The revolution in information availability and the advances in novel interaction technologies have ushered in two major shifts that call into question the traditional assumptions of buyer–seller ...interactions. First, buyer–seller
information asymmetry
has greatly decreased in many interactions. Second, face-to-face communication is no longer the main format of buyer–seller interactions. In this article, the authors review empirical research on how these shifts have changed buyer–seller negotiations, an important type of buyer–seller interactions. Several insights arise from this review. First, the shifts have caused fundamental changes in buyers’ and sellers’ roles, power, and aspirations and information processing. Second, the shifts and these fundamental changes together cause major changes in buyer–seller interactional processes and outcomes, including (1) change in buyers’ attitude and behavior, (2) change in sellers’ effectiveness in interacting with buyers, and (3) change in buyer–seller interactional processes. Based on these insights, the authors develop a research agenda to guide the reexamination of existing theories and the development of new theories of buyer–seller interactions.
This article reconciles mixed findings about the performance impact of middle managers' strategy involvement. We propose that the relationship between middle managers' adaptive strategy ...implementation—through upward and downward influence—and objective business performance can be curvilinear and contingent on formal and informal structures. Applying a multilevel perspective to social networks, we empirically show that reputational social capital enhances the performance impact of middle managers' upward influence while informational social capital elevates the performance impact of their downward influence. The size of a business unit or region has differntial moderating effects. The curvilinear effects of middle managers' upward influence and reputational and informational social capital on business unit performance reflect paradoxes. We discuss the implications of these findings for strategy implementation research and practice.
There has been little research on how market disruptions affect customer—brand relationships and how firms can sustain brand loyalty when disruptions occur. Drawing from social identity theory and ...the brand loyalty literature, the authors propose a conceptual framework to examine these issues in a specific market disruption, namely, the introduction of a radically new brand. The framework focuses on the time-varying effects of customers' identification with and perceived value of the incumbent relative to the new brand on switching behavior. The authors divert from the conventional economic perspective of treating brand switching as functional utility maximization to propose that brand switching can also result from customers' social mobility between brand identities. The results from longitudinal data of 679 customers during the launch of the iPhone in Spain show that both relative customer—brand identification and relative perceived value of the incumbent inhibit switching behavior, but their effects vary over time. Relative customer—brand identification with the incumbent apparently exerts a stronger longitudinal restraint on switching behavior than relative perceived value of the incumbent. The study has important strategic implications for devising customer relationship strategies and brand investment.
This study examines the dynamics of consumer–brand identification (CBI) and its antecedents in the context of the launch of a new brand. Three focal drivers of CBI with a new brand are examined, ...namely: perceived quality (the instrumental driver), self–brand congruity (the symbolic driver), and consumer innate innovativeness (a trait-based driver). Using longitudinal survey data, the authors find that on average, CBI growth trajectories initially rise after the introduction but eventually decline, following an inverted-U shape. More importantly, the longitudinal effects of the antecedents suggest that CBI can take different paths. Consumer innovativeness creates a fleeting identification with the brand that dissipates over time. On the other hand, company-controlled drivers of CBI—such as brand positioning—can contribute to the build-up of deep-structure CBI that grows stronger over time. Based on these findings, the authors offer normative guidelines to managers on consumer–brand relationship investment.
Drawing from the interactional psychology of personality and multitasking paradigm, we examine the contingencies of salesperson orientation ambidexterity in the “exploration” of new customers (i.e., ...hunting) and the “exploitation” of existing customers (i.e., farming) to achieve sales growth and make time allocation decisions. The results from a field study and an experiment indicate that the impact of salesperson orientation ambidexterity is contingent on a salesperson’s customer base characteristics. First, a salesperson’s orientation ambidexterity in both hunting and farming leads to significantly higher (lower) sales growth when his or her existing customer base is large (small). Second, high levels of customer base newness in a salesperson’s customer portfolio weaken the relationship between hunting time allocation at time t – 1 and hunting time allocation at time t, suggesting that salespeople are not subject to a success trap in hunting. However, salespeople are subject to a success trap in farming. These findings shed new light on how a salesperson’s customer portfolio influences salesperson behaviors and performance, with implications for how to better manage ambidextrous behaviors in customer engagement.
There is little empirical research on internal marketing despite its intuitive appeal and anecdotal accounts of its benefits. Adopting a social identity theory perspective, the authors propose that ...internal marketing is fundamentally a process in which leaders instill into followers a sense of oneness with the organization, formally known as "organizational identification" (OI). The authors test the OI-transfer research model in two multinational studies using multilevel and multisource data. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses show that the OI-transfer process takes place in the relationships between business unit managers and salespeople and between regional directors and business unit managers. Furthermore, both leader—follower dyadic tenure and charismatic leadership moderate this cascading effect. Leaders with a mismatch between their charisma and OI ultimately impair followers' OI. In turn, customer-contact employees' OI strongly predicts their sales performance. Finally, both employees' and sales managers' OI are positively related to their business units' financial performance. The study provides empirical evidence for the role of leaders, especially middle managers, in building member identification that lays the foundation for internal marketing.
In business-to-business markets, hunting for new customers and farming existing customers are critical to achieve sales goals. Although practitioners suggest that salespeople have a preference for ...either hunting or farming, academic research has yet to examine when and why salespeople become oriented toward hunting or farming, and whether a simultaneous engagement in both (i.e., being ambidextrous) is efficient or damaging. In Study 1, the authors identify the link between regulatory focus and salesperson hunting and farming orientations. In Study 2, they demonstrate that (1) a promotion (prevention) focus is more strongly related to salesperson hunting (farming) orientation than is a prevention (promotion) focus, and (2) ambidextrous salespeople generate higher profits when they are customer oriented. In Study 3, the authors show that salesperson expectations about hunting success and the extent to which compensation plans are based on customer acquisition activities can change the direction of the relationship between regulatory focus and salesperson hunting and farming orientations. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for research and management of customer acquisition and retention at the salesperson level.
Purpose
This study aims to explore the changing nature of the inside sales role and the individual capabilities required for success. Additionally, it examines the influence of organizational ...structure on inside sales force capabilities. Although business-to-business firms are investing heavily in inside sales forces, academic research lags behind this evolution.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a two-study qualitative approach, the authors examine contemporary inside sales forces’ responsibilities and operational configurations. Study 1 uses a cross-industry sample of sales leaders and professionals to examine roles and responsibilities. Study 2 used the second sample of sales leaders and professionals to explore the impact of various organizational configurations.
Findings
The study identifies important differences between inside and outside salespeople in terms of job demands and resources; inside salespeople’s greater reliance on sales technology and analytics than outside counterparts; and existing control systems’ failure to provide resources and incentives to match with inside salespeople’s increasing strategic benefits and job demands. The study also explores four distinct inside–outside configurations. The differences among these configurations help to explain the distinct benefits and costs of each configuration regarding the company, customer and intra sales force processes, which, in turn, determine inside salespeople’s strategic benefits and job demands.
Research limitations/implications
The authors discuss the theoretical implications of these findings for research on the evolving roles and capabilities of the inside sales force; antecedents and consequences of firms’ choice of inside–outside sales force configurations; and the impact of technology and the inside sales force. They propose a research agenda that includes a series of specific future research questions.
Practical implications
This study informs managers of the unique role of the inside sales force and how it differs from their outside counterpart. The results inform managers of the issues inherent to various inside sales configurations, helping them determine, which configuration best addresses their customers’ needs.
Originality/value
This research provides a detailed, updated account of the differences between inside and outside sales forces and the benefits/costs of major inside–outside sales force configurations. Drawing from job demands-resources, organizational structure and strategy-context fit theories, the authors develop research propositions about the underlying structural differences of inside-outside sales force configurations; how these differences drive the inside sales force’s increasing strategic benefits and job demands; and organizational choice of inside sales force configurations. A research agenda is then presented.
The authors propose a symbolic-instrumental interactive framework of consumer-brand identification (CBI) and explore its predictiveness across 15 countries. Using multinational data, they show that ...the negative impact of the misalignment between self-brand congruity and perceived quality on CBI is universal. The interaction among CBI, perceived quality, and uncertainty avoidance orientation in motivating consumers' identity-sustaining behavior is weak. However, the synergy between CBI and perceived quality in motivating consumers' identity-promoting behavior is stronger among collectivist consumers. The authors derive a typology of symbolic-instrumental misalignments to help international marketing managers motivate consumers to identify with and promote brands.
To successfully satisfy large customers and meet financial objectives, dedicated sales teams need to manage two boundaries: a boundary within the selling firm and one with the customer organization. ...However, little is known about the process of managing these multiple boundaries. This study integrates job demands-resource theory with research on key account management and sales teams to examine (1) the main effect of customer boundary spanning on perceived customer satisfaction and team performance and (2) the moderating role of within-firm coordination activities at three levels: top management, cross-functional, and within-team. An empirical test of the model with data from 167 sales teams finds that the interaction between customer boundary spanning and within-firm coordination activities has opposite effects on perceived customer satisfaction and team performance outcomes. The results are robust to endogeneity and heteroskedasticity concerns.
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