amit saini - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by amit saini
Knowledge development and management is important for marketing firms seeking a competitive edge.... more Knowledge development and management is important for marketing firms seeking a competitive edge. We contend that for firms that adopt Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology, two forms of knowledge stores become critical drivers of CRM performance: (a) Relational knowledge stores, and (b) Technology knowledge stores. Given that integration of new technologies can face resistance within the organization and often requires senior management advocacy to appear legitimate, we conceptualize two moderators of the effects of knowledge stores on CRM performance: (a) CRM technology assimilation, which refers to the acceptance, utilization, and expertise of CRM technology in the firm, and (b) Top management championship, the extent of positive beliefs and advocacy practices by senior management regarding CRM technology. The empirical test of the conceptual model is based on a mail survey of North American firms that have adopted information technology based CRM systems. Our results, based on random effects model, show that higher levels of relational and technology knowledge stores, and CRM technology assimilation lead to superior CRM performance. The results also provide some support for moderating conditions of CRM technology assimilation and top management championship.
With the rise of the marketing concept and the institutionalization of various market orientation... more With the rise of the marketing concept and the institutionalization of various market orientation approaches, marketers have increasingly focused on understanding the consumer. For businesses, this has led to the collection of vast amounts of consumer information. Although most consumers welcome the increased convenience and personalization that these approaches provide, many are concerned about how these practices affect their privacy. The purpose of this article is to provide an understanding of the general concept of privacy, to review and summarize the literature on consumer privacy, and to suggest future research directions that will both synthesize and expand our understanding of consumer privacy.
Journal of Marketing, 2010
Rather than relying on traditional relational exchanges, recent technological advances have made ... more Rather than relying on traditional relational exchanges, recent technological advances have made it feasible for firms to undertake market-based transactions through information technology-mediated electronic markets. The success of such business-to-business electronic markets depends on the governance practices of the market maker-that is, the firm that manages and administers the electronic market. Market makers use three governance mechanisms to manage electronic markets: (1) monitoring the market participants (i.e., buyers and sellers that participate in the market), (2) building a sense of community among market participants to instill mutual respect and trust, and (3) self-participating in the electronic market to build know-how about how the market functions. Building on transaction cost analysis theory, the authors suggest that the influence of these governance mechanisms on electronic market performance (i.e., meeting strategic and financial objectives) depends on behavioral and external uncertainty in the market. Survey data from market makers show that (1) monitoring is effective for reputed market makers and when demand uncertainty is high, (2) community building is beneficial when pricing is static rather than dynamic, and (3) self-participation is useful when the market maker is well reputed and when the market relies on dynamic pricing.
Marketing Letters, 2010
A large proportion of firms that adopt customer relationship management (CRM) technology find it ... more A large proportion of firms that adopt customer relationship management (CRM) technology find it challenging to integrate CRM technology into their core marketing processes and utilize CRM strategically to appreciably improve their performance. The authors conceptualize a model to understand the drivers of superior CRM performance after CRM technology has been adopted by a firm and examine strategic utilization of CRM technology as driven by user acceptance and proficiency in the form of employee buy-in and expertise. Top management championship practices, employee information technology (IT) skills, and CRM knowledge are identified and examined as key building blocks toward strategic utilization. The empirical test of the conceptual model is based on a mail survey of North American firms that have adopted information technology-based CRM systems. The results, based on random effects model, show that strategic utilization of CRM technology leads to higher performance when there is an emphasis on using it to manage business-to-business rather than business-to-consumer relationships, user expertise (but not buy-in) impacts CRM performance through strategic utilization, and top management championship practices, CRM knowledge, and employee IT skills impact strategic utilization through buy-in and expertise.
Journal of Business Ethics, 2009
In the wake of the current financial crises triggered by risky mortgage-backed securities, the qu... more In the wake of the current financial crises triggered by risky mortgage-backed securities, the question of ethics and risk-taking is once again at the front and center for both practitioners and academics. Although risk-taking is considered an integral part of strategic decision-making, sometimes firms could be propelled to take risks driven by reasons other than calculated strategic choices. The authors argue that a firm’s risk-taking propensity is impacted by its ethical climate (egoistic or benevolent) and its emphasis on output control to manage its marketing function. The firm’s long-term orientation is argued to moderate the control–risk propensity relationship. The authors also extend research on risk and performance and argue that the association of risk-taking propensity and firm performance is contingent on the ownership (publicly traded versus privately held) structure of the firm. Based on survey data from a sample of manufacturing industries in the United States, the results show significant impact of ethical climate and marketing output control on a firm’s risk-taking propensity; also risk-taking propensity shows a stronger association with firm performance in privately held firms than in publicly traded firms.
Journal of Business Ethics, 2008
The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management’s contro... more The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management’s control mechanisms on the environment of the marketing function. Based on a literature review and in-depth field interviews with marketing managers in diverse industries, a conceptual model is proposed that incorporates the two managerial control mechanisms, viz. output and process control, and relates their distinctive influence to anomie in the marketing function. Three contingency variables, i.e., resource scarcity, power, and ethics codification, are proposed to moderate the relationship between control mechanisms and anomie. The authors also argue for the link between anomic environments and the propensity of unethical marketing practices to occur. Theoretical and managerial implications of the proposed conceptual model are discussed.
Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science, 2005
E-commerce not only has tremendous potential for growth but also poses unique challenges for both... more E-commerce not only has tremendous potential for growth but also poses unique challenges for both incumbents and new entrants. By examining drivers of firm performance in e-commerce from a capabilities perspective, the authors conceptualize three firm capabilities that are critical for superior firm performance in e-commerce: information technology capability, strategic flexibility, and trust-building capability. The extent and nature of market orientation is conceptualized as a platform for leveraging e-commerce capabilities. The authors test the effects of e-commerce capabilities on performance (e.g., relative profits, sales, return on investment) using data from 122 e-brokerage service providers. The results indicate that information technology capability and strategic flexibility affect performance given the right market orientation.
Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science, 2003
This article develops the concept of market-focused strategic flexibility. It begins with a revie... more This article develops the concept of market-focused strategic flexibility. It begins with a review of the historical perspectives of strategic flexibility. To support the conceptualization, the authors offer a theoretical schema that considers market-focused strategic flexibility as conceptually rooted in capabilities theory, resource-based views of the firm, and options. With the conceptualization in place, the authors propose an integrative model that explicates the mediating role of market-focused strategic flexibility in marketing strategy frameworks. Propositions are developed relating market-driven and driving orientations to market-focused strategic flexibility with consideration for how turbulent macro environments modify the relationship. In addition, the authors offer propositions regarding outcomes of market-focused strategic flexibility under conditions of macro environmental turbulence.
Journal of Business Ethics, 2008
Abstract The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management... more Abstract The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management's control mechanisms on the environment of the marketing function. Based on a literature review and in-depth field interviews with marketing managers in diverse ...
Industrial Marketing Management
Little is known about how various strategic orientation dimensions determine market orientation. ... more Little is known about how various strategic orientation dimensions determine market orientation. The authors identify four key dimensions of a firm's strategic orientation as critical antecedents to market orientation: the firm's aggressiveness, its future orientation, the extent of marketing formalization, and risk proclivity. Moderating effects of two environmental forces, competitive intensity and technology turbulence, are also considered in light of their relationship with various dimensions of strategic orientation and market orientation. Using a survey with firms spanning multiple industries, the proposed effects are tested with latent class analysis with multiple regimes. The results, based on an optimal two-regime solution, show that that although market orientation is significantly impacted by these strategic orientation dimensions, the pattern of influence differs based on a firm's membership in one of two regimes.
Journal of Business Ethics, 2010
Abstract This study examines unethical purchasing practices from the perspective of buyersupplie... more Abstract This study examines unethical purchasing practices from the perspective of buyersupplier relationships. Based on a review of the inter-organizational literature and qualitative data from in-depth interviews with purchase managers from diverse industries, a ...
Knowledge development and management is important for marketing firms seeking a competitive edge.... more Knowledge development and management is important for marketing firms seeking a competitive edge. We contend that for firms that adopt Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology, two forms of knowledge stores become critical drivers of CRM performance: (a) Relational knowledge stores, and (b) Technology knowledge stores. Given that integration of new technologies can face resistance within the organization and often requires senior management advocacy to appear legitimate, we conceptualize two moderators of the effects of knowledge stores on CRM performance: (a) CRM technology assimilation, which refers to the acceptance, utilization, and expertise of CRM technology in the firm, and (b) Top management championship, the extent of positive beliefs and advocacy practices by senior management regarding CRM technology. The empirical test of the conceptual model is based on a mail survey of North American firms that have adopted information technology based CRM systems. Our results, based on random effects model, show that higher levels of relational and technology knowledge stores, and CRM technology assimilation lead to superior CRM performance. The results also provide some support for moderating conditions of CRM technology assimilation and top management championship.
With the rise of the marketing concept and the institutionalization of various market orientation... more With the rise of the marketing concept and the institutionalization of various market orientation approaches, marketers have increasingly focused on understanding the consumer. For businesses, this has led to the collection of vast amounts of consumer information. Although most consumers welcome the increased convenience and personalization that these approaches provide, many are concerned about how these practices affect their privacy. The purpose of this article is to provide an understanding of the general concept of privacy, to review and summarize the literature on consumer privacy, and to suggest future research directions that will both synthesize and expand our understanding of consumer privacy.
Journal of Marketing, 2010
Rather than relying on traditional relational exchanges, recent technological advances have made ... more Rather than relying on traditional relational exchanges, recent technological advances have made it feasible for firms to undertake market-based transactions through information technology-mediated electronic markets. The success of such business-to-business electronic markets depends on the governance practices of the market maker-that is, the firm that manages and administers the electronic market. Market makers use three governance mechanisms to manage electronic markets: (1) monitoring the market participants (i.e., buyers and sellers that participate in the market), (2) building a sense of community among market participants to instill mutual respect and trust, and (3) self-participating in the electronic market to build know-how about how the market functions. Building on transaction cost analysis theory, the authors suggest that the influence of these governance mechanisms on electronic market performance (i.e., meeting strategic and financial objectives) depends on behavioral and external uncertainty in the market. Survey data from market makers show that (1) monitoring is effective for reputed market makers and when demand uncertainty is high, (2) community building is beneficial when pricing is static rather than dynamic, and (3) self-participation is useful when the market maker is well reputed and when the market relies on dynamic pricing.
Marketing Letters, 2010
A large proportion of firms that adopt customer relationship management (CRM) technology find it ... more A large proportion of firms that adopt customer relationship management (CRM) technology find it challenging to integrate CRM technology into their core marketing processes and utilize CRM strategically to appreciably improve their performance. The authors conceptualize a model to understand the drivers of superior CRM performance after CRM technology has been adopted by a firm and examine strategic utilization of CRM technology as driven by user acceptance and proficiency in the form of employee buy-in and expertise. Top management championship practices, employee information technology (IT) skills, and CRM knowledge are identified and examined as key building blocks toward strategic utilization. The empirical test of the conceptual model is based on a mail survey of North American firms that have adopted information technology-based CRM systems. The results, based on random effects model, show that strategic utilization of CRM technology leads to higher performance when there is an emphasis on using it to manage business-to-business rather than business-to-consumer relationships, user expertise (but not buy-in) impacts CRM performance through strategic utilization, and top management championship practices, CRM knowledge, and employee IT skills impact strategic utilization through buy-in and expertise.
Journal of Business Ethics, 2009
In the wake of the current financial crises triggered by risky mortgage-backed securities, the qu... more In the wake of the current financial crises triggered by risky mortgage-backed securities, the question of ethics and risk-taking is once again at the front and center for both practitioners and academics. Although risk-taking is considered an integral part of strategic decision-making, sometimes firms could be propelled to take risks driven by reasons other than calculated strategic choices. The authors argue that a firm’s risk-taking propensity is impacted by its ethical climate (egoistic or benevolent) and its emphasis on output control to manage its marketing function. The firm’s long-term orientation is argued to moderate the control–risk propensity relationship. The authors also extend research on risk and performance and argue that the association of risk-taking propensity and firm performance is contingent on the ownership (publicly traded versus privately held) structure of the firm. Based on survey data from a sample of manufacturing industries in the United States, the results show significant impact of ethical climate and marketing output control on a firm’s risk-taking propensity; also risk-taking propensity shows a stronger association with firm performance in privately held firms than in publicly traded firms.
Journal of Business Ethics, 2008
The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management’s contro... more The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management’s control mechanisms on the environment of the marketing function. Based on a literature review and in-depth field interviews with marketing managers in diverse industries, a conceptual model is proposed that incorporates the two managerial control mechanisms, viz. output and process control, and relates their distinctive influence to anomie in the marketing function. Three contingency variables, i.e., resource scarcity, power, and ethics codification, are proposed to moderate the relationship between control mechanisms and anomie. The authors also argue for the link between anomic environments and the propensity of unethical marketing practices to occur. Theoretical and managerial implications of the proposed conceptual model are discussed.
Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science, 2005
E-commerce not only has tremendous potential for growth but also poses unique challenges for both... more E-commerce not only has tremendous potential for growth but also poses unique challenges for both incumbents and new entrants. By examining drivers of firm performance in e-commerce from a capabilities perspective, the authors conceptualize three firm capabilities that are critical for superior firm performance in e-commerce: information technology capability, strategic flexibility, and trust-building capability. The extent and nature of market orientation is conceptualized as a platform for leveraging e-commerce capabilities. The authors test the effects of e-commerce capabilities on performance (e.g., relative profits, sales, return on investment) using data from 122 e-brokerage service providers. The results indicate that information technology capability and strategic flexibility affect performance given the right market orientation.
Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science, 2003
This article develops the concept of market-focused strategic flexibility. It begins with a revie... more This article develops the concept of market-focused strategic flexibility. It begins with a review of the historical perspectives of strategic flexibility. To support the conceptualization, the authors offer a theoretical schema that considers market-focused strategic flexibility as conceptually rooted in capabilities theory, resource-based views of the firm, and options. With the conceptualization in place, the authors propose an integrative model that explicates the mediating role of market-focused strategic flexibility in marketing strategy frameworks. Propositions are developed relating market-driven and driving orientations to market-focused strategic flexibility with consideration for how turbulent macro environments modify the relationship. In addition, the authors offer propositions regarding outcomes of market-focused strategic flexibility under conditions of macro environmental turbulence.
Journal of Business Ethics, 2008
Abstract The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management... more Abstract The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management's control mechanisms on the environment of the marketing function. Based on a literature review and in-depth field interviews with marketing managers in diverse ...
Industrial Marketing Management
Little is known about how various strategic orientation dimensions determine market orientation. ... more Little is known about how various strategic orientation dimensions determine market orientation. The authors identify four key dimensions of a firm's strategic orientation as critical antecedents to market orientation: the firm's aggressiveness, its future orientation, the extent of marketing formalization, and risk proclivity. Moderating effects of two environmental forces, competitive intensity and technology turbulence, are also considered in light of their relationship with various dimensions of strategic orientation and market orientation. Using a survey with firms spanning multiple industries, the proposed effects are tested with latent class analysis with multiple regimes. The results, based on an optimal two-regime solution, show that that although market orientation is significantly impacted by these strategic orientation dimensions, the pattern of influence differs based on a firm's membership in one of two regimes.
Journal of Business Ethics, 2010
Abstract This study examines unethical purchasing practices from the perspective of buyersupplie... more Abstract This study examines unethical purchasing practices from the perspective of buyersupplier relationships. Based on a review of the inter-organizational literature and qualitative data from in-depth interviews with purchase managers from diverse industries, a ...