Search results
1 – 10 of over 1000A cornerstone of relationship marketing is a shared understanding by suppliers and buyers about the nature of the relationship itself. This research empirically examines one…
Abstract
A cornerstone of relationship marketing is a shared understanding by suppliers and buyers about the nature of the relationship itself. This research empirically examines one aspect of this issue: whether internal work relationships between departments affect the expectations about cooperation that purchasing managers bring to their external supply relationships. The results suggest that buyers do attribute internal firm attitudes or norms to their external supply relationships. In firms characterized by cooperative inter‐departmental interaction, buyers have a more cooperative orientation towards their supply relationships than do buyers in firms characterized by competitive inter‐departmental interaction.
Details
Keywords
Looks at the effectiveness of marketing development in the organization. Relates the development of marketing in firms UK firms in a single industry to effectiveness in the areas…
Abstract
Looks at the effectiveness of marketing development in the organization. Relates the development of marketing in firms UK firms in a single industry to effectiveness in the areas of product development and customer relationships.
Details
Keywords
Changju Kim, Katsuyoshi Takashima and Stephen Newell
The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a model investigating the relationship among inter-departmental communication, buyer innovativeness, and retail…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a model investigating the relationship among inter-departmental communication, buyer innovativeness, and retail competitiveness. The authors also explore whether a retail strategy of supply base diversification for managing suppliers moderates the association between innovativeness and competitiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
Hypotheses were tested using a structural equation model and survey data drawn from general merchandise managers of 149 supermarket retailers in Japan.
Findings
The results indicate that inter-departmental communication between merchandising and store divisions drives innovativeness among retail buyers and ultimately strengthens firm competitiveness. Moreover, when buyer innovativeness is evident and less actively the retail buyers utilize supply base diversification, the stronger is the retailer’s competitiveness. The study failed to find any direct impact of inter-departmental communication on retail competitiveness.
Practical implications
This study offers managerial insights into the roles that buyer innovativeness, inter-departmental communications, and supply base diversification play in developing effective competitive strategies.
Originality/value
This study makes two key contributions. First, it is novel in using inter-departmental communication to explain the antecedents of buyer innovativeness. Second, drawing on the power-dependence theory, the authors extend the well-established innovativeness-performance linkage by exploring the moderation effect of supply base diversification.
Details
Keywords
J. Waring, R. McDonald and S. Harrison
Current thinking about “patient safety” emphasises the causal relationship between the work environment and the delivery of clinical care. This research draws on the theory of…
Abstract
Purpose
Current thinking about “patient safety” emphasises the causal relationship between the work environment and the delivery of clinical care. This research draws on the theory of normal accidents to extend this analysis and better understand the “organisational factors” that threaten safety.
Design/methodology/approach
Ethnographic research methods were used, with observations of the operating department setting for 18 month and interviews with 80 members of hospital staff. The setting for the study was the Operating Department of a large teaching hospital in the North‐West of England.
Findings
The work of the operating department is determined by inter‐dependant, “tightly coupled” organisational relationships between hospital departments based upon the timely exchange of information, services and resources required for the delivery of care. Failures within these processes, manifest as “breakdowns” within inter‐departmental relationships lead to situations of constraint, rapid change and uncertainty in the work of the operating department that require staff to break with established routines and work with increased time and emotional pressures. This means that staff focus on working quickly, as opposed to working safely.
Originality value
Analysis of safety needs to move beyond a focus on the immediate work environment and individual practice, to consider the more complex and deeply structured organisational systems of hospital activity. For departmental managers the scope for service planning to control for safety may be limited as the structured “real world” situation of service delivery is shaped by inter‐department and organisational factors that are perhaps beyond the scope of departmental management.
Details
Keywords
Presents a model of service quality which is based on both internal and external customer and supplier groups in supply chain partners. Two possible types of internal customers…
Abstract
Presents a model of service quality which is based on both internal and external customer and supplier groups in supply chain partners. Two possible types of internal customers are proposed in intra‐firm inter‐departmental relationships and two types of interaction are proposed in inter‐firm inter‐departmental relationships. The management of these interactions using tools originally developed in the field of internal marketing is discussed and the implications for service quality between supply chain partners are explored. The use of SERVQUAL to monitor the quality of service provided across these interactions is discussed and a research agenda to test the propositions developed is presented.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of staff development committees (SDC) in the motivation, morale and education of library staff by relying on previous research and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of staff development committees (SDC) in the motivation, morale and education of library staff by relying on previous research and by using Utah State University's (USU), Merrill‐Cazier Library SDC as a case study.
Design/methodology/approach
Discussion and analysis emerge from the documented formation of USU's SDC, including its membership, goals, and evaluative practices, especially as it relates to current research in this area. Informal staff comments regarding benefits and limitations of the committee are included.
Findings
Staff development has been approached from various perspectives. Most programs form as the results of formal or informal needs assessments. Goals for the program, or for the resulting staff development committee, vary and fluctuate depending on the time‐specific needs of the library. Successful elements of USU's SDC include its emphasis on building inter‐departmental relationships and its ability to elicit feedback from every level of the library. Challenges include having clearly defined goals and meeting a variety of individual and institutional needs through the creation of related events and activities.
Practical implications
This paper provides ideas on forming a staff development committee, including examples for specific events and activities. It details how to structure membership and explores literature relating to designing and implementing institutional goals for staff development.
Originality/value
Many studies lack a comprehensive literature review that focuses on the scope and purpose of staff development committees. This paper combines a literature review with an explanation of how USU's Library created a staff development committee to fill certain library‐wide goals, including challenges and benefits that emerged as a result.
Details
Keywords
In today’s workplace communication is key, collaboration crucial and teamwork a top management buzzword. And rightly so, for these facets encourage knowledge sharing, co‐operation…
Abstract
In today’s workplace communication is key, collaboration crucial and teamwork a top management buzzword. And rightly so, for these facets encourage knowledge sharing, co‐operation and a joint sense of purpose. However, such an increase in interpersonal relationships all too often creates an unwanted and often unmanaged side effect: conflict. It is estimated that over 65 percent of performance problems do not result from lack of skill or motivation but from strained relationships. Senior managers who are used to merely tolerating their peers are suddenly being asked to collaborate and co‐ordinate with other departments, a process that inevitably leads to the odd clash of minds or parting of views. And whilst disagreement, debate and questioning is the sign of a healthy organization, prolonged arguments and inter‐departmental feuding are destructive activities that help no one.
Details
Keywords
In this empirical study of 382 US computer and electronics companies, the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and its five infrastructural scales was examined. These…
Abstract
In this empirical study of 382 US computer and electronics companies, the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and its five infrastructural scales was examined. These infrastructural scales include workforce autonomy, communication, inter‐departmental relationships, supplier flexibility and technology. The results suggested that all infrastructural scales, except workforce autonomy, have a direct and positive effect on a firm’s manufacturing flexibility. Discussion and managerial implications of the results were also presented in this paper.
Details
Keywords
Jashim Khan, Gary Rivers, Sonjaya S. Gaur, Ali Quazi, Na Zuo and Sunil D. Bhatia
The purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating role of organisational harmony and fellow-feelings in the relationship between intelligence generations, dissemination and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating role of organisational harmony and fellow-feelings in the relationship between intelligence generations, dissemination and implementation on business performance and explain how market orientation impacts certain aspects of organisational behaviour which in turn lead to the performance of service firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The data set comprises 108 responses of senior managers within the logistics sector. The multi-level sequential mediation path analysis is used to examine the above mediating role.
Findings
Results indicate that intelligence dissemination (ID), response implementation (RI) and business performance relationship is significantly mediated via fellow-feelings and organisational harmony. However, the relationship between dissemination, implementation and overall business performance is mostly mediated by fellow-feelings and followed by organisational harmony. Furthermore, when overall market orientation (intelligence generation, dissemination and RI) is used as a determinant of business performance, organsiational harmony emerged as the most significant contributor to organsiational performance.
Practical implications
Managers are urged to focus on building fellow-feelings among their employees, resulting in a harmonious work environment between functional units and market orientation organisation wide.
Originality/value
Compared to previous research, this is one of the first attempts to develop an understanding of fellow-feelings, contributing to organsiational harmony resulting market orientation and, hence, business performance. Market orientation conceptualisations lump intelligence generation, dissemination and RI of business activities together but do not explain how market orientation impacts fellow-feelings and organisational harmony which in turn leads to performance. The authors specifically address this important lacuna in our conceptualisation and propose that ID and RI lead to fellow-feelings within functional departments and results in organisational harmony.
Details
Keywords
The Minister of Labour, Mr Ray Gunter, has appointed an Inter‐departmental Committee on training for skill.