Teck Yong Eng

The role of e-marketplaces in supply chain management

Electronic marketplaces (e-marketplaces) have a profound influence on the way in which organizations manage their supply chains. Proponents of the e-marketplace concept suggest that web-based trading systems, such as World Wide Retail Exchange (WWRE) and GlobalNetXchange (GNX), would enable companies to more efficiently buy, sell, and manage their supply chain processes on a global scale. This study investigates the extent to which e-business tools of the e-marketplace are used by channel members in the retail sector for business-to-business supply chain management (SCM). The study is based on a survey involving food service companies, retailers, and wholesalers in the UK. It is shown that the e-marketplace supply chain applications enable the majority of companies to automate transaction-based activities and procurement-related processes rather than strategic supply chain activities. The results also indicate that full participation in e-marketplaces requires companies to integrate their internal and external supply chain activities and share strategic information.

Does customer portfolio analysis relate to customer performance? An empirical analysis of alternative strategic perspective

An important managerial task in business‐to‐business marketing is the strategic management of supplier‐customer relationships, which is concerned with a portfolio of relationships. A review of existing customer portfolio theories reveals that: most of the portfolio dimensions have not yet been empirically validated; the theoretical base of relevant dimensions may be conceptually inadequate in terms of strategy analysis; and the link between customer portfolio dimensions and customer performance has not yet been examined. Attempts to address these gaps in the literature by studying customer portfolios of large UK‐based banks. The main results indicate that the common industrial organization perspective may only give a short run picture of customer performance. Suggests that long run positioning value of a customer portfolio can be accounted for by resource‐based analysis and strategic approach to customer portfolio analysis. Concludes with a discussion of the results and implications.

The Effects of Learning on Relationship Value in a Business Network Context

ABSTRACT In todays intense global competition, a firms ability to learn from its networks of business relationships is an important source of sustainable competitive advantage. Learning in a network of relationships involves a constellation of resource linkages among business partners tied together by interconnected resources. This has the potential of increasing the relationship value of a firm in terms of knowledge created through interactions among firms in the business network. Prior research has not yet examined the effects of learning in and through relationships in a business network context. Interdependence of firms in business networks gives rise to learning effects of adaptation and coordination that can have implications for relationship value. An empirical study of 215 business relationships from a network of nine high-technology companies in the United Kingdom shows that learning in and through relationships as a result of interactions and resource interdependencies in networks of relationships has a positive effect on a firms relationship value. Furthermore, an understanding of the network context through interactions among firms facilitates learning and development of the firms learning capabilities that enhance relationship value.

An examination of the antecedents of e-customer loyalty in a confucian culture: The case of South Korea

As the Internet is posing revolutionary changes to customer service and the way customers interact and purchase from businesses, loyal e-customers are crucial for the long-term survival and profitability of a business. Driven by high connectivity, reach and richness of information in todays global business environment, the task of retaining and creating loyal e-customers calls for an appreciation of cultural factors and their impact on e-customer service and loyalty. Specifically, this study examines the impact of Confucian culture on e-customer loyalty in South Korea. Since no research has yet examined the link between Confucian values and e-customer loyalty, the study proposes a conceptual model for empirical analysis by drawing on insights from Hofstedes cultural dimensions and previous studies on e-customer loyalty in European contexts. The main results show that high power distance in Confucian culture is positively associated with affiliation. But this high power distance in Confucian culture is moderated by marketing activities that lead to lock-in. This indicates the profound influence of collectivism in Confucian culture and emphasises the importance of referral and community participation in increasing stickiness and hence loyal e-customers.

An empirical analysis of the influence of cross‐relational impacts of strategy analysis on relationship performance in a business network context

A review of the literature highlights that strategy analysis of business relationships based on the industrial organization perspective does not fully account for network characteristics. The present study proposes a model to integrate the industrial organization perspective with the resource‐based view, and to account for cross‐relational impacts of strategy analysis on relationship performance in a business network context. A total of 358 business relationships from UK‐based food service sector companies were examined on four levels of relationship: focal, portfolio, industry and network relationships. The results indicate the presence of cross‐relational impacts of industry and network relationship effects on focal relationship performance. Whilst the results show the industrial organization perspective accounts for relationship performance mostly at the focal and portfolio level relationships, the resource‐based view shows a strong positive relationship of industry and network based resources with relationship performance. The results suggest that strategic action occurring between a dyadic or focal relationship and in networks of relationships have wider implications for relationship performance.

An integrative approach to diagnosing service quality of public parks

Purpose – Aims to examine the services and facilities provided by public parks revealing that the attributes corresponding to performance of service delivery involve the interaction between non‐human aspects of physical environment and emotional experience of users which differ from common human aspects of service quality. Also, a service quality programme without reference to other service providers can easily lead to misguided or counterproductive service improvement strategies.Design/methodology/approach – The present study suggests an integrative approach to diagnosing service quality of public parks that comprises an assessment of performance outcomes and desires to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of service quality and visitor satisfaction as regards frequent users and low users of public parks. Measures pertaining to this approach were examined by a survey of nine public parks in the county of Derbyshire in the UK.Findings – The results show the effect of individual attributes on visitor ...

SMEs and the Strategic Context for Communication

SME communication activities have received limited research attention and their potential may be misunderstood if conventional communication activities appear more intuitive than strategically planned. Case data suggests structure and strategy may be closely bound when SME characteristics facilitate cross‐enterprise communication exchanging market insights. This may shape competitive configuration with implications for managing networks as part of SME strategy.

The impact of platform‐based product development proficiencies on product family success

Based on data on Korean manufacturers, we show that new product development proficiencies mediate the relationship between platform‐driven product variety expansion and product family performance. The results suggest that the higher the level of product variety offered by the firm, the higher is the level of proficiency in executing predevelopment planning, technical and marketing activities during platform product development, which enhances product family performance. Furthermore, predevelopment planning and marketing proficiencies in platform product development are more important mediators than technical proficiency. However, predevelopment planning skills are not significant for derivative products developed from a common platform. The results suggest that marketing proficiencies are more important than technical capabilities in influencing the relationship between product variety and product family performance. Although firms have to emphasise technical configuration and component design and quality issues to generate a robust platform, our findings stress the overriding importance of marketing tasks in both platform and derivative product development to ensure overall product family success.