Kevin L. Hammond

Exploring the sales manager’s feedback to a failed sales effort

Observes that previous research on the value and effect of supervisory feedback has focused on the recipient of the feedback (the salesperson). The research reported in this article examines the feedback construct from the provider’s perspective (the sales manager). Explores the relationship between Sujan’s failed sales effort attribution model and the feedback provided typology developed by Jaworski and Kohli. The results confirm a direct relationship between failed sales effort attributed to poor strategy and positive feedback directed to salesperson behavior. A direct relationship is reported between the failed sales effort attributed to lack of effort (or intensity) and negative feedback provided by the sales manager that is directed to the salesperson’s output.

University performance and strategic marketing: an extended study

Purpose – Extending a previous study of business schools across the USA, this further analysis of the research data aims to investigate the organizational deployment of the selection of strategic marketing initiatives prescribed by a national quality programme, and to cross‐index the results to the organisational characteristics of the responding institutions.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by postal questionnaire from the deans of 225 business schools. Descriptive statistics analyze organizational characteristics, marketing planning activities and the use of “faculty awards” for an identified set of performance groups. Cluster analysis identifies distinct segments representing unique combinations of marketing activities undertaken and awards used. Performance levels are compared across the clusters, and the typical organizational structures of their members described.Findings – Analysis yields marketing intelligence relating to the extent that eight categories of strategic marketing eff...

University strategic marketing activities and business school performance

This article reports the application of marketing planning in an unusual context. It reports the results of a national survey of business school deans in the USA, and examines the possible effects on university business school performance of the use or non‐use of selected marketing planning activities and of selected faculty awards (proxy indicators of the level of importance that business schools might place on certain areas of faculty effort). The relationships that these activities and awards have with one another are measured. Best practices are identified. The number of respondents who employ the various marketing practices is reported, conclusions drawn, limitations identified, and suggestions made for future research.

The China Syndrome: the impact of the SARS epidemic in Southeast Asia

The war in Iraq, the threat of terrorism and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic have made international business activities increasingly difficult and risky. The worldwide economic downturn and slow growth in domestic markets are forcing companies to depend more than ever on overseas trade. SARS emerged in China in November 2002 and has spread to 26 countries. The SARS epidemic has caused the most severe economic crisis in Southeast Asia since the wave of bank failures and currency devaluations that swept the region five years ago. The SARS epidemic has prompted health officials to implement travel advisories and restrictions, in order to defer nonessential travel to regions of Asia with large numbers of SARS cases. They are enforcing quarantine and isolation measures in major cities to try and limit the spread of SARS. The President of the United States has signed an executive order adding SARS to the list of communicable diseases that can be quarantined. A major disruption in China could paralyze just‐in‐time supply chains and cause an economic crisis for retailers and other businesses worldwide. The SARS epidemic has caused many economists to drastically reduce their economic‐growth forecasts for Asia. New infectious diseases, such as SARS, can emerge and easily travel around the globe, infecting less‐resilient hosts and mutating because of the influence of viruses and bacteria in their new environment. Health officials are even more concerned about the pandemic disaster that hasn’t happened, but may still. However, the SARS epidemic has created positive economic benefits for some companies.

INTERORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE WITHIN MARKETING CHANNELS: ANALYSIS OF A MEASURE

The psychometric properties of the 1987 Anderson, Lodish, and Weitz Interorganizational Climate Scale were examined by applying the scale in a different setting. The construct was studied within the context of the relationships between manufacturers and distributors as perceived by the manufacturers. The scale which was described as unidimensional in the original study in presenting relationships of manufacturer and sales agent was observed through application of factor analysis to be multidimensional in this study. Suggestions for research were provided.

Looming cognition for global competition: the approaching avian influenza pandemic

Epidemiologists are concerned the next deadly global cognition will be a new kind of deadly flu which humans have no resistance. Since the 1960s, their alarm has been focused on a bird (avian) virus (H5N1). This virus is generally harmless in its host species, but it is extremely deadly when contracted by humans. H5N1 mutates quickly and tends to pick up genes from flu viruses that affect other species. The flu is far more contagious and harder to contain than the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus. It is projected that 30‐40 per cent of the population would be infected in a H5N1 flu pandemic, and as many as one‐third would die. The 1918 Spanish flu caused 20 to 50 million deaths world wide. One scientist observed that the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic could have caused civilisation to disappear within a few weeks. Currently, more than 50 million chickens have been slaughtered in eight Asian countries in efforts to curb the spread of avian influenza. This article examines the roots and dangers of the potential avian influenza pandemic, examining the business and social ramifications that could ensue if the worst case scenario occurs.

PILOT STUDY COMPARING MARKET ORIENTATION CULTURE OF BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS

A market orientation culture has been described as one that blends an organizations commitment to customer value with a process of continuously creating superior value for customers. Developing such a culture is further described as (1) obtaining information about customers, competitors, and markets, (2) examining the gathered information from a total organizational perspective, (3) deciding how to deliver superior customer value, and (4) implementing actions to provide value to customers. A market orientation culture focuses on the customer, identifies issues in the competitive environment, and coordinates all functional areas to achieve organizational objectives. Research has found businesses with higher market orientation are more successful in achieving organizational objectives. The measurement of market orientation within businesses has been empirically tested and validated. However, empirical research on market orientation in nonprofit organizations such as universities has not been examined. This study investigated market orientation within the university setting specifically Schools of Business Administration, and compared these data with previously published data within the business sector. Data for comparative purposes were collected via a national survey. Hypothesis testing was conducted. Results indicated significantly lower market orientation culture within the schools of business as reported by AACSB Business School Deans vis-à-vis managers of business enterprises.

An Organizational Performance Study Of AACSB International Member Business Schools

Organizations are thought to adopt or evolve to an organizational strategy that will improve organizational effectiveness. Familiar strategies in the business world include a production strategy, low cost strategy, and market orientation strategy. In the world of higher education however organizational strategies may take a different form such as a research strategy, student centered strategy, or a national/international focus. This manuscript reports the results of a national survey examining the levels of reported customer and market orientation toward students and explores their impact on organizational performance. The organizations researched are AACSB-International member business schools. The respondents to the survey are academic vice-presidents of colleges and universities holding membership in AACSB, the premier business school accreditation organization. The academic vice-presidents were chosen as they are thought to hold the management position that can primarily affect the organizational strategy of the academic organizations under their purview. This includes, but is not limited to AACSB member business schools. We use a reworded Narver and Slater (1990) “market orientation” scale and the Jaworski and Kohli’s (1993) “overall performance” scale for use in the current research. 116 vice-presidents whose schools are members of AACSB responded to the survey. The manuscript details the data collection and analysis processes, the statistical findings, along with implications and a call for additional subject matter research.

Market Orientation within University Schools of Business as Perceived by Deans and Chief Academic Officers: An Item by Item Comparison Using Narver and Slater’s Scale

Narver and Slater’s (1990) market orientation scale is reworded to measure market orientation of university schools of business as perceived by deans and chief academic officers. Items measure market orientation toward students, parents of students, and employers of graduates. Data were collected via mailed survey. This study is part of a larger effort. While mean scores for overall market orientation and its three components (customer orientation, competitor orientation, and coordination) are reported elsewhere, the focus of this study is limited to examination of the individual items of the reworded (for university schools of business administration) Narver and Slater (1990) market orientation scale. Specifically, the objectives of the study are to answer the following research questions: 1. What are the mean scores of the individual items used to measure market orientation of schools of business administration toward students, parents of students, and employers as perceived by university academic Vice Presidents and business school Deans? 2. Do individual perceptions of the items used to measure market orientation of schools of business administration toward students, parents, and employers vary based on title or position of the administrator?

Informant characteristics as moderators in higher education research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a survey of business schools examining the impact of market orientation on overall business school performance. The authors extend previous research by examining the possible moderating influence of accrediting body affiliation and administrative position of key informants on the relationships between the components of market orientation (customer orientation, competitor orientation, and inter-functional coordination) and overall performance for each of three markets (student, parent, and employer). Research objectives are stated in terms of 18 hypotheses. Design/methodology/approach – The authors apply moderated regression analysis following the methodology used by Sharma, Durand, and Gur-Arie (1981) and Slater and Narver (1994), examining the variable relationships within schools affiliated through two accrediting bodies, from the perspective of business school deans and chief academic officers. Findings – Results suggest moderating effects...