Kayhan Tajeddini

Examining the Effect of Market Orientation on Innovativeness

For the past decade innovativeness, as opposed to innovation, has received considerable attention in the academic literature as well as the corporate arena because it is considered to promote a competitive advantage. This study examines the link between innovativeness and performance of SMEs in the Swiss watch industry, in terms of customer orientation, competition orientation and inter-functional coordination. It uses performance measures such as market share, percentage of new product sales to total sales and return on investment (ROI), and has developed a new research scale of innovativeness. The results show that customer orientation has a positive effect on performance as well as the level of innovativeness in each company. There are also strategic implications for CEOs and managers as far as the methodological limitations and future research directions are concerned.

Customer orientation, learning orientation, and new service development: an empirical investigation of the Swiss hotel industry

Although many studies have investigated the role of customer orientation and learning orientation on a firm’s performance in small, medium, and large enterprises, the literature provides little empirical evidence about the role of customer orientation and learning orientation within the hotel industry. This current work investigates the influence of these variables on new service development and their subsequent effect on performance (financial and perceptual). Also, the impact of participating managers’ positive attitude toward change on new service development has been examined. Using data from hotel managers and owners located in Switzerland, several hypotheses have been formulated and tested. The findings not only verify aspects of prior research but also provide a new insight by exploring customer orientation, learning orientation, and new service development simultaneously, revealing how these factors affect the performance of the Swiss hotel industry. Although support for some hypotheses was found, these results need to be evaluated in light of the limitations, which moderate the contribution and also provide areas for further research.

Potential for Innovativeness: a tale of the Swiss watch industry

This conceptual paper investigates the way in which some Swiss watch firms respond to innovativeness, their capacity to innovate, and their engagement in the innovation process. A purposeful (judgmental) stratified sampling method was employed, where in-depth interviews with thirteen marketing managers and owners, was carried out over a three-month period. Meaning units (MUs) were abstracted, to compare and discuss with the interviewees until a basic agreement of terms could be made. By providing tangible evidence of qualitative statements, this research suggests that if decision makers wish to influence business performance, they need to be aware of this comprehensive insight into the potential for innovativeness.

Effect of customer orientation and innovativeness on business performance: a study of small-sized service retailers

While researchers have explored the relationship between customer orientation and innovativeness with business performance in different organisations, such studies in small-sized service retailers are scarce. This study investigates potential influences of these two variables on small-sized service retailer performance. Data for this study were collected through personal interviews from 174 Swiss small-sized service retailers to examine the interrelation between innovativeness, customer orientation and service business performance dimensions (i.e., profit goal achievement, sales goal achievement and ROI achievement). The findings are mixed with prior research, but provide a new insight by exploring customer orientation and innovativeness, and how these factors impact upon the performance of small-sized service retailers. In the light of existing literature, the implications of our findings for service managers and owners, the studys limitations and future research directions are subsequently addressed.

The effects of innovativeness on effectiveness and efficiency

Purpose – Whilst researchers have explored the relationship between innovativeness and business performance in different organizations, such studies in services such as restaurants are scarce. The purpose of this paper is to examine potential influences of innovativeness on effectiveness and efficiency and their subsequent effects on restaurant business performance.Design/methodology/approach – Data for this study were collected through personal interviews from 211 Iranian restaurants to examine the interrelationships between innovativeness, effectiveness and efficiency as well as service business performance dimensions (i.e. profit goal achievement, sales goal achievement and return on investment achievement).Findings – The findings provide a fresh insight by exploring innovativeness, effectiveness and efficiency and how these determinants affect the business performance of restaurants.Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to Iranian restaurants in a cross sectional manner, using self...

The Impact of Learning Orientation on NSD and Hotel Performance: Evidence from the Hotel Industry in Iran

Purpose – Although the significance of the learning organization concept is recognised in innovation management, there are only a few studies on the way in which a learning orientation affects new service development (NSD) in the hotel industry in Iran. This paper aims to fill that gap.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire is designed to ask hotel managers and owners for their thoughts on a range of organizational variables including the nature of learning orientation, NSD and the link with hotel business performance.Findings – Using 129 hotels in Iran, it was found that NSD can be driven by higher levels of commitment to learning, shared vision and open‐mindedness. Furthermore, a regression analysis suggests that the effect of NSD on performance is positive.Research limitations/implications – This paper focuses on senior managers and owners of Iranian hotels who have a specific culture, history and experience. It would be useful to take a similar approach in other established industries with diff...

Perceptions of innovativeness among Iranian hotel managers

Purpose – Despite the undisputed importance of organizational innovation and decades of academic research on the subject, there is surprisingly little agreement on what innovativeness is or how to achieve successful innovation in practice. Furthermore, the difference between the theory and practice is often interpreted in an ad hoc manner, which limits the potential for innovation to provide a competitive advantage. This research aims to explore perceptions of innovativeness from the perspective of senior managers in the hotel industry from a sample of 11 high-class hotels located in the developing country of Iran. Design/methodology/approach – A stratified purposeful sampling method will be employed, in which in-depth interviews with top managers and owners will be carried out over a five-month period. Meaning units (MUs) will be extracted, which are compared and discussed with the interviewees until a basic agreement of terms can be made. Findings – The findings relate to themes such as Leavitts diamon...

Tourism, travel and tweets: algorithmic text analysis methodologies in tourism

Tourism and hospitality organisations depend on market knowledge to compete in innovation, product development, and customer relationship management. This paper shows that new forms of social media provide valuable and previously difficult to obtain real-time knowledge on tourist perceptions, concerns, and sentiment towards tourist destinations - both those

Innovativeness in family firms: an internationalization approach

Purpose This paper aims to build on opportunity identification and resource-based view theory, this paper examines the internationalization process of family firms. The role of innovativeness in influencing the internationalization rate of family firms is explored in terms of customer responsiveness, proactiveness and risk-taking. Design/methodology/approach Multiple case studies were carried out with several family businesses in the information technology industry in Australia. Findings The findings of this research suggest that innovativeness of family firms depends on responsiveness to customer needs in the international market while involving a degree of risk-taking. In addition, the results suggest family firms are not proactive in their pursuit of international market opportunities. Research limitations/implications If family firms focus more on becoming more innovative, then they will stand a better chance to successfully enter more international markets. Originality/value The paper highlights the need for family firms to embrace their innovativeness as a distinctive capability for their internationalization efforts. Several new research directions that may enhance the understanding of family firm innovation and internationalization are suggested.

Using grounded theory to model market orientation experiences at practice

The purpose of this paper is to gain knowledge from the practitioners about market orientation implementation in Swiss watch firms. A purposeful stratified sampling method was employed, where in-depth interviews with 18 marketing managers and owners were carried out over a five-month period. Meaning units (MUs) were abstracted, which were compared and discussed with the interviewees until a basic agreement of terms could be made. Having identified three keys to market orientation success that the companies interviewed had to resolve when targeting emerging markets (the importance of culture, managing market intelligence, innovation as a core competence). The recommendations arising from this piece will be of use to market orientation implementation when entering emerging markets. Equally, it provides practitioners of the common problems to be faced when breaking into international markets based on the experience of colleagues in the industry. Both practitioners and scholar in the manufacturing domain will benefit from the synthesis offered in this paper, as it puts together convergent views on what market orientation implementation affect the performance of the organisation during this challenging time.