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Article
Publication date: 5 October 2015

Karin Tollin and Marcus Schmidt

– The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact that chief marketing executives’ (CMEs) mindsets about important marketing capabilities have on company performance.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact that chief marketing executives’ (CMEs) mindsets about important marketing capabilities have on company performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a structural model for analysing specialised, cross-functional and dynamic capabilities at the functional level of marketing. The model is tested by using a quantitative survey among CMEs. Additionally the authors conducted a cluster analysis with the purpose of identifying differences in CMEs’ mindsets about important marketing capabilities and the impact of these differences on company performance.

Findings

The study identified four categories of mindset about important capabilities. An investigation into the company performance profile of each mindset shows that integration and rejuvenation are central qualities of CMEs’ mindsets and important drivers for company performance. Hence, companies that have a CME who prioritises both brand management, product development and customer relationship management as well as a set of specialised and dynamic marketing capabilities will outperform companies that have a CME who focuses on only one area of cross-functional marketing capabilities.

Practical implications

Top managers, including CMEs, can use the typology of mindsets to analyse and critically reflect on their own ideas about important marketing processes and capabilities, but also as a tool for initialising change processes in their business unit or particular function (general management or marketing).

Originality/value

The study provides an original assessment of sets of marketing capabilities at the functional level of marketing, and of the link between dynamic and two cross-functional marketing capabilities (product development and customer relationship management).

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 33 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2009

Karin Tollin and Richard Jones

This paper aims to address two issues facing marketing management: firstly, the need to make marketing a more central function of the firm; and secondly to explore ways in which…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to address two issues facing marketing management: firstly, the need to make marketing a more central function of the firm; and secondly to explore ways in which marketing can be more innovative.

Design/methodology/approach

The logic of marketing management as practised by corporate marketing executives (CMEs) is investigated. Logics describe the sensemaking activities of managers which help explain the disparate ways in which marketing managers approach similar marketing problems. The paper develops a framework for analysing managerial decision making. The research applies a grounded theory technique and 15 personal in‐depth interviews are carried out with top managers in marketing (CMEs) in three financial services companies, three telecommunications and IT companies, and nine pharmaceutical companies.

Findings

The results suggest four main logics, i.e. performance, communication, stakeholder and innovation. These are then defined in terms of management and marketing capabilities.

Research limitations/implications

The paper develops a framework in which to examine the use of logics in marketing management. In the actual survey the authors examined only a relatively small sample of organisations in a few industries, but in considerable depth. The research does however give the basis for a more quantitative study to generalise the existence of these logics and investigate their links with company performance.

Practical implications

This paper gives important managerial insights into the ways in which managers' logics both limit and provide opportunities for managerial action. The findings will help managers become more reflexive towards the tacit assumptions they make about the business environment, the tasks that they undertake and the capabilities that they need to develop.

Originality/value

The paper represents a new and unique way of addressing marketing management. Management logics and sensemaking have been studied in the management literature but their repercussions for marketing managers have not been fully explored. The paper paves the way for further research into the role of marketing logics in influencing managerial action.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 43 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

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