Bryan A. Lukas

The Effect of Market Orientation on Product Innovation

Numerous scholars have debated whether marketing fosters or stifles innovation. The discussions, however, have been inconclusive due to limited empirical evidence. The authors investigate the relationship between two focal constructs in the debate: market orientation and product innovation. On the basis of a sample of U.S. manufacturing companies, the authors’ analysis shows that product innovation varies with market orientation. Specifically, (1) customer orientation increases the introduction of new-to-the-world products and reduces the launching of me-too products, (2) competitor orientation increases the introduction of me-too products and reduces the launching of line extensions and new-to-the-world products, and (3) interfunctional coordination increases the launching of line extensions and reduces the introduction of me-too products.

Schools of Thought in Organizational Learning

This article attempts to bring coherence to the diversity that characterizes organizational learning research. It argues that organizational learning is embedded in four schools of thought: an economic school, a managerial school, a developmental school, and a process school. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the schools, describes how they differ from each other, and outlines how each of them can be employed effectively. To demonstrate the benefits of theoretical plurality, the four schools are applied to the key marketing topics of market orientation and new product development. Implications for future research in marketing are provided.

Linking Service-Dominant Logic and Strategic Business Practice A Conceptual Model of a Service-Dominant Orientation

Service-dominant (S-D) logic can function as a strategic business logic that portrays creating superior value in conjunction with—rather than for—customers as a source of competitive advantage for organizations. From this perspective, strategy is about making choices in terms of how to best facilitate and enhance value cocreation for mutual and long-term betterment. While the literature has pointed out the managerial merits of cocreating value, less is known about the organizational capabilities necessary to execute S-D logic in practice. This article devises an S-D orientation, specified as a portfolio of six strategic capabilities, namely individuated, relational, ethical, empowered, developmental, and concerted interaction capability. In combination, these six strategic capabilities constitute a cocreation capability. The authors develop the conceptual model of S-D orientation through (a) an in-depth literature review and (b) input from 21 expert academics. Conceptualizing S-D orientation provides a foundation for bridging S-D logic and strategy research with a more general framework, and for guiding much-needed empirical research that will inform managers. From a managerial point of view, S-D orientation provides a holistic approach to align the organization with its value network partners. The article also sets out an agenda for future research.

The equity effect of product endorsement by celebrities: A conceptual framework from a co‐branding perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to outline a conceptual framework that can be used to organise and guide future research into how celebrity product endorsement creates equity for both the endorsed product‐brand and the endorsing celebrity. Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical perspective adopted in this study is that celebrity product endorsement is a form of co‐branding. Findings – The central thesis is that both endorser image and brand image serve as mediators in the equity‐creation process of celebrity product endorsement. Originality/value – Research contributions and directions for future research are provided.

A theoretical perspective of the antecedents and consequences of organizational learning in marketing channels

Abstract A theoretical framework for the study of organizational learning in marketing channels is developed in this article. The framework is based on: (1) the degrees of learning subprocesses and (2) the cognitive levels of learning. Task-specific, environmental, and organizational factors are also incorporated into the framework. Then, to help explain how marketing channels remember what they have learned, potential features of organizational memory are explored. On the basis of past research and a series of case studies, several propositions are developed to clarify the relationships between the various constructs. Finally, research directions are developed to guide future empirical testing of the theoretical framework advanced.

Strategic fit in transitional economies: The case of China’s electronics industry

The strategic fit paradigm, originally derived from observations in market-based economies, asserts that an appropriate match between environment and strategy has significant and positive implications for business performance. Based on a random sample of Chinese electronics firms, this study systematically examines the applicability of the strategic fit paradigm in China’s centrally planned economy in transition. Results indicate that while environment-strategy coalignment is evident, coalignment only improves performance under certain environmental conditions.

Antecedents and outcomes of new product development speed: An interdisciplinary conceptual framework

Abstract Modern marketplaces are characterized by speedy technological breakthroughs, rapid changes in sociopolitical conditions and consumer tastes, and continuously shrinking product life cycles. Consequently, companies must consider strategies that reduce the time required to take a product from concept to market. The authors draw from a diverse body of published research findings and corporate experiences to generate an interdisciplinary inventory of organizational factors associated with short new product development (NPD) cycles. An integrative framework is presented that describes the influence of infrastructural characteristics (structure, culture, and capital investment) and procedural factors (groupwork, controls, and incentives) on NPD speed, and the subsequent effects on organizational outcomes (revenue, profitability, corporate image, and brand image).

Country-of-origin contingencies Competing perspectives on product familiarity and product involvement

Purpose – This study was undertaken to clarify how product familiarity and product involvement can moderate the importance that consumers place on COO image when they evaluate products for purchase or consumption. The authors adopted a contingency approach and empirically examined, by way of competing hypotheses, the alternative possibilities by which product familiarity and product involvement may influence the importance that consumers place on COO image when they evaluate products.Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered from 388 consumers in Australia across four different product classes. Data analysis was conducted using hierarchical regression analysis with interactions and post hoc slope analysis.Findings – Overall, the study findings suggest that the importance that consumers place on COO image when they evaluate products is contingent on the product context. Specifically, the study findings show that consumers consider COO image to be more important for their product evaluations when the...

Striving for quality: The key role of internal and external customers

This research suggests that the concept of customer orientation is at the core of a successful quality program. Based both on a series of interviews conducted at a Baldridge Award winning company and on past literature support, it is shown that in addition to an external customer orientation, an internal customer orientation plays a strategic role in the achievement of high quality standards throughout the organization. Several recommendations are proposed to foster the development of an internal customer orientation—a concept which has been largely neglected in the quality management literature.

New product quality: intended and unintended consequences of new product development speed

Abstract This paper focuses on the quality of newly developed products. The studys purpose is to determine how the speed of developing a new product affects its quality debut. Formalization, centralization, formal control, and informal control are included as control variables in the research model. An analysis of a random sample of manufacturing organizations demonstrates that new product development (NPD) speed has an inverted U-shaped effect on new product quality. This means that while superior new product quality is less likely to be achieved when NPD is conducted quickly, slowing down NPD is a double-edged sword as a reduction of NPD speed below moderate levels becomes detrimental to new product quality, as well. In addition, the results show that a new products quality debut is affected negatively by centralization and positively by informal control. The paper concludes with managerial implications and directions for future research.