Madhav N. Segal

Market Segmentation and Competitive Analysis for Supermarket Retailing

Demonstrates the usefulness of combining retail market segmentation with competitive analysis as a very effective method to understand the dynamics of retail markets and to analyse strategic options for supermarket chains. Attempts to advance the market segmentation research by narrowing the gap between the academically oriented research on segmentation and the practical application of segmentation research. Applies the recommended methodology to a largescale investigation and discusses the empirical findings along with strategic implications for supermarket retail chain organizations.

Implications of single vs. multiple buying sources

Abstract This article explores the viability of an industrial buyers preference for a single supply source (SSS) versus multiple sources of supply (MSS) as an effective basis of industrial market segmentation. The empirical findings of the study reported here indicate that there are some perceived vendor attributes and organizational characteristics which differentiate between firms that prefer to employ SSS and those that utilize MSS. Managerial implications for industrial marketers and procurement personnel are also discussed.

Value network for cross-national marketing management: A framework for analysis and application

Abstract This article documents the centrality and importance of values in marketing, especially in the context of cross-cultural marketing management. Following an overview of the literature on values research, a synthesis of extant theoretical thought from several disciplines is used to develop a framework for guiding future research. This framework is presented as the Cross-cultural Value Network Paradigm that provides a strong theoretical model capable identifying and explaining various cultural, subcultural, and cross-cultural influences on the personal values of marketing professionals which, in turn, affect their attitudes and behavior. An empirical example illustrates the utility of this paradigm in a cross-cultural research setting.

Graduate Program of Instruction in Marketing Research: A Need Assessment

This article examines the nature of the marketing research industrys need and demand for professional marketing researchers. The empirical investigation is under-taken to analyze the current hiring and training practices for marketing research personnel and to assess specific perceived inadequacies among newly hired marketing researchers. The survey findings are discussed with implications for collegiate instruction and academic program development in marketing research.

An Empirical Investigation of the Pricing of Professional Services (As Applied to Public Accounting)

Recently there has been escalating interest and attention focused on services marketing in marketing literature. Professionals, in particular, face additional marketing challenges because they have both an increased need and an increased ability to market their services. Yet, the pricing of professional services as an area of investigation in marketing has not been adequately researched. This paper examines the pricing issue in the context of public accounting services. The empirical investigation utilizes a multivariate approach to describe and quantify the fee structure of public accounting services. Empirical findings and then managerial implications are discussed.

Rethinking assessment of marketing research skills and knowledge: a new approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities required by a job market by systematically analyzing classified advertisements of position openings. It suggests appropriate methodological techniques to conduct such a study and compares these to traditional methods.Design/methodology/approach – While this paper discusses several methods used to assess the skill, knowledge, and ability (SKA) needs in the marketing research industry, it focuses on a new approach: content analysis. Content analysis is a systematic and an objective qualitative research technique used to identify the needs of hiring firms through the analysis of classified advertisements of position openings in marketing research. These openings (listings available online and through print classified advertisements) can be examined for the general and specific marketing research skills and knowledge areas identified as critical workplace competencies for employers.Findings – Content...

Governance Strategy for the Social Relationships Between Alumni and Their Alma Mater

Although prior studies in relationship marketing have greatly enhanced our understanding of alumni-university relationships, there has been considerably little empirical investigation of three managerial problems. The first problem is that while the economic benefits (e.g., profits or costs) of conventional business relationships receive much research attention, the noneconomic benefits or social benefits are not specifically studied (e.g., pride, enjoyment, networking, and friendship). The second problem is that we largely do not know the specific mechanism about how the social benefits created by a university can be converted into the resources that the university wants to obtain. For example, a university may want to know how the alumni homecoming event, the most popular alumni program offered by many universities, will result in alumni participation or monetary support. The last problem is that alumni can easily exit the relationship with their former university whenever the costs required to remain in the relationship with the university are greater than the benefits.

Toward Developing an Improved Curriculum for Graduate Education in Marketing Research

This study reports on a survey of 191 marketing research educators and departmental chairs at AASCB accredited universities. Thirty marketing related topic areas were evaluated by these individuals to determine their perceived importance in preparing graduate students interested in marketing research careers. The results suggested that several traditional subject areas remain important from the perspective of educators, however, others were rated lower than expected. A factor analysis revealed five general topic areas that differed in relative importance, the results of which can be used in curriculum development decisions for graduate programs directed toward marketing research oriented students.

An Investigation of Educational Needs for Marketing Research Professionals

This study applies a conceptual framework to identify the adequacy of current masters programs in meeting the skills needs of research professionals. Several areas of study have been overlooked by researchers in efforts to determine the perceived service quality of traditional MBA programs as it relates to needs of marketing research practitioners. An empirical study was undertaken, the results of which suggest that marketing educators believe a significant gap exists between their perceptions of student expectations and the performance of MBA programs in meeting such expectations.

An Empirical Assessment of Educator and Practitioner Perceptions: Implications for Marketing Research Education

Thirty marketing-related topic areas were evaluated by marketing research (MR) educators and practitioners to determine their perceived importance in preparing graduate students interested in MR careers. The results within and between groups suggested that several traditional subject areas are perceived as most important from the perspectives of both educators and practitioners; other topics were rated lower than expected.