Tobias Kollmann

Competitive advantages in virtual markets ‐ perspectives of “information‐based marketing” in cyberspace

The aim of the following discussion is to present the division of markets into marketplace and marketspace and evaluate the significance of virtual value chains in opening up further possibilities in the marketplace and marketspace. Against this background, it will, second, be argued that information becomes a factor of success in its own right in competition in future markets. However, in order to activate information, marketing is forced to adapt to the conditions of information networks in the virtual marketplace (marketspace). Third, it will be discussed that marketing must develop into information‐based marketing. It will particularly be considered what demands are put on the information‐based market in order to achieve real competitive advantages in marketspace from the factor of production information.

Filling the Entrepreneurial Orientation–Performance Gap: The Mediating Effects of Exploratory and Exploitative Innovations

Drawing on previous literature proposing that entrepreneurial orientation (EO) reflects a disposition toward, rather than actual involvement in, entrepreneurial activity, and on the resource–based view of the firm, we complement the literature concerning the EO–performance relationship with the introduction of exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation as mediating variables accounting for entrepreneurial behavior. Data from 228 adolescent companies indicate the existence of an EO–entrepreneurial behavior gap and support the predicted mediating effects. In this context, the constituent dimensions of EO differ in their effects on exploration and exploitation, and performance, calling for an exacting consideration of the interplay of orientation, activity, and performance.

The price/acceptance function: perspectives of a pricing policy in European telecommunication markets

Success in innovation management of telecommunication products depends not only on sales, but also, and primarily so, on actual call times by subscribers (e.g. on their mobile phones). It is not only the purchase price that plays a major role for this type of service, but also call and rental charges. This study investigates two potential subscribers’ decisions, using the graphic device of a price/acceptance function and a charge/acceptance function. The first decision is to buy telecommunications products (accepting the purchase price), and the second decision is to use these products (accepting the charges for using the product). In particular, an attempt is made to describe the general profile of the price/acceptance function through considerations of plausibility. Based on an empirical experiment, conclusions are drawn for the pricing policy of telecommunication products, which point to abandoning fixed basic charges and to giving away end‐user sets (e.g. mobile phones) free of charge.

Competence of IT Professionals in E-Business Venture Teams: The Effect of Experience and Expertise on Preference Structure

The ascension of e-business has significantly changed competence requirements of information technology (IT) professionals. In this paper, we derive a competence set that addresses these changes and investigate individual preferences for specific competence components within e-business teams. We connect these preferences and competence valuation with personal characteristics of team members that were found to influence the perception of competence requirements in previous research. To empirically address this issue, we apply a Web-based questionnaire with adaptive conjoint measurement. By cluster analysis, we identify four competence profiles preferred by team members. Data from 176 respondents suggest that experience is related to the preferred profile, whereas expertise is related to overall competence valuation. Our research suggests that immature teams should consider that preferences regarding IT professionals may change with venture maturation, whereas interdisciplinary teams should discuss each members value contribution. Considering our results, these suggestions could optimize the process of team composition.

Explaining individual entrepreneurial orientation: conceptualisation of a cross-cultural research framework

The entrepreneur can be viewed as the source that implements his entrepreneurial capabilities to recognise, pursue and successfully exploit viable business opportunities. However, it is at the beginning of the entrepreneurial process that the pre-nascent entrepreneur is confronted with various influences from his environment. Moreover, there is knowledge lacking as to what affects entrepreneurs in different environments or countries and to what degrees. This paper aims at conceptualising a research framework based on the Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) construct and transferring this construct to the individual level. Through this, insights into the influencing factors of entrepreneurial individuals operating in different countries become possible. The factors in the environment of a pre-nascent entrepreneur to be discussed are culture, politics/law, macro-economic and micro-economic influences.

The corporate brand naming process in the net economy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether classical brand naming concepts are sustainable for entrepreneurial firms in the net economy.Design/methodology/approach – A prior study of Kohli and LaBahn covers the formal brand naming process and gives insights into brand name objectives and criteria. To follow the research purpose, their findings have been adapted for entrepreneurial firms in the net economy based on some prior interviews conducted with entrepreneurs for the present research. On basis of these results, a questionnaire was designed and sent to 319 e‐entrepreneurs located in German business incubators, of which 105 were fully completed.Findings – The availability of an appropriate domain name is found to be a basic driver for deciding on a brand name. The domain name influences the course of action during the naming process. Two groups were found that significantly differ in proceeding with the naming process. One group of e‐entrepreneurs follows the traditional process of Kohli...

Elektronische Marktplätze — Die Notwendigkeit eines bilateralen One to One-Marketingansatzes

Aufgrund von digitalen Daten- bzw. Informationsnetzen (z.B. Online-Dienst, Interaktives Fernsehen, Internet (WWW) oder interaktive Multimedia-Systeme bzw. Informationssysteme; Tapscott, 1996, S. 17ff.) lassen sich individuelle Informationen nahezu unendlich schnell von einem Punkt zum anderen innerhalb dieser Netze senden und empfangen. Der Kontakt zu anderen Marktteilnehmern wird hierdurch nicht mehr zu einer Frage der raumlichen oder zeitlichen Distanz, sondern zur Frage nach der Ausgestaltung des quasi-personlichen Kontaktes innerhalb der Datennetze (Weiber/Kollmann, 1997, S. 534). Die Reduktion von raumlichen und zeitlichen Beschrankungen (Zbornik, 1996, S. 27) erfordert jedoch parallel einen verstarkten Einsatz von elektronischen Koordinationsinstrumenten fur die Informationsbeschaffung, -verarbeitung und -ubertragung. Dabei entwickeln sich die Datennetze mehr und mehr vom reinen Informations- und Kommunikationsmedium zur Plattform fur Geschaftstransaktionen. Als „Koordinationsort“ der geschaftlichen Kontaktformen kristallisieren sich zunehmend einzelne themenorientierte elektronische Marktplatze (EM) heraus, die Informationsstrome von Angebot und Nachfrage innerhalb des Handelsraums „Datennetz“ zielgerichtet zusammenbringen.

Das Management technologischer Innovationen

Wird die allgemeine Frage nach dem Zweck von Unternehmen einer genaueren Betrachtung unterzogen, so findet sich hierzu bereits bei Drucker (1955) eine eindeutige Aussage: „There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer. (...) Because it is its purpose to create a customer, any business enterprise has two - and only these two - basic functions: marketing and innovation. They are the entrepreneurial functions.“1

Measuring the acceptance of electronic marketplaces: a study based on a used-car trading site

Electronic marketplaces act as intermediaries between supply and demand. Such forums are often organized by a central operator and are a common form of electronic commerce. The operators are independent entrepreneurs who are competing against one another for business. Their objective is to win over users for their own marketplace in order to generate fees by matching buyers and sellers. This is only possible when the marketplace design is ‘acceptable’ to the users. Using data from an empirical study, the present article analyzes criteria which marketplace users considered important in determining their acceptance of an electronic marketplace. The data were collected from the users (buyers and sellers) of a used-car trading site.

Investor relations for start-ups: an analysis of venture capital investors' communicative needs

The term ‘investor relations’ (IR) often refers only to the very formal and primarily anonymous relations and communication between publicly traded companies and their (potential) shareholders. Especially for young and not yet publicly traded companies (so-called start-ups), it can be shown that the individual contact to a very small and well-known group of investors (e.g., venture capital investors) is essential for survival. Using conjoint analysis, this paper examines the communicative needs of venture capital investors, as they are the formative influence on the communication strategy of young, unlisted start-ups.