Gurjeet Kaur Sahi

Revisiting internal market orientation: a note

Purpose – This paper seeks to further the understanding of the domain of the IMO construct in a developing country, as suggested by Lings and Greenley. It seeks to build on their proposed construct and provide empirical evidence of its impact in the context of the Indian banking industry. Design/methodology/approach – The behavioral dimensions of the construct are confirmed in a manner consistent with established market orientation (external) construct. The paper validates scale pertaining to the wants and needs of bank employees for effective intelligence generation and dissemination as well as for effective response implementation. Findings – The authors find a positive significant relationship between internal market orientation and staff attitude and perceived customer satisfaction. Further, the impact of staff attitude on employee job satisfaction is also significant. Research limitations/implications – Internal market orientation, with the passage of time, may not be as prevalent and exhaustive as i...

Role of trusting beliefs in predicting purchase intentions

Purpose India’s retail sector is going through a significant transitional period with the internet as a new distribution channel becoming more common. Given the barriers to adoption, the purpose of this paper is to understand the role played by trusting beliefs when engaging with an online retailer. In the Indian market, online vending is expected to increase at a rate of 35 per cent per annum, and by understanding trusting beliefs retailers will be able to develop their market share by developing appropriate and/or innovative strategies. Design/methodology/approach The work is based on a sample of more than 200 internet customers in India. In understanding the data and the relationships that emerged from the modelling, the authors used a range of tools to analyse the data, including CFA and structural equation modelling. The authors also used descriptive statistics to provide a holistic overview of response profiles. Findings The study reveals that trusting beliefs are negatively influenced by an uncertainty avoidance culture and positively influenced by a firm’s image and a customer’s price awareness. Moreover, purchase intentions (PIs) are significantly enhanced by trusting beliefs in an online environment. Hence, it leads us to conclude that PIs can be augmented by facilitating and ensuring good quality service by placing special emphasis on timeliness, accuracy and conditions of the order, security and privacy paradigms, aftersales services, etc. Research limitations/implications As can be seen, the internet is an emergent tool for retailers in India. By understanding trusting beliefs, retailers will be able to better understand customers’ behaviour and thus design management strategies accordingly. Although this is likely to take more than a decade, as internet retailing becomes embedded it may have a detrimental effect on the historical channel to market, thus altering the country’s retail landscape which is currently dominated by small retailers. Practical implications The work’s findings are insightful for those seeking to maximize the opportunities presented by the internet as a channel to market. The works shows how the channel is influenced and thus how it can be managed. In making the contribution the authors provide guidance in terms of operational activity to engage with potential customers. Originality/value This paper examines trusting beliefs when using the internet as a channel to market and in doing so it makes a new contribution because it establishes links with culture and other factors. For the research venue the authors use a developing market and therefore the findings are applicable to markets with similar characteristics.

Improving market orientation: the theory of constraints-based framework

The existing literature affirms an improved payoff in business performance when a business unit displays a high degree of market orientation (MO). However, the literature is still scarce in providing market managers a systematic and effective mechanism for implementing and improving market orientation. In this paper, we propose a framework based on the theory of constraints (TOC) as a mechanism to achieve an optimal degree of market orientation and thereby accomplish the ultimate goal of maximising business (financial, employees and customers-related) outcomes. We discuss how three dimensions – methodology, measures and mindset – of the framework relate to market orientation using a well-known TOC case study. Finally, we conclude our paper with research directions for further strengthening the relationship between MO and TOC and making market orientation truly a firm-wide endeavour as intended and acknowledged in the marketing literature. This paper demonstrates that TOC (1) methodology ensures that management efforts are exerted to optimise the business units constraint which is limiting its ability to increase sales and improve financial performance; (2) measures guide and reward management initiatives across the functional areas; and (3) mindset ensures that management decisions result in increased business performance without jeopardising employees, customer and competitor orientations.

Employees’ organisational commitment and its impact on their actual turnover behaviour through behavioural intentions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically test an integrated model incorporating the constructs of organisational commitment (OC), behavioural intentions (BI), actual turnover behaviour (ATB) and telecom work characteristics (WC) so as to examine the impact of commitment on employees’ BI, whereby they wish to dissolve their relationship with the employment provider. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modelling technique has been used to test the data collected through questionnaire from a sample of 139 employees including managers and executives across the hierarchy of an Indian telecom organisation named Aircel Dishnet Ltd from the Jammu and Kashmir circle head office in India. Findings – The theoretical constructs were validated before incorporating the hypothetical structural model. SEM results indicate a good fit to the empirical data. The findings confirmed that affective, continuance and normative commitments lay significant impact on employees’ OC. Also, commitment influe...

Toward a greater understanding of the market orientation and internal market orientation relationship

Abstract The study explores the relationship between market orientation (MO) and internal market orientation (IMO) using the process model of MO development. Data from 370 nonprofit organizations were analyzed using structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation technique. The comprehensive CFA marker method was used to partial out the influence of social desirability bias on the substantive relationships. The study finds that MO works through IMO to elicit desirable employee outcomes, which also contributes to performance outcomes. IMO does not offer direct performance benefits, but it partially mediates the effect of MO on employee-related outcomes. Competing models offering alternative explanations are ruled out empirically by the superior fit of the theoretical model with the data. The study integrates IMO in Kohli and Jaworski’s model of antecedent and consequences of MO and encourages practitioners to embed IMO in their MO development plans.

Relating strategic market orientation and market performance: role of customer value types

Abstract A service provider achieves competitive advantage by configuring appropriate strategic orientation and customer value type. This paper addresses three important issues: (i) which customer value type (economical, relational or technical) is important for bank customers? (ii) which strategic market orientation (customer or competitor) helps in achieving the desired value type? and (iii) which value type significantly predicts market performance? We propose that a strategic market orientation pursued by a firm shall influence the customer value it intends to offer so as to maximize the market performance. Using data collected from 538 bank customers, this study reveals that when there is a perfect match between strategic market orientation and value being perceived by its customers, a firm shall achieve strategy-value fit and realize optimal market outcomes in the form of customer satisfaction, acquisition, retention, cross-selling, and up-selling. Furthermore, a bank shall realize maximum level of market performance if it pursues both customer and competitor orientation and endeavors to deliver technical/functional value to its target customers. The paper concludes with managerial implications and future research directions.

A Measure of Throughput Orientation: Scale Development and Nomological Validation

Throughput orientation, although a well-established concept in operations management and well recognized by practitioners, has received limited empirical attention potentially due to lack of a psychometrically validated scale. Based on the tenets of throughput orientation—mindset, methodology, and measurement—we propose and develop a psychometrically validated 26-item scale of throughput orientation (TO). To lower the possibility of nonfalsifiability between TO and performance, we draw on an unexplored context—bank branches in India—where we expect this relationship to be weaker. Furthermore, as throughput in operations is mainly dependent on market demand, market orientation (MO) is proposed as a nomological moderator strengthening the TO-performance relationship. Using a sample of 173 branch managers of a major private bank in India, we validate the throughput orientation scale, and find that MO strengthens the relationship between TO and performance.

Moderating role of perceived risk in credit card usage and experience link

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the exploratory research into the moderating influence of perceived risk on credit card usage and experience link and to know, among various types of risks, which risk is mostly perceived by credit card users. The study also investigates the dimensions of usage and service experience and their relative significance in credit card industry. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected from 220 credit cardholders working in the various business and service units operating in Gandhi Nagar area of Jammu city. Findings – The study captures a clear and strong moderating effect of perceived risk on usage and service experience link. Time risk appeared to be the strongest moderator. Further, sense of security and confidence benefits emerged as the strongest predictors of usage and service experience, respectively. Research limitations/implications – The study is based on single financial service only, i.e. credit card. To generalise the results in financi...

The meaning and relevance of internal market orientation in nonprofit organisations

ABSTRACT A large number of nonprofit organisations (NPOs) deliver welfare services in developing countries. Many find it difficult to retain their staff and to increase beneficiary satisfaction, which negatively affect their mission achievement activities. This research shows that internal market orientation (IMO) can help field-based NPOs address the managerial challenges. Towards this end, this research validates Lings and Greenley’s [(2005). Measuring internal market orientation. Journal of Service Research, 7(3), 290–305.] scale to measure IMO in field-based NPOs and establishes IMO’s relevance for them. Data from 370 NPOs were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis to validate the IMO construct in the nonprofit context, and structural equation modelling to show that IMO improves beneficiary satisfaction and staff retention rates in NPOs. The study enhances our understanding of IMO in NPOs and offers important managerial implications.

Women's Perceived Empowerment in Entrepreneurial Efforts: The Role of Bricolage and Psychological Capital: JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Womens entrepreneurial empowerment—perceived competence, self‐determination, and ability in managing a firm as an entrepreneur—is important to womens entrepreneurship in developing countries. Drawing on a sample of 369 women entrepreneurs from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) located in Gujarat, a western state in India, we find that womens entrepreneurial empowerment is positively associated with firm revenues. Gains from empowerment could be further enhanced for women entrepreneurs managing resource constraints—through bricolage—and meeting the challenges of self‐employment—through psychological capital. The present study contributes to literature on womens entrepreneurial empowerment and SME performance. Womens empowerment and the bolstering effects of bricolage and psychological capital could help government agencies and non‐government organizations devise programs and policies to improve the performance of women‐owned SMEs in developing countries.