Creating a Market-Driven Organization

As companies aspire to become market-driven, they exhort employees to get closer to customers, stay ahead of competitors, and make decisions based on their markets. Yet, even the best-intentioned senior managers find it difficult to translate those aspirations into action. Failed or flawed change programs have many symptoms, most of which are traceable to a lack of commitment to the deep-seated changes needed. The organization hasn\u27t fully grasped what it means to be market-driven — or why it matters — and lacks a clear path to that end.1 Further problems occur if the change program is unsuited to the task of orienting the business to its present and prospective markets

Customer Relationships Go Digital

Who\u27s afraid of the Internet? Not companies, it seems, according to a new survey. But closer analysis suggests optimism may well be misplaced and expected benefits a mirage. The reality is that companies already adept at creating and nurturing close customer relationships will reap the benefits opened by the web

Consumer Research and the Evaluation of Information Disclosure Requirements: The Case of Truth in Lending

This article evaluates the impact of Truth in Lending (TIL) disclosures on consumer search and credit usage behavior, and how the effects vary by market segment. Consumer behavior concepts were used to guide the development of a comprehensive model of the consumer credit decision process, which specified the intervening effects of TIL and the situational constraints which tended to limit the use of TIL information

Selective inhibition of phosphodiesterases 4, 5 and 9 induces HSP20 phosphorylation and attenuates amyloid beta 1-42 mediated cytotoxicity

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors are currently under evaluation as agents that may facilitate the improvement of cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease. Our aim was to determine whether inhibitors of PDEs 4,5 and 9 could alleviate the cytotoxic effects of amyloid beta 1–42 (Aβ1-42) via a mechanism involving the small heatshock protein HSP20. We show that inhibition of PDEs 4,5 and 9 but not 3 induces the phosphorylation of HSP20 which, in turn, increases the co-localisation between the chaperone and Aβ1-42 to significantly decrease the toxic effect of the peptide. We conclude that inhibition of PDE9 is most effective to combat Aβ1-42 cytotoxicity in our cell model

The Effect of Disclosure on Consumer Knowledge of Credit Terms: A Longitudinal Study

Early evaluations of Truth‐in‐Lending have observed impressive gains in consumer knowledge about interest rates. Contrary to original goals, consumers with more education, income, and debt experience have benefited far more than low‐income and minority consumers. How will these results change over time as consumers gain credit experience with the aid of disclosure? Has disclosure improved consumer understanding about finance charges, and what factors beyond socio‐economic status might have enhanced consumer knowledge of credit terms? These questions are addressed in this report of a large sample of California households surveyed at two points in time. The longitudinal analysis shows individual changes in knowledge, the effects of credit experience on learning, and a projection of future levels of credit knowledge

Strategic Channel Design

When choosing distribution channels, companies need to rely on design principles that are aligned with their overall competitive strategy. Accelerating technological change, heightened marketplace demands, more aggressive global competition, and shifts in the workforce and population demographics are affecting distribution channels, forcing companies to reconsider fundamental assumptions about how they reach their markets. The magnitude of change demands a strategic perspective that views channel decisions as choices from a continually changing array of alternatives for achieving market coverage and competitive advantage — subject, of course, to the constraints of cost, investment, and flexibility. Tactical responses, based on maintaining power balances, managing conflicts, and minimizing transaction costs to pursue greater efficiency, will not suffice

Shakeouts in Digital Markets: Lessons from B2B Exchanges

Shakeouts loom large in the landscape of all fast-growing markets. During the boom period, an unsustainable glut of competitors is attracted by forecasts of high growth and promises of exceptional returns. Even when the market is already crowded, more entrants keep arriving. These followers are often naïve about the barriers to entry and don\u27t realize how many others are also poised to enter at the same time. Reality intrudes with a bust that precipitates the exit of more than 80 percent of the players through failure or acquisition. This shakeout is triggered by some combination of disappointing growth, pricing pressures that degrade profit prospects, or shortages of crucial people and financial resources

Market-Driven Winners

Who will prosper in today's environment of rapid and unpredictable change? Some would say that newcomers will have an advantage because they have no history to overcome or earnings to protect. There are many examples of upstarts who have used a superior market orientation to gain significant advantage over incumbents with far greater resources. It is not size or history that counts, but a superior ability to understand, attract and keep their valuable customers. In other words, the winning firms – whatever other advantage they may have – will also be market driven. Becoming market driven is not something that is done quickly or easily. It cannot be delegated to the marketing department for it requires the willing involvement of all functions. Many firms will take up the market-driven banner but will not succeed either because of a shortage of knowledge or a lack of determination. It is a far-reaching and fundamental change for many organizations, requiring them to abandon the very traditions that contributed to their past success