Jana-Kristin Prigge

Exploring Subsidiary Desire for Autonomy: A Conceptual Framework and Empirical Findings

In the mixed-motive dyad of the headquarters–subsidiary relationship, subsidiaries often request more autonomy than headquarters concede. To shed light on subsidiaries’ desire for autonomy, the authors investigate its consequences and determinants by drawing on reactance theory to develop an integrative framework focusing on marketing decision making in subsidiaries. The authors empirically test this framework with 133 international headquarters–subsidiary dyads from 29 countries. The findings show that a subsidiarys desire for autonomy can significantly impair the headquarters–subsidiary relationship. While the centralization and importance of marketing decision making can amplify this harmful desire for autonomy, the headquarters’ competence in marketing decision making can reduce this desire. Thus, to minimize subsidiaries’ desire for autonomy, headquarters should credibly display high competence while allowing subsidiaries to participate in decision making whenever possible.

Organizational Multichannel Differentiation: An Analysis of Its Impact on Channel Relationships and Company Sales Success

This article examines whether and how a companys division of segment- and task-related responsibilities among multiple sales channels affects the relationships in the multichannel (MC) system and, ultimately, the companys sales success. Building on open systems theory, the authors develop an overarching framework of organizational MC differentiation that distinguishes between two generic approaches: segment differentiation and task differentiation. They predict that these two approaches affect key relationship and performance outcomes of an MC system, but do so differently and contingent on key characteristics of the companys customers. Drawing on a multi-informant survey in a business-to-business context as well as on objective performance data, the authors find that segment differentiation tends to mitigate horizontal conflict and inhibit cooperation, while task differentiation reduces primarily vertical conflict and promotes cooperation. Moreover, depending on customer characteristics, segment differentiation may damage channel relationships overall and, in turn, limit company sales success, whereas task differentiation unambiguously promotes channel relationships and thus drives company sales success. These findings offer novel insights into the relationship and performance impact of MC systems’ organizational structure and provide useful guidance on how managers should allocate segment- and task-related responsibilities among multiple sales channels.

Removing the Product but Retaining the Customer: How to Manage Customer Reactions to Product Eliminations

Companies across different industries are regularly confronted with the need to streamline their product portfolio. Despite the various benefits of product eliminations, many managers hesitate to take corrective actions as they fear deleterious effects on customer satisfaction and loyalty and lack practical guidelines for an effective implementation towards the customers. Despite the importance of and the problems with product eliminations in business practice, there is little research on this topic in general. The few existing studies almost exclusively adopt a company perspective, addressing issues regarding the decision making process (e.g., evaluation criteria, degree of formalization) or the actual withdrawal of the product from the portfolio (e.g., extent, timing).

Gestaltung und Auswirkungen von Produkteliminationen im Business-to-Business-Umfeld

Produkteliminationen konnen einen zentralen Beitrag fur ein effektives Management des Produktsortiments und damit fur den Unternehmenserfolg leisten. In vielen Unternehmen bereitet jedoch insbesondere die Umsetzung von Produkteliminationen Schwierigkeiten. Jana-Kristin Prigge untersucht die Gestaltung und Auswirkungen von Produkteliminationen in einem Business-to-Business-Umfeld. Ihre Untersuchungen stutzen sich auf eine umfangreiche, branchenubergreifende Befragung von eliminierenden Anbietern und betroffenen Kunden. Dabei befasst sich die Autorin mit der Nutzung von Potentialen und der Reduzierung von Risiken im Rahmen der Umsetzung von Produkteliminationen sowie mit den Auswirkungen auf betroffene Kunden und Geschaftsbeziehungen. Aus den hieraus gewonnenen Erkenntnissen und einer umfangreichen Bestandsaufnahme der Eliminations-Aktivitaten deutscher Unternehmen leitet sie zahlreiche Empfehlungen fur die Unternehmenspraxis ab.