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The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new scale designed to assess a firm's green orientation from the consumer's perspective. Its effects are tested on a managerially relevant outcome variable and an objectively measured product-performance indicator.

Four studies based on various data sources identify and operationalize a green-oriented firm. Leveraging signaling theory, a model tests the orientation’s impact on two outcome variables, behavioral intentions and revenue, demonstrating its relevance to both scholars and practitioners.

Previous research has explored consumers’ reactions to green products, announcements and initiatives in a piecemeal fashion. This study suggests that firms are perceived as green-oriented when they operate in an environmentally friendly manner, develop green products and publicize these accomplishments. Consequently, consumers’ identification of a firm as green-oriented affected their behavioral intentions, which positively influenced firms’ revenues.

Green-oriented firms must incorporate environmental standards into production efforts and confidently trumpet such behaviors if they wish to profit from consumer perceptions.

To accrue positive behavioral intentions from consumers and to increase the firm’s revenues, marketers should invest in developing green-oriented products, operating in an environmentally friendly manner and publicizing these efforts. Understanding consumer perceptions is critical, as they are a leading indicator of firm performance.

This novel operationalization of a green orientation captures consumers’ perceptions, demonstrating that firms can significantly benefit from this consumer-aligned strategy.

This paper aims to explore the increasing importance of the intraorganizational dimension of the sales role (IDSR) based on service-ecosystem theory. Specifically, it examines how firms can improve interactions both internally and with external actors and stakeholders to both create and sustain advantageous “thin crossing points” (Hartmann et al. 2018). Academic research on sales ecosystems has yet to fully harness the rich insights and potential afforded by the crossing-point perspective.

After developing and unpacking the paper’s guiding conceptual framework (Figure 1), the authors focus on crossing points and the diversity of interactions between the contemporary sales force and its many stakeholders. They examine the sales literature, identify opportunities for thinning sales crossing points and propose dozens of research questions and needs.

The paper examines the importance of improving interactions both within and outside the vendor firm to thin crossing points, further develops the concept of the “sales ecosystem” and contributes a series of important research questions for future examination.

The paper focuses on applying “thick” and “thin” crossing points, a key element of Hartman et al. (2018). The primary limitation of the paper is that it focuses solely on the crossing-points perspective and does not consider other applications of Hartman et al. (2018).

This work informs managers of the need to improve interactions both within and outside the firm by thinning crossing points. Improving relationships with stakeholders will improve many vendor firm and customer outcomes, including performance.

Integrating findings from the literature, the authors propose a conceptual framework to encompass the entire diversity of idiosyncratic interactions as well as long-term relationships the sales force experiences. They discuss the strategic importance of thinning crossing points as well as the competitive disadvantages, even peril, “thick” crossing points create. They propose an ambitious research agenda based on dozens of questions to drive further examination of the IDSR from a sales-ecosystem perspective.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Universities and other HEIs around the world have become reliant on social media and other forms of digital marketing to attract students in an increasingly competitive environment. This is typified by the experience of Spanish HEIs following the end of the Franco Dictatorship.

The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Understanding the impact of diversity on group process and performance has been the focus of much research, yet there are still unanswered questions about how diversity impacts group process and performance. One factor that is clearly a consequence of group composition is affective tone. In this chapter, we discuss the impact of diversity and homogeneity on affective responses from group members and argue that the relatively negative affective tone experienced in diverse groups may fuel more systematic information processing and improve decision-making performance. The implications for managing both positive and negative affect in groups will be considered.

The purpose of this paper is to characterize the situation in the Spanish banking industry through the identification of strategic groups based on a set of variables.

To do so, the authors use a 13-year data set and a time inhomogeneous hidden Markov model (HMM) in which the time variable transition matrix captures institutions’ group switching behavior to identify these strategic groups. In fact, the authors consider a mixture model is the data generation process.

Two groups are identified. These groups are primarily characterized by size and other strategic variables. The probability of remaining in a group is generally high: 87.28 per cent for SG1 and 61.84 per cent for SG2. The probability of switching groups is low: 12.72 per cent probability of switching from SG1 to SG2 and 38.16 per cent probability of switching from SG2 to SG1. Banks in SG1 seem more stable over time; they have low levels of switching behavior and well-defined long-term behavior. Banks in SG2 seem to evolve in terms of group membership.

Using an inhomogeneous HMM with time-variable transition matrix, this paper allows for time-varying parameters in the distributions to analyze the evolution of strategic group membership in this industry to detect changes in group strategy, changes in membership and the stability of groups over time.

One of the main difficulties for wine managers is understanding and interpreting how some strategies and company behaviours could affect firms’ performance. This study aims to contribute to improve these concerns by examining the evolution of the competitive wine industry structure over time using the strategic group membership dynamics approach.

This study empirically analyses a data set spanning the period 2004–2014 to identify the strategic groups in the Spanish wine industry and to model their evolution over time. A time inhomogeneous hidden Markov model (HMM) is used for this purpose.

Three strategic groups are identified: Young Makers, Quality Lovers and Major Players. Young Makers are small wineries that produce low-quality wines. They are not part of a collective brand – Protected Designation of Origin – and do not invest in marketing campaigns. Quality Lovers produce the highest quality wines but offer a narrow assortment. They invest modestly in advertising, and most of them belong to a Protected Designation of Origin. Major Players produce medium-quality wines, offer a wide assortment and invest heavily in advertising. The groups seem stable over time.

The results show that strategic group analysis can be used to identify and compare patterns of strategic activity within the wine industry, providing a better understanding of the competitive environment.

No previous studies have analysed the competitive structure of the Spanish wine industry. This study delineates the structure of this industry using strategic groups, which is supported by a valid econometric model. Therefore, from a theory base perspective, this study adds new evidence to the stream of research on strategic groups by investigating their evolution over time in the wine industry and the effect of strategic group membership on performance.