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The research aims to test whether the ability to measure marketing performance affects the actual performance of firms, in the context of the European high‐tech sector. It also aims to test whether performance‐reporting frequency and size of marketing budget mediate the relationship between measurement ability and performance.

Survey responses collected from 157 marketers were supplemented with firm performance data.

Results show that marketing performance measurement ability positively impacts firm performance and that reporting frequency mediates this relationship.

More attention should be given to the activities that are measured rather than the metrics in use – which receive much attention in the literature. Current interest in marketing dashboards may be overstated.

Enhanced ability to account for marketing leads not only to improved firm performance, but also to greater regard for marketing at the senior management level.

This is the first study to demonstrate a link between marketing performance measurement ability or frequency and firm performance in the European market. It also provides an insight into the chain of effects linking marketing performance measurement ability to firm performance.

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between customer satisfaction, earnings and firm value.

A model borrowed from the accounting literature – the Ohlson model – is used to consider the impact of customer satisfaction on Tobin's q – a capital market‐based measure of firm performance widely used in marketing research. Data on firm performance is drawn from COMPUSTAT and integrated with data on customer satisfaction from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Results show that customer satisfaction has a positive impact on firm value. Critically, the authors find that this impact is over and above the impact that earnings has on firm value. They also find that customer satisfaction positively and significantly moderates the earnings‐firm value relationship.

Findings are limited to firms covered by the American Customer Satisfaction Index and subject to the assumptions underpinning the Ohlson model.

This study's demonstration of the complementary relationship between earnings and customer satisfaction in determining firm value should encourage managers to engage with satisfaction as a driver of business performance and value.

Findings extend recent studies on the impact of customer satisfaction on business performance. While prior studies either ignore earnings or focus on the relationship between satisfaction and stock returns, the authors show the impact of satisfaction on firm value, in a model that includes earnings. Importantly, they also extend prior studies by showing that the interaction between customer satisfaction and earnings is central to understanding the impact of both satisfaction and earnings on firm value. In addition, they demonstrate the usefulness of an earnings‐based valuation model, to explore the relationship between a marketing metric and firm value. The authors' approach may be adopted to consider the impact of other measures of marketing performance. Thus, they hope that this study helps to further bridge the gap between marketing and the financial disciplines.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the merit of enterprise policies that seek to enhance market orientation as a driver of firm performance.

The approach takes the form of empirical research utilising the MKTOR survey instrument, administered to senior marketing managers in high‐value‐added sectors in Ireland; and both subjective and lagged objective measures of firm performance.

Findings support international context‐specific research. Market orientation is not found to be directly associated with firm performance in high‐value‐added firms in the Irish economy.

Research directions should include the evolving understanding of market orientation, and the exploration of what alternative orientations lead to improved performance in different contexts.

For public policy, a re‐examination of the conceptualisation of, and support for, market orientation is warranted.

The paper presents a new contribution to understanding the merit of market orientation in enterprise policy in developed economies.

While service quality, trust and commitment are frequently cited as critical to achieving important firm outcomes, the role of service differentiation in this framework is largely unknown. Yet, differentiation is important because a firm's distinctiveness is linked to client‐perceived value, competitive advantage, and a target market focus. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of service differentiation in business‐to‐business relationships.

Hypotheses were tested using a sample of business clients from a large European financial services firm. The senior primary contact in each client firm was contacted by phone/e‐mail to arrange for completion of the survey. Using the survey instrument, respondents provided information on their relationship with the provider organization.

Results indicated that service quality had an impact on trust, differentiation and relationship outcomes. Trust was found to drive service differentiation. Differentiation, in turn, drove commitment which ultimately had an impact on both satisfaction and word‐of‐mouth. Importantly, it was found that service differentiation is a full mediator of the impact that service quality and trust have on client commitment towards the firm.

The findings clearly show the importance of service differentiation in achieving high levels of relationship commitment and ultimately satisfaction and positive word‐of‐mouth. As the role of differentiation in business‐to‐business relationships has received limited research focus, this paper offers managers new insights into relationship development. Importantly, differentiation is a managerially controlled variable that firms can use to influence relationship outcomes.

Since 1990, the number of empirical and applied research dealing with employee empowerment has proliferated. This article will examine four dimensions of power: various resources to influence the outcome of decision‐making; controlling access to those processes; through hegemonic process to legitimize power through culture and norms; and determining the limits of power. A critical perspective from other behavioral sciences will present various designs. Foucauldian Theory will challenge the devolution of power via prior research attempts. Contemporary research on organization culture and structure will be examined via the validation of six hypotheses. Organizational characteristics facilitating empowerment such as vision, openness and teamwork, discipline and control, support and security will be discussed, along with the impact of leadership on an empowered workforce. Psychological dimensions of empowerment: choice, competence, meaningfulness and progress are examined in addition to trust issues. Some conclusions and recommendations will integrate the diverse theories.

Unseen, unknown, but presumed unworthy – humans judge one another and compare worthiness, and no one benefits. The presumption of unworthiness exists because of fear, intimidation, and lack of knowledge about others. Sometimes human beings are falsely taught or given information about others that have no basis in truth. It is these historical lies that foster division and judgment among strangers. The judgment of another person renders that person not worthy of any gifts or natural talents that they may have. Expectations are minimized as the person who judges another seeks to substantiate the lie that they have perpetuated within their own mind. It is all seems so senseless.

Research into culture within intellectual disability services, has predominantly focussed on small group homes in Australia. The current investigation aimed to explore the transferability of the dimensions of culture identified in the literature, to a residential Intellectual Disability service in the UK. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact of informal culture upon the behaviour of direct care staff, particularly around managing behaviour that challenges.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with direct care staff. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using template analysis.

Themes regarding leadership, perceptions of managers, team functioning, and relationships between direct care staff and service users, were identified, corroborating the existing literature. Additional themes relating to being aware of the risks posed by service users, and the emotional impact of behaviour that challenges, also emerged.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative study to explore informal culture within a community residential Intellectual Disability service in the UK.

It's been three years since my previous survey in RSR. Superb reference books in pop music have been appearing so frequently that I've been having trouble keeping up. Let's hope “next year's” survey will only be 12 months in the making and not 36.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the performance of quick-release harness buoyancy aids in water rescue.

The assumption is questioned that the performance of water rescue harnesses, in what is perceived as benign, low-flow conditions (<1.85 km/s) is acceptable. Increasingly, rescue personnel are deployed to flooding events during which low-flow, but high-hazard conditions may prevail. A range of commercially available buoyancy aids manufactured in the UK were tested under “real world conditions” and the nature of the release rated.

The primary data illustrate that 25 per cent of releases where incomplete in low-flow conditions. By analogy a karabiner in a rope rescue system with a 1:4 chance of failure would be unacceptable. Consequently, harness testing, design, manufacture, use and deployment may all be in need of reconsideration if the harness is to remain suitable for its current deployment.

A group of international experts from the USA, Europe and the UK have reviewed the findings and highlight possible reasons for these failures. These comments form the basis for research in future papers.