Risto T. Salminen

Export marketing, interfunctional interactions, and performance consequences

Firms with export operations have internal environments that are often geared toward serving the home market. As a result, export marketing and other business functions compete for resources, which thus increases the likelihood of conflict between them. Using survey responses from more than 700 exporting firms, the authors test a model of the antecedents and consequences of two important interaction variables: exporting’s interfunctional connectedness and conflict. The model explains 52 percent and 49 percent of variance in exporting connectedness and conflict, respectively. The authors identify the key drivers of successful interactions as follows: management commitment, organizational training and reward systems, relative functional identification, centralization, and export employee job satisfaction and commitment. The authors also demonstrate that connectedness is most critical for export success when export markets are in a state of turbulence, whereas conflict is most detrimental when the firm’s export environment is stable.

Market‐oriented behavior

The activities of service and product firms are compared in terms of their market‐oriented behavior in their export operations (i.e. their export market‐oriented (EMO) behavior). Empirical analysis conducted on a sample of 783 Finnish exporters containing both service and product firms uncovered several interesting differences: service and product firms differed in their level of EMO behavior; the direct effects from EMO behavior to various dimensions of export success were invariant across the samples; however, the export environment moderated the link between EMO behavior and export profit performance in different ways across the samples. The results indicate that EMO behavior may be more appropriate under certain environmental conditions, and less appropriate under others. However, the nature of the relationship between EMO behavior and export success may also depend on whether the firm’s core export market offerings are services or physical products.

Role of References in Business Marketing–Towards a Normative Theory of Referencing

ABSTRACT Utilization of references is a common marketing practice in business marketing. The globalization of the economy is enhancing the relevance of referencing behavior further, as many SME firms try to overcome the liability of anonymity in new overseas markets. However, there is very little reported academic research on references, their creation, use, effectiveness, or even what kind of activities and customer relationships can be considered to be references. We address this gap by developing a conceptual framework identifying the key modes of using references in business marketing and the factors influencing the need and relevance of referencing. The study starts with a description of the use of references in public procurement processes, followed by a discussion of reference practices identified in marketing textbooks, and an extensive review of the treatment of references in scientific marketing literature. Based on this material, a conceptual framework model of referencing is proposed defining the tasks assigned to references and the kind of contexts where they are primarily employed. The study concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and managerial implications, and a suggestion for a future research for referencing in global economy.

Strategic flexibilities and export performance

Purpose – The study aims to develop and test a model of export performance, focusing on the degree to which firms have different types of export flexibility and the degree to which firms adopt market‐oriented behavior in their export operations (i.e. their degree of export market‐oriented [EMO] behavior). Furthermore, the study seeks to examine the moderating roles that EMO behavior and export environment play with respect to the relationships between export flexibility dimensions and export performance.Design/methodology/approach – The model is tested on a sample of 783 exporting firms. Data were collected via mail survey. Analysis was undertaken using structural equation modeling.Findings – EMO behavior moderates the relationship between export flexibility and export sales performance. However, EMO behaviors moderating role differs depending on (a) the source of the export flexibility, and (b) the environmental conditions the firms face. Increasing levels of EMO behavior are associated with increased e...

Systematic review on B2B branding: research issues and avenues for future research

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to review the current body of the B2B branding literature, and identify research issues that hamper current B2B branding research.Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a systematic review, and identifies 73 relevant journal publications from the years 1973‐2010 that were subsequently evaluated for further analysis.Findings – This study identifies five possible issues hampering current B2B branding research: the lack of systematic theory development, the transference of consumer concepts, the dominance of quantitative research, the lack of longitudinal research, and the focus on single industries.Research limitations/implications – This study considers only published journal articles, excluding books and conference proceedings. By highlighting the research issues, this paper aims to direct research efforts to areas where they will have the most impact, and thus aid more rapid advancement of B2B branding as a discipline.Originality/value – This study provides...

The Interaction Between Market Orientation, Industry Environment and Business Success: Evidence from an Exporting Context

Abstract The present study extends the export market orientation research examining the impact of industry environment on the relationship between export market orientation and export performance using responses of 783 exporters. Our approach yields a better predictive validity for performance than earlier studies, and explains how the environment moderates the relationship.

Success factors of a reference visit – a single case study

Reference visits to the plants of suppliers’ present customers are an important practice in industrial marketing. Yet, studies regarding how to conduct reference visits do not seem to exist. The purpose of the article is first to describe the total process of a reference visit and then to develop success factors from that description. A single case study was conducted to describe that process. The decision systems analysis (DSA) was used as the analysis method that resulted in a flowchart description of the total process of a reference visit. Through eight key considerations seven success factors were then developed. It is concluded that managers should follow these success factors in their marketing practices, managers could use the DSA as an aid to improve their current marketing practices, and managers should take into account the value the visit creates for the parties when planning and managing a reference visit.

Use of References in Industrial Bidding – A Decision Process Analysis

The utilisation of references is an important marketing practice in international industrial marketing. Yet, studies concerning the utilisation of reference information do not seem to exist. The purpose of the article is to describe and analyse the use of written reference information in an industrial bidding process. The study consists of the analysis of a single case study made by using Decision Systems Analysis. The results of the study are shown as a flowchart description of the decision process of reference use and ten decision gates in that process. Theoretical conclusions of the study deal with the contingency character of the decision process, the role of reference information in bidding decisions, and utilisation of reference information as marketing signalling. Finally, managerial conclusions as well as the limitations of the study and suggestions for further research are discussed.

BOOT business model in industrial solution business

Many industrial manufacturers are transforming their business models towards long-term customer solutions. An extensive option to implement solution business is a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) business model, where a company is given the responsibility to design, finance, build, own, operate and maintain an entity, such as an industrial process. Usually, the arrangement is made for a specific time period of up to 30 years and between public and private actors. The purpose of the present study is to provide knowledge on utilising the BOOT business model in an industrial context. The methodologies used in the study were a literature review and a single case study. This paper introduces an industrial BOOT business model and determines the advantages, disadvantages and risks of an industrial BOOT solution. Furthermore, this paper proposes a description of the BOOT consortium. Based on the results, we suggest that the BOOT business model can be adapted for an industrial context.

Supplier's Internal Communication Network During the Project Sales Process

The nature of internal communication networks in project sales has remained largely unexplored. This article sheds light on a suppliers internal communication network during a project sales process by using social network analysis and in-depth qualitative data. We analyzed the project sales process and related internal communication network of a material handling equipment provider. The results illustrate the non-centralized and complex nature of internal communication networks and highlight four barriers to and four drivers of efficient communication during project sales. Above all, using communication training seems to be the most efficient way to improve internal communication.