Suchergebnisse

PurposeIn B2B markets, the demand for a supplier's products is derived from demand further down the supply chain. This complexity poses several challenges for B2B firms, especially when they are located near the beginning of a supply chain. This study aims to investigate to what extent firms near the beginning of the supply chain are oriented towards downstream customers, the problems they encounter in extending their market orientation to include downstream customers, and how they deal with these problems.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses an exploratory research method. It is based on in‐depth interviews with 31 managers from 21 upstream suppliers.FindingsThe findings suggest that firms are aware of the importance of downstream customers, but frequently fail to establish effective relationships with them. The paper identifies several barriers that hamper an orientation on downstream customers and shows how firms may deal with these barriers.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper includes several implications for further research, including the suggestion to test a set of seven propositions.Practical implicationsThis study identifies several barriers that may prevent a firm from implementing a downstream customer orientation as well as several strategies to deal with these barriers.Originality/valueThe paper explores the neglected implications of derived demand, one of the most distinctive characteristics of B2B marketing.

To contribute to the understanding of the evolution of organization concepts, this article focuses on how consultants respond to competing pressures during the maturity and decline phases of an initially popular concept. Management consultants are important fashion setters, but the actual strategies they use to deal with the pressures to remain legitimate, increase efficiency and differentiate themselves from competitors remain unclear. Such supply-side dynamics likely influence how organization concepts evolve and are relevant for understanding how management knowledge may survive a fashion boom and bust. Using interview and print media data from 32 consultants from 14 consultancies, we identify seven response strategies, and show how these are associated with multiple pressures, and comprise different implications for the evolution of a concept. We argue that this variety of responses is essential to better understand the evolution of organization concepts and opens several fruitful research directions.