This paper examines the sources of competitive advantage from a cross-functional perspective and presents a dynamic, general model of the tangible and intangible factors that lead to superior firm performance. We argue that superior performance results from the development of a complex,...

Outsourcing is the strategic use of outside resources to perform activities that are usually handled by internal staff and resources. By using a well-managed outsourcing agreement, companies can gain in markets that would otherwise be uneconomical. This study was designed to explore why...

While mail surveys continue to be a widely used research technique, relatively little empirical research exists that assesses their effectiveness among industrial (commercial) organizations. To address this literature void, the present paper reports the findings from a mail survey of...

Working from the expanded model of adaptive selling behavior offered by Eckert and Plank (2004), this paper attempts to add greater depth and specificity to the adaptive output categories making them more useful for research advancement and for both the teaching and execution of an adaptive...

The Hispanic population in the United States is rapidly increasing and is expected to be the largest minority group within the next decade. Consequently, a better understanding of this group of consumers is of great importance to marketers. This study investigates the role that acculturation...

While most practitioners are familiar with traditional customer satisfaction surveys, research findings suggest that best practice companies use multiple tools to bring the voice of the customer inside the organization. The purpose of this study is to examine how best practice companies use...

For competitive reasons, many business organizations are becoming more flexible in their operation and crossfunctional in design. Increased emphasis on satisfying the final consumer has led businesses to recognize that value contributions, from internal and external organizational members in the...

A procedure to assess organizational effectiveness is proposed in this paper. An OE ÒmenuÓ of options is set out by which organizational performance can be measured. By using such a menu, managersÕ decision making, planning, and communicating with internal and external constituencies can be...

Industrial trade shows are the second most widely used promotional tool in the marketing mix for industrial firms, ranking after personal selling but well ahead of advertising and direct mail. Use of this medium continues to grow in number of shows, number of companies exhibiting, and dollars...

This paper builds the framework for linking the established work of competitive advantage with the emerging discipline of value marketing. The outcome of this linkage is the concept of strategic value management. Strategic value management focuses on the right combinations of product quality,...