Ven Sriram

Innovation, marketing strategy, environment, and performance

Abstract The contribution of innovation to corporate survival and growth is an accepted notion in much of management. Typologies of strategic orientations of companies based on innovation have been developed and analyzed. Most of these typologies focus on a single dimension of innovation. This study, using the PIMS database, develops a typology of businesses based on multiple dimensions of innovation and examines their marketing strategies and performance. Results suggest that innovative types have different marketing orientations and performance levels, some of which confirm findings based on other typologies. A major implication in terms of performance is that great care must be taken in adopting an innovation posture. For example, extremely aggressive rates of product introductions are associated with poor marketing (absolute and relative market share) and financial performance but high market share growth. Pioneering a market results in superior all around performance, whereas late entry is associated with poor performance. The findings suggest a need to examine the type of innovation, the type of performance outcome, and the time frame for assessment when evaluating the type of performance outcome, and the time frame for assessment when evaluating the contributions of innovation to corporate survival and growth.

Antecedents to buyer-seller collaboration: An analysis from the buyer's perspective

This study investigates factors that motivate buyers to form close, collaborative ties with their suppliers. The resource dependence and transaction cost analysis paradigms provide the conceptual framework used to investigate governance structures employed by buyers with their suppliers in the aerospace and automotive parts industries. A model of the factors hypothesized to influence a buyer’s decision to build collaborative ties was developed and tested on the aerospace and automotive divisions of a large manufacturing firm. It was hypothesized that the importance of the transaction has a positive relationship and specific investments made by suppliers has a negative relationship with buyers’ perceptions of dependence on their suppliers. In addition, this perception of dependence will lead to higher transaction costs. Finally, increased dependence and transaction costs will lead buyers to attempt to forge collaborative ties with their suppliers. The results, based on responses from 65 purchasing managers, show that transaction importance is positively associated with perceived buyer dependence and specific investments have a negative association. The results also support the hypothesized positive relationship between dependence and transaction costs and suggest that higher levels of both buyer dependence and transaction costs are factors that influence the decision to choose a more collaborative governance structure.

Employing information technology in purchasing: Buyer-supplier relationships and size of the supplier base

Abstract Despite the fact that U.S. companies have made substantial investments in information technology (IT), relatively little empirical research has focused on the impact of IT investments used to support purchasing functions. Such a phenomenon deserves greater attention by industrial marketers in light of two widely recognized trends, the shift away from arms-length exchange relationships and the shift toward supplier base reductions. In this article we present a series of propositions related to how the extent of IT investments and their degree of use in purchasing may alter the nature of buyer-supplier relationships, that is, foster the development of closer relationships overall, and also contribute to the reduction of the number of vendors being used. The results of an empirical test of our propositions suggest that IT investments enhance buyer-supplier relationships indirectly, mediated by the degree of IT use in transaction processing, while also directly contributing to the reduction of supplier bases. Implications and directions for future research are also discussed.

The Relative Importance of Products′ Environmental Attributes: A Cross‐cultural Comparison

As anecdotal evidence mounts that concerns over the environmental friendliness of products are heightening worldwide, there is a need to assess the importance of a product′s environmental attributes relative to its other attributes in consumers′ product choice decisions. Assesses and compares the trade‐offs among product attributes that American and Dutch consumers are willing to make for the sake of the environment, across three product categories. Survey research was conducted that examined attitudes regarding environmental protection and consumer choice criteria. Results suggest, based on conjoint analysis, that there are noteworthy differences between Americans and Dutch in how they value a product′s environmental attributes.

Drivers of urban entrepreneurship: an integrative model

Purpose – Successful new venture creation may be one solution to many of the economic problems that affect the mostly minority populations that live in US inner cities. This paper sets out to develop a model and a set of research questions that may help increase understanding of African‐American entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides an integrated review of the literature from the USA and Europe pertaining to minority entrepreneurial behavior and achievement. It identifies challenges faced by African‐American urban entrepreneurs and suggests a set of interventions that can enhance entrepreneurial success in the inner cities. The paper then poses a set of research questions with a particular focus on African‐Americans and presents an integrative model that can serve as a framework to examine these questions.Findings – The model posits that motivation and skills drive entrepreneurial behavior and that availability of resources has a moderating effect on both entrepreneurial behav...

The impact of electronic data interchange on purchasing: an empirical investigation

As the use of inter‐organizational information systems such as electronic data interchange (EDI) increases, it becomes important to determine what impact, if any, their adoption has on different functions of an organization. Since the purchasing function is among one of the most affected by EDI adoption, a survey of purchasing managers was conducted to assess the extent of EDI′s impact on purchasing. The results, based on 122 EDI users, indicate that increasing the percentage of purchasing transactions using EDI permits more automation but some of these benefits may not be fully realized due to some associated inefficiencies. However, those organizations that have encouraged their vendors to use EDI appear to have significantly improved organizational efficiencies. These organizations also did not perceive any significant organizational changes due to EDI adoption. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Can Advertising be Standardized Among Similar Countries? A Cluster-Based Analysis

This article outlines one possible approach that companies can use to identify candidate countries for standardized international advertising campaigns. By clustering countries based on their similarity economically, culturally, and in their media availability and usage, marketers can identify those in which similar campaigns may be successful. In this paper, 40 countries were clustered into six groups within each of which standardization could be attempted. Discriminant analysis provided validation for the appropriateness of this six cluster solution. The implications of these results are discussed and directions for future research based on this approach are suggested.

Information technology investments in purchasing: an empirical study of dimensions and antecedents

Abstract Despite the fact that U.S. companies have made substantial investments in information technology (IT), there is a paucity of empirical research on the nature of IT investments and boundary conditions that determine the extent of these investments. This study reviews the extant IT literature, develops a series of propositions related to the multidimensional nature of IT investments and their relationship with several antecedent conditions, and presents the results of an empirical test of the propositions in the context of the purchasing function of U.S. firms. Our results support the premise that IT used in purchasing is not a homogeneous phenomenon, but can, instead, be represented by three dimensions: base computer systems and support, purchasing-specific applications, and vender communications. Our findings further indicate that IT dimensions respond in a varying fashion to different antecedent conditions. Support was also found for the building-block nature of IT investments.

Stimulating entrepreneurship in Africa

Entrepreneurship is lauded as an engine of economic development and job creation, with SMEs often creating most of the new jobs in many countries. This paper identifies some important factors that contribute to the start‐up and success of new business ventures in Africa, emphasizing that while personality factors such individual drive and competency and availability of resources are important for the successful launch of a new business venture, effective government policy is also critical in promoting successful entrepreneurial initiatives. Survey data collected showed that most African entrepreneurs believe that they have the requisite passion, energy, and determination needed to start and manage new businesses. However, they are constrained by scarcity of adequate start‐up capital, stiff competition, lack of employees with the right skills, and difficulty in finding adequate facilities to start their business. Building on this research and earlier work, the paper discusses the crucial role that African governments can play to stimulate and nurture entrepreneurial endeavours. While the findings and recommendations in this paper are based on the study of Ethiopian and Ghanaian entrepreneurs, they have applicability in several African countries. The actual implementation of the proposed recommendations will of course need to be adapted to suit the special circumstances prevailing in each country.

The impact of TQM implementation in a human service agency

Some researchers have questioned whether total quality management (TQM) positively impacts the performance of public sector agencies. This paper presents a study of TQM implementation in a large human service agency that serves a major city in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA. The results indicate that TQM implementation was perceived to have a positive impact on several important dimensions of performance in the agency. Further, employees who participated in the TQM process perceived that numerous benefits resulted from TQM adoption, including an increased willingness to accept change, improved teamwork, enhanced problem solving ability, and better meeting-management skills.