Gary Akehurst

An investigation of export performance variations related to corporate export market orientation

This research explores the nature and dimensions of market orientation in an international context by using empirical data from a sample of companies to rigorously test hypotheses regarding market orientation as applied to export operations in the context of the Turkish clothing industry. This aim was fulfilled by reliably and validly measuring the key constructs of export market orientation and finding statistically significant relationships between dependent (export marketing orientation) and independent variables (primarily export strategy and export performance). The results of this study draw conclusions showing that the hypothesised relationship between export market orientation and export performance does exist, and in the case of Turkish clothing exporters, improving an export market orientation level is a significant contributor to the company’s export performance. The results of this study also show the dimension of export market orientation that has the strongest relation with each dimension of export performance, and identifying the other export market orientation dimensions that make a significant contribution to the explanation of export performance.

Service quality and business performance in the UK hotel industry

Abstract The service quality philosophy have gained in importance in recent years and has been the subject of much conceptual and empirical research. The studies undertaken, however, have primarily focused attention on the financial services, healthcare and professional service sectors, and have not generally included analyses of quality in the hotel industry. Also, the former have not addressed the possible relationship between service quality and business performance, and the competitive implications of adopting and operationalising a quality ethos. The exploratory study reported in this article focuses on the nature of service quality in UK hotel organisations, and examines the performance implications of institutionalising service quality initiatives. Although a large proportion of respondents acknowledge the importance of developing, promoting and measuring service quality it would appear that few managers at the unit level have systems in place to effect implementation. The results also reveal that firms who have adopted quality policies do not exhibit exceptional performance in financial and competitive terms. It is concluded that further research needs to be carried out to establish empirically whether service quality implementation practice is consequential for business performance.

Concentration in Retail Distribution: Measurement and Significance

Given the lack of economic studies of market structure in retail distribution there is a need to repair some 40 years of neglect. Concentration in UK retailing is here systematically measured for the first time, not using Census of Distribution or other government sources, but based on the identification of the leading 150 or so companies, and the clear identification of turnover and profits derived from UK retailing. The paper discusses the significance of these findings related to the years 1970–78 but the true importance lies in the establishment of a comprehensive, computerised data base, which can be up-dated, and on which long-term trends can be established in conjunction with behavioural studies of mergers, innovatory activities and pricing behaviour. In this way, a structure-behaviour-structure model may lay the foundations for a theory of competition in retailing, besides various policy implications.

‘Checkout’: The Analysis of Oligopolistic Behaviour in the UK Grocery Retail Market

Industrial economics is particularly concerned with the relationships between market concentration, market behaviour, pricing and market performance. When, in June 1977, Tesco launched its ‘Operation Checkout’ so began one of the most intensely competitive periods of retailing history. Checkout, which was a wide price-cutting campaign backed up by extensive advertising, provides an ideal opportunity to examine the rivalry of leading grocery companies. This paper examines the events leading up to Checkout, during the initial campaign and after; it examines the possible causes of Checkout and whether it was successful. The paper asks whether the behaviour of firms surrounding Tesco can be considered to be oligopolistic and, if so, what this may mean for the future.

The economics of services

This introduction examines certain issues concerning the economics of services and introduces the articles in this special collection. The collection represents the current ‘state of the art’ of the economic analysis of services.

Identifying the role of services in the regional economy and servicing the identity of the region

This special issue of The Service Industries Journal is concerned with Services and the Regions. It was instigated with particular objectives in mind. That is, to provide an opportunity for the focused consideration the impact services have on economic development within the region and the marketing activities associated with the region and hence the development of the region. Underlying these objectives is the tacit recognition that services are undervalued as contributors to regional development and that failure to recognise the role of services undermines the economic planning process. The service sector has traditionally been seen as a consumer of economic wealth rather than a generator of wealth. Therefore, the establishment of the principle that the service sector has a role to play in regional development is crucial to subsequent debate on regional development. Likewise, any discussion of the regional setting must take account of the dynamic that is currently driving regional identity as well as the diversity of factors that contribute in different measure to regional identity and the marketing of that identity. The successful marketing of the region is a crucial factor in regional development; however, it remains a neglected area of research. This special issue provides an opportunity to explore some of the issues associated with the lack of research in the area and identify it as an area requiring further research activity.

Identification of the reactions of hotel managers to new competition

Abstract This paper arises out of research carried out recently on the impact of a new hotel on the other hotel businesses which are operating in the same market. To ascertain the possible reactions of hotel managers to new competition and the relative importance of alternative price and non-price strategies a postal survey of 250 three-and four-star graded hotels across the U.K. was undertaken. It was found that a change in published tariff rates is regarded as being relatively unimportant whilst sales promotion is given the highest priority. Disaggregation of the sample by hotel size and occupancy rates does not reveal any significant changes in the relative importance of possible strategies. While the survey indicates that both non-price and price competitive strategies are seen by managers as essentially complementary, nevertheless, price competition in the form of secret discounting of published room rates to mass market intermediaries (tour operators and travel agents) and corporations is particularly important. While price discounting is the ‘private’ face of hotel competition much more research is needed on both the ‘public’ and ‘private’ nature of competition in the hotel industry and how these inter-link.