CEO transformational leadership and firm performance: A moderated mediation model of TMT trust climate and environmental dynamism

This study examines the role of top management team (TMT) trust climate in the relationship between CEO transformational leadership (TFL) and firm performance under dynamic environments. The research results based on a sample collected from firms in Vietnam show that TMT trust climate is a key mediator which can convert CEO TFL into better performance outcomes. Moderated-mediation analyses further reveal that the mediating effect of TMT trust climate is more significant in less dynamic environments. Our study contributes to the TFL theory by identifying a critical mechanism that intervenes in the relationship between CEO-level TFL and firm performance. We reveal how CEOs exert leadership influence on subsequent TMT dynamics and performance outcomes by navigating external environments. Moreover, our study offers insights with regard to the trust theory by uncovering TMT-level intragroup trust as a mediator, and thus complements most of prior examinations that focus on the moderating role of trust in workplace team contexts.     

Understanding the links between technological opportunism, marketing emphasis and firm performance: Implications for B2B

The capability of firms to sense and respond to changes in technologies, called technological opportunism, is of growing importance to managers as a source of competitive advantage. However, exactly how technological opportunism impacts firm performance is still not clearly understood. Furthermore, the role of marketing in this relationship, if any, has yet to be examined. Understanding this relationship is critical for marketing managers not only for determining strategic investments of resources but also for demonstrating marketing return on activities. This paper explores the links between technological opportunism and firm performance. The results show that technological opportunism has a strong positive impact on key measures of performance such as firm sales, profits and market value. Importantly, marketing emphasis is the mechanism through which the technological opportunism-performance relationship is achieved. Finally, the impact of marketing emphasis on B2B firms is different than that for B2C firms, highlighting the importance of these activities for B2B marketing managers.     

How and when social media affects innovation in start-ups. A moderated mediation model

Despite social media's increasing use in industrial markets to foster business outcomes, empirical evidence on its use among firms collaborating for innovation is equivocal. Using data from 1769 Australian start-ups, we examine how and under what conditions social media influences innovation outcomes.Our results demonstrate that social media has a significant positive impact on start-ups' innovation outcomes. We also find that managerial learning from start-up networks mediate the relationship between social media and innovation. In addition, market and technological dynamism moderate positively the effect of social media on innovation, such that the effect is stronger when environments are dynamic. While market dynamism also moderates the indirect effect of social media on innovation via managerial learning from start-up networks, in technologically stable environments managerial learning from network actors mediate the social media-innovation relationship.The study contributes to innovation network research by providing large scale quantitative evidence, delineating the process by which entrepreneurs use social media and managerial learning from network actors to innovate, and the contingent role of environmental dynamism. In doing so, we present a moderated mediation analysis leading to a more fine-grained understanding of how and under what conditions social media influences innovation outcomes in start-ups.     

CEO duality and firm performance: A contingency model

Several studies have addressed the CEO duality-performance relationship, with inconsistent results. This paper proposes that these inconsistencies can be resolved by integrating agency and stewardship perspectives on duality. Using data from 192 firms in 12 industries, both the direction and magnitude of the duality-performance relationship was found to vary systematically across Dess and Beard's (1984) environmental dimensions. These results provide partial support for both agency and stewardship perspectives.     

An integrated artificial intelligence framework for knowledge creation and B2B marketing rational decision making for improving firm performance

This study examines the effect of big data powered artificial intelligence on customer knowledge creation, user knowledge creation and external market knowledge creation to better understand its impact on B2B marketing rational decision making to influence firm performance. The theoretical model is grounded in Knowledge Management Theory (KMT) and the primary data was collected from B2B companies functioning in the South African mining industry. Findings point out that big data powered artificial intelligence and the path customer knowledge creation is significant. Secondly, big data powered artificial intelligence and the path user knowledge creation is significant. Thirdly, big data powered artificial intelligence and the path external market knowledge creation is significant. It was observed that customer knowledge creation, user knowledge creation and external market knowledge creation have significant effect on the B2B marketing-rational decision making. Finally, the path B2B marketing rational decision making has a significant effect on firm performance.     

Product and environmental social performance: Varying effect on firm performance

Corporate social performance (CSP) consists of actions in different domains that vary in the information they provide stakeholders, and hence, in their effect on firm performance. To demonstrate this, the authors examine the impact of CSP on firm performance in two areas—the product and the environment, referred to as product social performance (PSP) and environmental social performance (ESP), respectively. PSP has a stronger positive impact on firm performance compared to ESP. The findings using disaggregated measures of PSP and ESP indicate negativity bias in that PSP weakness has a stronger negative impact on firm performance compared to PSP strength. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

HRM systems and firm performance: The mediation role of strategic orientation

Prior research evidence of a set of internal fit human resource practices supports a positive human resource management (HRM)–performance relationship. Yet we know very little about exactly what drives the HRM–performance (also known as strategic HRM) relationship. In response to the call for suitable theories to explore the “black box” between HRM and firm performance, this study is designed to extend previous work by examining how the relationship between HRM and strategic orientation influences firm performance. Specifically, it examines the relationship between HRM systems, strategic orientation, and performance in a cross-section of 190 firms in Singapore. The research hypotheses were tested using multiple regression and LISREL. As predicted, there was an indirect effect between Inducement and Investment HRM systems and firm performance, such that the relationship was mediated by strategic orientation. In particular, Singaporean firms which implemented product and market differentiation strategies would mediate the HRM systems–performance relationship. Implications for research and managerial practices are provided.     

Strategic orientations,marketing proactivity and firm market performance

Guided by strategic orientations, firms must continuously deliver superior value in order to maintain a strong position in the market over the long-term. This study explores how two prominent strategic orientations (i.e., market and technological orientations) influence a firm's marketing proactivity and performance, with marketing proactivity being the key to delivering continuously superior value. Specifically, we examine how the cultural (i.e., a proactive market orientation) and the behavioral (i.e., market pioneering) dimensions of marketing proactivity, and the interaction between them, affects a firm's market performance. A structural equation modeling analysis of survey data from 109 firms shows that a proactive market orientation and market pioneering have a significant positive impact on the sales per employee and the growth rate of a firm. Our findings suggest that market pioneering strengthens the positive relationship between proactive market orientation and sales per employee and growth rate. A firm's technological orientation is positively related to both its proactive market orientation and market pioneering. However, the responsive market orientation of a firm only has a significant positive effect on proactive market orientation, and not on market pioneering. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of these findings.     

Market orientation,marketing capabilities,and firm performance

Drawing on traditional resource‐based theory and its recent dynamic capabilities theory extensions, we examine both the possession of a market orientation and the marketing capabilities through which resources are deployed into the marketplace as drivers of firm performance in a cross‐industry sample. Our findings indicate that market orientation and marketing capabilities are complementary assets that contribute to superior firm performance. We also find that market orientation has a direct effect on firms' return on assets (ROA), and that marketing capabilities directly impact both ROA and perceived firm performance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Digital mediation in business-to-business marketing: A bibliometric analysis

Digital mediation in business-to-business marketing is becoming increasingly important to firms, due to customer needs and evolving technological environments. The extensive research in this area for the past twenty years has created a need to synthesize extant research. This paper examines the literature in the domain, to create a classification scheme for subdomains and to explore future research directions. This study reviews 119 relevant articles published in 29 journals between January 1999 and March 2019, to detail the domain. In addition to providing details on most cited articles and published authors, our analysis classifies the digitally mediated business-to-business marketing literature into four subject clusters—a framework for digitally mediated business-to-business marketing, the digital business-to-business marketplace, value creation through digital marketing, and the use of social media for business-to-business marketing. Four shifts in the literature are described: the emergence of Internet research and business-to-business technology; the evolution of e-commerce; the focus on social media; and the broadening of research. Finally, directions for future research are identified and discussed.     

成品油直批业务B2B营销模式探讨

在“互联网+”发展的大背景下,B2B模式能有效解决企业和客户交易流程长、信息碎片多、效率低等痛点,重塑企业成本结构,给客户带来增值服务.成品油销售企业要利用互联网思维和技术,对传统直批业务营销模式做加减法,建设直接面向客户购油的在线交易平台,整合后台管理信息系统,通过内嵌信贷模块提供增值服务,提升客户购油体验.     

Individual differences, psychological contract breach, and organizational citizenship behavior: A moderated mediation study

This study examines two competing theories. Self-enhancement theory predicts that self-esteem and equity sensitivity (narrow traits) increase the perception of psychological contract breach and engage less in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), whereas self-consistency theory predicts that these two traits attenuate the perception of psychological contract breach and engage more in OCB. Agreeableness and Conscientiousness (broad traits) are expected to moderate the mediation. This study employs moderated mediation analysis to test a sample of 204 supervisor–subordinate dyads from two theme parks in northern and central Taiwan. The results show that employees high in self-esteem are less likely to perceive psychological contract breach and engage more in OCB, confirming self-consistency theory. The results also show that this mediation is observed when Agreeableness and Conscientiousness are higher than when they are lower. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

The future of B2B marketing theory: A historical and prospective analysis

The economic power of B2B transactions hasn't been reflected in the amount of published research in marketing journals, and the relevance for practitioners of the studies issued has been questioned during the last 20 years. How can we bring academicians and practitioners together? After studying the history of B2B marketing, building on configuration theory, and prospecting the future challenges for marketers, the authors argue that the research efforts should be focused on six major areas of inquiry: Innovation, Customer Journey and Relationship Value, Data Analytics, Harnessing Technology, Marketing/Finance Interface and Revenue Growth, and Industry Context or Ecosystem. Specifically, they propose 20 theoretical sub-categories that are compelling for academicians and relevant for B2B marketers. The research conclusions and propositions were established by an expert panel through an exhaustive ranking-type Delphi method and refined using a coding scheme from grounded theory. The authors discuss the implications for theory development and managerial interest.     

Network development and firm growth: A resource-based study of B2B Born Globals

Using multiple case studies, we explore how Born Global networks develop as the firm's internal resources grow. Building on networks and entrepreneurship research, we develop a theoretical framework and advance five propositions that link resource development and entrepreneurial orientation to network content, structure, centrality, and management. We also explore the benefits that Born Globals gain from this development. Key findings include: resource accumulation and network development have a strong relationship while network content becomes increasingly strategic; strong entrepreneurial orientation coincides with calculative network management; network benefits are not always advantageous to the firms. This study makes empirical contributions to Born Global and Networks research in the context of Business-to-Business firms, and provides practical implications for Entrepreneurs and Born Global managers.     

B2B and internal relationships and curative international marketing: A polish case study

This paper follows the call of Lusch and Vargo (2010) expressed in their influential paper for a new science of the market to transcend the various sub-disciplines of Marketing, including B2B Marketing. The paper applies and expands the multidisciplinary components of this new science in the transitional context of Poland. The authors suggest that this new science, in the context of Poland's transition, is best reflected in the innovative term ‘Curative International Marketing’. The authors conclude that still existing transitional gaps in Poland can be the result of neglecting the micro internal and meso B2B relationships. Macro factor development can be partially seen as a success story but also negatively affected B2B and internal relationships. The unconsidered concept of identity is regarded center stage to explain the relationship related phenomena. Based on the philosophy of Curative International Marketing, a future focus on B2B and internal relationships is regarded to be on the top of the agenda to improve value co-creation, and provide for a better health level of market systems as a whole.     

Product proliferation strategies and firm performance: The moderating role of product space complexity

In the Spanish automobile market between 1990 and 2000, significant reductions in tariff and nontariff protections increased the complexity of the product space, through the penetration of new car brands and models. Acknowledging these environmental dynamics, this study details conditions in which across‐niche (product breadth or intraindustry diversification) and within‐niche (product depth or versioning) product proliferation exerts a positive relationship on firm performance, as well as how key relationships change according to the complexity of the product space in the industry. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Return on marketing investments in B2B customer relationships: A decision-making and optimization approach

The basic notion of relationship marketing entails that firms should strive for mutually beneficial customer relationships. By combining relationship marketing theory and operations research methods, this paper aims to develop and demonstrate a managerial decision-making model that business market managers can use to optimize and evaluate marketing investments in both a customer-oriented and economically feasible manner. The intended contributions of our work are as follows. First, we add to the return on marketing literature by providing a first decision-making approach that explicitly assesses the optimization of marketing investments in terms of profitability, effort, and resource allocation. Second, we show how the risk of marketing investments can be assessed using sensitivity analysis. By means of an empirical study the versatility of our decision-making approach is demonstrated by assessing various critical decision making issues for business marketing managers in detail.     

Industrial marketing management digital media optimization for B2B marketing

The role of digital media in B2B marketing has gained traction with academics and practitioners in recent years. However, a comprehensive framework about the use and value of these media has not been developed, leaving B2B experts uncertain about their effectiveness. In fact, whether or not digital media can impact the business development and marketing processes to achieve higher performance remains vague. Additionally, there is a paucity of research related to the impact of different media towards the enhancement of processes and outcome of marketing to generate opportunities. To provide guidance for practitioners, we consider marketing processes in the global software industry by researching practitioner experiences. We develop an assessment tool to identify and align marketing processes and digital media. This research attempts to explore and explain how digital media impacts the B2B business development process cycle at the conjunction of marketing and sales. The research tests a conceptual model by means of a cross-sectional survey of more than 530 practitioners. Our novel framework provides several contributions to knowledge and practice, defining marketing-related processes, and determining a set of digital platforms. By acknowledging the perspectives of vendors, third-parties, and buyers in a simultaneous study, we ensure optimal alignment.     

The impact of aligning business,IT, and marketing strategies on firm performance

In order to succeed in today's competitive business environment, a firm should have a clear business strategy that is supported by other organizational strategies. While prior studies argue that strategic alignment enhances firm performance, either strategic alignment including multiple factors or strategic orientation of firms has received little attention. This study, drawing on contingency theory and configuration theory, investigates the performance impact of triadic strategic alignment among business, IT, and marketing strategies while simultaneously considers strategic orientation of firms. A research model is tested through SEM and MANOVA using data collected in a questionnaire survey of 242 Yemen managers. The findings indicate that (1) triadic strategic alignment has a positive impact on firm performance and (2) there is an ideal triadic strategic alignment for prospectors and defenders. This research contributes to strategic alignment literature and managers' understanding of how to align business, IT and marketing strategies to improve firm performance.