Entitativity of concurrent sponsors: implications for properties and sponsors

We examine concurrent sponsors’ entitativity as a driver of people’s intentions to view the sponsored property, and ultimately their intentions to purchase from a concurrent sponsor. Entitativity is the degree to which audiences perceive a collective as a group. We consider moderators to the relationship between entitativity and viewing intentions within two sponsorship contexts, namely sponsors investing financial versus nonfinancial resources in properties. We use factorial survey designs and structural equation modeling to test the model across two studies. The results are consistent. Entitativity is positively related to the likelihood of viewing a sponsored property, and viewing intention is positively related to purchase intention. The entitativity–viewing intention relationship is moderated by sponsor sincerity in the context of sponsors investing products/services but not sponsors investing financial resources. Findings are discussed, and avenues for further research drawn

Driving viewing intentions through entitativity of concurrent sponsors

This paper examines how roster size, homogeneity of sponsors’ offerings, and an implicit theory about groups (a) influence people’s ‘groupness’ perceptions (i.e. entitativity) of concurrent sponsors and (b) interact with entitativity, such that viewing intentions are affected

Chutzpah-driven export marketing: effects on export responsiveness and performance

As the business arena becomes more dynamic and global, organizations need to think in terms of breaking boundaries to be noticed and enhance performance. Chutzpah, defined as ‘laudable audacity or apparent effrontery that actually conceals a brave and often new approach to subject or endeavor’ (Schultz, 2007, p. 209) typifies an increasingly common way in which organizations break boundaries. While observed in a large variety of sectors (e.g., hospitality, law, sport, medicine, entertainment, biotechnology, politics, finance, public policy), Chutzpah remains under-studied. This paper examines the role of Chutzpah in driving responsiveness to export market and export performance. Based on theory development, in-depth interviews, and survey data from 149 Israeli exporters we find that Chutzpah has two facets, namely audacity and norm violation. Structural model results reveal that the former is positively related to responsiveness, while the latter is negatively related. Both affect export performance via responsiveness

Planning for coopetition to mitigate risks: Findings from three studies

In an economic environment characterized by competitive intensity and uncertainty, many companies are turning to inter-organizational cooperation to acquire key resources and capabilities, and to share risk. Increasingly, some of these collaborations are undertaken with competitors (and labelled coopetition). Coopetition therefore is emerging as an attractive strategy to achieve economies of scale, obtain complementary resources, advance knowledge, and reduce distribution risks. However, coopetition can also be characterized by opportunistic behaviors and lack of trust between partners, which can hinder any positive effects that coopetition may have on organizational performance. The current study explores the decision-making process employed when establishing coopetition, while addressing the potential impact on both risks mitigation, and long term strategy. Our findings reveal two approaches to coopetition planning, namely formal and personal. Each approach bears a different impact on risks and future strategy

Event marketing and event sponsorship: can too much of a ‘good’ thing harm the brand?

Event marketing and event sponsorship represent some of the fastest growing communication tools organizations use today. Yet, while related in practice, little research has examined them together. In addition, most event marketing and event sponsorship research focuses on linear relationships with consumer outcomes, overlooking non-linear links with brand performance. We address these issues by distinguishing between event marketing and non-proprietary event sponsorship, developing a framework of their quadratic relationships with brand performance, and testing this framework on 207 UK managers. Structural equation modeling results suggest invert-U relationships exist between the two communication tools and brand performance. Findings are discussed

Creating value through real-time knowledge generation: Improvisation and organisational learning in new product development [Abstract]

Creating value through real-time knowledge generation: Improvisation and organisational learning in new product development [Abstract

Leveraging dynamic export capabilities for competitive advantage and performance consequences: Evidence from China

As the business arena becomes more global and therefore dynamic, organizations must balance their capabilities with the demands and the conditions of the international marketplace. This leads firms to trade off the development of more capabilities with the identification of core capabilities which can best improve export competitiveness and performance. Based on the Dynamic Capabilities Approach (DCA), we develop a model of four export capabilities, namely adaptability, innovativeness, unpredictability, and task-flexibility, aimed at achieving competitive advantage in foreign markets and enhance export performance. Based on a survey of 213 Chinese exporting organizations, we find out that innovativeness, unpredictability and task-flexibility are positively related to competitive advantage, while adaptability is negatively related to it. Moreover, we uncovered that in the cases of adaptability, innovativeness and task-flexibility their impact on competitive advantage diminishes under higher levels of competitive intensity, however, for unpredictability this impact becomes negative. We also confirm the necessity of addressing competitive advantage separately from firms’ performance

Antecedents to export information generation: a cross-national study

Purpose ─ The objective of this study is to examine the factors that enhance export decision-makers’ generation of export information, using a non-linear approach and a multi-country context, and so provide export decision-makers with empirically-based guidelines on how to maximize their information acquisition efforts. Design/methodology/approach ─ A broad perspective on export information generation is adopted, including marketing research, export assistance and market intelligence. The model of antecedents to information generation is tested in three studies (US, Austria, New Zealand, respectively) using structural equation modeling techniques. Multigroup and hierarchical analysis is performed to assess cross-national invariance of relevant measures, and quadratic effects. Findings ─ The findings show that the predictors of export information generation vary across the three countries studied, and that many of the relationships are non-linear. Research limitations/implications ─This study contributes to the export marketing literature by developing our understanding of how exporters can develop greater knowledge of information sources on which to build export decisions, and the conditions necessary for enhanced export information acquisition activity. The findings highlight that future research should consider non-linear relationships and the examination of the outcomes of export information generation in a cross-national setting. Practical implications ─ The study findings advocate that practitioners (exporters and advisers) tailor their export information generation efforts to the different country needs. Originality/value ─ This research responds to a call for more theoretically-based studies on antecedents to export information generation, concurrent with the use of more robust statistical methods

Marketing decision-making and anxiety: Integrative conceptual review and theory development

The nature of marketing decision-making is varied, complex and at times conflicting, creating a fertile ground for the development of anxiety. Compounding the importance of anxiety reduction in marketing decision-makers from a health and wellbeing perspective, is the fact that anxiety can harm creativity and innovation, and therefore marketing success. Yet, there is a surprising paucity of work examining marketing decision-making and anxiety. This paper addresses this issue and proposes a reverse causal ordering between decision-making and anxiety, by means of an Integrative Conceptual Review (ICR). The ICR brings together the fields of decision theory, goal orientation, anxiety, cognitive behavior reprogramming, and neurochemistry. A theory of how hybridized decision-making (the combination of utility maximization and satisficing) and shifts in goal orientation (toward internal locus of control and approach-orientations) can help reduce anxiety is advanced. This paper contributes to theory by positing a reverse causal order between decision-making and anxiety in a population that is typically ignored in anxiety literature, but key to sustainable performance. A mental health tripartite ecosystem involving marketing educators (universities), businesses and other organizations (employers), and legislating bodies (governments) is also proposed to help pre-empt anxiety in marketing decision-makers.</p

Sponsees matter! How collective responsibility judgments of sport sponsors affect sponsee equity

Research question: Previous research has focused on sport sponsors, with little known on how sponsorship affects sponsee equity (e.g. audiences’ behaviors towards sponsees). Further, sponsorship research typically ignores concurrent sponsors, which are naturally perceived in terms of perceived ‘groupness’ (entitativity). In turn, entitativity will affect people’s judgments of the collective responsibility (CR) sponsors have towards the properties they are associated with. To compound the issue, sponsees’ dependence on sponsors typically affords the latter authority that can also affect the CR people perceive sponsors have. We therefore examine how people’s concurrent sponsors’ entitativity and perceived authority influence sponsee equity through CR. Research methods: Data were collected from 255 (Study one) and 233 (Study two) consumers in a European country. Data collection consisted of scenario-based surveys. Responses were analyzed via structural equation modeling using Lisrel. Results and Findings: We find that entitativity and perceived authority are related to people’s inferences of omission, which consistently drives collective responsibility. However, the effect of inferences of commission on collective responsibility may be affected by the (non)official status of the sponsors. Meanwhile, entitativity and authority are also found to be linked to collective responsibility, which is itself related to sponsee equity. Implications: Theoretically, we advance knowledge of sponsee equity drivers by applying knowledge/theories from social psychology. Managerially, the findings suggest opportunities should be created for sponsors to be entitative and as having an authority over the sponsee