Maximising performance gains from cooperative marketing: understanding the role of environmental contexts

Cooperative marketing strategies have the potential to make an enduring contribution to business performance and are among the strategic responses that a firm could consider when faced with environmental challenges. The focus of this study is to determine the effect of cooperative marketing strategies on organisational performance. Such organisational performance is investigated as being contingent on the use of cooperative marketing under given internal and external environmental contexts. That is, this study focuses on the performance outcomes associated with cooperative marketing strategies and attempts to identify environmental contexts under which cooperative marketing strategies are best implemented. Based on empirical analysis, results indicate that the higher the incidence of cooperative marketing strategy implementation, the higher perceived alliance performance outcomes. The perceived alliance performance benefits however were increased in given environmental contexts. Performance was positive as a result of co-marketing where there were regional and industry factors at play. That is, performance outcomes resulted when there were higher levels of co-marketing and when there was good quality infrastructure and under industry conditions when there was high entry requirements, high competitive intensity and high levels of environmental capacity. Managerial implications and future directions for research are also provided in the paper

Factors influencing implementation of CRM technology among small and medium sized enterprises

This study aims to identify the factors that influence the implementation of customer relationship management (CRM) technology among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). From the existing literature six factors: relative advantage, cost effectiveness, top management support, information technology (IT) knowledge, government support and competitive pressure were identified to influence CRM technology implementation in organizations in general. The effect and relative importance of these factors on CRM implementation was examined in the context of SMEs in Singapore. Top management support emerged as the most important factor followed closely by relative advantage. The influence of competitive pressure, government support, costeff ectiveness and IT knowledge were found to be not significant

Mediating effect of program loyalty on the relationships between value perception and relationship investment on customer loyalty

This research examined the mediating effect of program loyalty on the relationships betweenvalue perception and relationship investment on customer loyalty in the context of a servicesretailer. We found that program loyalty mediates the relationship between the predictorvariables and customer loyalty, suggesting that implementing loyalty programs is useful forencouraging customer loyalty. Our results also empirically support the positive relationship between the value perception of a loyalty program and customer loyalty

The link between market orientation and performance in the Australian public sector

Marketing academics and practitioners assume a direct link between market orientation and performance and argue that this applies to both business and non-business organisations. While this aspect has been studied in the business sector, this paper discusses the concepts of market orientation and performance and investigates this relationship in the Australian public sector. The conceptualization of market orientation used is that by Jaworski and Kohli (1993) on which basis MARKOR was developed. This instrument together with an instrument to measure the perceptions of performance of senior managers in the Australian public sector are used to investigate the hypothesized link. The findings confirm a positive relationship between market orientation and performance. The size and type of public sector organisation involved are also found to affect the levels of market orientation together with its components and performance. From the findings, implication are drawn and directions for future research discussed.peer-reviewe

Market orientation and performance in the public sector : the role of organizational commitment

Increased calls for transparency and accountability in government organizations underscores the need for a market orientation even in the public sector. The degree of market orientation and its effect on performance and on organizational commitment in government departments in three Australian states is considered. Results provide empirical support for a direct relationship between market orientation and performance and evidence of the mediating role of organizational commitment. Implications are drawn and directions for future research are discussed.peer-reviewe

Effects of some environmental challenges and centralization on the entrepreneurial orientation and performance of public sector entities

The relevance of entrepreneurship in the public sector is considered. In investigating relationships a review of the literature is undertaken and a model is proposed to examine the effects of certain environmental variables and centralisation on entrepreneurship and ultimately, performance. The proposed model is based on work conducted by Covin and Slevin [1991], reconsidered within a public sector context. Research is conducted among Australian public sector entities. A structural equation model is used to examine the hypothesised linkages. Implications of the findings are discussed, limitations are noted and directions for future research are outlined.peer-reviewe

Expectations about management consultancy services : testing the assumption of equivalence across Australian and Singaporean firms

Consultancy firms have adopted a higher international profile as they follow the increased global presence of many businesses. The provision of a quality offering by providers of consultancy services necessitates a clear understanding of customer expectations across countries. The expectations items in SERVQUAL have been applied to samples of firms in Australia and Singapore to test for the equivalence of the expectations construct. Multiple sample LISREL analysis is carried out on data from the two countries. The results indicate an absence of construct equivalence. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.peer-reviewe

The measurement of retail store market share : a preliminary model

Determining individual brand and total market share is a relatively simple task that is regularly undertaken by management. However, the calculation ofretail store market share is a far more arduous task. This complexity combined with the dearth of research in the area, underlines the need for a practical but robust way of measuring store market share. The existing literature on determining market share and more specifically store market share is reviewed and a relatively simple mathematical model is proposed. The benefits of such a model in retailing management are also discussed.peer-reviewe

Cross-National Logo Evaluation Analysis: An Individual Level Approach

The universality of design perception and response is tested using data collected from ten countries: Argentina, Australia, China, Germany, Great Britain, India, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, and the United States. A Bayesian, finite-mixture, structural-equation model is developed that identifies latent logo clusters while accounting for heterogeneity in evaluations. The concomitant v