Kamalesh Kumar

Examining the Market Orientation-Performance Relationship: A Context-Specific Study

This study developed a comprehensive measure of market orientation and examined the market orientation-performance relationship in the health care industry. A survey of 159 hospitals yielded a strong positive relationship between market orientation and various measures of organizational performance. Additionally, the study found that market turbulence, competitive hostility, and supplier power moderated the market orientation-performance relationship.

Examining the interrelationships among perceived environmental change, strategic response, managerial characteristics, and organizational performance

Abstract This study attempts to integrate compatible, yet fragmented research streams, related to the association among environmental change, managerial characteristics, strategic orientation, and organizational performance. By combining a variety of theoretical perspectives, an integrated framework is developed that examines these interrelationships. The results show that managerial perception of environmental change influences the strategic adaptive response of the organization and the selection of top managers. Further, it was found that organizations that are able to achieve the alignment among perceived environmental change–strategic adaptive response–managerial characteristics exhibit superior performance in terms of a variety of performance outcomes as compared to organizations where such alignment is lacking.

Process gain and process loss: comparing interpersonal processes and performance of culturally diverse and non-diverse teams across time

Abstract Members of 82 student groups involved in a Team Learning instructional format were surveyed with the Group Style Instrument (GSI) to examine the possible dimensions of team oriented behaviors and individualistically oriented behaviors. Exploratory factor models and confirmatory factor models were compared to find the best factor structure fit. The GSI was found to have dimensions that were team and individualistically oriented. From a second sample data was collected across four months on the group process and group performance of culturally non-diverse and culturally diverse groups. Data were evaluated in two significant ways. First, the team orientation and individual orientation dimensions were used to define interpersonal processing. Second, the team process dimensions were used to define interpersonal processing. Second, the team process dimensions were examined further to evaluate their relation to group performance. Early on the diverse teams showed less team orientation and more individual orientation than non-diverse teams, but through frequent feedback on task and interpersonal processing, the diverse teams caught up by the third time period. By the end, diverse teams maintained high team orientation but also allowed a reasonable extent of individual orientation. The diverse teams were beginning to utilize diversity to their advantage. Team and Individualistic orientations showed significant relations to team performance across time. Suggestions are given for future research.

Pure Versus Hybrid: Performance Implications of Porter's Generic Strategies

This article identifies the strategic types in the hospital industry based on the hospitals use of Porters generic strategies in their pure and hybrid forms. The article also examines differences in performance of hospitals across strategic types. Results indicate that hospitals that follow a focussed cost leadership strategy, in general, have superior performance on a variety of performance measures, while hospitals that use a combination of cost leadership and differentiation perform the poorest. Implications of findings for hospital administrators are also discussed.

Salespeople's Use of Upward Influence Tactics (UITs) in Coping with Role Stress

Researchers’ attentions have recently focused on how salespeople cope with role stress. This study focuses on salespersons’ use of six upward influence tactics (UITs) with the immediate sales manager, and how salespeople use UITs to lessen the impact of two role stressors (perceived role conflict and role ambiguity) associated with the sales job. The study also evaluates the potential moderating role of UITs on relationships between role stress and manager satisfaction and propensity to leave. Analysis of data gathered from a heterogeneous sample revealed differences in use of UITs between salespeople classified as either high or low in role stress. Salespeople who perceive high role conflict employ assertiveness and upward appeal UITs more frequently. Salespeople who perceive high role ambiguity use exchange and coalition-building UITs more frequently. Results also suggest that salespersons’ use of assertiveness and ingratiation UITs exacerbate relationships between perceived role ambiguity and two outcomes: satisfaction with supervisor and propensity to leave. Implications of the study findings for sales managers are reviewed, as are implications for further research.

An investigation of stakeholder prioritization and engagement: who or what really counts

Purpose – Following the line of thinking that a firm is a nexus of contracts between stakeholders, with managers as “the central node,” the purpose of this paper is to examine how managers prioritize stakeholder relationships and to what extent firms engage in disclosures with the stakeholder groups they deem to be important.Design/methodology/approach – Data were simultaneously collected from two different national business contexts, Italy and the USA. The sample for this study consisted of 244 managers.Findings – Results of the study show that the power and legitimacy that managers associate with a stakeholder group cumulatively are the most important determinant of how managers go about prioritizing competing claims. The results also provide some evidence to the effect that the greater the priority accorded to a stakeholder group, the greater the efforts aimed at engaging the stakeholder groups (as evidenced by the voluntary disclosures made in the annual report).Research limitations/implications – Use...

Stakeholder prioritization and reporting: Evidence from Italy and the US

Abstract This study investigates the considerations that might be made by managers when choosing between mutually exclusive stakeholder expectations and reaching and engaging in a dialogue with them. In addition, the study also examines if there are systematic differences across countries (Italy and the US) in the decision to address the concerns of various stakeholder groups. Data was collected from 244 managers and 72 companies simultaneously in two different national business contexts, Italy and the US. The results of the study provide some evidence that managerial perception of three stakeholder group characteristics – power, legitimacy, and urgency – form a parsimonious group of variables that explain the process of stakeholder prioritization. However, only limited support was found for the relationship between salience accorded to a stakeholder group and engagement efforts directed toward the group. The results of the study also show that the managerial decision as to which of the stakeholder groups’ demands to address will be influenced by society-specific expectations. The significance of this study lies in investigating the stakeholder prioritization and engagement process, as it is being practiced, which, one could argue, would help in developing guidelines for effective stakeholder management that stands a realistic chance of being adapted and followed.

Market and efficiency-based strategic responses to environmental changes in the health care industry.

This study examined the linkages between perceived environmental changes in the health care industry, corresponding strategic adaptations, and their impact on select performance measures as reported by managers. Results from a sample of 187 hospitals indicate that efficiency-oriented strategy is chosen more often by organizations that perceive their industry environment to be relatively stable and certain while market-focused strategies are chosen more often by organizations that perceive greater environmental instability and uncertainty.

The role of organizational competencies in the market‐orientation‐performance relationship: An empirical analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the specific ways in which market orientation of an organization contributes to the creation of organizational competencies that lead to superior performance.Design/methodology/approach – Survey data from 159 acute care hospitals were statistically analyzed to test the research hypotheses.Findings – Market orientation makes a significant contribution to the creation of a number of organizational competencies which, in turn, lead to superior performance in the areas of cost containment, growth in revenue, success in retaining patients, and success of new services.Originality/value – Given the changing competitive landscape in the health care industry, managers of these organizations are increasingly being forced to recognize organizational competencies so that they can leverage them for market success. A set of competencies leads to the organization becoming market orientated. Market orientation, in turn, leads to organizational success in a variety of areas.

Differences in value systems of Anglo-american and far eastern students: Effects of american business education

This study examined differences in the values patterns of business students from Anglo-American and Far Eastern country clusters using Allport et al.s (1970) Study of Values. Differences were noted on five of the six attitudes; Theoretical, Economic, Political, Social, and Religious. Next, using multiple comparison method the value patterns of newly arrived Far Eastern students and Far Eastern students who had spent considerable time in the U.S. were compared for changes in value patterns that may be attributable to their stay and study in the United States. Differences were found in terms of five of the six evaluative attitudes between the two groups. Value pattern of Far Eastern students who had lived and studied in the U.S. for a considerable period of time was also compared with that of Anglo-American students to examine the degree of convergence in their value systems. Findings of this study suggest that as a result of frequent and sustained cross-cultural contacts in another cultural environment, the value profile of individuals tend to get modified, so as to include the values preferred and desired in the new social environment.