TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose Grounded in regulatory mode theory (RMT), this study aims to investigate the impact of managers’ orientation for action (locomotion and assessment) in business-to-business positioning decision-making.Design/methodology/approach Data are collected using a scenario-based experimental design. Study 1 examines whether interest and involvement in recommending a positioning strategy depends on a manager’s regulatory mode orientation. The impact of such orientations on the likelihood of changing a recommended positioning strategy is the focus of Study 2. The moderating effects of task motivation (expected rewards resulting from a recommendation), market feedback and the line manager’s leadership style are examined.Findings Both assessment and locomotion are significant determinants of involvement in recommending a positioning strategy. The introduction of motivation as a moderator helps explain differences in level of interest in positioning decision-making. Locomotion, but not assessment, affects the likelihood of changing a recommended positioning strategy. Assessment amplifies the impact of locomotion, while none of the interaction effects between regulatory mode orientation and contextual factors is a significant determinant of changing a positioning strategy.Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first application of RMT on positioning decision-making. Results from two experiments provide novel insights into the predictive relevance of managers’ preference in terms of involvement with the decision-making process and the likelihood of altering positioning.
VL  - 35
IS  - 12
SN  - 0885-8624
DO  - 10.1108/JBIM-04-2019-0145
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-04-2019-0145
AU  - Kalafatis Stavros P.
AU  - Blankson Charles
AU  - Boatswain Marvyn Luxly
AU  - Tsogas Markos H.
PY  - 2020
Y1  - 2020/01/01
TI  - Preference for action: regulatory mode in B2B positioning decision-making
T2  - Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 2111
EP  - 2125
Y2  - 2024/09/22
ER  -