1) Customer Centric Management
Ramani, G. and Kumar V. (2008), Interaction Orientation and Firm Performance
Abstract Research / Methods Results
Marketing managers are being required to demonstrate the profitability of Two-step research: • Past: Success of firms with sales / m
their marketing actions down to the level of their individual customers and 1. Expert interviews on customer interaction: ↓ SHIFT TOWARDS ↓
on an ongoing basis. At the same time, customers expect firms to • N=48 Marketing managers • Today: firms can differentiate and s
increasingly customize their products and services to meet their demands. (26 B2B, 18 B2C), exploratory interviews orientation on individual customer
Firms still need to produce superior products, sell smarter, and understand • „Is Marketing more about customer
the markets as a whole, but the ability of firms to orient themselves to interaction than before?“ Benefits of customer orientation
interact successfully with their individual customers will differentiate them • „What are required capabilities to offer 1. Attract and retain most valuable cu
in the future. Advances in technology have resulted in increasing superior interaction?“ 2. Develop customers into skilled ress
opportunities for interactions between firms and customers, between 2. 375 potential respondents representing 3. Competitive advantage by heighten
customers, and between firms. An interaction orientation reflects a firm's 175 firms were contacted by e-mail with a ownership among customers
ability to interact with its individual customers and to take advantage of request to participate in an online survey 4. Shifting portfolio of products and s
information obtained from them through successive interactions to achieve • N=211 responses, representing 107 customer requirements
profitable customer relationships. First, the authors identify the firms. (74 B2B, 33 B2C) 5. Ability to foresee customer respon
components of interaction orientation: (1) customer concept, (2) interaction 6. Maximizing profit functions at ever
response capacity, (3) customer empowerment, and (4) customer value customer activity
management. Second, they relate interaction orientation to both customer-
level and aggregate-level performance measures. Third, they identify the Risks
antecedents of interaction orientation. Fourth, they examine the 1. Large base of unprofitable custome
moderating effects of customer-initiated contacts and competitive intensity obligation for the firm to continue
on the interaction orientation-performance linkage. The results are based 2. Uncontrolled proliferation of negat
on a survey of top marketing managers. The commonly held view that 3. Customers directing competitors' a
customer-based relational performance is related to customer- based firm's vulnerable areas,
profit performance is not supported. However, both customer-based 4. An inability to offer a relevant rang
relational performance and customer- based profit performance affect services
aggregate business-level performance positively. Interaction orientation is 5. Inability to plan into the future
a phenomenon observed in both business-to-business and business-to- 6. Poor marketing accountability, lead
consumer firms. The extent of customer- initiated contacts moderates the profits and return on marketing inv
interaction orientation-performance relationship.
Ramani, G. and Kumar V. (2008), Interaction Orientation and Firm Performance
Abstract Research / Methods Results
Marketing managers are being required to demonstrate the profitability of Two-step research: • Past: Success of firms with sales / m
their marketing actions down to the level of their individual customers and 1. Expert interviews on customer interaction: ↓ SHIFT TOWARDS ↓
on an ongoing basis. At the same time, customers expect firms to • N=48 Marketing managers • Today: firms can differentiate and s
increasingly customize their products and services to meet their demands. (26 B2B, 18 B2C), exploratory interviews orientation on individual customer
Firms still need to produce superior products, sell smarter, and understand • „Is Marketing more about customer
the markets as a whole, but the ability of firms to orient themselves to interaction than before?“ Benefits of customer orientation
interact successfully with their individual customers will differentiate them • „What are required capabilities to offer 1. Attract and retain most valuable cu
in the future. Advances in technology have resulted in increasing superior interaction?“ 2. Develop customers into skilled ress
opportunities for interactions between firms and customers, between 2. 375 potential respondents representing 3. Competitive advantage by heighten
customers, and between firms. An interaction orientation reflects a firm's 175 firms were contacted by e-mail with a ownership among customers
ability to interact with its individual customers and to take advantage of request to participate in an online survey 4. Shifting portfolio of products and s
information obtained from them through successive interactions to achieve • N=211 responses, representing 107 customer requirements
profitable customer relationships. First, the authors identify the firms. (74 B2B, 33 B2C) 5. Ability to foresee customer respon
components of interaction orientation: (1) customer concept, (2) interaction 6. Maximizing profit functions at ever
response capacity, (3) customer empowerment, and (4) customer value customer activity
management. Second, they relate interaction orientation to both customer-
level and aggregate-level performance measures. Third, they identify the Risks
antecedents of interaction orientation. Fourth, they examine the 1. Large base of unprofitable custome
moderating effects of customer-initiated contacts and competitive intensity obligation for the firm to continue
on the interaction orientation-performance linkage. The results are based 2. Uncontrolled proliferation of negat
on a survey of top marketing managers. The commonly held view that 3. Customers directing competitors' a
customer-based relational performance is related to customer- based firm's vulnerable areas,
profit performance is not supported. However, both customer-based 4. An inability to offer a relevant rang
relational performance and customer- based profit performance affect services
aggregate business-level performance positively. Interaction orientation is 5. Inability to plan into the future
a phenomenon observed in both business-to-business and business-to- 6. Poor marketing accountability, lead
consumer firms. The extent of customer- initiated contacts moderates the profits and return on marketing inv
interaction orientation-performance relationship.
