Veronica Wong

An exploration of branding in industrial markets

Is branding important in industrial markets? To answer this question, the authors synthesize previous research in branding and related areas to develop a new conceptual model of industrial brand value to the customer. Expected brand value consists of four components: product performance, distribution (ordering and delivery) performance, support services performance, and company performance, with each component integrating both tangible and intangible elements. This model is then compared to the views elicited from in-depth interviews with manufacturers, distributors, and purchasers of precision bearings. This exploratory study of the decision-making process and the sources of industrial brand value highlights the importance of relatively intangible product and company attributes. The findings indicate that branding may play a powerful role, especially in industrial markets where it is increasingly difficult to maintain meaningful differentiation on the basis of product quality or price.

Marketing and competitive performance: an empirical study

Hypothesises that high performance companies have a defined mission which includes specification of their target markets and broad goals. Competitive advantage is founded on customer satisfaction, which in turn is built on a market‐led strategy, effective systems and committed and empowered staff. All these building blocks are influenced by a changing and increasingly competitive international environment. Influential government reports on industrial competitiveness have ignored the contribution of marketing. This is partly because academics themselves have not shown the link between marketing effectiveness and business performance. Explores the contribution of marketing within a broader model of the determinants of competitiveness using an empirical study.

Business orientations and corporate success

This paper presents the findings of an empirical investigation into three related themes which have dominated recent business thinking: marketing orientation, planning and the Japanese way. The marketing strategies and organizations of a sample of Anglophone and Japanese businesses are investigated and compared with their success rates. Marketing and planning oriented companies are found to be relatively successful but not as strong as businesses which balance them against technological orientation and entrepreneurship. This route to success was found to be dominated by Japanese companies but not their exclusive domain.

Customization of Product Technology and International New Product Success: Mediating Effects of New Product Development and Rollout Timeliness

Offering a standardized product for different country markets may enable companies to accomplish fast product development and multicountry rollout, whereas also enjoying substantial cost benefits. However, not all manufacturers serving multicountry markets can adopt a standardized product strategy. Where technological requirements, standards, and approval procedures vary substantially across countries, manufacturers invariably must adapt the products technology to fit individual country requirements. Extensive customization may lead to longer new product development and rollout times and increase the likelihood of delays in the entire project, hence adversely affecting overall new product outcome. This study examines the relationships between product technology customization, the timeliness in completion of both the new product development effort and international market launches, and new product success. The study that reports on new product launches across European markets, is based on personal interviews with senior managers in 30 multinational companies. The authors show that timeliness in new product development and timeliness in rolling out the new product into different country markets mediate the link between product technology customization and overall new product success. Customization of product technology increases the likelihood of delays in the completion of new product development projects and multicountry rollout. Additionally, the timeliness in new product development mediates the relationship between product technology customization and timeliness in international new product rollout. This means that if the NPD project runs behind schedule, a fault-free multicountry rollout program becomes increasingly unlikely, as problems encountered during product development spillover into the rollout program. The results imply that international product managers must assign greater priority to assessing the relative advantages of customizing new product technology and to consider the timing implications for both the NPD effort and subsequent rollout. Managers must set realistic schedules and allocate sufficient resources to ensure both tasks can be accomplished within planned time scales. Finally, managers should not underestimate the complexities and time involved in customizing new product technologies, including the completion of disparate country technical approval procedures.

The antecedents of prosocial service behaviours:an empirical investigation

Frontline employee attitudes and behaviours during service encounters influence customers perceptions of service quality. For this reason, the identification of variables that influence service behaviours is important. Much remains unknown about the factors affecting service behaviours in service settings. This study investigates service employees attitudinal (job satisfaction and organisational commitment) and behavioural (prosocial service behaviours) responses to management strategies (internal communication, professional development and empowerment). One hundred and eighty-eight service employees contributed data, which were analysed using a structural modelling methodology. The authors found that management strategies influence service behaviours directly but the mediating role of job attitudes is not supported.

Antecedents of international new product rollout timeliness

Delays in product rollout can pose significant problems for international companies seeking to introduce new products across many countries. Although past research has identified several key drivers of international product rollout delays, our understanding of the interrelationships among external environmental, internal organizational, new product project and product‐specific factors remains limited. In spite of the critical importance of new products in sustaining firms’ competitiveness in both domestic and international markets, research into the antecedents of product rollout timeliness have, to date, been under‐explored. Here, poses a conceptual model that captures the antecedents of international new product rollout timeliness. The model explains the external and internal environmental drivers, the potential relationships among these, and impacts on rollout time efficiencies. Draws attention to the need for more research into what is considered a highly complex and challenging business activity – the management of new product development and launch in international markets.

Intra-Firm Learning in Technology Transfer: A Study of Taiwanese Information Technology Firms

This paper presents the results of a study of intra-firm learning in Taiwanese information technology firms. Focusing on 100 effective and less effective projects within 49 companies, the research finds that firms with a high level of absorptive capacity are able to transfer technology more effectively. Effective projects display lower barriers to the internal diffusion of the acquired technology, thereby encouraging intra-firm learning. Furthermore, learning, both at an individual and group level, is found to have a significant influence on the outcome of a technology transfer project. In effective projects, particular emphasis is placed on an informal, hands-on approach to training and learning.

The effects of external linkages on new product innovativeness:an examination of moderating and mediating influences

Our study of 116 new product development projects in Taiwanese Information Technology (IT) firms show that horizontal linkages more strongly impact on new product innovativeness than vertical linkages. The firms learning ability or absorptive capacity increases new product innovativeness. It also moderates the impacts of corporate and research institute linkages on new product innovativeness. Moreover, we confirm that knowledge gains mediate the positive impacts of absorptive capacity and external linkages on new product innovativeness.

Guest editorial: research in international new product development - current understanding and future imperatives

Successful new product and service development increasingly relies on the ability to adopt an international perspective, throughout the development process itself, and by targeting international or global markets, rather than simply serving domestic customers. Yet, although there exists an impressive body of research concerning the management of new product development, the evidence base with respect to international (or global) new product development practices and management is largely in its infancy, and is, at best, fragmented. This guest editorial provides a synopsis of the main research streams in the broad field of international new product development, highlighting major gaps in current knowledge and understanding. The special issue is a modest attempt at tapping current thoughts and research investigations in this critical area, seeking, also, to stimulate much‐needed debate and further research. One article examines whether international diversity is positively associated with new product development performance. Two articles tackle the role that national culture plays in influencing consumer acceptance of new products (technology) on the one hand, and firms’ global new product development approach on the other. A final article investigates technology transfer as a special case of new technology adoption in developing markets.

New product development proficiency and multi‐country product rollout timeliness

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address a gap in the understanding of the indirect effects of marketing and technical factors on time efficiency in developing a new product and international new product launch.Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a contingency perspective in examining the relationships between antecedents and on-time completion (or timeliness) of new product development (NPD) and international new product rollout (INPR). A conceptual framework is tested based on data obtained on 232 NPD projects undertaken by Korean firms. Findings: The results show that NPD proficiencies mediate to a greater or lesser extent the effects of key antecedents (e.g. cross-functional linkages, project fit with available marketing resources, and effective coordination of headquarters-subsidiary/agents activities) on timeliness in NPD and INPR. Research limitations/implications : Empirical research on the role of marketing and technical proficiencies in improving NPD timeliness and rollout timeliness in the context of international NPD affirms the importance of adopting a contingency perspective in examining the antecedents of NPD and multi-market entry timeliness. Practical implications: This paper lends insight into the role of overseas subsidiaries or agents in helping to build the technical proficiencies of emerging country companies. Originality/value ? This is the first review focusing on the mediating influences on time dimensions (e.g. timeliness) in multi-country product launches.