Linda D. Peters

IT and the mass customization of services: the challenge of implementation

This research explores challenges to the implementation of mass customization in a services context. It uses a case study approach to examine the factors which drive a firm to adopt mass customization, how applicable this strategy is amongst other alternatives, and what difficulties and constraints exist in attempting to implement this service approach. Theory prescribes the need for mass customization when the firm is in a dynamically changing environment. This research tests such theory on the specific case of an organization that provides information technology services. The findings show that early gains are possible, despite the difficult challenges of requiring a fully integrated information technology infrastructure and needing to transform business processes to handle unpredictability. A framework is presented to assist firms in prioritising implementation requirements.

The marketing mix in the third age of computing

Recent developments in the field of information technology (IT) have led commentators to announce the arrival of a third age of computing in which the computers themselves are being overshadowed by the communications capabilities they provide for individuals and companies. This emphasis on communication places IT at the centre of the marketing agenda as never before, and it is allowing computers to move from tools which support the planning, execution and control of marketing strategies to become integral to the external and internal relationships which marketers must manage. Although the marketing implications of emerging electronic or virtual markets are being discussed, the implications for the management of the marketing mix are often being overlooked. Already many innovative companies are taking advantage of the new generation of technologies to enhance or re‐engineer key elements of the marketing mix, giving marketing a leading role in introducing companies to the revolutionary world of third age computing.

Theorizing about resource integration through service-dominant logic

Resource integration, as it relates to value creation, has recently been a key aspect of the discussions about service-dominant (S-D) logic. However, the majority of research pays relatively little explicit attention to the process of theorizing and the epistomological and ontological assumptions upon which the theorizing process is based. This article addresses these issues. The processes that relate to theorizing and developing strong theory are discussed. We then examine how to conceptualize ‘resources’ and ‘resource integration’ following differing ontological and epistemological assumptions that guide the theorizing process. Research recommendations to help navigate through the finer details underlying the theorizing process and to advance a general theory of resource integration are developed.

Trust and direct marketing environments: A consumer perspective

The desire to establish long‐term customer relationships has led companies to consider normative as well as outcome related aspects of relationship development. Much of the research undertaken in this field has focused upon such activity in business‐to‐business markets. The current study sought to examine these issues, from the consumer perspective, in relation to approaches made by firms using direct marketing techniques, specifically direct mail. Empirical assessment was made of a sample of consumers in relation to their receptivity to product and service offerings from firms, and the effects of commitment, trust and privacy concerns upon this receptivity. In conclusion, some implications for marketing practice in developing customer relationships in direct marketing environments are discussed.

The new interactive media: one‐to‐one, but who to whom?

With the heralding of the new “interactive age” direct marketing seems poised to have its reliance on individual customer contact vindicated. However, in the struggle to apply direct marketing techniques to the new interactive marketing media, many firms are failing to recognise the basis of differentiation between the two domains. This paper seeks to identify the key features which underlie the new computer‐mediated communications media (in particular, the Web), and to explore the impact this may have on buyer‐supplier relationships and the types of marketing activity which the Web may facilitate. In conclusion, we stress the need for firms to adopt a new approach to value creation in these media, one which recognises the dynamic role which consumers may adopt.

IT enabled marketing: a framework for value creation in customer relationships

Seeks to address the challenge of aligning IT systems and their use with the arena of value creation in customer relationships . It begins by characterizing value in customer relationships as being viewed along two dimensions; that of potency and of time. The interaction of these dimensions, and the implications for enhancing value as a result of these interactions are discussed. The impact of information technology (IT) on acquiring and utilizing customer information in consumer markets, and the ways in which it may facilitate the influence of outside environments upon customer/firm relationships is also explored. In conclusion, as marketing activity and value creation becomes IT driven, managers will be required to integrate both product and market knowledge in a more dynamic environment where customer input is critical, in order to enhance value in customer relationships.

Collaboration and collective learning: networks as learning organisations

Purpose – Firms collaborate for many reasons; however, sharing resources would seem a primary motive. This paper seeks to argue that in many instances firms collaborate to become part of a knowledge network – to learn about their industry and collectively use their knowledge to serve their own customers more effectively in a competitive environment.Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper; however, the authors illustrate the work with examples from the automotive industry.Findings – The authors conclude that it is necessary to expand traditional approaches to understanding networks to include the nature and purpose of the interactions between the firms, as well as the structural features of the network and the development of shared meaning and consensus among the network participants.Research limitations/implications – The authors demonstrate the need to take a broader view of learning and collaboration in networks.Practical implications – The automotive and other industries are beginning ...

Conceptualising computer-mediated communication technology and its use in organisations

This paper develops a typology of computer-mediated communication (CMC) media that goes beyond media characteristics theories (such as media richness) by considering aspects of the media use context in addition to the characteristics and capabilities of the media themselves. A view of communication as a two-way and mutually causal process which focuses attention on the interrelationship of those who communicate as well as the media through which they communicate is taken. We also highlight the importance of the context in which the communication takes place. In supporting research and practice which recognises the context and interrelationships in organisational communication, this paper has utilised Adaptive Structuration Theory to develop a framework for the conceptualisation of CMC technologies in organisational use. This framework focuses not only on the media characteristics themselves, but upon broader aspects of CMC use such as organisational or usage contexts; group goals, processes and outcomes; and decision-making processes.

Marketing and the structuration of organizational learning

A new dominant logic for marketing has evolved, one that sees both firms and customers as resource integrators. Proponents of this new marketing logic have called for the refinement and elaboration of this resource integration concept and a more explicit connection to the interactivity and networking literature. We address this need by exploring these literatures and drawing inferences for value creation. In particular, we explore how value creation in marketing is reliant upon organizational learning. To do this we draw upon structuration theory as a means of explaining the relationship between organizational and individual learning. We then explore how this relationship helps a firm to improve its value creation capabilities. We examine three key aspects of the structuration process of organizational learning: (1) the structural properties that enable and constrain learning practices; (2) the ways in which knowledgeable individuals carry out learning practices; and (3) the social processes in which learning practices are embedded. We illustrate these processes with the example of a typical network relationship dilemma in the construction industry. We then conclude by highlighting the ways in which our framework captures the central role that marketing plays in enhancing the organization’s capacity and capability to engage in knowledge management, organizational learning, and value creation and what that means to both the customer and the organization.

Communication Strategies and Marketing Performance: an application of the Mohr and Nevin framework to Intra-organisational cross-functional teams

Communication, and its key role in facilitating teamworking and knowledge management, is at the heart of research designed to understand the best approaches to managing teamwork and integration across functions and business partners. This understanding is necessary to improve the development of new products and services, and improve marketing efficiency. The research framework of Mohr and Nevin (1990) provides an interesting model, relating aspects of channel communication with channel performance, to achieve such improvements. Our model and hypotheses utilises Mohr and Nevins unique framework as our starting point in examining the impact of communication strategy in intraorganisational cross-functional teams upon their team outcomes. We tested our model by collecting data from 42 organisational teams (237 respondents) and found that the model Mohr and Nevin proposed transfers well to the intra-organisational context. Our main finding supported the relationship between team communication behaviours and team performance. In addition, we found significant differences in this relationship depending upon the nature of the offer created by the industry (tangible good or intangible service) examined.