Richard Plank | University of South Florida (original) (raw)
Papers by Richard Plank
Journal of Business-to-business Marketing, Apr 3, 2015
Volume 21 continues the history of presentation of work that provides meaning to both the academi... more Volume 21 continues the history of presentation of work that provides meaning to both the academic and practitioner. In the preface the authors note this volume contains 13 case studies, all of which are very different from each other but can be organized loosely into four types of presentations: organized short form storytelling, longer form storytelling, theory development, and case methodology. They make a strong case for the value of case research which is not new but is worth repeating. Although the authors of the 13 cases vary geographically, most of them are from Europe, which has a long history of using cases and other qualitative methods to understand business-tobusiness (B-to-B) marketing. Each case will be discussed in turn.
International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, 2016
Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a taxonomy of the impact of sales process regu... more Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a taxonomy of the impact of sales process regulations, guidance statements and laws (henceforth, referred to as “regulations”) on sales behaviours within the pharmaceutical industry, particularly as it relates to those within the USA. Design/methodology/approach Given the large number of regulations, guidance statements and laws and sales behaviours that comprise the domain of this study, this research uses a “multicenter, parallel-arm clinical trial data gathering method”. This approach aggregated or “stacked” the responses from three individual questionnaires; 7,493 total observations generated by 381 respondents were analyzed. Findings The analysis produced a six-cluster solution of regulations, guidance statements and laws indicating distinct taxonomic structures of items that affect selling activities. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted with a single firm in the USA. Therefore, results may not be appli...
Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing, 2013
The common thread of the five papers in this volume is that making sense and achieving deep knowl... more The common thread of the five papers in this volume is that making sense and achieving deep knowledge of three-plus B2B relationships are necessary antecedents for achieving high operating effectiveness, high
In real estate, as well as other sales-related jobs, creating strong partnerships between buyers ... more In real estate, as well as other sales-related jobs, creating strong partnerships between buyers and sellers is one of the keys to business success. Understanding the types of behaviors that help foster this partnership is of great importance to salespeople who want to build lasting relationships. By developing strong loyalty among their customers, salespeople create a competitive advantage because these long-term relationships help drive repeat sales as well as provide references and word-of-mouth that help to attract new customers. Developing Relationship Loyalty Relationship loyalty can be defined as the client's perception that it is in their best interest to continue buying from the supplier (Plank et al. 2006). In essence, if customers perceive that value is inherent in the products and services provided, as well as in the relationship between buyer and seller, the buyer is more likely to remain loyal to that supplier. According to Newell and his colleagues (2011), there are at least three major salesperson attributes and behaviors that significantly affect loyalty: perceptions of trust, personal relationship behaviors, and consultative behaviors.
Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2015
The CETSCALE, a 17-item measure of ethnocentrism, was subjected to a validation test in the Armen... more The CETSCALE, a 17-item measure of ethnocentrism, was subjected to a validation test in the Armenian language using a 276 respondent data set collected in Soviet Armenia. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 17-item single factor model found by Shimp and Sharma (1987) does not fit the Soviet Armenian sample response pattern. However, a revised two factor model consisting of five and four items, respectively, discriminates adequately and is conceptually useful in this particular situation.
Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2015
Virtually nothing seems to be known about the readership of the business press by international m... more Virtually nothing seems to be known about the readership of the business press by international managers. This paper reports on a business press readership study of international managers working in the State of Connecticut. The study sought to determine what they read and what their information requirements were with regard to their international business activities. We found that the respondents to this survey tend to read general and industry specific magazines and newspapers. The Wall Street Journal overwhelms all others as the best single source of international business information. Foreign exchange and tariff regulations are the types of information most often requested. Not surprisingly, Europe, Canada, and the Far East rank as regions of the world respondents most want information on. Directions for future research are suggested.
International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Jun 6, 2016
Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a taxonomy of the impact of sales process regu... more Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a taxonomy of the impact of sales process regulations, guidance statements and laws (henceforth, referred to as “regulations”) on sales behaviours within the pharmaceutical industry, particularly as it relates to those within the USA. Design/methodology/approach Given the large number of regulations, guidance statements and laws and sales behaviours that comprise the domain of this study, this research uses a “multicenter, parallel-arm clinical trial data gathering method”. This approach aggregated or “stacked” the responses from three individual questionnaires; 7,493 total observations generated by 381 respondents were analyzed. Findings The analysis produced a six-cluster solution of regulations, guidance statements and laws indicating distinct taxonomic structures of items that affect selling activities. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted with a single firm in the USA. Therefore, results may not be applicable to other geographical areas, firms and industries. Practical Implications The knowledge of which behaviours are perceived by the salespeople to be impacted by what regulations, guidance statements and laws provides managers with a useful tool to sort their own companies’ regulations on the basis of the classification scheme. Originality/value This paper provides a novel taxonomic approach to organize sales activities affected by regulations, guidance statements and laws which provides a look at the unintended consequences of the item not compliance. Additionally, it uses a research methodology relatively unknown to social science inquiry.
Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Mar 4, 2014
Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline the usage of interactive marketing tools in the ... more Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline the usage of interactive marketing tools in the area of sales and operations planning (S&OP) to further collaboration among supply chain partners. Emergent challenges and research directions are proposed.Design/methodology/approach– Using extant literature from S&OP, supply chain management and interactive marketing, the authors integrate those to show the value of using interactive marketing tools to further integration across the supply chain of important S&OP processes.Findings– S&OP utilizes sophisticated software to integrate various business processes beyond B2C and into B2B relationships.Research limitations/implications– Uncertainty exists as to the measurement of the performance of a supply chain, or the network or system of companies, is not developed enough to deal with that issue. However, this is addressed in the research questions section.Practical implications– The practical implications for the use of integrative marketing tools to link B2C as well as B2B partners through S&OP are numerous and far reaching.Originality/value– This study uniquely examines the use of interactive marketing tools for B2B, as opposed to simply B2C.
Routledge eBooks, Jul 24, 2020
Journal of Business-to-business Marketing, Apr 3, 2015
The volume essentially begins with the transcript of an interview between the editor and Dan Nime... more The volume essentially begins with the transcript of an interview between the editor and Dan Nimer. Mr. Nimer has some 60+ years of experience in pricing and is considered a founding luminary within the practitioner community on pricing in organizations. The interview begins with a discussion of the history of value pricing which Mr. Nimer first developed back at Zenith, then a maker of television sets among other things. In course of the interview the entire process and thinking behind it is illuminated and for those who have little knowledge of the concept of value pricing this is an easy read and provides understanding of how this went about and how new it truly was in an era where cost plus pricing was done by virtually everyone. The second contribution is an exposition of the basic principles of pricing written by the editor and Mr. Nimer. It starts with a very enlightening history of pricing, with emphasis on the past 50 years; something few treatments in textbooks do very well. It then expounds on the basic aspects of constructing prices such as pricing objectives with a historical context. The discussion of value pricing expands greatly on the interview noted above with a historical context that delineates the various views of value over time and the pricing schools of thought related to them. The article then continues with an extensive discussion of financial analysis and incremental consisting applied to pricing, has a good discussion of price sensitivity, and again in all cases provides historical context. Although some of this material was new to the reader, much of it was not. What was critical in my eyes was the historical context that greatly added to the understanding of why things occurred. Although having its “deep moments,” this article is a great read for an MBA group when you get to the pricing section of an MBA marketing management course.
Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, Dec 15, 2014
Process mapping is a procedure that involves tracing and describing a particular process of inter... more Process mapping is a procedure that involves tracing and describing a particular process of interest to the user. The actual process mapping activity can look at communication flows, physical movement, flow of work activities or any number of sets of sequences in some continuous activity. The general purpose of such an activity is to determine where and how the process under scrutiny can either be improved or, perhaps, totally “reengineered.” The particular skills are very useful to marketing practitioners and hence marketing students. This paper discusses the application of process mapping as an experiential learning exercise for graduate students in a marketing management class setting. How the method has been used, including a complete discussion of a specific project dealing with an attempt to optimize the sales call process of the trust division of a bank, is the primary focus of the work.
Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2015
A fundamental objective of marketing principles textbooks is to disseminate the language of the d... more A fundamental objective of marketing principles textbooks is to disseminate the language of the discipline. This paper reports on a content analysis of 15 typical uncfaer-graduate principles of marketing books to ascertain what terms and concepts constitute the lexicon of marketing. The results are revealing as it is patent that there is little consensus as to a common language of this academic specialty, at least from the perspective of undergraduate principles of marketing textbooks. The authors go on to suggest one possible list of standardized marketing terms, primarily to hasten the dialogue that is perceived as necessary, if the field is to more rapidly develop a consensus on its lexicon.
Research: Skilled in theory development, measurement, and data analysis. Primary interest is the ... more Research: Skilled in theory development, measurement, and data analysis. Primary interest is the intersection of buyer and seller in business markets, primarily manufacturing settings and innovative situations. Current research includes various issues of sales performance and specific issues in industrial buying. Also, currently doing research in selected aspects of electronic marketing, from an innovation perspective. Current interests also include strategic supply chain management and issues in pharmaceutical marketing. Primary focus is more applied research, including action research. Research training at the Ph. D level has centered on innovation and innovation models Teaching: Skilled in developing solid yet innovative educational experiences for students. I am currently involved in teaching sales and sales management related courses as well as marketing research, primarily at the undergraduate level. All courses provide students will multiple opportunities to learn by doing an...
Fundamentals of Business Marketing Education, 2020
... a procedure for designing effective relationship marketing strat-egies; and • the critical de... more ... a procedure for designing effective relationship marketing strat-egies; and • the critical determinants of success in managing strategic alli-ances. ... resources all flow through the entire value creation process in an effective and efficient manner (Cooper, Lambert, and Pagh 1997). ...
Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 2018
This article analyzes empirical research in which the sales manager is the unit of analysis to de... more This article analyzes empirical research in which the sales manager is the unit of analysis to determine what knowledge has been generated by sales scholars about sales managers and sales management practice. It examines what we have learned from sales managers about their jobs and themselves with particular emphasis on the managerial relevance of the work. While the sales literature is vast and despite the importance of sales managers being widely recognized and accepted, an extensive search of the sales literature identified only 163 articles in which the sales manager was the focus of empirical research about what they do. To help better understand what has been discovered, these articles are examined and categorized according to the main focus of each article's research. The results show that with respect to sales managers, our knowledge is limited and substantial opportunities exist for additional research to expand our understanding of the nature, roles, and impact of sales managers as well as providing usable advice for the practice of sales management.
Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 2015
The author, head of a supply chain research firm, Supply Chain Insights, has over 35 years’ exper... more The author, head of a supply chain research firm, Supply Chain Insights, has over 35 years’ experience in the practice of supply chain management. The book, based on research done by her firm, prov...
Journal of Business-to-business Marketing, Apr 3, 2015
Volume 21 continues the history of presentation of work that provides meaning to both the academi... more Volume 21 continues the history of presentation of work that provides meaning to both the academic and practitioner. In the preface the authors note this volume contains 13 case studies, all of which are very different from each other but can be organized loosely into four types of presentations: organized short form storytelling, longer form storytelling, theory development, and case methodology. They make a strong case for the value of case research which is not new but is worth repeating. Although the authors of the 13 cases vary geographically, most of them are from Europe, which has a long history of using cases and other qualitative methods to understand business-tobusiness (B-to-B) marketing. Each case will be discussed in turn.
International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, 2016
Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a taxonomy of the impact of sales process regu... more Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a taxonomy of the impact of sales process regulations, guidance statements and laws (henceforth, referred to as “regulations”) on sales behaviours within the pharmaceutical industry, particularly as it relates to those within the USA. Design/methodology/approach Given the large number of regulations, guidance statements and laws and sales behaviours that comprise the domain of this study, this research uses a “multicenter, parallel-arm clinical trial data gathering method”. This approach aggregated or “stacked” the responses from three individual questionnaires; 7,493 total observations generated by 381 respondents were analyzed. Findings The analysis produced a six-cluster solution of regulations, guidance statements and laws indicating distinct taxonomic structures of items that affect selling activities. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted with a single firm in the USA. Therefore, results may not be appli...
Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing, 2013
The common thread of the five papers in this volume is that making sense and achieving deep knowl... more The common thread of the five papers in this volume is that making sense and achieving deep knowledge of three-plus B2B relationships are necessary antecedents for achieving high operating effectiveness, high
In real estate, as well as other sales-related jobs, creating strong partnerships between buyers ... more In real estate, as well as other sales-related jobs, creating strong partnerships between buyers and sellers is one of the keys to business success. Understanding the types of behaviors that help foster this partnership is of great importance to salespeople who want to build lasting relationships. By developing strong loyalty among their customers, salespeople create a competitive advantage because these long-term relationships help drive repeat sales as well as provide references and word-of-mouth that help to attract new customers. Developing Relationship Loyalty Relationship loyalty can be defined as the client's perception that it is in their best interest to continue buying from the supplier (Plank et al. 2006). In essence, if customers perceive that value is inherent in the products and services provided, as well as in the relationship between buyer and seller, the buyer is more likely to remain loyal to that supplier. According to Newell and his colleagues (2011), there are at least three major salesperson attributes and behaviors that significantly affect loyalty: perceptions of trust, personal relationship behaviors, and consultative behaviors.
Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2015
The CETSCALE, a 17-item measure of ethnocentrism, was subjected to a validation test in the Armen... more The CETSCALE, a 17-item measure of ethnocentrism, was subjected to a validation test in the Armenian language using a 276 respondent data set collected in Soviet Armenia. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 17-item single factor model found by Shimp and Sharma (1987) does not fit the Soviet Armenian sample response pattern. However, a revised two factor model consisting of five and four items, respectively, discriminates adequately and is conceptually useful in this particular situation.
Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2015
Virtually nothing seems to be known about the readership of the business press by international m... more Virtually nothing seems to be known about the readership of the business press by international managers. This paper reports on a business press readership study of international managers working in the State of Connecticut. The study sought to determine what they read and what their information requirements were with regard to their international business activities. We found that the respondents to this survey tend to read general and industry specific magazines and newspapers. The Wall Street Journal overwhelms all others as the best single source of international business information. Foreign exchange and tariff regulations are the types of information most often requested. Not surprisingly, Europe, Canada, and the Far East rank as regions of the world respondents most want information on. Directions for future research are suggested.
International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Jun 6, 2016
Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a taxonomy of the impact of sales process regu... more Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a taxonomy of the impact of sales process regulations, guidance statements and laws (henceforth, referred to as “regulations”) on sales behaviours within the pharmaceutical industry, particularly as it relates to those within the USA. Design/methodology/approach Given the large number of regulations, guidance statements and laws and sales behaviours that comprise the domain of this study, this research uses a “multicenter, parallel-arm clinical trial data gathering method”. This approach aggregated or “stacked” the responses from three individual questionnaires; 7,493 total observations generated by 381 respondents were analyzed. Findings The analysis produced a six-cluster solution of regulations, guidance statements and laws indicating distinct taxonomic structures of items that affect selling activities. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted with a single firm in the USA. Therefore, results may not be applicable to other geographical areas, firms and industries. Practical Implications The knowledge of which behaviours are perceived by the salespeople to be impacted by what regulations, guidance statements and laws provides managers with a useful tool to sort their own companies’ regulations on the basis of the classification scheme. Originality/value This paper provides a novel taxonomic approach to organize sales activities affected by regulations, guidance statements and laws which provides a look at the unintended consequences of the item not compliance. Additionally, it uses a research methodology relatively unknown to social science inquiry.
Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Mar 4, 2014
Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline the usage of interactive marketing tools in the ... more Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline the usage of interactive marketing tools in the area of sales and operations planning (S&OP) to further collaboration among supply chain partners. Emergent challenges and research directions are proposed.Design/methodology/approach– Using extant literature from S&OP, supply chain management and interactive marketing, the authors integrate those to show the value of using interactive marketing tools to further integration across the supply chain of important S&OP processes.Findings– S&OP utilizes sophisticated software to integrate various business processes beyond B2C and into B2B relationships.Research limitations/implications– Uncertainty exists as to the measurement of the performance of a supply chain, or the network or system of companies, is not developed enough to deal with that issue. However, this is addressed in the research questions section.Practical implications– The practical implications for the use of integrative marketing tools to link B2C as well as B2B partners through S&OP are numerous and far reaching.Originality/value– This study uniquely examines the use of interactive marketing tools for B2B, as opposed to simply B2C.
Routledge eBooks, Jul 24, 2020
Journal of Business-to-business Marketing, Apr 3, 2015
The volume essentially begins with the transcript of an interview between the editor and Dan Nime... more The volume essentially begins with the transcript of an interview between the editor and Dan Nimer. Mr. Nimer has some 60+ years of experience in pricing and is considered a founding luminary within the practitioner community on pricing in organizations. The interview begins with a discussion of the history of value pricing which Mr. Nimer first developed back at Zenith, then a maker of television sets among other things. In course of the interview the entire process and thinking behind it is illuminated and for those who have little knowledge of the concept of value pricing this is an easy read and provides understanding of how this went about and how new it truly was in an era where cost plus pricing was done by virtually everyone. The second contribution is an exposition of the basic principles of pricing written by the editor and Mr. Nimer. It starts with a very enlightening history of pricing, with emphasis on the past 50 years; something few treatments in textbooks do very well. It then expounds on the basic aspects of constructing prices such as pricing objectives with a historical context. The discussion of value pricing expands greatly on the interview noted above with a historical context that delineates the various views of value over time and the pricing schools of thought related to them. The article then continues with an extensive discussion of financial analysis and incremental consisting applied to pricing, has a good discussion of price sensitivity, and again in all cases provides historical context. Although some of this material was new to the reader, much of it was not. What was critical in my eyes was the historical context that greatly added to the understanding of why things occurred. Although having its “deep moments,” this article is a great read for an MBA group when you get to the pricing section of an MBA marketing management course.
Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, Dec 15, 2014
Process mapping is a procedure that involves tracing and describing a particular process of inter... more Process mapping is a procedure that involves tracing and describing a particular process of interest to the user. The actual process mapping activity can look at communication flows, physical movement, flow of work activities or any number of sets of sequences in some continuous activity. The general purpose of such an activity is to determine where and how the process under scrutiny can either be improved or, perhaps, totally “reengineered.” The particular skills are very useful to marketing practitioners and hence marketing students. This paper discusses the application of process mapping as an experiential learning exercise for graduate students in a marketing management class setting. How the method has been used, including a complete discussion of a specific project dealing with an attempt to optimize the sales call process of the trust division of a bank, is the primary focus of the work.
Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2015
A fundamental objective of marketing principles textbooks is to disseminate the language of the d... more A fundamental objective of marketing principles textbooks is to disseminate the language of the discipline. This paper reports on a content analysis of 15 typical uncfaer-graduate principles of marketing books to ascertain what terms and concepts constitute the lexicon of marketing. The results are revealing as it is patent that there is little consensus as to a common language of this academic specialty, at least from the perspective of undergraduate principles of marketing textbooks. The authors go on to suggest one possible list of standardized marketing terms, primarily to hasten the dialogue that is perceived as necessary, if the field is to more rapidly develop a consensus on its lexicon.
Research: Skilled in theory development, measurement, and data analysis. Primary interest is the ... more Research: Skilled in theory development, measurement, and data analysis. Primary interest is the intersection of buyer and seller in business markets, primarily manufacturing settings and innovative situations. Current research includes various issues of sales performance and specific issues in industrial buying. Also, currently doing research in selected aspects of electronic marketing, from an innovation perspective. Current interests also include strategic supply chain management and issues in pharmaceutical marketing. Primary focus is more applied research, including action research. Research training at the Ph. D level has centered on innovation and innovation models Teaching: Skilled in developing solid yet innovative educational experiences for students. I am currently involved in teaching sales and sales management related courses as well as marketing research, primarily at the undergraduate level. All courses provide students will multiple opportunities to learn by doing an...
Fundamentals of Business Marketing Education, 2020
... a procedure for designing effective relationship marketing strat-egies; and • the critical de... more ... a procedure for designing effective relationship marketing strat-egies; and • the critical determinants of success in managing strategic alli-ances. ... resources all flow through the entire value creation process in an effective and efficient manner (Cooper, Lambert, and Pagh 1997). ...
Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 2018
This article analyzes empirical research in which the sales manager is the unit of analysis to de... more This article analyzes empirical research in which the sales manager is the unit of analysis to determine what knowledge has been generated by sales scholars about sales managers and sales management practice. It examines what we have learned from sales managers about their jobs and themselves with particular emphasis on the managerial relevance of the work. While the sales literature is vast and despite the importance of sales managers being widely recognized and accepted, an extensive search of the sales literature identified only 163 articles in which the sales manager was the focus of empirical research about what they do. To help better understand what has been discovered, these articles are examined and categorized according to the main focus of each article's research. The results show that with respect to sales managers, our knowledge is limited and substantial opportunities exist for additional research to expand our understanding of the nature, roles, and impact of sales managers as well as providing usable advice for the practice of sales management.
Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 2015
The author, head of a supply chain research firm, Supply Chain Insights, has over 35 years’ exper... more The author, head of a supply chain research firm, Supply Chain Insights, has over 35 years’ experience in the practice of supply chain management. The book, based on research done by her firm, prov...