail buyer behavior, retail store image, and retail price promotions. Dr. Keaveney has also published in the areas of marketing organizational behavior, services marketing, and international marketing. She is co-author with Philip R. Cateora ofMarketing: An International Perspective, which has been published both in English and in Japanese. Dr. Keaveney has published articles in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Promotion Management, Journal of Marketing Channels, andJournal of Volunteer Administration. Dr. Nelson’s research interests include topics in marketing research, consumer behavior, and advertising. He has published in theJournal of Marketing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Marketing Research, and serves as occasional reviewer to these publications as well as to theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science. He teaches courses in marketing management, marketing research, and multivariate statistics.     

Implementation of market orientation in the subsidiaries of global companies: the role of institutional factors

Drawing upon the market orientation literature and institutional theory, this study examines the factors that affect the implementation of market orientation in the subsidiaries of global companies, using data gathered from multiple informants and multiple sources in 79 subsidiaries located in 45 countries. Findings indicate that the market orientation of subsidiaries is positively related to the legal institutions, local competition in the host country market, and the market orientation of headquarters. The findings also indicate that the headquarters’ market orientation has more pronounced effects on the implementation of market orientation for subsidiaries that strongly identify with headquarters. Moreover, the study demonstrates that cultural distance between home and host countries of the subsidiary strengthens the positive effects of competitive intensity on market orientation implementation. As such, this research addresses an important concern among researchers and managers that is related to how to increase the market orientation and, thereby, the performance of their subsidiaries located in foreign countries.     

Capabilities and financial performance: the moderating effect of strategic type

The Miles–Snow (M–S) strategic typology has continued to receive attention in the academic business press, even though it has been criticized for not making explicit the relationships between strategic type and ultimate profit performance. Using the market orientation and Resource-Based View literature, we develop hypotheses regarding relationships between M–S strategic type and four firm capabilities (technology, information technology, market-linking, and marketing capabilities), relationship between the four capabilities and performance, and the moderating role of M–S strategic type. An empirical test involves multiple data collections from 216 firms. The study results suggest that there are significant relationships between capabilities and performance if one does not account for the moderating role of strategic type. When strategic type is used as a moderating variable, we find that only certain capabilities had significant effects on profitability. For example, technology and information technology capabilities increase financial performance for prospector organizations, while a different set of capabilities (market-linking and marketing) are positively related to financial performance for defender organizations. We discuss how our findings are consistent with the expectations of the Resource-Based View of the firm. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and managerial implications.

Customer engagement: the construct,antecedents, and consequences

In this study, we highlight the need and develop a framework for customer engagement (CE) by reviewing the marketing literature and analyzing popular press articles. By understanding the evolution of customer management, we develop the theory of engagement, arguing that when a relationship is satisfying and has emotional connectedness, the partners become engaged in their concern for each other. As a result, the components of customer engagement include both the direct and the indirect contributions of CE. Based on the theoretical support, our proposed framework elaborates on the components of CE as well as the antecedents (satisfaction and emotion) and consequences (tangible and intangible outcomes) of CE. We also discuss how convenience, nature of the firm (B2B vs. B2C), type of industry (service vs. product), value of the brand (high vs. low), and level of involvement (high vs. low) moderate the link between satisfaction and direct contribution, and between emotions and indirect contribution of CE, respectively. Further, we show how customer engagement can be gained and how firm performance can be maximized by discussing relevant strategies.     

The role of brand communications on front line service employee beliefs,behaviors, and performance

Frontline service employees often vary in their delivery of the brand promise, leaving service firms with less direct control on other stakeholders’ brand perceptions. Internal branding efforts have been suggested as a way to improve employee performance. With this in mind, we develop a two-process model based on identification and internalization theories to explain how internally disseminating brand-relevant information to frontline employees enhances performance. Using multi-source data from the employees, managers, and customers of a business-to-business firm in the hospitality industry, we find that providing brand-specific information directly to frontline employees increases their identification with the brand (as evidenced in perceptions of firm authenticity) and enhances their internalization of brand values. Additional results suggest that firms should make an extra effort to communicate brand-specific information to frontline employees if they desire brand-consistent performance that is observable to managers and customers alike.     

The moderating role of the price frame on the effects of price range and the number of Competitors on consumers’ search intentions

The Internet and Internet shopping agents (ISAs) are likely to have a substantial impact on the way consumers shop and conduct price searches. This article examines how the price frame (the relative position of a retailer’s price presented by ISAs) moderates the effects of the price range and the number of competitors carrying a product on consumers’ search intentions. Building on prospect theory and range theory, the authors predicted that the effects of price range and the number of competitors on consumers’ search intentions would be more pronounced in a negative price frame than in a positive price frame. The results of two experiments provide support for these predictions. Dhruv Grewal (dgrewal@babson.edu), Ph.D., is the Toyota Chair in Commerce and Electronic Business and a Professor of Marketing at Babson College. He is currently co-editor ofJournal of Retailing (2001-present). His research and teaching interests focus on e-business, retailing, global marketing, pricing, and value-based marketing strategies. He has published over 65 articles in journals such asJournal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Retailing, and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. He cochaired the 1993 AMS Conference, the 1998 Winter AMA Conference, and the 2001 AMA Doctoral consortium. He will be cochairing the AMA 2006 Summer Educator’s Conference. Joan Lindsey-Mullikin (jmullikin@babson.edu), Ph.D., is an assistant professor of marketing at Babson College. Her research and teaching interests focus on pricing, retailing, and consumer behavior. She has published in journals such asJournal of Retailing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Social Psychology, andJournal of Product and Brand Management. She serves on the review board ofJournal of Product and Brand Management.     

Proactive customer orientation and its role for creating customer value in global markets

Today??s business customers expect sellers not only to respond effectively to their expressed needs but also to understand their business sufficiently well to proactively address their latent and future needs. Yet, research shows that many firms underestimate, misunderstand, or overlook these customer expectations. To draw clarity to this discrepancy, this study explores the notion of proactive customer orientation and examines the degree to which this capability offers an opportunity for competitive advantage. While research in recent years has explored the role of proactive customer orientation in new product performance, empirical investigation in this stream of market orientation literature is significantly underdeveloped. We assess the impact of the proactive customer orientation construct on value creation by taking a novel approach that examines the proactive customer orientation ?? value ?? satisfaction ?? loyalty chain using data from 800 business customers in India, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We find that, relative to other firm capabilities, proactive customer orientation is the most consistent driver of customer value across our multinational data set. Results also show robust effects for the interaction of proactive and responsive customer orientation to create superior value. Several moderating conditions further frame the impact of this capability: intense levels of customer value change, a global relationship scope, and a transnational relationship structure. Overall, findings significantly advance the understanding of the proactive dimension within market orientation and provide marketers with insights for voice of the customer processes.     

The contingent effect of specific asset investments on joint action in manufacturer-supplier relationships: An empirical test of the moderating role of reciprocal asset investments, uncertainty, and trust

Prior research provides evidence that manufacturer investment of specific assets dedicated to a particular supplier (manufacturer asset specificity) is an antecedent of joint action in manufacturer-supplier relationships. The authors build on prior research to identify several variables that moderate the effect of manufacturer asset specificity o on joint action. Drawing from transaction cost analysis and relational exchange theory, the authors propose a conceptual model that explicates the moderating role of three contextual variables: specific asset investments by the supplier (reciprocal asset investments), manufacturer decision-making uncertainty, and manufacturer trust in the supplier. Consistent with their hypotheses, results from a survey of firms in three SIC codes show that decision-making uncertainty and trust enhance the effect of manufacturer asset specificity on joint action. Contrary to expectation, however, the moderating effect of reciprocal asset investments was not significant. Theoretical and managerial implications of the results are discussed. Ashwin W. Joshi is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Calgary. He received his Ph.D. from Queen’s University (Canada). His research has been published inJournal of Business Research, Psychology and Marketing, Journal of Marketing Channels, Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, as well as in many conference proceedings. Rodney L. Stump is an associate professor of marketing at Morgan State University. He received his Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University. His research has appeared inJournal of Marketing Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, The International Executive, and other journals. He has also presented his research at numerous national and international conferences.     

The power and politics of sales forecasting: Uncertainty absorption and the power of the Marketing Department

Recent concerns have focused on the adequacy of the power of Marketing Departments to implement the marketing concept and to put into effect marketing plans and strategies. The article analyzes the marketing function as an information processing activity, where one significant element of information processing is sales forecasting as an uncertainty absorption process. The major hypothesis is that the power of the Marketing Department can be partially explained by its control of sales forecasting, both directly but also indirectly through a set of strategic contingencies which make marketplace uncertainty critical to the firm. The argument is supported by empirical data from a study of manufacturing firms in the United Kingdom, and leads to the identification of a number of implications for managers and researchers.     

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.