A Grounded Exploration of Sales and Distribution Channel Structures in Thirteen Industries in India Leading to a Classification Scheme

Innovation is a fundamental virtue of marketing. In this paper, a case is made to promote the use of innovative and novel combinations of research methodologies to derive new insights of business phenomena. This study is an attempt to understand and explain the sales and distribution channel structures in thirteen different industries in India. The investigation adopted a mix of case research and grounded theoretic research methodologies in exploring the subject under scrutiny. The study offers a classification scheme for grouping marketing channels into homogenous clusters based on similarity/dissimilarity using multivariate multidimensional mapping techniques. This scheme offers to explain the variety found in structures and suggests alternative channel possibilities. Such a scheme can be used in formulating marketing strategies and in deciding upon operational issues as well. While the main setting of the reported findings is Indian, the findings may prove to be useful beyond the national setting. Usual disclaimers associated with qualitative research methodology (Gummesson 1988) apply in this case concerning the generalisability and validity of the findings. This paper’s contribution is not as much in offering a schema as it is in suggesting an analytical plan/process that helps in visualising structures and associated strategies de novo.

An exploratory study of international marketing in India: Indian firms, multinationals and their competitiveness

Indian firms are more international than ever before. Internationalisation drives and export orientation are prominent in the organisational strategies of a number of leading Indian firms and multinationals located in India. This is a significant indicator of the growing competitiveness of firms, industries and the nation. This paper examines the sources of competitive advantages in a few chosen sectors, selected firms, and explores the internationalisation possibilities and potential. Internationalisation is a varied process and allows multiple strategies (Baker 1985) and a variety of associated operational capabilities. We investigate the international marketing strategies adopted in twelve different business sectors in India in an attempt to explore and explain the similarities and differences found in this varied set of industries. The examples span the old economy industries such as the assembly and manufacturing enterprises that are both skill and capital intensive, and also the new economy sectors that are information intensive. Our study identifies several elements of international marketing strategies that may have the potential to affect business outcomes across sectors. Marketers can leverage this understanding in designing and implementing international marketing strategies by paying appropriate attention to important dimensions in order to achieve desired outcomes. Our study may prove to be helpful to businesses in making strategic and operational decisions concerning configuring their product and service portfolios to suit the markets they operate in and the new markets may have plans to enter.

An exploration of customer-supplier alliances and partnerships: A synthesis of literature review and empirical investigation leading to 3Rs framework

The marketing discipline is evolving and so is its agenda with the advent of relationship marketing, networks and other related sub-fields. Till recently, business literature focused largely on competition, and cooperation, its counter part, has received insufficient attention. With a view to redress the situation, this research article investigates the phenomenon of customer supplier alliances and partnerships and aims to make fundamental theoretical contributions in the sub-field of business-to-business relations and cooperation. Eclectic and wide-ranging enquiry is a main research tool employed and hence the character of this research is interdisciplinary. An extensive literature review of a number of related disciplines is undertaken in order to capture the essence of relationship strategies and their implications. The ideas and alternative research processes were exposed to critical scrutiny by a few marketing scholars to increase feedback and validity of ideas. In addition, a qualitative exploratory survey was carried out in order to understand the strategic issues concerning alliances and partnerships. The research findings were combined with theoretical ideas to derive a Routines-Relationships-Resources (3Rs) model. This 3Rs model is made up of three cores that underlie all business strategies including those designed to generate competitive advantage through the route of cooperative alliances and partnerships.

Strategic Marketing Alliances, Partnerships and Networks – The Logic of Cooperation, Roots, Evolution and Advantage

The marketing discipline is evolving and so is its agenda with the advent of relationship marketing, networks and other related sub-fields. Till recently, business literature focused largely on competition, and cooperation, its counter part, has received insufficient attention. With a view to redress the situation, this research article investigates the phenomenon of strategic marketing alliances, partnerships and networks, and aims to make fundamental theoretical contributions in the sub-field of business-to-business relations and cooperation. Eclectic and wide-ranging enquiry is a main research tool employed and hence the character of this research is interdisciplinary. An extensive literature review of a number of related disciplines is undertaken in order to capture the essence of cooperative strategies and implications for competitive advantage. In this paper, we examine the phenomenon of cooperation and its evolution over time, and highlight the advantages of cooperative strategies in the workplace and in economic organisation. Following an introductory section, we discuss in the second and third sections the evolution of cooperation and need for adaptation on the part entities in order to obtain favourable outcomes. Fourth section continues the discussion along the biological evolutionary lines and adds the crucial dimension of social organisation. Consequent changes that altered the ways in which societies and economies developed are captured in the fifth section. The final and concluding section is devoted to exploring avenues for building of theories that explain cooperative forms of organisation.

Corporate Brand Image: Antecedents, Mediating Role and Impact on Stakeholder Expectations

Corporate identity and image are shaped by the entirety of perceptions of a variety of stakeholders, both existing and potential ones, such as customers, suppliers, employees, general public, opinion makers, and government officials. Our study is an empirical investigation of corporate brand image and impact on one such stakeholder group made up of prospective employees. A large multinational, a technical and scientific research firm, a major recruiter of graduates from campuses of reputable universities across the nation was chosen as the subject. This paper develops and tests a path model of the antecedent factors affecting corporate brand image and specific expectations that stakeholders may have of a corporate brand. Based on a thorough literature review, a corporate brand image model that treated as antecedents the four constructs, awareness of organisation’s products, perceptions about culture, personality of the focal firm, and general expectations was proposed. Specific expectations that respondents may have about working with the firm was modeled to be influenced by the corporate brand image of the firm surveyed and also by the mentioned four antecedent constructs. The model is fitted to empirical data obtained from a national sample of 368 respondents using LISREL 8.5 methodology, and strong support was found for five, partial support for two of the nine hypotheses tested. Substantial evidence can be seen for the mediating role of corporate brand image in shaping specific expectations that stakeholders have from the corporate brand. Practical significance and managerial implications for marketing investments and organisational performance are detailed.

An exploration of the processes and implications of strategic alliances and supplier partnerships : a theoretical synthesis

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An exploration of the processes and implications of strategic alliances and supplier partnerships, A theoretical synthesis

The marketing discipline is evolving and so is its agenda with the advent of relationship marketing and other related sub-fields. Till recently, business literature focused largely on competition, and cooperation, its counter part, has received insufficient attention. With a view to redress the situation, this thesis investigates the phenomenon of customer supplier alliances and partnerships and aims to make fundamental theoretical contributions in the sub-field of business-to-business relations and cooperation. The eclectic and wide-ranging enquiry is a main research tool employed and hence the character of this dissertation is interdisciplinary. An extensive literature review of a number of related disciplines is undertaken in order to understand and capture the essence of relationship strategies and their implications. These ideas and alternative research processes were exposed to critical comment by submitting papers to major conferences to increase feedback and validity of ideas. In addition, a qualitative exploratory survey was carried out in order to understand the strategic issues concerning alliances and partnerships. The research findings were combined with theoretical ideas to derive a Routines-Relationships-Resources (3Rs) model. This 3Rs model is made up of three cores that underlie all business strategies including those designed to generate competitive advantage through the route of cooperative alliances and partnerships. The 3Rs model is elaborated, and a set of interrelated propositions and directions for future research are outlined. These are offered to fuel large scale investigations for (dis)confirmation of the model.The marketing discipline is evolving and so is its agenda with the advent of relationship marketing and other related sub-fields. Till recently, business literature focused largely on competition, and cooperation, its counter part, has received insufficient attention. With a view to redress the situation, this thesis investigates the phenomenon of customer supplier alliances and partnerships and aims to make fundamental theoretical contributions in the sub-field of business-to-business relations and cooperation. The eclectic and wide-ranging enquiry is a main research tool employed and hence the character of this dissertation is interdisciplinary. An extensive literature review of a number of related disciplines is undertaken in order to understand and capture the essence of relationship strategies and their implications. These ideas and alternative research processes were exposed to critical comment by submitting papers to major conferences to increase feedback and validity of ideas. In addition, a qualitative exploratory survey was carried out in order to understand the strategic issues concerning alliances and partnerships. The research findings were combined with theoretical ideas to derive a Routines-Relationships-Resources (3Rs) model. This 3Rs model is made up of three cores that underlie all business strategies including those designed to generate competitive advantage through the route of cooperative alliances and partnerships. The 3Rs model is elaborated, and a set of interrelated propositions and directions for future research are outlined. These are offered to fuel large scale investigations for (dis)confirmation of the model