From relationships to partnerships—new forms of cooperation between buyer and seller

An increased focus on operational performance and the reliance on fewer suppliers by industrial customers call for a higher quality of buyer-seller relationships.This article elaborates on economic explanations for value generated partnerships and describes the distinctive qualities of partnerships as something more than ordinary customer relationships. Particular attention is paid to the managerial implications and pitfalls awaiting companies when pursuing a partnership approach and a definition of vertical partnerships is provided.     

Making the transition to collaborative buyer-seller relationships: An emerging framework

In recent years, many business-to-business marketers have been influenced by the concepts put forth in the area of relationship marketing, with its emphasis on long-term collaborative relationships among trading partners. However, buyers and sellers alike have found it difficult to make the transition from an arm's length, “invisible hand of the market” relationship to one of collaboration, for a variety of reasons. We propose a framework, still emerging, that captures the elements critical to the transition process. We do not advocate collaborative relationships in all buyer-seller relationships; however, where they make sense we demonstrate how to overcome barriers to collaboration. Explicitly recognizing the elements of the framework and their relationship to one another would help potential collaborators better manage the transition process and thereby increase the likelihood of reaping the benefits of a truly more collaborative relationship.     

A cross-national investigation of the R&D-marketing interface in the product innovation process

Managing the interface between R&D and marketing is a critical element of successful new product development programs. The purpose of this research is twofold. First, we develop testable hypotheses from a theoretical model of cross-functional team management in the product innovation process based on the seminal work of Gupta, Raj, and Wilemon. We test the hypotheses using data collected from 376 U.S., 292 Chinese, and 279 Japanese firms. Second, we uncover and highlight similarities and differences in cross-functional involvement between marketing and R&D in the product innovation process across these three countries. The results generally provide overall support for the model and reveal some surprising cross-national differences.     

Innovation and new product introductions in emerging markets: Strategic recommendations for the Indian market

While radical innovations and growth strategies supporting such innovations may provide the firm with very high returns, there are also considerable risks in devising and implementing such innovations. Apart from the business risks of venturing into new territories and new markets, radical innovations also carry with them the burden of accounting for market and environmental factors that are often not under the control of the firm. The opportunities presented by the emergence of several Asian markets, such as India and China, are particularly appealing for Western countries willing to expand into these markets. However, market characteristics, institutional development, and customer behaviors bring into sharp focus the choice of a specific innovation and new product development strategy for such markets. This paper examines these various strategic issues in the context of India. The paper concludes with strategic recommendations for managers and some propositions for future academic research.     

How to distinguish innovative suppliers? Identifying innovative suppliers as new task for purchasing

For companies operating under unfavorable macroeconomic conditions, such as high wage/high tax countries in central Europe, innovation has become a central theme for survival. If there is one thing that has changed in innovation management during the last decade, it is the growing reliance on external sources of technology. As a consequence, a new task for purchasing arises, as firms need to understand which suppliers actually do have high potential contributing to the innovativeness of the firm and which do not. This paper focuses on the conceptual basis and derives propositions on the nature of innovative suppliers: specialized, technically competent firms, located in the proximity of the buyer, being embedded in a trusted and intensive relationship are identified as having a higher probability to be the core innovative suppliers. These criteria can serve to refine strategic sourcing decisions and improve communication between engineering and purchasing professionals.     

Demand chain alignment competence — delivering value through product life cycle management

This paper endorses demand chain alignment as a competence that supports effective product life cycle (PLC) management. Demand chain alignment integrates the demand creation (historic domain of marketing) and demand fulfilment processes (domain of supply chain management), to develop and to deliver products that convey superior customer value while deploying resources efficiently. So far, the relationship between demand chain alignment and PLC management has only been addressed from an operations and demand/supply chain perspective, but not from a marketing perspective. Three research propositions, on the relationship between both concepts, are derived from a literature review and applied to a case study from a global player in the tobacco industry. The findings do not support the current view that the product life cycle is a market-oriented classification variable for demand chain strategies. Instead, demand chain alignment needs to link customer needs-based segments with the supply chain. Moreover, PLC management and demand chain alignment have a mutually reinforcing relationship, in which PLC management can facilitate the competence development, ensures a dynamic perspective and, at the same time, benefits from aligned demand creation and fulfilment processes. Based on the findings, a model integrating demand chain alignment and PLC management is proposed.     

Building competences for new customer value creation: An exploratory study

Recent marketing literature suggests companies to become market driving (proactive business logic, changing the rules of the market) instead of market driven (reactive business logic, customer-led). This transformation implies that companies are able to boost their capacity to create new customer value. Based on survey data of business-to-business markets, we advance a tentative model that links competence development to new customer value creation. Although exploratory in its nature, our study exhibits that companies should build three types of competences: marketing practices for external knowledge absorption, general organizational competences and supply chain/network competences. Using cluster analysis, we are able to further link these competences to the capacity of new value creation. Four clusters are detected with different degrees of expertise in new value creation and each displaying their own profile of competences. Becoming market driving requires an integrated and balanced view on marketing practices.     

Supplier competence alignment: Cases from the buyer perspective in the Brazilian market

The research presented here has a double purpose. On the one hand to better define and frame the field of inter-organizational transfer of competences, and on the other to suggest that the competence-based marketing view can well stem from marketing initiatives targeting not just customers, or customers' customers, but also other actors in the market, in this instance suppliers.This research focus has led us to select a precise area of study so as to obtain situations in which the probability of the existence of transfer of competence is high. We chose to centre the study on transfer of competences in the area of logistics between MNCs and their local suppliers in Brazil.Research findings lead to proposals regarding correlations between types of competences transferred, transfer mechanisms and strategic objectives of the transfer.     

Die Problematik des Verbraucherschutzes in der Volksrepublik Polen

Zusammenfassung In letzter Zeit hat das Problem des Verbraucherschutzes in Polen sehr an Bedeutung gewonnen. Dies hängt damit zusammen, daß eine bessere Befriedigung der aktuellen Bedürfnisse der Bevölkerung in den Vordergrund gerückt worden ist, was auch in politischen und wirtschaftlichen Programmen zum Ausdruck kommt.Der Artikel behandelt die in diesem Bereich herrschenden Tendenzen und informiert über die wichtigsten Lösungen der Grundprobleme des Verbraucherschutzes.Die Autoren heben mit Nachdruck hervor, daß in den sozialistischen Ländern infolge der Vergesellschaftlichung der Wirtschaft der Verbraucherschutz sich auf zweierlei Weise entwickeln kann: und zwar durch entsprechende Stimulierung der Produktion und des Angebotes. Auf diese Weise wird eine Möglichkeit geschaffen, nicht nur die Folgen, sondern vor allem die Ursachen, welche das Verbraucherinteresse bedrohen, zu eliminieren.

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Problems of consumer protection in the People's Republic of Poland

The problems of consumer protection have come to the fore in Poland as of late. An important reason has been that in recent political and economic programmes, more emphasis has been placed on the necessity of better provision for the population's current needs.The article presents contemporary developments in this respect and informs about different attempts in the doctrine and practice of law to solve the basic problems of consumer protection. The authors emphasize that in socialist countries consumer protection can be achieved not only by strengthening the position of the individual consumer but also, due to the public ownership of the means of production, by adequate stimulation of production and supply. This provides for the opportunity to deal not only with the consequences but also with the determinants of violations of the consumer interest.The following problem areas are treated in the paper together with the solutions attempted in Polish law and in political and administrative practice: (1) problems connected with the creation of large monopolistic production units (more consideration of manufacturer than of consumer interests in decisions concerning content and quality of production; unreasonable pricing; producer-dictated terms of trade between producer and retailer); (2) the treatment of final consumers (terms of contracts favorable to the seller; tendencies of large organizations to bureaucratic and magisterial treatment of their customers); (3) quality deficiencies in products and the preventive and protective measures taken (quality marks and quality control; warranties; producer liability).

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Ewa towska ist Leiterin der Zivilrechtsabteilung des Instituts für Staat und Recht der Polnischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 00330 Warszawa, Nowy Swiat 72. Stanisaw Sotysiski und Jacek Trojanek sind wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter der Adam-Mickiewicz-Universität, Juristische Fakultät, 61–809 Poznan, ul. Czerwonej Armii 90. Czeslawa ulawska ist wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin der ökonomischen Akademie, Institut für Ökonomik und Warenverkehr, 31–510 Kraków, Rakowicka 27.     

Demand chain management-integrating marketing and supply chain management

This paper endorses demand chain management as a new business model aimed at creating value in today's marketplace, and combining the strengths of marketing and supply chain competencies. Demand chain design is based on a thorough market understanding and has to be managed in such a way as to effectively meet differing customer needs. Based on a literature review as well as the findings from a co-development workshop and focus group discussions with marketing and supply chain professionals, a conceptual foundation for demand chain management is proposed. Demand chain management involves (1) managing the integration between demand and supply processes; (2) managing the structure between the integrated processes and customer segments and (3) managing the working relationships between marketing and supply chain management. Propositions for the role of marketing within demand chain management and implications for further research in marketing are derived.