Edward R. Bruning

The Relationship between Organizational Commitment and Market Orientation

Existing literature seems to disagree on exactly what role organizational commitment plays in the market orientation of a firm. This paper hypothesizes that organizational commitment mediates the relationship between a market‐based reward system and market orientation, and moderates the strength of the relationship between top management emphasis and market orientation. Data collected from 105 firms and 306 managers across Canada indicate that organizational commitment fully mediates the relation between market‐based reward systems and market orientation. Our hypothesis that organizational commitment moderates the relation between top management emphasis and market orientation was not supported.

Marketing's role in generating organizational competitiveness

Marketings role in establishing a competitive organization is discussed in the context of systems theory. Our view is that the traditional functional role for marketing is not conducive to understanding its contribution to organizational competitiveness. We discuss the meaning of competitiveness and summarize the contribution of recent marketing theorists to this area. We then employ Beers Viable Systems Model (VSM) to exemplify critical linkages between marketing and other units that create the environment and conditions for a competitive organization. This theoritical discussion is followed by a case example of a company that has employed many of Beers ideas in restructuring its core business. Finally, we point to issues and questions relevant to researchers studying marketings role in generating organizational competitiveness.

Strategic positioning for export market development: the role of managerial attitudes, export development programmes and firm characteristics

This paper examines a set of strategic factors related to managerial attitudes, firm characteristics and export development support programmes which are important in determining export readiness and performance. The study differentiates between Canadian exporters and non-exporters of different sizes and levels of export activity. Using discriminant analysis, the author identifies strategic variables which relate to export status. The discriminant model performs well above a prioriexpectations in effectively classifying firms as non-exporters, minor exporters or major exporters and identifies the strategic factors influential in developing export-oriented firms.

Critical Success Factors and Outcomes of Market Knowledge Management: A Conceptual Model and Empirical Evidence

In this paper, the authors examine critical success factors and outcomes of market knowledge management, which is the management of knowledge pertaining to a firms customers, competitors, and suppliers. Using data collected from 307 managers in 105 businesses across Canada, the authors show that a firms extent of information technology adoption, its analytical capabilities, and market orientation are critical success factors for the firms market knowledge management. An important outcome of market knowledge management is the organizations financial performance, mediated by customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Results of this study indicate that superior business performance depends not only on the effective management of knowledge, but also on what type of knowledge is managed. Finally, implications of results and avenues for future research are discussed.

The Mediating Role of Knowledge Management in Translating the Firm's Learning Orientation and Market Orientation to Business Performance

Knowledge management, market orientation, and learning orientation have all been considered important success factors to a firms performance. Using data gathered from 307 managers in 105 organizations across Canada, this study develops and empirically tests a model that demonstrates that a firms knowledge management mediates the positive influences from the firms learning orientation and market orientation to market performance. The model highlights the important role played by knowledge management in translating organizational culture factors such as learning and market orientations to tangible business performance

The Impact of Congruity and Country Image on Global Brand Alliance Evaluation

Abstract The article explores the meaning of congruency in relation to global brand alliances and finds that congruence between partner brands decomposes into two major subdimensions (relevance congruence and expectancy congruence). In addition, the article examines the effect of congruence on consumers’ responses toward the brand alliance in terms of two conceptually distinct constructs: attitude and product evaluation. The results indicate that both relevance and expectancy congruence affect global brand alliance assessments. The results also reveal a significant spillover effect and that country-of-origin image is a significant covariate in determining global brand alliance assessments. As such, in selecting potential brand partners, managers should ensure that the host and partner brands are relevant in the purchase context according to past consumer experiences.

Antecedents to Knowledge Management: The Role of Information Technology Adoption, Analytical Capabilities, and Market Orientation

Knowledge Management, which is concerned with how information is collected, processed, and converted into knowledge, is an important stream of research in organizational theory and strategy. A rich body of literature is developing on how knowledge is generated, processed, and managed within organizations. However, there is a lack of research on how knowledge management (KM) interacts with various organizational factors and, in particular, how it relates to the firm’s market orientation. Although knowledge of customers and competitors is at the heart of a firm’s market orientation, little is known on how this knowledge is created and managed. In this paper, we enhance our understanding of elements that lead an organization to create and use knowledge for decision-making. We hypothesize that analytical capabilities and information technology adoption are important antecedents to the organization’s knowledge management. We further hypothesize that their influences are partially mediated by the firm’s market orientation.

The Interaction Effects of International Service Attributes and Consumer Characteristics on Consumer Preferences: An Ordered Probit Analysis

This study investigates effects of both consumer characteristics and product attributes on consumer preferences in the context of an international air travel situation. The main focus is on investigating the interaction effects of consumer characteristics and product attributes, in addition to identifying the main effects, which has been the primary thrust of much of the literature. Previous research in marketing reported significant interaction effects of product attributes and consumer characteristics on consumers– choice (Cordell, 1991; Johansson, 1985). These interaction effects could provide us further insights beyond just the main effects, which may lead to better segmentation schemes. Thus, this study incorporates both the consumer characteristics and product attributes in a model of brand preferences and proposes the significance of interaction effects of the explanatory variables for consumers– brand preferences. Secondly, we use a more appropriate statistical technique (ordered probit analysis) as opposed to multinomial probit, or logit to test our hypotheses and estimate the models.