Agentic misfit: an empirical demonstration of non-matching human agency amid complexity

Alignment of organizations with external imperatives is seen as a sine qua non of proper organizing and strategizing by many fit and complexity scholars. Any deviation from this management mantra engenders organizational decline and, ultimately, mortality. We put this axiomatic principle under empirical scrutiny and use the law of requisite variety as our organizing principle to do so. The law is an iconic cornerstone of this matching contingency logic and it has served to legitimize a wide range of fit decisions in e.g., leadership, organizational learning or corporate governance. Inspired by organizational vignettes inhabiting antithetical complexity regimes, we introduce a novel concept, which we label as ‘agentic misfit’. In this way, we deconstruct deterministic assumptions related to environmental fittingness, we challenge teleological orientations in the fit literature and, we flesh out the viability of non-matching human agency amid complexity

Problematizing fit and survival: transforming the law of requisite variety through complexity misalignment

The law of requisite variety is widely employed in management theorizing and is linked with core strategy themes such as contingency and fit. We reflect upon requisite variety as an archetypal borrowed concept. We contrast its premises with insights from the institutional literature and commitment literature, draw propositions that set boundaries to its applicability, and review the ramifications of what we call “complexity misalignment.” In this way we contradict foundational assumptions of the law, problematize adaptation- and survival-centric views of strategizing, and theorize the role of human agency in variously complex regimes

Promotional channels of FMCG firms and tourism

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to shed more light on the influence of a tourism‐oriented environment on the promotional channel strategies of fast‐moving consumer goods (FMCG) firms.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilises an exploratory, qualitative research design among 14 case studies of FMCG firms operating in the tourism‐oriented environment of Greece.FindingsFindings show that most firms utilise adapted promotional channels due to the influence of structural characteristics of the tourism industry and tourists' modes of behavior.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcomes of this qualitative study are limited to the context that is investigated and thus, future researchers are encouraged to investigate similar contexts with the goal of generalising findings.Practical implicationsFindings suggest that firms ought to appreciate the contextual idiosyncrasies of Euro‐Mediterranean countries (as a result of international tourism) and thus, tailor their programs to these idiosyncrasies, which are distinct from other non‐tourism‐oriented environments.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper that investigates the effect of tourism‐induced idiosyncrasies of Euro‐Mediterranean countries on FMCG firms' promotional strategies. In light of the increasing importance of global consumer mobility, such studies are expected to increase.</jats:sec

Polyethnic market orientation and performance: A fast-moving consumer goods perspective

The paper explores the market-oriented behaviour and performance consequences for firms operating in a market characterised by national heterogeneity. Through a case-study design, a posteriori propositions based on interview data from six multinational firms operating in a polyethnic market are developed. Findings indicate a positive relationship between the need for responsiveness and a market's polyethnicity with firms customising elements of their product strategy to ethnic segments or European consumers at large. Moreover, findings indicate that market-oriented firms that customise their product strategies to the cultural idiosyncrasies of the Greek market enjoy the highest market share among foreign consumers. As a result, the paper opens up a discussion on the performance implications of adopting a market-oriented approach in polyethnic markets, which are, increasingly, a feature of our globalised world

'International' marketing in one country : standardization and adaptation strategies of fast-moving consumer goods firms in a tourism-oriented environment

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

'International' marketing in one country : standardization and adaptation strategies of fast-moving consumer goods firms in a tourism-oriented environment

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

International Business in Greece

A comprehensive picture of the Greek business system and management practices placed in a comparative context. The editors bring together knowledge from contemporary research in a comprehensive, analytical and comparative way that enables readers to see the Greek system in a holistic way

Multicultural markets and acculturation: implications for service firms

Purpose – The purpose is to construct an analytical framework that encapsulates implications for the marketing offering of service firms as a result of observed intra-national ethnic diversity in these firms' markets of operation. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual approach which promotes the idea that acculturation matters for service firms operating in multicultural markets and adopts relevant propositions related to service firms' strategy in such markets. Findings – Integrating fragmented insights from consumer behaviour and multicultural marketing, the study suggests that the various interactions and contacts between ethnic groups in a multicultural country can generate acculturation outcomes that lend themselves to novel avenues for empirical research. These avenues move beyond a research focus on the presence of ethnic groups as stand-alone entities of intra-ethnic uniformity. Practical implications – Firms with a broader market horizon in a multicultural market can employ acculturation in their marketing strategy since an exclusive focus on ethnicity as a basis of segmenting the market reveals shortcomings. Otherwise, a myopic approach that ignores cross-ethnic interactions may lead to bypassing opportunities for more considerate market responses by a service firm. Originality/value – To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the only acculturation study in a services context that offers an analytical framework and propositions that can be used as a guide for multicultural, services marketing researchers and practitioners that see the market in a holistic fashion. </jats:sec