Marketing concerns of a developing economy

It is a pleasure to speak to you tonight on some 'Marketing Concerns of a Developing Economy'. Before beginning, I wish. to thank the Malta Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Society of Malta, and the Royal University of Malta for inviting me, and the United States Information Service for facilitating my visit. I accepted the invitation to speak on marketing and economic development with some hesitation, for I feared being cast an 'instant expert' with respect. to Maltese economic prospects and planning. Let me dispel any illusions that I stand before you prepared to indicate specifically the role of the various sectors of the economy or the precise manner in which marketing can best serve the interest of the total Maltese Society. The issues are far too complex and my contact with Malta far too limited to enable me to make any comments of a specific policy nature. Rather I intend my comments to provide a useful framework for considering economic development and the role of marketing - and thereby hopefully provide implications for Maltese economic planning. I invite your questions, for of necessity I am leaving much unsaid.peer-reviewe

Structural Basis for α-Conotoxin Potency and Selectivity

Parkinson\u27s disease is a debilitating movement disorder characterized by altered levels of α6β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) localized on presynaptic striatal catecholaminergic neurons. α-Conotoxin MII (α-CTx MII) is a highly useful ligand to probe α6ß2 nAChRs structure and function, but it does not discriminate among closely related α6* nAChR subtypes. Modification of the α-CTx MII primary sequence led to the identification of α-CTx MII[E11A], an analog with 500-5300 fold discrimination between α6* subtypes found in both human and non-human primates. α-CTx MII[E11A] binds most strongly (femtomolar dissociation constant) to the high affinity α6* nAChR, a subtype that is selectively lost in Parkinson\u27s disease. Here we present the three-dimensional solution structure for α-CTx MII[E11A] as determined by two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy to 0.13 +/- 0.09 Ǻ backbone and 0.45 +/- 0.08 Ǻ heavy atom root mean square deviation from mean structure. Structural comparisons suggest that the increased hydrophobic area of α-CTx MII[E11A] relative to other members of the α-CTx family may be responsible for its exceptionally high affinity for α6α4β2* nAChR as well as discrimination between α6ß2 and α3β2 containing nAChRs. This finding may enable the rational design of novel peptide analogs that demonstrate enhanced specificity for α6* nAChR subunit interfaces and provide a means to better understand nAChR structural determinants that modulate brain dopamine levels and the pathophysiology of Parkinson\u27s disease

Managing in an economic crisis: The role of market orientation in an international law firm

This research paper contributes to the understanding of the relationship between market orientation and performance in the context of a law firm during a time of economic crisis. The contribution is twofold, adding to the fairly limited research on market orientation within law firms, and to the limited research on the role of market orientation in times of economic crisis. The findings, from the questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews within practice groups of a large multinational law firm, conclude that market orientation is important during an economic crisis. Those practice groups with higher market orientation scores withstand the increased turbulence and outperform those practice groups with lower market orientation scores

Applied Research: Entrepreneurial Style

This article tracks the challenges and opportunities faced by a university-based applied research institute that has grown and expanded through intellectual entrepreneurship. With minimal state support, the University of Washington\u27s Institute for Public Policy and Management has grown into an influential shaper of policy for the state of Washington and the states of the Northwest. The institute and the specialized centers under its umbrella are currently examining options for continued growth and influence in the future

The moderating effect of brand orientation on inter-firm market orientation and performance

While prior research has shown that market and brand orientation are key contributors to successful business performance, research to date has not fully explored how inter firm collaboration for these two key orientations can enhance business performance. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the relationship between inter-firm market and performance; to test for the moderating role of brand orientation in that relationship. A total of 169 completed pairs of surveys were collected of small and medium enterprises operating internationally in a variety of industries in Switzerland. The results show that inter-firm market and brand orientation are two antecedents of marketing and financial performance. The impact of inter-firm market on marketing and financial performance is significant when the brand orientation is favorable. This study extends previous research by examining the moderating role of brand orientation on inter firm market orientation, which is important, especially for firms wanting to increase their brand reputation by entering into partnerships with other firms. Further research is indicated, to identify the key moderators of the driving force of inter-firm market in relation to business performance and the reason why maintaining a strong brand presence is important in the international marketplace

Entrepreneurial Competition Orientation and Profitability: The Case of a Developing Economy

The main purpose of this paper is to verify the significance of the implementation of competition orientation (CO) as a part of market orientation for the financial performance of the entrepreneurial small and medium – sized companies in a developing economy. The objectives are: 1. To measure the level of each of the variables of the scale (CO 1: The management continuously analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors; CO 2: We regularly use information about our competitors in strategy creation; CO 3: When a competitor launches a campaign towards our market position we take immediate action; CO 4: We target customers where we have or can develop competitive advantage; CO 5: We create our strategy on the basis of detailed and effective competitor analysis.); 2. To determine the average level of CO in entrepreneurial small and medium – sized companies; 3. To prove the effect CO has on profitability. The methodology included both quantitative and qualitative methods and, the research was done in entrepreneurial companies from the food production industry. This research is a part of an ongoing project entitled: “Strengthening the business capacity of women entrepreneurs in Republic of Macedonia, as a developing country”. Primary data was derived from questionnaires and semi-structured follow-up interviews. Secondary data was collected from books, journals and academic articles. Data was analyzed with IBM SPSS19. The conclusions are given on the basis of descriptive and deductive statistics. The results show that companies of different sizes demonstrate diverse level of implementation of CO i.e. medium – sized companies implement higher levels on every analyzed variable of CO than small companies. The results also corroborate the significant relationships among the five dimensions of CO, as well as their relationship with profitability of the analysed companies. Also, a direct influence of the level of CO implementation on business profitability was found. The main limitation of this study is that it analyses a single industry in a given period of time and, the (small) size of the sample. However, the paper has some practical implications: it proves that to achieve higher financial performance small and medium – sized companies must adopt and implement higher level of competitor orientation, as a part of the market orientation process. Also, the measurability of this part of market orientation on the basis of the MKTOR and MARKOR scales makes available a valuable tool for control of its implementation. The value of the paper derives from the verification of the significance of the relationship between CO and profitability, in a different business sector and with a different research subject from those analyzed hitherto by the literature

From customer-oriented strategy to perceived organizational financial performance: the role of human resource management and customer-linking capability

Drawing on the organizational capabilities literature, we developed and tested a model of how supportive human resource management (HRM) improved firms’ financial performance perceived by marketing managers through fostering the implementation of a customer-oriented strategy. Customer-linking capability, which is the capability in managing close customer relationships, indicated the implementation of the customer-oriented strategy. Data collected from two emerging economies–China and Hungary–established that supportive HRM partially mediated the relationship between customer-oriented strategy and customer-linking capability. Customer-linking capability further explained how supportive HRM contributed to perceived financial performance. This study explicates the implication of customer-oriented strategy for HRM and reveals the importance of HRM in strategy implementation. It also sheds some light on the “black-box” between HRM and performance. While making important contributions to the field of strategy, HRM and marketing, this study also offers useful practical implications

The impacts of marketing and operations capabilities on financial performance in the UK retail sector: A resource-based perspective

Drawing upon the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm, this study investigates the relationships among marketing capability, operations capability, and financial performance. Using archival data of 186 retail firms in the UK, we find that that marketing capability has a significant impact on operations capability, and that operations capability is significantly and positively related to retail efficiency. The results also suggest that operations capability fully mediates the relationship between marketing capability and financial performance. The findings of this study provide practical insights for practicing managers to consider when developing functional capabilities in order to achieve superior financial performance. © 2013 Elsevier Inc

Charity Retailing in the UK: A Managerial Capabilities Perspective

Nonprofit organizations are venturing into commercial activities due to the intense competition for the limited government funds and declining availability of donor funds for third sector organizations that address social problems. Charity retailing, a popular choice of commercial activity for nonprofit organization, has filled vacant premises in the high streets of the small towns and suburbs of large cities in the UK. Successful charity retail operation requires distinctive capabilities necessary to manage organizations’ resources in commercial environment. Using sixty in-depth elite interviews, we introduce the concept of managerial capabilities for charity retailing. Research propositions and management implications are discussed