Itzhak Gnizy | Ono Academic College (original) (raw)

Papers by Itzhak Gnizy

Research paper thumbnail of When and how digital novel technologies matter to firm marketing performance

Journal of marketing analytics, Feb 12, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of The Effects of Cyber Regulations and Security Policies on Organizational Outcomes: A Knowledge Management Perspective

Social Science Research Network, 2021

Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as an operational and strategic organizational tool. Howeve... more Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as an operational and strategic organizational tool. However, the influence of recent cyber regulations (CR) and security policies (SP) on the usefulness of KM, are absent from the literature. This study focuses on the intersection of knowledge management and knowledge fortification. The study employs survey data from a sample of firms and utilizes partial least squares (PLS) with extensive post hoc analyses, to examine the influence of CR and SP on KM core processes (acquisition, sharing and utilization) and subsequently on the operational effectiveness and strategic performance of firms. Contrary to prior research, we found that external knowledge sharing negatively affected performance. These findings support our assertion that KM processes are tied to contingencies that change the relationship between KM outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Applying big data to guide firms’ future industrial marketing strategies

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Mar 28, 2020

Purpose While big data (BD), a transformative emerging phenomenon on its youth, plays a growing r... more Purpose While big data (BD), a transformative emerging phenomenon on its youth, plays a growing role in organizations in improving marketing decision-making, few academic works examine the mechanism through which BD can be applied to guide future competitive advantage strategies. The purpose of this paper is to examine if BD’s predictive power helps business to business (B2B) firms selecting their intended generic (differentiation, focus, and cost leadership) strategies. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the learning theory, the study proposes the use of BD as a key driver of intended strategies. Based on data from a cross-industry sample of executives, a conceptual model is tested using path and robustness analyses. Findings The use of BD plays a prominent role in the selection of intended future strategies in industrial markets. Additional tests demonstrate conditions of competitive intensity and strategic flexibility where BD is more and less beneficial. Research limitations/implications The study furthers the understanding of traditional learning and intelligence use frameworks and of contemporary future strategies drivers. Practical implications BD availability enables managers leveraging knowledge embedded in data-rich systems to gain predictive insights that help in guiding new strategic directions to maintain competitive advantage. Originality/value The study reinforces the continued applicability of Porter’s generic positioning strategies in the digital era. It addresses the paucity of research on BD in B2B context and is the first to provide theoretical and practical reflections on how BD utilization influences industrial intended strategies. The study strengthens contemporary managerial views defending that data drive strategies rather than the opposite.

Research paper thumbnail of Does Firm Strategic International Orientations Synergize?

Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2016

Firm strategic orientations continue to draw scholars’ attention. While research on various aspec... more Firm strategic orientations continue to draw scholars’ attention. While research on various aspects of orientations is voluminous and plethora of research has found orientations to contribute to organizational success and performance, little is known about the interplay among orientations, specifically their possible synergistic interactions and how they affect performance. Although scholars have argued that firms should employ multiple orientations, most prior studies have assessed the impacts of individual orientations on performance. Notably, the international context of orientations have been under-researched. Internationalization in a globalizing world is the most common strategy for expanding sales and allows firms to achieve higher levels of performance.

Research paper thumbnail of Proactive learning culture

International Marketing Review, Sep 2, 2014

Purpose– Although small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a significant portion of ... more Purpose– Although small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a significant portion of international trade, little is known about the role of strategic orientation culture in improving their foreign launch success. Three orientations – market, entrepreneurial, and learning are all related to organizational learning priorities and reflect a higher order dynamic capability (DC), proactive learning culture (PLC). The authors assert that PLC is particularly important to SMEs whose lack of market power and resources render them vulnerable in risky foreign market launch. Marketing program adaptation and local integration are examined as behavioral mediators of the impact of PLC on foreign market launch success. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– The DC framework guides the study. The authors employ a model with a higher order PLC, two mediating behaviors, and firm foreign market launch success to report on an empirical study of US SMEs that operate in foreign markets. The authors used hierarchical regression analysis and extensivepost hocanalyses/robustness checks.Findings– Consistent with the DC framework, SMEs’ foreign launch success is driven by higher and lower order behaviors. The impact of the higher order PLC construct was mediated by two lower order behaviors, marketing program adaptation and local integration. Notably, PLC's influence is stronger than the influence of any subset of its one/two/three first order components.Practical implications– SMEs need to pay attention to an array of organizational learning processes that combine to engender a PLC, which help optimize the deployment of more tangible, lower order behaviors required for foreign launch success.Originality/value– Introducing PLC as a DC that enables firms to proactively develop market-oriented, innovative capabilities using a knowledge-based approach. The elements of PLC reflect a more complete view of the role of learning in driving the assembly of lower order behaviors in foreign market launch, which requires both a market-oriented approach and the ability to innovate under conditions of uncertainty. While each element of PLC is valuable, the higher level impact of all three facilitates a more effective culture for those firms, which choose to enter new markets.

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of cyber regulations and security policies on organizational outcomes: a knowledge management perspective

European Journal of Information Systems, Apr 4, 2021

Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as an operational and strategic organizational tool. Howeve... more Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as an operational and strategic organizational tool. However, the influence of recent cyber regulations (CR) and security policies (SP) on the usefulness of KM, are absent from the literature. This study focuses on the intersection of knowledge management and knowledge fortification. The study employs survey data from a sample of firms and utilizes partial least squares (PLS) with extensive post hoc analyses, to examine the influence of CR and SP on KM core processes (acquisition, sharing and utilization) and subsequently on the operational effectiveness and strategic performance of firms. Contrary to prior research, we found that external knowledge sharing negatively affected performance. These findings support our assertion that KM processes are tied to contingencies that change the relationship between KM outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Reverse Internationalization: A Review and Suggestions for Future Research

Springer eBooks, Oct 21, 2017

Although internationalization (entry and expansion) has been a predominantly important topic in t... more Although internationalization (entry and expansion) has been a predominantly important topic in the literature, there has been little research effort to explain it holistically with firms’ reverse internationalization (RI) behaviors in foreign markets. Despite the progress made to uncover the RI phenomenon, there still exist important issues and nuances within RI where scholarly understanding is scant. The purpose of this chapter is to review the RI phenomenon and encourage scholars and practitioners to examine its role as a topic for scientific inquiry, as well as a tool for managers of international/global organizations. This chapter highlights RI’s distinctiveness, which warrants a separate research stream within or alongside the internationalization process stream and offers suggestions for future developments.

Research paper thumbnail of The role of inter-firm dispersion of international marketing capabilities in marketing strategy and business outcomes

Journal of Business Research, Dec 1, 2019

Despite their increasing practical and theoretical significance in a globalizing world, marketing... more Despite their increasing practical and theoretical significance in a globalizing world, marketing capabilities in an international context and their inter-organizational dispersion remain in the shadow of research. Specifically, the usefulness of direct effects of capabilities and their dispersed organization on certain strategies and firm performance is unclear. Drawing on the Dynamic Capability framework, this study investigates boundary conditions that guide the management of capabilities dispersion and its effects on strategic actions and performance. Employing survey data from a sample of firms, findings show that dispersed capabilities are advantageous due to their ability to help firms accomplish key performance objectives indirectly through developing ability to manage overseas elements (adaptation strategy). Furthermore, firms' decisions regarding dispersing capabilities are contingent where market dynamism and coordination moderate the dispersion-adaptation link. The study deepens knowledge on additional ramifications of marketing capabilities, provides new lenses to view marketing dispersion, and offers guidance to managers.

Research paper thumbnail of Big data and its strategic path to value in international firms

International Marketing Review, May 13, 2019

Purpose One of the major trends in today’s businesses is big data (BD). While research on various... more Purpose One of the major trends in today’s businesses is big data (BD). While research on various aspects of BD is flourishing, little is empirically known about its impact on firms’ strategies. Furthermore, research on the use of BD and its effects in international firms is in its embryonic stage. The purpose of this paper is to explore the BD and international intelligence use relatedness and examine the impact of BD usage on firms’ strategic orientations en route its implications on business performance. Design/methodology/approach The study proposes BD usage as a key driver of strategic orientations and accounts for a mediated relationship of BD usage with international performance through orientations. Based on data from international firms, a conceptual framework is tested using regressions, path analyses, and additional robustness checks. Findings BD appears as having a decidedly strategic focus, and its usage enhances international performance through strategic orientations. The influence of BD is stronger than the influence of any subset of studied orientations. Notably, this influence is strongest when the orientations are treated individually. Research limitations/implications This study furthers contemporary understanding of the international intelligence use system. Notably, it challenges traditional management perceptions that suggest a chosen strategy determines the selection of data, and instead provides evidence that modern firms have altered this approach by embracing opportunities for new strategic value creation presented by BD. Managers should emphasize BD usage throughout strategic orientations. Originality/value The study is the first to provide theoretical and practical reflections on the use of BD in firms’ strategies. Its contributions face up established literature of the causal direction of strategy choices and data applicability in international settings.

Research paper thumbnail of National-Regional Diversification Strategy and Export Performance: An Extended Abstract

Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2017

Diversification strategies continue to draw scholars’ attention, and the globalization trend enco... more Diversification strategies continue to draw scholars’ attention, and the globalization trend encourages managers to seek new diversification strategies. While research on geographic diversification is voluminous, little is known about the simultaneous interplay among national and regional diversification strategies and how their interaction affects performance. This study proposes the export national-regional diversification approach, views it as a source of export flexibility, and examines its effect on export success. Drawing on data from exporting UK firms, findings show that the simultaneous national and regional diversification strategies affect export performance, but these effects are dependent on firm internal and external contingencies. Managers in exporting firms should employ simultaneously national-regional diversification strategies.

Research paper thumbnail of Power dynamics of the international marketing within firms and how they shape international performance

Industrial Marketing Management, Aug 1, 2016

The status of marketing within the firm and its cross-functional interactions continue to draw ac... more The status of marketing within the firm and its cross-functional interactions continue to draw academics and practitioners' attention. Using power, rather than influence, and power asymmetry concepts in an industrial international marketing (IM) context for the first time, the study examines the interface between IM and non-IM functions and investigates whether powerful IM functions benefit international performance. Findings show that IMs are powerful and enhance performance, however to some extent. Power asymmetry between IM and non-marketing functions is related negatively with performance while power asymmetry between IM and non-international marketing function is not related to performance. However, in the presence of international market orientation (IMO) the negative effect of differences between IM and non-marketing functions powers on performance is weaker. Thus, a strategic decision to adopt an IMO, perceived as a power mechanism, potentially has a reviving effect on the IM function, and IMO and the power distribution activity should not be isolated domains of managerial decision-making. The study accounts simultaneously for IM as a distinct function and as an activity-based process and allows refined observation into the marketing functions' interaction.

Research paper thumbnail of How many eggs in how many baskets? National versus regional diversification strategies and export success

Journal of Strategic Marketing, Mar 9, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Applying Big Data To Guide Firms’ Future Industrial Marketing Strategies

Social Science Research Network, 2021

Purpose-While big data (BD), a transformative emerging phenomenon on its youth, plays a growing r... more Purpose-While big data (BD), a transformative emerging phenomenon on its youth, plays a growing role in organizations in improving marketing decision-making, few academic works examine the mechanism through which BD can be applied to guide future competitive advantage strategies. This study examines if BD's predictive power helps B2B firms selecting their intended generic (differentiation, focus, and cost leadership) strategies.

Research paper thumbnail of When does export customer responsiveness strategy contribute to export market competitive advantage?

International Marketing Review, Jun 7, 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the nature of the relationship between export cust... more PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the nature of the relationship between export customer responsiveness and export growth.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses primary data obtained by questioning over 200 exporting firms. The model constructed predicts the export growth of those firms with export customer responsiveness data, together with a variety of moderator and control variables. The model is assessed using multiple regression.FindingsExporters with higher levels of export customer responsiveness often have higher export sales growth rates than those with lower levels of export customer responsiveness, but not always. For some firms, the opposite is true, such that those with lower levels of export customer responsiveness outperform those with higher levels.Originality/valueThe study is the first to provide export decision-makers with empirically grounded recommendations regarding (1) when it is advisable to have high export customer responsiveness levels and (2) those situations when firms may benefit from having lower export customer responsiveness levels.

Research paper thumbnail of How Big Data Utilization Affect Firms Marketing-related Strategies and Performance: An Abstract

Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2020

One of the major trends in today’s businesses that is developing into a new strategic resource is... more One of the major trends in today’s businesses that is developing into a new strategic resource is the transformative big data (BD) phenomenon (Alharthi et al. 2017). While research on low-level operational aspects of BD is flourishing (Lehn 2018), little is known about its impact on firms’ strategies. Strategic orientations guide the firm’s decision-making and action-taking and describe how resources are allocated and employed. While orientations success depends on intelligence (Hakala 2011), BD is a related field of knowledge management (Xu et al. 2016) that provides knowledge that traditional systems cannot provide (Kumar 2018). Hence, firms need to harness the value of data into orientations since it possesses the potential to shift strategic decisions and actions (Mazzei and Noble 2017).

Research paper thumbnail of Export Diversification and Export Performance: A Contingency- and Resource Dependency-Based Assessment

Global fashion management conference proceeding, Jul 30, 2018

The main focus of this paper is the relationship between export diversification and export perfor... more The main focus of this paper is the relationship between export diversification and export performance. The key difference with respect to the previous literature is that export diversification is measured and related to export volume by destination country. The approach is empirical and an aggregate export demand setting is adopted to test the significance and influence of export diversification, measured via the Herfindahl index, on export performance by destination country. The econometric estimation is performed using export data for Spain to its partner countries for the period 1999-2011. The main finding is the positive relationship between Spanish export concentration and export performance by destination market. This finding is shown to be robust to several econometric specifications.

Research paper thumbnail of International Marketing Strategy Planning and Performance: The Roles of Market Sensing and Tolerance for Failure

Global Fashion Management Conference

Research paper thumbnail of International marketing doctrine: the use of guiding principles

International Marketing Review, Aug 5, 2020

Purpose-Marketing doctrine (MD) refers to a "firm's unique principles, distilled from its experie... more Purpose-Marketing doctrine (MD) refers to a "firm's unique principles, distilled from its experiences, which provide firm-wide guidance on market-facing choices" (Challagalla et al., 2014, p. 4). Drawing on the knowledgebased view, the purpose of this paper is to develop a model of how MD is used and provide the first quantitative test of its relationship with business success. Design/methodology/approach-The authors advance the understanding of MD by providing a mixed-methods paper. In Study 1, a survey-based quantitative study was used. The final sample comprised 349 internationally active strategic business units (SBUs) of Israeli firms. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Study 2 provides insights into the use of MD based on 20 in-depth interviews. Findings-The cross-sectional evidence shows that there tends to be more MD Use in higher-performing firms. The important roles of MD Clarity and MD Knowledgeability as mobilising processes of MD Use are demonstrated. Learning by doing impacts MD Use only through MD Clarity and MD Knowledgeability. Practical implications-MD is a new strategic tool that can be applied practically. MD may provide a straightforward way of communication between international ventures. MD Use may allow global consistency and flexibility within local markets, simultaneously. Therefore, marketing managers are advised to supplement MD to their portfolio of management tools. Originality/value-This paper is the first to investigate empirically, through newly developed scales, whether and how MD's core processes (learning by doing, MD Clarity, MD Knowledgeability and MD Use) are related to the success of international ventures.

Research paper thumbnail of Translating strategy into action: The importance of an agile mindset and agile slack in international business

International Business Review

Research paper thumbnail of National-Regional Diversification Strategy and Export Performance: An Extended Abstract

Marketing at the Confluence between Entertainment and Analytics, 2017

Diversification strategies continue to draw scholars’ attention, and the globalization trend enco... more Diversification strategies continue to draw scholars’ attention, and the globalization trend encourages managers to seek new diversification strategies. While research on geographic diversification is voluminous, little is known about the simultaneous interplay among national and regional diversification strategies and how their interaction affects performance. This study proposes the export national-regional diversification approach, views it as a source of export flexibility, and examines its effect on export success. Drawing on data from exporting UK firms, findings show that the simultaneous national and regional diversification strategies affect export performance, but these effects are dependent on firm internal and external contingencies. Managers in exporting firms should employ simultaneously national-regional diversification strategies.

Research paper thumbnail of When and how digital novel technologies matter to firm marketing performance

Journal of marketing analytics, Feb 12, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of The Effects of Cyber Regulations and Security Policies on Organizational Outcomes: A Knowledge Management Perspective

Social Science Research Network, 2021

Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as an operational and strategic organizational tool. Howeve... more Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as an operational and strategic organizational tool. However, the influence of recent cyber regulations (CR) and security policies (SP) on the usefulness of KM, are absent from the literature. This study focuses on the intersection of knowledge management and knowledge fortification. The study employs survey data from a sample of firms and utilizes partial least squares (PLS) with extensive post hoc analyses, to examine the influence of CR and SP on KM core processes (acquisition, sharing and utilization) and subsequently on the operational effectiveness and strategic performance of firms. Contrary to prior research, we found that external knowledge sharing negatively affected performance. These findings support our assertion that KM processes are tied to contingencies that change the relationship between KM outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Applying big data to guide firms’ future industrial marketing strategies

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Mar 28, 2020

Purpose While big data (BD), a transformative emerging phenomenon on its youth, plays a growing r... more Purpose While big data (BD), a transformative emerging phenomenon on its youth, plays a growing role in organizations in improving marketing decision-making, few academic works examine the mechanism through which BD can be applied to guide future competitive advantage strategies. The purpose of this paper is to examine if BD’s predictive power helps business to business (B2B) firms selecting their intended generic (differentiation, focus, and cost leadership) strategies. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the learning theory, the study proposes the use of BD as a key driver of intended strategies. Based on data from a cross-industry sample of executives, a conceptual model is tested using path and robustness analyses. Findings The use of BD plays a prominent role in the selection of intended future strategies in industrial markets. Additional tests demonstrate conditions of competitive intensity and strategic flexibility where BD is more and less beneficial. Research limitations/implications The study furthers the understanding of traditional learning and intelligence use frameworks and of contemporary future strategies drivers. Practical implications BD availability enables managers leveraging knowledge embedded in data-rich systems to gain predictive insights that help in guiding new strategic directions to maintain competitive advantage. Originality/value The study reinforces the continued applicability of Porter’s generic positioning strategies in the digital era. It addresses the paucity of research on BD in B2B context and is the first to provide theoretical and practical reflections on how BD utilization influences industrial intended strategies. The study strengthens contemporary managerial views defending that data drive strategies rather than the opposite.

Research paper thumbnail of Does Firm Strategic International Orientations Synergize?

Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2016

Firm strategic orientations continue to draw scholars’ attention. While research on various aspec... more Firm strategic orientations continue to draw scholars’ attention. While research on various aspects of orientations is voluminous and plethora of research has found orientations to contribute to organizational success and performance, little is known about the interplay among orientations, specifically their possible synergistic interactions and how they affect performance. Although scholars have argued that firms should employ multiple orientations, most prior studies have assessed the impacts of individual orientations on performance. Notably, the international context of orientations have been under-researched. Internationalization in a globalizing world is the most common strategy for expanding sales and allows firms to achieve higher levels of performance.

Research paper thumbnail of Proactive learning culture

International Marketing Review, Sep 2, 2014

Purpose– Although small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a significant portion of ... more Purpose– Although small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a significant portion of international trade, little is known about the role of strategic orientation culture in improving their foreign launch success. Three orientations – market, entrepreneurial, and learning are all related to organizational learning priorities and reflect a higher order dynamic capability (DC), proactive learning culture (PLC). The authors assert that PLC is particularly important to SMEs whose lack of market power and resources render them vulnerable in risky foreign market launch. Marketing program adaptation and local integration are examined as behavioral mediators of the impact of PLC on foreign market launch success. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– The DC framework guides the study. The authors employ a model with a higher order PLC, two mediating behaviors, and firm foreign market launch success to report on an empirical study of US SMEs that operate in foreign markets. The authors used hierarchical regression analysis and extensivepost hocanalyses/robustness checks.Findings– Consistent with the DC framework, SMEs’ foreign launch success is driven by higher and lower order behaviors. The impact of the higher order PLC construct was mediated by two lower order behaviors, marketing program adaptation and local integration. Notably, PLC's influence is stronger than the influence of any subset of its one/two/three first order components.Practical implications– SMEs need to pay attention to an array of organizational learning processes that combine to engender a PLC, which help optimize the deployment of more tangible, lower order behaviors required for foreign launch success.Originality/value– Introducing PLC as a DC that enables firms to proactively develop market-oriented, innovative capabilities using a knowledge-based approach. The elements of PLC reflect a more complete view of the role of learning in driving the assembly of lower order behaviors in foreign market launch, which requires both a market-oriented approach and the ability to innovate under conditions of uncertainty. While each element of PLC is valuable, the higher level impact of all three facilitates a more effective culture for those firms, which choose to enter new markets.

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of cyber regulations and security policies on organizational outcomes: a knowledge management perspective

European Journal of Information Systems, Apr 4, 2021

Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as an operational and strategic organizational tool. Howeve... more Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as an operational and strategic organizational tool. However, the influence of recent cyber regulations (CR) and security policies (SP) on the usefulness of KM, are absent from the literature. This study focuses on the intersection of knowledge management and knowledge fortification. The study employs survey data from a sample of firms and utilizes partial least squares (PLS) with extensive post hoc analyses, to examine the influence of CR and SP on KM core processes (acquisition, sharing and utilization) and subsequently on the operational effectiveness and strategic performance of firms. Contrary to prior research, we found that external knowledge sharing negatively affected performance. These findings support our assertion that KM processes are tied to contingencies that change the relationship between KM outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Reverse Internationalization: A Review and Suggestions for Future Research

Springer eBooks, Oct 21, 2017

Although internationalization (entry and expansion) has been a predominantly important topic in t... more Although internationalization (entry and expansion) has been a predominantly important topic in the literature, there has been little research effort to explain it holistically with firms’ reverse internationalization (RI) behaviors in foreign markets. Despite the progress made to uncover the RI phenomenon, there still exist important issues and nuances within RI where scholarly understanding is scant. The purpose of this chapter is to review the RI phenomenon and encourage scholars and practitioners to examine its role as a topic for scientific inquiry, as well as a tool for managers of international/global organizations. This chapter highlights RI’s distinctiveness, which warrants a separate research stream within or alongside the internationalization process stream and offers suggestions for future developments.

Research paper thumbnail of The role of inter-firm dispersion of international marketing capabilities in marketing strategy and business outcomes

Journal of Business Research, Dec 1, 2019

Despite their increasing practical and theoretical significance in a globalizing world, marketing... more Despite their increasing practical and theoretical significance in a globalizing world, marketing capabilities in an international context and their inter-organizational dispersion remain in the shadow of research. Specifically, the usefulness of direct effects of capabilities and their dispersed organization on certain strategies and firm performance is unclear. Drawing on the Dynamic Capability framework, this study investigates boundary conditions that guide the management of capabilities dispersion and its effects on strategic actions and performance. Employing survey data from a sample of firms, findings show that dispersed capabilities are advantageous due to their ability to help firms accomplish key performance objectives indirectly through developing ability to manage overseas elements (adaptation strategy). Furthermore, firms' decisions regarding dispersing capabilities are contingent where market dynamism and coordination moderate the dispersion-adaptation link. The study deepens knowledge on additional ramifications of marketing capabilities, provides new lenses to view marketing dispersion, and offers guidance to managers.

Research paper thumbnail of Big data and its strategic path to value in international firms

International Marketing Review, May 13, 2019

Purpose One of the major trends in today’s businesses is big data (BD). While research on various... more Purpose One of the major trends in today’s businesses is big data (BD). While research on various aspects of BD is flourishing, little is empirically known about its impact on firms’ strategies. Furthermore, research on the use of BD and its effects in international firms is in its embryonic stage. The purpose of this paper is to explore the BD and international intelligence use relatedness and examine the impact of BD usage on firms’ strategic orientations en route its implications on business performance. Design/methodology/approach The study proposes BD usage as a key driver of strategic orientations and accounts for a mediated relationship of BD usage with international performance through orientations. Based on data from international firms, a conceptual framework is tested using regressions, path analyses, and additional robustness checks. Findings BD appears as having a decidedly strategic focus, and its usage enhances international performance through strategic orientations. The influence of BD is stronger than the influence of any subset of studied orientations. Notably, this influence is strongest when the orientations are treated individually. Research limitations/implications This study furthers contemporary understanding of the international intelligence use system. Notably, it challenges traditional management perceptions that suggest a chosen strategy determines the selection of data, and instead provides evidence that modern firms have altered this approach by embracing opportunities for new strategic value creation presented by BD. Managers should emphasize BD usage throughout strategic orientations. Originality/value The study is the first to provide theoretical and practical reflections on the use of BD in firms’ strategies. Its contributions face up established literature of the causal direction of strategy choices and data applicability in international settings.

Research paper thumbnail of National-Regional Diversification Strategy and Export Performance: An Extended Abstract

Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2017

Diversification strategies continue to draw scholars’ attention, and the globalization trend enco... more Diversification strategies continue to draw scholars’ attention, and the globalization trend encourages managers to seek new diversification strategies. While research on geographic diversification is voluminous, little is known about the simultaneous interplay among national and regional diversification strategies and how their interaction affects performance. This study proposes the export national-regional diversification approach, views it as a source of export flexibility, and examines its effect on export success. Drawing on data from exporting UK firms, findings show that the simultaneous national and regional diversification strategies affect export performance, but these effects are dependent on firm internal and external contingencies. Managers in exporting firms should employ simultaneously national-regional diversification strategies.

Research paper thumbnail of Power dynamics of the international marketing within firms and how they shape international performance

Industrial Marketing Management, Aug 1, 2016

The status of marketing within the firm and its cross-functional interactions continue to draw ac... more The status of marketing within the firm and its cross-functional interactions continue to draw academics and practitioners' attention. Using power, rather than influence, and power asymmetry concepts in an industrial international marketing (IM) context for the first time, the study examines the interface between IM and non-IM functions and investigates whether powerful IM functions benefit international performance. Findings show that IMs are powerful and enhance performance, however to some extent. Power asymmetry between IM and non-marketing functions is related negatively with performance while power asymmetry between IM and non-international marketing function is not related to performance. However, in the presence of international market orientation (IMO) the negative effect of differences between IM and non-marketing functions powers on performance is weaker. Thus, a strategic decision to adopt an IMO, perceived as a power mechanism, potentially has a reviving effect on the IM function, and IMO and the power distribution activity should not be isolated domains of managerial decision-making. The study accounts simultaneously for IM as a distinct function and as an activity-based process and allows refined observation into the marketing functions' interaction.

Research paper thumbnail of How many eggs in how many baskets? National versus regional diversification strategies and export success

Journal of Strategic Marketing, Mar 9, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Applying Big Data To Guide Firms’ Future Industrial Marketing Strategies

Social Science Research Network, 2021

Purpose-While big data (BD), a transformative emerging phenomenon on its youth, plays a growing r... more Purpose-While big data (BD), a transformative emerging phenomenon on its youth, plays a growing role in organizations in improving marketing decision-making, few academic works examine the mechanism through which BD can be applied to guide future competitive advantage strategies. This study examines if BD's predictive power helps B2B firms selecting their intended generic (differentiation, focus, and cost leadership) strategies.

Research paper thumbnail of When does export customer responsiveness strategy contribute to export market competitive advantage?

International Marketing Review, Jun 7, 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the nature of the relationship between export cust... more PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the nature of the relationship between export customer responsiveness and export growth.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses primary data obtained by questioning over 200 exporting firms. The model constructed predicts the export growth of those firms with export customer responsiveness data, together with a variety of moderator and control variables. The model is assessed using multiple regression.FindingsExporters with higher levels of export customer responsiveness often have higher export sales growth rates than those with lower levels of export customer responsiveness, but not always. For some firms, the opposite is true, such that those with lower levels of export customer responsiveness outperform those with higher levels.Originality/valueThe study is the first to provide export decision-makers with empirically grounded recommendations regarding (1) when it is advisable to have high export customer responsiveness levels and (2) those situations when firms may benefit from having lower export customer responsiveness levels.

Research paper thumbnail of How Big Data Utilization Affect Firms Marketing-related Strategies and Performance: An Abstract

Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2020

One of the major trends in today’s businesses that is developing into a new strategic resource is... more One of the major trends in today’s businesses that is developing into a new strategic resource is the transformative big data (BD) phenomenon (Alharthi et al. 2017). While research on low-level operational aspects of BD is flourishing (Lehn 2018), little is known about its impact on firms’ strategies. Strategic orientations guide the firm’s decision-making and action-taking and describe how resources are allocated and employed. While orientations success depends on intelligence (Hakala 2011), BD is a related field of knowledge management (Xu et al. 2016) that provides knowledge that traditional systems cannot provide (Kumar 2018). Hence, firms need to harness the value of data into orientations since it possesses the potential to shift strategic decisions and actions (Mazzei and Noble 2017).

Research paper thumbnail of Export Diversification and Export Performance: A Contingency- and Resource Dependency-Based Assessment

Global fashion management conference proceeding, Jul 30, 2018

The main focus of this paper is the relationship between export diversification and export perfor... more The main focus of this paper is the relationship between export diversification and export performance. The key difference with respect to the previous literature is that export diversification is measured and related to export volume by destination country. The approach is empirical and an aggregate export demand setting is adopted to test the significance and influence of export diversification, measured via the Herfindahl index, on export performance by destination country. The econometric estimation is performed using export data for Spain to its partner countries for the period 1999-2011. The main finding is the positive relationship between Spanish export concentration and export performance by destination market. This finding is shown to be robust to several econometric specifications.

Research paper thumbnail of International Marketing Strategy Planning and Performance: The Roles of Market Sensing and Tolerance for Failure

Global Fashion Management Conference

Research paper thumbnail of International marketing doctrine: the use of guiding principles

International Marketing Review, Aug 5, 2020

Purpose-Marketing doctrine (MD) refers to a "firm's unique principles, distilled from its experie... more Purpose-Marketing doctrine (MD) refers to a "firm's unique principles, distilled from its experiences, which provide firm-wide guidance on market-facing choices" (Challagalla et al., 2014, p. 4). Drawing on the knowledgebased view, the purpose of this paper is to develop a model of how MD is used and provide the first quantitative test of its relationship with business success. Design/methodology/approach-The authors advance the understanding of MD by providing a mixed-methods paper. In Study 1, a survey-based quantitative study was used. The final sample comprised 349 internationally active strategic business units (SBUs) of Israeli firms. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Study 2 provides insights into the use of MD based on 20 in-depth interviews. Findings-The cross-sectional evidence shows that there tends to be more MD Use in higher-performing firms. The important roles of MD Clarity and MD Knowledgeability as mobilising processes of MD Use are demonstrated. Learning by doing impacts MD Use only through MD Clarity and MD Knowledgeability. Practical implications-MD is a new strategic tool that can be applied practically. MD may provide a straightforward way of communication between international ventures. MD Use may allow global consistency and flexibility within local markets, simultaneously. Therefore, marketing managers are advised to supplement MD to their portfolio of management tools. Originality/value-This paper is the first to investigate empirically, through newly developed scales, whether and how MD's core processes (learning by doing, MD Clarity, MD Knowledgeability and MD Use) are related to the success of international ventures.

Research paper thumbnail of Translating strategy into action: The importance of an agile mindset and agile slack in international business

International Business Review

Research paper thumbnail of National-Regional Diversification Strategy and Export Performance: An Extended Abstract

Marketing at the Confluence between Entertainment and Analytics, 2017

Diversification strategies continue to draw scholars’ attention, and the globalization trend enco... more Diversification strategies continue to draw scholars’ attention, and the globalization trend encourages managers to seek new diversification strategies. While research on geographic diversification is voluminous, little is known about the simultaneous interplay among national and regional diversification strategies and how their interaction affects performance. This study proposes the export national-regional diversification approach, views it as a source of export flexibility, and examines its effect on export success. Drawing on data from exporting UK firms, findings show that the simultaneous national and regional diversification strategies affect export performance, but these effects are dependent on firm internal and external contingencies. Managers in exporting firms should employ simultaneously national-regional diversification strategies.

Research paper thumbnail of Knowledge Sharing or Knowledge Protection? The Effects of Cyber Regulations and Security Policies on Firms’ Market Orientation and Performance

Firms today operate in data-rich environments. Information has become one of the major strategic ... more Firms today operate in data-rich environments. Information has become one of the major strategic business assets. Intra-and inter-organizational sharing of information and knowledge offer opportunities for companies to achieve competitive advantage and financial benefits. However, extensive data sharing between organizations also poses concerns about consumer privacy and data security. Scholars have also called on to identify directions for data analytics methods that focus on customers' privacy and data security. The collection of marketing big data, their examination via marketing analytics methods (e.g., examining their applications to structured and unstructured data generated internally or externally), and their potential to support marketing decisions relate to firms' marketing concept is termed market orientation (MO). MO is defined as the generation and dissemination of, and responsiveness to market knowledge. Although marketing research suggest that MO increases firm performance, recent studies argue that certain environmental conditions may moderate the relationship between MO and performance. In this research-in-progress, we propose a model that examines the moderating effects of privacy regulations and information security policies on the relationships between MO and firm's performance. Privacy regulations are external to the organization and are often beyond management control. Information security policies are internal to the organization and may be adjusted to meet organizational strategic goals. Therefore, we expect that privacy regulations will negatively affect all three components of MO's relationships with a firm's profits, while security policies will negatively affect the relationship between knowledge dissemination and responsiveness with a firm's profits.