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21 – 30 of over 1000Andrea C. Beetles and Lloyd C. Harris
Relationship marketing is now commonly acknowledged as an alternative marketing paradigm. However, despite the use of the relationship metaphor in marketing contexts for many…
Abstract
Purpose
Relationship marketing is now commonly acknowledged as an alternative marketing paradigm. However, despite the use of the relationship metaphor in marketing contexts for many years, recently there have been criticisms of this cross‐fertilization of theory into consumer marketing contexts. The objectives of this paper are twofold. First, it attempts to explore and elucidate how consumers' assessments of the extent of intimacy between themselves and their service providers affect their interpretation of relational ties. A second aim is that it will generate insights into consumer attitudes towards relationship marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
Taking an exploratory approach and using qualitative methods to allow for depth of research, this paper uses 30 semi‐structured interviews with consumers to investigate the role of intimacy in service relationships.
Findings
The findings reveal five forms of intimacy; no relationship, social intimacy, physical intimacy, emotional/psychological intimacy and sexual intimacy.
Research limitations/implications
This is a qualitative study, now that some insight of the relevance of intimacy in relationship marketing has been gained, testing a model of the framework using quantitative analysis in order to make wider assertions would be beneficial.
Practical implications
This paper demonstrates that organizations need to be able to facilitate multiple approaches to customers. They need to be able to allow customers to engage with them, should the customers wish to do so but also allow the customers to opt out of relational interactions.
Originality/value
Scant research has explored the role of intimacy in service relationships; this study addresses that gap in the literature.
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Lloyd C. Harris and Chris Ezeh
This paper seeks better to conceptualise, operationalise and subsequently to test a multi‐dimensional and more social view of servicescape and the direct and moderated linkages…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks better to conceptualise, operationalise and subsequently to test a multi‐dimensional and more social view of servicescape and the direct and moderated linkages with loyalty intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey research method was used to study servicescapes in the context of UK restaurants.
Findings
In furtherance of conceptualisation efforts, a model is developed to evaluate the linear influences of nine servicescape variables on customers' loyalty intentions. Additionally, the model appraises the impact of personal and environmental factors which moderate the servicescape‐loyalty intentions relationship. Analysis of survey responses finds a number of significant associations with loyalty intentions.
Practical implications
The results of the study indicate that practitioners should reflect carefully on a range of servicescape variables and judiciously manage such factors to improve the extent to which consumers are likely to foster positive intentions to be loyal.
Originality/value
The paper contributes a multi‐dimensional and more social framework of servicescape that is subsequently operationalised and tested. It also supplies a measure of servicescape that future researchers may find useful.
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The past decade has seen a flurry of academic and practitioner interest in organizational culture. This has coincided with an increase of theoretical interest in organizational…
Abstract
The past decade has seen a flurry of academic and practitioner interest in organizational culture. This has coincided with an increase of theoretical interest in organizational marketing. However, despite some obvious linkages, there have been few studies examining the links between the two. This paper synthesises existing marketing and culture theory into conceptualisations of organizational and market‐oriented cultures. Specifically, such cultures are presented as stratified, processual and subcultural. Thereafter, the development of a market‐led culture is reviewed in terms of the ability of the subculture of marketing to dominate the wider organizational culture. A series of propositions is forwarded relating to factors which affect this interaction. Conclusions and implications for research are presented and discussed.
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Katy J. Mason and Lloyd C. Harris
Although much has been written about the antecedents and consequences of market orientation, and previous studies have generated useful insights into different “forms” of market…
Abstract
Purpose
Although much has been written about the antecedents and consequences of market orientation, and previous studies have generated useful insights into different “forms” of market orientation, little is known of the emphases placed on different dimensions of market orientation, and no published research to date has explicitly focused on the environmental factors that may contribute to the development of particular orientation emphases. Accordingly, the study reported here aims to explore the divergent varieties of emphasis in practice, and to identify the environmental factors that contribute to that variation.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper begins with a comprehensive review of the literature of market orientation. The study it then reports adopted a realist perspective and used techniques usually associated with qualitative research and “grounded theory”, a departure from the positivist approach and survey methodology typically found in published studies of market orientation. Data were collected in 114 face‐to‐face, in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews in more than 50 UK‐based firms.
Findings
Results uncover four variations of market orientation, each of which exhibits a different emphasis, linked to environmental factors at the micro, meso and macro levels. The emphasis placed on the different dimensions of market orientation appears to be dynamic, and driven by changing environmental factors.
Practical implications
Marketing planners need to consider which emphasis of market orientation is most suited to stated strategic objectives. After instituting strategic change, managers need to ensure that the form of market orientation developed continues to reflect and respond to environmental conditions.
Originality/value
This paper offers interesting insights to practitioners concerned with the wider implications of market orientation.
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Lloyd C. Harris and Emmanuel Ogbonna
The aim of this article is to supply grounded empirical insights into the forms of negative word‐of‐mouth by front‐line, customer contact employees.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this article is to supply grounded empirical insights into the forms of negative word‐of‐mouth by front‐line, customer contact employees.
Design/methodology/approach
The article adopts a qualitative approach through interviews with 54 front‐line employees in three retail organizations: food, clothing and electronic goods.
Findings
The paper finds four different forms of negative word‐of‐mouth behaviours which are labelled customer‐oriented, anti‐management/firm, employee‐oriented and anti‐competitor word‐of‐mouth. The paper shows how each of these behaviours varied in terms of the target audience (the intended listeners), the focus of attention (the focal point of comments), the motivation (the perceived rationale for the behaviour) and the extent to which employees perceived their own comments to be truthful.
Research limitations/implications
The article calls for an expansion of research horizon to incorporate a fuller understanding of the dynamics of employee (mis)behaviour in the workplace in relation to resistance, subjectivity, instrumentality and clandestine control of certain aspects of workplace dynamics.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that managers should be concerned with front‐line employee negative word‐of‐mouth especially because some of the examples which were uncovered are potentially damaging to both financial and non financial performance measures.
Originality/value
The article contributes insights into the neglected area of employee negative word‐of‐mouth. The article argues that the identification of the forms of employee negative word‐of‐mouth is an important step towards developing a theory of employee negative word‐of‐mouth that is especially pertinent to front‐line service work. The article develops a series of propositions which future researchers may find useful in advancing research in this area.
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Lisa O’Malley and Lloyd C. Harris
Recognises that whilst an abundance of research has been conducted into solicitors’ marketing, other players in the legal industry have been ignored or overlooked. Suggests that…
Abstract
Recognises that whilst an abundance of research has been conducted into solicitors’ marketing, other players in the legal industry have been ignored or overlooked. Suggests that what is clearly lacking is a holistic analysis of legal‐market dynamics. Attempts to provide a clearer and more accurate understanding of the relationships within the legal industry. Investigates the role of relationships in facilitating exchange, elucidates how these relationships are developed, and identifies key relationship characteristics. Overviews the legal industry and discusses the rationale for utilising a relational perspective. Presents and analyses evidence generated from interviews with barristers, solicitors, barristers’ clerks and clients. Culminates with a discussion of findings, implications and directions for future research.
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Lloyd C. Harris and Nigel F. Piercy
Marketing writing has long argued the value to services companies of developing “market orientation”. However, the existence of organizational barriers to the development of…
Abstract
Marketing writing has long argued the value to services companies of developing “market orientation”. However, the existence of organizational barriers to the development of market orientation in services businesses has been neglected. The findings of research in food retailing companies suggests associations between several important aspects of management behavior and successfully developing market orientation. These findings are of particular interest in enhancing the understanding of the problems faced in developing market orientation in retail businesses, but also of general interest to the services marketing reader. A series of conclusions and implications of this research for services marketing are presented.
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Lloyd C. Harris and Andrew Crane
The green management literature repeatedly argues that in order to behave in a sustainable manner, organizational actions will need to go beyond technical fixes and embrace new…
Abstract
The green management literature repeatedly argues that in order to behave in a sustainable manner, organizational actions will need to go beyond technical fixes and embrace new environmentally responsible values, beliefs and behaviors. In this context, developing sustainability is frequently viewed as largely dependent on the extent of green culture change in organizations. However, empirical evidence for such a change in culture is not apparent, although much anecdotal support has been cited. Seeks to address some of the shortcomings in extant literature and supplies contemporary evidence of managers’ perceptions of the extent to which the green culture change is occurring and of factors acting as barriers or facilitators to such change. Begins with a review of the literature pertaining to organizational culture and greening. Following this, details the research design and methodology. Thereafter, lays out the findings of the interviews in detail. Finally, discusses these findings and suggests a number of implications, conclusions and directions for further research.
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Emmanuel Ogbonna and Lloyd C. Harris
It is commonly argued that the exponential growth in the application of internet technology is one of the most important recent developments in business and management. However…
Abstract
Purpose
It is commonly argued that the exponential growth in the application of internet technology is one of the most important recent developments in business and management. However, although much research has been conducted on the strategic and operational aspects of the internet, there is a surprising dearth of research on the organizational cultural dynamics of this technological innovation. The purpose of this study is to examine the implications of introducing an internet‐led strategy on organizational culture.
Design/methodology/approach
Specifically, the study explores the attempts by management to exploit the introduction of internet operations as a catalyst to transform the culture of the organization.
Findings
It is argued that although a number of factors (such as organizational centrality and senior management patronage) increased the profile of the Internet Operations Unit, the attempt by this unit to dominate subcultural dynamics was met with difficulties, dissenting voices and issues that were not wholly consistent with the wishes of senior management.
Originality/value
The paper offers insight into the emergent subcultures and the attempts of their members to increase their visibility and influence within the organization as a whole.
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Lloyd C. Harris and Nigel F. Piercy
Management is urged by many theorists from different disciplines to be market‐ or customer‐oriented. This advocacy comes from marketing, total quality management, business process…
Abstract
Management is urged by many theorists from different disciplines to be market‐ or customer‐oriented. This advocacy comes from marketing, total quality management, business process re‐engineering, “excellence” and general management. There are many barriers to taking this advice. However, the most frequent objection is cost and expense. Argues that this barrier is an illusion which detracts from confronting the real impediments to implementing market orientation. We argue that in many important aspects market orientation is “free”!
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