Theory posits that organizing marketing activities in ways that fit the implementation requirements of a business's strategy enhances performance. Conceptual and methodological problems make it difficult to empirically assess this proposition in the holistic way that it is theoretically framed. Drawing on configuration theory approaches in management, these problems are addressed by assessing marketing organization fit with business strategy as the degree to which a business's marketing organization differs from that of an empirically derived ideal profile that achieves superior performance by arranging marketing activities in a way that enables the implementation of a given strategy type. In examining fit-performance relationships, the configuration theory literature advocates the use of single industry studies to control for industry effects and isolate more effectively the relationships of interest. Here, it was selected the trucking industry in the USA as appropriate for studying marketing organization fit with strategic type and its relationship with marketing performance for several seasons. Questionnaires were mailed to the chief marketing executive of 677 businesses. The effective response rate was 31 %. There are three strategic types. These are the prospector strategy, the analyzer strategy, and the defender strategy. The business unit with the prospector strategy typically operates within a broad product-market domain that undergoes periodic redefinition. The business unit with the analyzer strategy attempts to maintain a stable, limited line of products or services while moving quickly to follow a carefully selected set of the more promising new developments in the industry. The business unit with the defender strategy attempts to locate and maintain a secure niche in a relatively stable product or service area. The results indicate that organizing marketing activities in ways that fit the business's strategic type is associated with marketing effectiveness in each of the three strategic types and with marketing efficiency in firms pursuing prospector and defender strategies. From a strategic marketing theory perspective, these findings highlight the importance of strategy implementation as a source of competitive advantage.
A configuration theory assessment of marketing organization fit with business strategy and its relationship with marketing performance
Journal of Marketing ; 67 , 1 ; 100-115
2003
16 Seiten, 1 Bild, 6 Tabellen, Quellen
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Englisch
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