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At the very core of Marketing Information Systems (MkIS) design is the identification of the marketing information needs of decision‐makers. Information needs can be defined as the user specifications of information characteristics involved in information seeking, and refer to those qualities of information perceived by managers to be “useful” to facilitate their decision making. Drawing on empirical results from three sets of literature and from studies of information systems design (particularly management and accounting information systems design), the authors review a framework for exploring the design of an MkIS. A qualitative study examining the information needs of senior marketing executives is also reported and discussed. The results, based on interviews with 20 senior marketing executives, indicate that marketing information needs can be defined using six information characteristics.

The study explores structural devices designed to enhance collaboration between sales and marketing groups. The paper aims to develop a conceptual framework of how such integrative devices link to higher levels of sales‐marketing collaboration and also to higher levels of business performance.

A total of 20 in‐depth interviews and a review of the literature are used to examine the nature and effects of sales‐marketing integrative devices in UK consumer packaged goods firms.

The study identifies two main types of integrative device in operation: trade marketing and category management. The exploratory interviews highlight how these two types of integrative device operate, respectively, at operational and strategic levels. All of the organisations were found to operate some kind of integrative device. However, the organisations studied manifest different levels of collaboration between sales and marketing groups. The conclusion drawn from this and subsequently included in the conceptual framework is that it is the effectiveness of integrative devices, rather than their mere existence, that differentiates between higher and lower levels of sales‐marketing collaboration.

The effectiveness of sales‐marketing integrative devices appears to have positive effects for collaborative sales‐marketing intergroup relations. The results therefore support the development and effective use of such devices to enhance collaborative relations between sales and marketing.

This study reveals the importance and dimensions of effective sales‐marketing integrative devices and uses in‐depth interviews to support the development of a conceptual framework for future empirical testing. Specific hypotheses to test are developed, together with suggestions regarding the measurement of constructs.

There can be little doubt regarding the comparative expertise within marketing between USA and UK industry. As Seibert and Wills wrote, “in terms of operational marketing Britain obviously lags”. However, the practice of marketing research in Britain is well developed and equals US standards. “There seems little doubt that the discrete existence of the Market Research Society in Britain has been one of the major factors explaining why UK marketing research is on a direct par with North American standards.” Examination of the relative positions with regard to marketing information systems (MkIS) has been neglected, though, mainly because of the reluctance of British researchers to carry out the necessary investigations. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of investigations into the development of MkIS in British industry so that a comparison between the two countries may be forthcoming. Such research has been carried out in the USA by Amstutz in 1969 and Boone and Kurtz in 1971, and it is information from these studies which makes comparisons possible albeit not on a fixed time point.

The paper aims to test seven marketing‐orientated factors that have the potential to discriminate between the setting of successful high and low prices. The significant factors are then applied by means of a decision support model that can be used by managers to aid their price decision‐making.

Following exploratory research, a mail survey was conducted using a questionnaire based on the dual scenario technique.

Six marketing‐orientated factors – i.e. ability of customers to pay, brand value, degree of competition, price acting as a barrier to entry, demand compared to supply, and the use of a building market share objective – significantly discriminated between the use of successful high versus low price strategies. Using these variables, a highly statistically significant model was developed based on discriminant analysis.

The sample excludes services and is based on responses from managers. Cost‐orientated factors were excluded from investigation to provide focus. The study demonstrates the potential for using the dual scenario technique in survey research, provides measures for seven constructs and highlights the dangers of using reverse‐polarity items to measure constructs.

The decision support model can be used by managers to aid their price decision‐making. The significant factors can also be helpful in market segmentation and targeting analysis.

The study supports a marketing‐orientated theory of price determination based on market, customer and competitor factors. It is the first to provide a systematic and cogent analysis of marketing‐orientated variables that have the potential to affect the high versus low pricing decision. By applying these variables in a decision support model, marketers have access to a tool that can aid their marketing decision‐making.

Personal interviews with 84 marketing information system (MkIS) users in 33 UK marketing companies were conducted in order to determine attitudes towards MkIS and to relate attitudes to usage. In general, user attitudes were favourable regarding usefulness of information, ease of access, user orientation, improvement in managerial performance, competence in channelling information to the right people and ease of reading and understanding reports. However, attitudes regarding timeliness and reliability of information were less favourable. Significant relationships were found between some usage variables and attitude factors. It is important that user attitudes are favourable regarding the sophistication of, and prestige conferred by the MkIS, the degree of assistance provided and the capability of the system to discriminate between the needs of different users.

A literature review of techniques for raising response rates to industrial mail surveys identified six tried and tested methods. Experimental evidence shows considerable support for a prior telephone call, pre‐paid monetary incentives, non‐monetary gifts (such as a pen), using stamps on return envelopes, granting anonymity to respondents and following up the initial mailing with a second covering letter and questionnaire. Gives indications of the likely rise in response rates. By examining the available evidence, users of industrial mail surveys can decide more confidently on their research strategy.

User perceptions of organisational dimensions which may impinge upon the successful implementation of information systems are here measured, and those perceptions related to system use. Research data from 84 users of marketing information systems in 33 companies were collected. Overall perceptions were quite favourable, but problems regarding data accessibility, lack of training and disputes between users and systems personnel were seen by user‐managers. However, an information system is seen to be a source of power for users, and one which enhances their power vis‐à‐vis other sub‐units.

This conspectus attempts to achieve three objectives:

Looks at the effectiveness of below‐the‐line promotion by examining date from two different periods: up to 1969, when little was written on this subject; and 1969‐ March 1972 when literature had increased dramatically in this area. Suggests that further work needs to be carried out in this area in order to determine the long‐term effects of such promotions on purchasing behaviour.

The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains features to help the reader to retrieve relevant literature from MCB University Press' considerable output. Each entry within has been indexed according to author(s) and the Fifth Edition of the SCIMP/SCAMP Thesaurus. The latter thus provides a full subject index to facilitate rapid retrieval. Each article or book is assigned its own unique number and this is used in both the subject and author index. This Volume indexes 29 journals indicating the depth, coverage and expansion of MCB's portfolio.