All together now? Exploring sales and marketing integration

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Snyder ◽  
Steve McKelvey ◽  
William Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Structural Alignment ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Vice Presidents ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sales And Marketing ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – Building on prior research in interactions between sales and marketing departments, the purpose of this paper is to investigate departmental alignment among professional hockey teams. By using a single industry sample, the authors are able to identify high and low performers, along with structural antecedents that lead to higher alignment (Rouse and Daellenbach, 1999). Expiring inventory, customer knowledge, and volatile demand enhance the need for alignment and suggest opportunities for innovative mechanisms to share information among departments (Mullin et al., 2007). Design/methodology/approach – Through the usage of Kotler et al.’s (2006) survey instrument, the authors survey NHL Vice Presidents of sales and marketing to assess levels of structural alignment. The authors further explores strategies for alignment through qualitative interviews of select team executives. Findings – The authors find examples of high alignment, achieved through structural elements of proximity, cross-functional tasks, financial incentives, and new technologies. The qualitative interviews provide insight into how organizations attempt to create high levels of alignment. Originality/value – These results help advance the literature by identifying high performers and going inside organizations for the source of a competitive advantage, thus following Rouse and Dallenbach’s (1999) approach for theory development. The authors also contributes by identifying strategies for practitioners to apply as they attempt to design optimal work structures.

The Chinese robot industry

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bogue
Keyword(s):  
Automotive Industry ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Government ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose This paper aims to provide an insight into China’s rapidly developing robot industry. Design/methodology/approach Following a short introduction, this paper first provides a market perspective and then identifies the key user industries and gives examples of applications. The robot supply companies are considered and details are provided for some of the more important. The research effort is then discussed, together with some examples of recent developments. Finally, conclusions are drawn. Findings The Chinese robot market is the largest in the world although the robot density remains far lower than that of many other industrialised nations. Major users include the electrical and electronics sector and the automotive industry, together with growing applications in the burgeoning hospitality and logistics sectors. Markets are presently dominated by foreign companies, but the government has ambitious plans to boost domestic production, and with the aid of financial incentives, the number of Chinese robot manufactures has recently increased dramatically. The country’s robot research effort is diverse and wide ranging and benefits from significant levels of government funding. China is ultimately expected to become a major force within the global robot business. Originality/value This illustrates the growing importance of robots in China, both in its industries and as a robot manufacturer.

Innovations in domotics: fulfilling potential or hampered by prevailing technological regime?

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 470-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia L.C. van Egmond‐de Wilde de Ligny ◽  
Masi Mohammadi
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Innovation System ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Residential Construction ◽  
Technological Regime ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Explorative Study ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Gaining Insight

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the meaning, as well as the drivers, of innovation in theory and practice for gaining insight into the reasons why the diffusion of innovative technologies fails; even though they promise a superior performance compared to incumbent technologies. The paper describes an explorative study of the diffusion of domotics technologies in residential construction.Design/methodology/approachInnovation systems theory, which points to the “technological regime” in the actor network as a key element in the diffusion, acceptance, and application of new technologies was used to analyse the diffusion of domotics technologies in residential construction.FindingsThe results underscored the expected “bottlenecks” in the technological regime of the innovation system that curtailed the diffusion of domotics technologies in construction.Originality/valueThe novelty of the paper is in the approach of the research and the collected data on the technological regime amongst the stakeholders. These stakeholders were principally involved in development and implementation of the domotics technologies in residential construction; these observations provided useful insights into the diffusion of domotics technologies.

Conflicting perspectives in a housing association

2018 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Kjærbeck ◽  
Marianne Wolff Lundholt
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Housing Association ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Narrative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Counter Narratives ◽  
Action Analysis ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate employees’ conflicting perspectives on the business strategy in a Danish housing association through a narrative approach, in order to gain insight into the relation between master- and counter-narratives. The authors discuss the possibility of integrating counter-narratives as a resource in strategy processes. Finally, the usefulness and challenges of the applied narrative approach are addressed. Design/methodology/approach The study was undertaken as a case study of strategy communication in a private housing association. The empirical material consists of 16 qualitative interviews from all levels of the organization as well as recordings of meetings where management presents a new strategy to the employees. The study adopts a mixed methods interpretivist approach using focus groups and interviews as data and with a focus on narratives as sense-making resources. The applied method of analysis is based on narratology, sociological action analysis and the concept of “framing.” Findings Employees’ counter-narratives focus on practical problems regarding the implementation of the business strategy. They materialize through temporal structures and framing strategies through which employees’ perspectives are presented indirectly and with great care. In spite of their oppositional content, these counter-perspectives cannot be considered to be resistance; on the contrary, employees take great interest in solving the reported problems. Counter-narratives are seemingly useful resources in a form of “reality check” in the organization, in order to elucidate the implementation of the business strategy and make necessary adjustments. The research furthermore points to a more dialogical strategy communication where employees are involved earlier in the process rather than marginalized to “resistant bystanders.” Originality/value These findings give insight into the use of narratives as practical meaning construction in an organizational context, and in relation to strategy communication and change.

scholarly journals Improving relevance in B2B research: analysis and recommendations

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 601-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross Brennan ◽  
Nektarios Tzempelikos ◽  
Jonathan Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Marketing Research ◽  
Academic Journals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
B2b Marketing ◽  
Critical Aspects

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to identify and discuss critical aspects of the academic/practitioner gap and suggest how to make marketing research more relevant. Design/Methodology/Approach – The study uses data from an earlier study of eight qualitative interviews conducted with business-to-business (B2B) marketing practitioners and from an earlier quantitative study among 128 academics and 510 marketing research practitioners. The data are re-analyzed for this article. Findings – Results show that academics and practitioners agree that academic research should be of more practical value. However, their priorities differ. For academics, publishing in refereed journals is the first priority and influencing practice is of much lower priority, while practitioners are not interested in the methodological and theoretical advances of marketing research; their priority is to satisfy day-to-day practical needs. Hence, practitioners have no interest in academic journals. The academic reward system tends to reinforce this divide because academic career progression depends substantially on the production of refereed journal articles. Research limitations/implications – Much prior consideration has been given to how academic journals can be made more relevant to practitioners, which is a desirable goal. However, a more fruitful approach for B2B academics would be to embrace new technologies such as blogging and social media to reach practitioners through their preferred channels. If greater relevance is to be achieved, then consideration needs to be given to the views of doctoral students, and to doctoral training processes in B2B marketing. Practical implications – The study provides academics with guidance concerning how marketing research can have a greater effect on the practice of marketing. Social implications – Originality/value – The study contributes to the research base by identifying and discussing critical aspects of the academic/practitioner gap. The study also offers insights into how managerial relevance in marketing research can, practically, be improved.

Investigating industry expert discourses on aspirational CSR communication

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 220-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Koep
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Communication ◽  
Reputational Risk ◽  
Industry Expert ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Verification Systems ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate industry expert discourses on aspirational corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication. Analysing CSR managers’ and communication consultants’ talk about aspirational talk as constitutive of aspirational CSR communication, the data provide valuable insights into the dominant discourses, and draw attention to the manifold elements in the process of aspirational CSR communication. Design/methodology/approach Data gathered during 11 in-depth, qualitative interviews with food industry experts in CSR and CSR communication roles in Ireland, the UK and the USA are studied. Findings The analysis of industry expert discourses suggests that communicating CSR, and in particular the communication of CSR aspirations, is a source of tensions and ambiguity for organisational members. It is evident that aspirational talk acts as a “commitment and alignment device”, raising the bar for the organisation by encouraging enhanced performance and ensuring a competitive differentiation – and thus revealing a performative character. However, it is also shown that industry experts favour action over talk and consider verification crucial to reduce reputational risk. The challenge ahead will be to encourage organisations to embrace aspirational talk in the age of CSR professionalisation and standardisation to ensure incremental and continual CSR improvements. Practical implications The research findings suggest that aspirational talk is a useful resource for organisations to transition towards becoming more responsible businesses. Rather than censoring aspirational talk to prevent scepticism by some, managers rely on robust auditing and verification systems to provide proof of achievement over time. Originality/value The study provides data on the topic of aspirational talk, where there has been much theory development, but limited empirical evidence. It does so in the context of the food industry, an industry manifestly to the forefront in the sustainability/CSR agenda.

scholarly journals The practice of talent management: a framework and typology

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 1523-1551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pernilla Bolander ◽  
Andreas Werr ◽  
Kajsa Asplund
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Talent Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Settings ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the development of a deeper understanding of the conceptual and empirical boundaries of talent management (TM) so that scholars and practitioners may enhance their knowledge of what TM actually is and how it is carried out. Design/methodology/approach A comparative study was conducted of the TM practices of 30 organizations based in Sweden. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 56 organizational representatives. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings The findings comprise a typology consisting of four distinct TM types that exist in practice: a humanistic type, a competitive type, an elitist type and an entrepreneurial type. Descriptions are provided that probe into how specific practices are differently shaped in the different types. Research limitations/implications The study design enabled the generation of an empirically rich understanding of different TM types; however, it limited the authors’ ability to draw systematic conclusions on the realized outcomes of different types of TM. Practical implications The descriptions of different TM types give practitioners insight into how TM may be practiced in different ways and point to important decisions to be made when designing TM. Originality/value The paper addresses two main shortcomings identified in the academic literature on TM: conceptual ambiguity and the paucity of in-depth empirical research on how TM is carried out in actual organizational settings. The empirically derived typology constitutes an important step for further theory development in TM.

New technologies for robotic tactile sensing and navigation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Bogue
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Inertial Sensors ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Tactile Sensing ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose This aims to provide details of new sensor technologies and developments with potential applications in robotic tactile sensing and navigation. Design/methodology/approach Following a short introduction, this provides examples of tactile sensing research. This is followed by details of research into inertial sensors and other navigation techniques. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn. Findings This shows that tactile sensing and navigation techniques are the topic of a technologically diverse research effort which has prospects to impart various classes of robots with significantly enhanced capabilities. Originality/value This provides a technically detailed insight into recent sensor research with applications in robotic tactile sensing and navigation.

Group structural elements in e-Government strategy formulation at local municipal level in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Osah ◽  
Caroline Khene
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
South African ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Strategy Formulation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Degree Of Differentiation

Purpose This study aims to identify group structural elements that should be assessed in e-Government strategy formulation processes at local government level for service delivery in South Africa. These elements influence the success or effectiveness of the strategy formulation process. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical framework of group structural elements by Asplund and nine other strategy formulation-related approaches are reflected upon. Weick’s approach of theory development is used to guide the theoretical analysis. A pragmatic approach is applied to conduct the empirical investigation using a case study of a digital citizen engagement project in South Africa. Findings The paper highlights the following group elements that influence the strategy formulation process: group member relations, degree of differentiation within the group and resources of the group. Not addressing these structural elements may result in a lack of creativity or a reluctance to participate in the context of public sector engagement. Research limitations/implications The paper does not provide an exhaustive list of all aspects that necessitate assessment before and during a strategy formulation process, for example, organisational and environment structural elements. Practical implications Assessing group structural elements provides valuable knowledge on how to engage stakeholders in a joint problem-solving activity. This is particularly pertinent where citizen engagement is fundamental to addressing basic service delivery concerns. Originality/value In the South African local municipal context, there is no existing literature that discusses the need to assess group structural elements influencing the outcome of an e-Government strategy formulation process.

scholarly journals Digital technologies and a changing profession

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1044-1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ursula Plesner ◽  
Elena Raviola
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Power Relationships ◽  
Work Practices ◽  
Organizational Setting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tv News ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate what role particular new management devices play in the development of the news profession in an organizational setting shifting to new technologies. Design/methodology/approach This is studied through of observations of work practices in the newsroom and through documentary research and qualitative interviews with managers, editors, and other professionals. Findings It is shown that management devices such as the news table and the news concept are central to the reorganization of news work, as they realize managers’ strategies, just like they produce new practices and power relationships. It is shown that the devices produce increased collaboration among journalists and interaction between managers and output journalists, that mundane work and power is delegated to technological devices and that news products are increasingly standardized. Practical implications The wider implications of these findings seem to be a change in the journalistic profession: TV news journalism is becoming less individualistic and more collective and professionalism becomes a matter of understanding and realizing the news organization’s strategy, rather than following a more individual agenda. Originality/value The paper’s originality lies in showing that profession and management are not opposed to each other, but can be seen as a continuum on which journalistic and managerial tasks become intertwined. This is in contrast to previous research on news work. Furthermore, the paper’s focus on devices opens up for conceptualizing power in the newsroom as distributed across a network of people and things, rather executed by managers alone.

Teaching and learning cooking skills in Home Economics

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (5) ◽  
pp. 1067-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albina Granberg ◽  
Viktoria Olsson ◽  
Ylva Mattsson Sydner
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Home Economics ◽  
Mild Intellectual Disability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Cooking Skills ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore which elements of cooking skills Home Economics (HE) teachers in schools for students with mild intellectual disability (ID) consider important for their students to learn. Design/methodology/approach In total, 22 qualitative interviews with HE teachers of students with mild ID were conducted. The transcripts were analyzed thematically using the sociocultural approach on learning and knowledge as a theoretical framework. Findings The elements of cooking skills that were emphasized included mastering the language of cooking, measuring, following recipes, representing an instrumental and task-centered – knowledge on cooking. Practical implications The results of this study provide an insight into cooking lessons in HE in schools, not only regarding the focus that teachers give to cooking skills, but also to how cooking skills can be understood on a theoretical level. This has implications for both regular schools and schools for students with mild IDs since the elements that teachers consider important then guide what the students are given to learn. Teachers should be conscious that the planning of lessons should also be based on the students’ specific circumstances and context. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that provides knowledge about how HE teachers reason regarding which cooking skills they consider important for students to learn. HE is taught to both children and adolescents, and it is important to investigate teachers’ perceptions about the subject and how the teaching is organized, including cooking skills.

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