Ranjit Voola

Implementing competitive strategies: The role of responsive and proactive market orientations

Purpose – This study seeks to draw on the strategy implementation approach and the resource‐based view of the firm (RB theory) to investigate the relationships among competitive strategies (i.e. differentiation and cost‐leadership), responsive market orientation (RMO), proactive market orientation (PMO) and firm performance. The purpose is to show that competitive strategies have a significant effect on market orientation and market orientation has a significant effect on firm performance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper designed a mail‐survey that was sent to senior executives, which resulted in 189 usable surveys. Data were analysed using partial least squares (PLS) to test the hypotheses.Findings – The findings show that both competitive strategies influence RMO and PMO, which then influence firm performance. However, the results show that differentiation strategy has a stronger influence on RMO and PMO than cost‐leadership strategy, and that PMO has a stronger influence on performance than RMO....

Explications of political market orientation and political brand orientation using the resource-based view of the political party

Abstract This paper adopts the resource-based view of the firm as a platform for an examination of three important political party capabilities: proactive political market orientation, responsive political market orientation, and political brand orientation. We develop a theoretical argument outlining the importance of the complementarity between these capabilities. The approach taken illustrates the links between political market orientation, using what we label as responsive political market orientation, proactive political market orientation, and political brand orientation by building on the marketing literature. We suggest that our treatment of political market orientation is important in helping to understand better its role within the resource-based view of the party. Further, it also aides in understanding political market orientation and branding in political marketing by parties within the context of competitive strategies and electoral performance.

Travel trade shows: exploratory study of exhibitors' perceptions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the motivations for participating in international trade shows and perceptions of effectiveness and challenges faced by exhibiting firms.Design/methodology/approach – A multiple‐methodology approach is adopted. Initially, interviews are conducted with travel trade exhibitors. These then serve as a foundation for a survey of senior tourism managers.Findings – Exhibitors perceive efficient and effective products/services being displayed on the stand as the central factor for success. The key motivation for participating in travel trade shows is to improve relationships with customers. The primary motivation in participating in specific travel trade shows was influenced by the reputation of the fair, and the key challenge relates to following up leads from the fair.Research limitations/implications – As the study emphasises tourism and travel, generalising to other trade shows must be done with caution.Practical implications – The intangible and simultane...

Strategic alliances and knowledge sharing: synergies or silos?

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of a relationship marketing orientation within a strategic alliance (referred to as the Alliance) to determine whether those firms have achieved synergy in knowledge sharing or whether they operate as knowledge silos., – To achieve this aim the paper takes a strategic perspective and proposes a model based on the resource‐based view of the firm (RBV) in order to discover whether member firms can move Alliance relationships towards knowledge sharing experienced within long‐term and continuing relationships., – The results of this study reveal that intangible assets, such as relationships and knowledge, should be managed by the Alliance with the same care as would be undertaken with tangible assets. Further, the development of a relationship market orientation (RMO) by the Alliance appears to be crucial., – A key limitation of this paper could be considered the sample size (although the response rate was high) and geographical location., – Implications from the study were that, although information and knowledge were being shared, one area of improvement would be in relation to the depth of knowledge sharing that tended to occur on a superficial basis., – The findings are original in terms of knowledge sharing across organizational boundaries. There is currently very little research available that focuses on the influence of an RMO on knowledge sharing within network groups.

An Examination of Helping Behavior—Some Evidence from Australia

ABSTRACT This paper examines whether variables included in existing models of helping behavior (also referred to giving behavior), as developed in the US and Europe, apply in Australia. The results of two focus groups suggest that variables included in these models generally do apply to the Australian context, however, some differences also exist. First, donors perceive that governmental support of charities in Australia is high and thus causes are perceived to be less likely to need individual support. Second, respondents placed more emphasis on intrinsic variables as compared to extrinsic variables. Third, the emphasis placed on the importance of factors influencing helping behavior in Australia seems to differ to what is suggested in the existing literature. A discussion highlighting differences and similarities between the qualitative findings and previous works are presented. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to model building and managerial implications in an Australian context are also identified.

Knowledge integration and competitiveness: a longitudinal study of an industry cluster

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how – and whether – members of an industry cluster share knowledge through networking as a means to improving competitive advantage and, in particular, whether trust is present in the knowledge‐sharing process.Design/methodology/approach – The research involved three surveys utilizing a relationship marketing orientation (RMO) that were conducted at intervals (in 2004, 2008 and 2010) in addition to interviews with key cluster members, which were also conducted over a seven‐year period.Findings – Knowledge sharing and integration were found to mediate the relationship between RMO and competitive advantage in 2004 and 2010 but not in 2008. Lower mean scores for trust were also found in 2008.Research limitations/ implications – The limitations are that the respondent numbers were small. It is recommended that one more survey is conducted in 2013 to determine whether the interventions reported here, the recruitment of new cluster staff and the continuing growth of the clus...

The dynamic capability of ambidexterity in hypercompetition: qualitative insights

While dynamic capabilities are relevant for firms operating in hypercompetition, the sustainability of dynamic capabilities in hypercompetitive markets is a critically important issue that requires further exploration. We examine ambidexterity (a type of dynamic capability) in both hypercompetitive and non-hypercompetitive markets to provide an insight into its role in hypercompetition. Our qualitative findings from multiple case studies suggest that as markets become increasingly hypercompetitive, the dynamic capability of ambidexterity may need to be adopted as a temporary rather than sustainable source of advantage. However, the findings also reveal that depending on the hypercompetitive industry, ambidexterity can vary in terms of its status as a key success factor. We contribute to theory by enhancing an understanding of ambidexterity as a dynamic capability in hypercompetition and provide practical insights for managers regarding the consequences of hypercompetition for their marketing strategy.

Resource-based model of e-business adoption in China: an empirical investigation

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the effects of market orientation and organizational learning on individual e‐business adoption functions and firm performance in the context of Chinese firms.Design/methodology/approach – A cross‐sectional design was adopted for the study, whereby a sample of companies was selected from the province of Sichuan, China. The questionnaire was distributed via a personally administered method to senior managers. Partial least squares was used for analysing the data.Findings – It was found that market orientation affected e‐order‐taking, whereas organizational learning affected e‐communication, e‐procurement and internal administration through e‐business technologies, and firm performance. Whilst market orientation was found only to effect e‐order‐taking and e‐communication was found to have a positive influence on firm performance.Research limitations/implications – A limitation of the study is the sample size and obtaining the convenience sample from one province in China...

Customer engagement behaviours in social media: capturing innovation opportunities

Purpose Social media brand pages have become instrumental in enabling customers to voluntarily participate in providing feedback/ideas for improvement and collaboration with others that contribute to the innovation effort of brands. However, research on mechanisms which harness these specific customer engagement behaviours (CEB) in branded social media platforms is limited. Based on the stimulus–organism–response paradigm, this study investigates how specific online-service design characteristics in social media brand pages induce customer-perceived value perceptions, which in turn, stimulate feedback and collaboration intentions with customers. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from 654 US consumers of brand pages on Facebook were used to empirically test the proposed framework via structural equation modelling. Findings The theoretical framework found support for most hypothesized relationships showing how online-service design characteristics induce an identified set of customer value perceptions that influence customer feedback and collaboration intentions. Research limitations/implications The sample is restricted to customer evaluations of brand pages on Facebook in the USA. Practitioners are advised to maximize online-service design characteristics of content quality, brand page interactivity, sociability and customer contact quality as stimulants that induce brand learning value, entitativity value and hedonic value. This then translates to customer feedback and collaboration intentions towards the brand page. Originality/value The findings have important implications for the design and optimization of online services in the customer engagement-innovation interface to harness CEBs for innovation performance.

Families and food: exploring food well-being in poverty

This paper aims to investigate dynamics of food consumption practices among poor families in a developing country to advance the Food Well-being (FWB) in Poverty framework.,The research design used semi-structured interviews with 25 women and constructivist grounded theory to explore food consumption practices of poor families in rural South India.,Poor families’ everyday interactions with food reveal the relational production of masculinities and femininities and the power hegemony that fixes men and women into an unequal status quo. Findings provides critical insights into familial arrangements in absolute poverty that are detrimental to the task of achieving FWB.,The explanatory potential of FWB in Poverty framework is limited to a gender (women) and a specific country context (India). Future research can contextualise the framework in other developing countries and different consumer segments.,The FWB in Poverty framework helps identify, challenge and transform cultural norms, social structures and gendered stereotypes that perpetuate power hegemonies in poverty. Policymakers can encourage men and boys to participate in family food work, as well as recognise and remunerate women and girls for their contribution to maintaining familial units.,This paper makes an original contribution to the relevant literature by identifying and addressing the absence of theoretical understanding of families, food consumption and poverty. By contextualising the FWB framework in absolute poverty, the paper generates novel understandings of fluidity and change in poor families and FWB.