Supplier representative activities and customer perceived value in complex industrial solutions

Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Industrial Marketing Management

Supplier representative activities and customer perceived value in complex industrial solutions Daniel D. Prior ⁎ School of Business, University of New South Wales, PO Box 7916, Canberra BC 2610, Australia

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history: Received 4 April 2012 Received in revised form 15 March 2013 Accepted 25 March 2013 Available online 13 April 2013 Keywords: Customer perceived value Business to business Emotional value Social value Functional value

a b s t r a c t The study of value delivery through complex industrial solutions involves a service-rich deployment of resources, many of which are human. Despite this realization, few studies consider the activities of specific actors in this service-dominant context. Through an exploratory netnography of ten online community discussion boards, this study investigates the link between the activities of supplier representatives and the effects on customer perceived value in complex industrial solutions. The findings reveal four major categories of activity (communication, planning, risk management and coordination) as important sources of intangible value (conceptualized as emotional, social and functional outcomes). The data shows, however, that activities must be executed in a timely, accurate, appropriate and value-added manner. The study compliments research in complex industrial solutions through explicit consideration of activities and their relationship with perceived value from a supplier perspective. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction For suppliers, ensuring customer satisfaction is a key goal of service delivery. Previous research has found a strong link between this outcome and profitability (Helgesen, 2006; Luo, Homburg, & Wieseke, 2010). However, differences exist between individual customers due to variance in their preferences and their access to stimuli, which they use to assess supplier performance (Grewal, Chandrashekaran, & Citrin, 2010). This is particularly the case in complex industrial solutions (Nordin & Kowalkowski, 2010; Tuli, Kohli, & Bharadwaj, 2007). In this context, suppliers provide a combination of goods and services to address problems a buyer firm faces (Brady, Davies, & Gann, 2005; Helander & Möller, 2007). This involves the collaborative efforts of individual actors from both supplier and buyer firms through a series of relational processes (Nordin & Kowalkowski, 2010; Tuli et al., 2007). The requirement to satisfy multiple stakeholders during a complex industrial solution delivery process compounds the level of difficulty of this process (Forman, Lippert, & Kothandaraman, 2007; Parry, Rowley, Jones, & Kupiec-Teahan, 2012). The specific activities of supplier representatives are a key means through which customers can observe solution implementation in real time. Consequently, they are major elements of marketing stimuli that customers associate with complex industrial solutions (Forman et al., 2007; Helander & Möller, 2007). However, supplier

⁎ Tel.: +61 2 6268 8826. E-mail address: [email protected]. 0019-8501/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2013.03.015

representatives' activities receive little scholarly consideration in complex industrial solution research as means to create perceived value despite the recognition of their importance in buyer–supplier relationships (Cantù, Corsaro, & Snehota, 2012; Cova & Salle, 2007; Ford, 2011). Service marketing researchers argue that all employees of a supplier firm are service providers and have direct impacts on customer perceived value (Grönroos, 2011a; Grönroos & Ravald, 2011). In the service-dominant context of complex industrial solutions, it is likely that this notion is also applicable given the multiple opportunities for interpersonal interactions (Nordin & Kowalkowski, 2010; Tuli et al., 2007). This study, therefore, seeks to address the linkage between supplier activities and customer perceived value as this relates to complex industrial solution delivery processes. To this end, the investigation centers on the following research question: • What activities do supplier representatives perform in complex industrial solutions that directly affect customer-perceived value? By investigating this area, this paper has the potential to yield two important contributions to the industrial marketing literature. The study articulates four categories of activity that are directly observable by the members of buyer firms that are major contributors to perceived value. In effect, these are major elements of the supplier value proposition during complex solution delivery. The study explores the implications of these activities in terms of buyer representatives' perceptions of value. These constitute extensions of earlier work in complex industrial solutions that focus on the construction and execution of the behaviors of sales representatives, managers

D.D. Prior / Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201

and technical workers (Aarikka-Stenroos & Jaakkola, 2012; Cantù et al., 2012; Cova & Holstius, 1993; Guenzi, Georges, & Pardo, 2009). The study extends current notions of customer perceived value in industrial marketing. Most studies in this domain adopt Woodruff's (1997) conceptualization of customer perceived value as an appraisal of marketing-related stimuli that encompasses a comparison of perceived benefits' less perceived costs. Industrial marketing studies of customer perceived value have traditionally focused on the characteristics of the value proposition a supplier provides (e.g. price, product quality, delivery timing etc.) (Lapierre, 2000; Ulaga, 2003; Ulaga & Chacour, 2001). More recent studies also consider the relative impacts of supplier characteristics (e.g. expertise, reputation) (Blocker, 2011; Powell & Swart, 2010) as well as relationship elements (trust, commitment, customer understanding, communication) (Parry et al., 2012). In this study, the focus is on the intangible elements of perceived value that emerge through the implementation of a complex industrial solution. That is, there is direct consideration of the social, emotional and functional aspects of customer perceived value in terms of the influences of specific activities. This extends Forman et al.'s (2007) earlier work that considers several functional and technical aspects of customer perceived value in an IT solutions' setting. The paper commences with a review of the generation of customer perceived value in complex industrial solutions with a focus on the solutions and project marketing literatures. A discussion of the methodology follows. Next, the paper describes the major activities of supplier representatives and their impacts on customer perceived value in complex industrial solutions. A discussion of the theoretical and managerial implications of these findings follows. The paper builds an integrated conceptual model to present the major findings. Finally, the paper offers a conclusion and canvasses avenues for further research. 2. Complex industrial solutions and customer perceived value The notion of solutions as offerings from a supplier has gained greater attention in the marketing literature in recent times. A solution has several major elements. Firstly, it involves the provision of both product and service elements rather than one of these exclusively (Brady et al., 2005; Nordin & Kowalkowski, 2010; Tuli et al., 2007). This enables a supplier to capture a greater share of the returns from a customer for a given requirement and provides a basis for competitive differentiation (Brady et al., 2005; Davies, Brady, & Hobday, 2007). Secondly, a solution involves customization to address a specific need or problem a customer faces (Davies et al., 2007; Galbraith, 2002; Nordin & Kowalkowski, 2010; Tuli et al., 2007). This necessitates an understanding of customer requirements as well as the constraints that shape the situation (Brady et al., 2005; Davies et al., 2007). Thirdly, solutions involve a delivery process. This encompasses an initial phase to recognize and determine the nature of the customer problem. The design of the solution follows. Upon customer agreement, the implementation of the solution ensues. A problem-solving step is next, with project finalization comprising the final element (Nordin & Kowalkowski, 2010; Tuli et al., 2007). A fourth element of solutions is the need to build and maintain relationships with important stakeholders throughout the delivery process (Tuli et al., 2007; Windahl & Lakemond, 2006). The project marketing literature focuses on a similar unit of analysis. Projects involve the execution of a discrete body of work to address a specific need or problem (Cova & Salle, 2005, 2007; Skaates & Tikkanen, 2003). This encompasses the development of a set of project-specific goals and milestones, and, the allocation of specific financial and other resources to the execution of the project (Project Management Institute, 2000). Project resources do not necessarily exist within the boundaries of the firm. A function of project management is to identify and source resources and, consequently, project managers adopt the role of resource integrators (Ballesteros-Pérez, González-Cruz, & Fernández-Diego, 2012). Projects are temporary in

1193

nature and are the primary way in which firms enact changes to their operations. A project represents a deviation from business-asusual since the purpose of most projects is to create solutions that specifically address a problem or issue that the firm faces (Project Management Institute, 2000; Skaates & Tikkanen, 2003). In the industrial marketing context, both solutions and projects have significant similarities (Blomquist & Wilson, 2007; Cova, Mazet, & Salle, 1996; Cova & Salle, 2005, 2007; Jalkala, Cova, Salle, & Salminen, 2010; Skaates & Tikkanen, 2003). Both notions involve the development of a custom suite of product and service components to address a specific stakeholder requirement. Teams of individuals are necessary to facilitate and enact this process, which includes multiple phases. Major elements include problem recognition, solution development, solution implementation and finalization. Solutions and projects are temporary endeavors in that they arise through the recognition of a problem and seek to address it through the acquisition and allocation of specific resources. Solutions and projects also occur in a social context and require the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships that enable implementation. Several differences are also evident. Solutions involve an external supplier providing the necessary product and services, whereas project execution can occur within the boundaries of the firm or through co-opting external suppliers or both. Solutions scholars tend to focus on ways in which a supplier firm can maximize value creation and appropriation by providing a combination of products and services to a customer, whereas project management scholars primarily consider issues that relate to quality, scheduling and budgeting (Cova & Salle, 2005, 2007). In this paper, the focus is on solution implementation processes as a delivery of a custom combination of product and service components to address a specific customer problem. This manifests as a project, where an external supplier firm provides a specific contribution to a customer firm through a discrete body of work that requires specific resource and budgetary allocations. The project necessitates a process of interactions between key buyer and supplier representatives. 2.1. Solution delivery The current literature sees solution delivery as a service-dominant process where customer needs form the core rationale for solution implementation (Nordin & Kowalkowski, 2010; Tuli et al., 2007). This contrasts to alternative views that focus on the products and services exclusively (Brady et al., 2005; Galbraith, 2002). Under the servicedominant view, suppliers and buyers engage in exchange processes for the realization of benefits rather than for physical products only (Vargo & Lusch, 2004; Vargo, Maglio, & Akaka, 2008). The majority of value that a solution delivers is intangible in nature. The realization of valuable outcomes emerges through multiple interactions with resources over time (Bowman & Ambrosini, 2000; Vargo & Lusch, 2004; Vargo et al., 2008). Consequently, value is independent of the transaction, thus, broadening the basis of value appraisal to include elements of the initial offer as well as the delivery process and beyond (Lilien et al., 2010). As a result, there is further scope to include non-financial or functional forms of value appraisal for solution delivery (Forman et al., 2007; Powell & Swart, 2010). The complex industrial solution literature identifies individuals as elements of the solution implementation process and as major bases for competitive advantage (Cova & Holstius, 1993). Interpersonal interactions are major elements of sales and key account management practices (Guenzi et al., 2009; Mainela & Ulkuniemi, 2013). The personalities of sales representatives influence the success of relationships (Mainela & Ulkuniemi, 2013). The behaviors of sales representatives also affect the possibility of successful solution implementation. If sales representatives act in a manner consistent with a customer orientation, they are more likely to engender the trust of buyer representatives, whereas focusing on a sales outcome alone can reduce this outcome (Guenzi et al.,

1194

D.D. Prior / Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201

2009). Moreover, individuals adopt key roles in the management of delivery processes, including project monitoring, coordination and resource allocation (Burström, 2012; Cantù et al., 2012; Helander & Möller, 2007; Schmidt, Sarangee, & Montoya, 2009). Individuals are also resource integrators in that they engage in activities that draw resources together in a manner that addresses their specific needs (Cantù et al., 2012; Hibbert, Winklhofer, & Temerak, 2012). The recognition that solutions are service-dominant has led to a greater acknowledgment of individuals as the primary vehicles through which implementation processes contribute to value creation (Nordin & Kowalkowski, 2010; Tuli et al., 2007). Solution implementation involves the utilization of skills and knowledge to enable a suite of key processes (Tuli et al., 2007). These include the provision of specialist advice, problem-solving, innovation and the execution of tasks that lead to milestone completion (Aarikka-Stenroos & Jaakkola, 2012; Helander & Möller, 2007). They also provide a basis for important intra- and interfirm relationships, which aid in solution execution while also creating, appropriating and utilizing resources to achieve valuable outcomes (Andersen, Christensen, & Damgaard, 2009; Cantù et al., 2012; Forman et al., 2007; Windahl & Lakemond, 2006). These processes emerge through a series of interactions between buyer and supplier representatives. Interpersonal relationships are the basis for the joint production of valuable outcomes, where actors are co-creators of value (Cova & Salle, 2008; Grönroos, 2011b; Payne, Storbacka, & Frow, 2008; Storbacka, 2012; Vargo & Lusch, 2004; Vargo et al., 2008; Wagner, Eggert, & Lindemann, 2010). 2.2. Customer perceived value A major form of value is customer perceived value, which involves the subjective evaluation of stimuli that stakeholders receive. Few studies consider customer perceived value in complex industrial solutions. In an exception, Powell and Swart (2010) recognize that the delivery of a complex industrial solution involves accounting for the diversity of stakeholder viewpoints, which emerge as diverse solution requirements. These authors consider the valuation systems at the dyadic level. While their analysis shows a dynamic and discourseoriented method to valuation, their approach stops short of offering an appraisal or evaluation of value delivery. Given the servicedominant nature of solution delivery, there is considerable scope to incorporate the notion of customer perceived value. More broadly, there is wide acknowledgement in the industrial marketing literature that the evaluation of value is subjective in nature (Garcia-Acebron, Vazquez-Casielles, & Iglesias, 2010; Lapierre, 2000; Parry et al., 2012). This derives from the notion of customer perceived value in the business-to-consumer literature. Consumers judge stimuli against purchase expectations and desires to determine a net value outcome (Boksberger & Melsen, 2011; Khalifa, 2004; Payne & Holt, 2001; Woodruff, 1997). The subjective, phenomenological determination of value is also a core element of service dominant logic (Vargo & Lusch, 2004, 2008; Vargo et al., 2008). In the industrial marketing literature, valuations focus on the characteristics of the value preposition the supplier offers (Lapierre, 2000; Parry et al., 2012; Ulaga, 2003; Ulaga & Chacour, 2001). These include product or service attributes, pricing, and elements of the delivery process. In addition, the elements of the business relationship, such as trust, commitment and goal mutuality, also comprise elements of customer valuations (Lapierre, 2000; Parry et al., 2012). 2.3. Linking solution delivery and customer perceived value creation Individuals, and their actions, represent symbols that comprise a major (but not exclusive) element of the customer evaluations of supplier performance in complex industrial solution delivery. Through multiple interactions that members of the buyer firm have with supplier representatives, opportunities for valuation emerge. The sales

management literature highlights the subjective nature of this process when evaluating the performance of sales representatives. Findings in this literature show that cognitive bias, evaluation timing and the nature of expectations have direct effects (Evans, Margheim, & Schlacter, 1982; Marshall & Mowen, 1993). Similar evidence is in the human resource management literature, in the case of evaluating employee job performance (Seiden & Sowa, 2011; Sommer & Kulkarni, 2012). In the context of complex industrial solutions, a considerable proportion of value is intangible. The service-dominant conceptualization of solutions stipulates that value is mostly an in-use phenomenon (Nordin & Kowalkowski, 2010; Tuli et al., 2007), which sees evaluative processes as ongoing throughout the delivery process (Lilien et al., 2010). While much of the industrial marketing literature on customer perceived value focuses on value proposition and relationship characteristics, few studies consider the nature of intangible value that an individual actor assigns to these. The consumer behavior literature provides guidance as to the nature of intangible value a consumer derives from a purchase experience (Howard & Sheth, 1969; Sheth, Newman, & Gross, 1991). Depending on the consumption experience, consumers derive several sets of outcomes, including emotional, social, functional, conditional and epistemic value. Emotional value arises through incidents where the individual experiences positive feelings such as happiness, joy and satisfaction. Social value encompasses an improvement in social status or positive feedback from members of the individual's major social reference groups. Functional benefits derive from the ability of a given product or service to solve one, or a number of problems through functional, physical or utilitarian attributes. Conditional value represents the perceived opportunity costs the individual faces if an alternative product option is available for the same purchase intention. Epistemic value is similar to conditional value, however, it focuses more on the ability of the alternative option to arouse curiosity, provide novelty and/or satisfy a desire for knowledge. As with the consumer behavior literature, it is likely that buyer representatives perceive value in emotional, social, functional, epistemic and conditional terms in complex industrial solution delivery. 3. Methodology This study investigates the link between the activities of supplier representatives and creation of perceived value. In taking this step, the study addresses a perceived gap in the complex industrial solution literature. This gap relates to the impacts of value-creating processes as a sequence of actions that are observable to stakeholders. Therefore, the study focuses on the research question: • What activities do supplier representatives perform in complex industrial solutions that directly affect customer-perceived value? To address this question, the study utilizes a netnographic inquiry of online communities (also known by a range of other terms e.g. webethnography, webnography, online ethnography, virtual ethnography) relevant to complex industrial solution delivery (Hine, 2000; Kozinets, 2002, 2009; Kozinets, de Valck, Wojnicki, & Wilner, 2010; Pettit, 2010). This process resembles ethnography in the traditional sense, but the majority of data originates from online sources. In this sense, it is primarily an inductive, qualitative technique. Netnography focuses on specific online communities since it involves the investigation of cultural undertones regarding a focal concept (Hine, 2000; Kozinets, 2002, 2009; Kozinets et al., 2010; Pettit, 2010). These online groupings generally center on a theme. This relates to either a common topic of interest or an offline social group, or both. The website through which individual group members engage with each other serves as a proxy social context (Kozinets, 2009). The online environment provides a rich setting for research since it offers a considerable range of relevant artifacts that a social grouping produces. These

D.D. Prior / Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201

include online discussions, chats, email, blog posts and, audio and visual contents (Kozinets, 2009). Marketing scholars and practitioners utilize netnography to understand the social and cultural norms relevant to online groups as well as to gage product satisfaction, customer desires, pricing expectations and to ascertain how word-of-mouth operates (Kozinets, 2002; Kozinets et al., 2010). Netnography has the potential to offer several benefits, including the ability to assess the natural discourse about the firm's products and services in an online environment (Hine, 2000; Kozinets, 2009; Pettit, 2010). The candid nature of member expressions has the potential to provide considerable insight. Netnography is relatively inexpensive and less resource intense than other social research methods. However, netnography can also have drawbacks. The accurate representation of the individual's identity in an online environment is a key concern. It is difficult to gain certainty that the individual who provides identification information in an online setting is doing so accurately or genuinely (Prior & Miller, 2012). However, this is not problematic in netnographic studies that focus on online communities where there are few penalties for accurate online self-representation (Kozinets, 2009; Kozinets et al., 2010; Pettit, 2010). Indeed, incentives exist in professional online communities to represent oneself accurately due to the opportunity to build professional reputations, attract customers and for job opportunities (Guillory & Hancock, 2012; Karl & Peluchette, 2011). The views of all members of the online community are also not necessarily forthcoming since there is usually only a subset of active members that make regular contributions, making netnography a technique that is ideal for inductive theory building but not theory testing per se (Kozinets et al., 2010; Pettit, 2010; Prior & Miller, 2012). In this study, netnography is used to build a conceptual framework.

3.1. Data collection and analysis The data for the study derives from eleven discussion boards of ten online communities on the professional social networking site www.LinkedIn.com. Members of these communities have extensive experience in complex industrial solution delivery as members of a supplier firm or buyer firm or both. Common titles of these individuals include Project Manager, Program Manager, Technical Manager, Operations Manager, Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Finance Manager. A theoretical sampling approach was used since it involved a deliberate search for online communities with an interest in complex industrial solutions and it incorporates the participant variance, with representation of supplier and buyer perspectives, different industry backgrounds, and different occupational domains (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Strauss & Corbin, 1990) Table 1 highlights the characteristics of the online communities where data gathering occurred.

1195

Of the online discussions that comprise the basis of analysis for this study, all address elements of the link between supplier activities and customer perceived value. Topics focus on the behaviors of supplier representatives (e.g. project managers) in terms of what they can do to ensure project success, how they can contribute positively to project performance and how they handle problems during project delivery. Most comments focus on specific actions or behaviors. The 316 comments available through the discussion boards constitute the data for analysis. Comments cover a three-year period, with the first relevant comment recorded in September 2007 and the final comment recorded in October 2010. Table 2 contains a summary of the headline topics for each discussion board. The data gathering and scrutiny aligns to the netnographic approach Kozinets (2009) and Kozinets et al. (2010) outline, and, with traditional ethnography more broadly (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1995; Fetterman, 2010). The primary objective of the study is to provide an in-depth description of the focal phenomenon: the activities of supplier representatives and their effects on customer perceived value. Importantly, the study seeks to capture the views of individuals that have experience in complex industrial solutions. A major goal is the discovery of objective and untainted perspectives. NVivo v. 9 facilitated the storage and analysis of 352 pages of text. An initial download of materials occurred in August 2011; with two subsequent downloads in October and December. The coding procedures conform to those found in grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Strauss & Corbin, 1990). This saw an initial open coding process to identify the major variables of interest. The subsequent downloads enabled refinement of the core constructs. Selective coding was utilized to identify relevant sub-categories and finally, theoretical coding allowed linkages with theory. To confirm the reliability of these findings, two research assistants conducted separate coding of the same data (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The results of the three processes were consistent. 3.2. Data validity and reliability To ensure data quality, the author conducted face-to-face interviews with 17 members of the online communities between 2011 and 2013. Of these respondents, the majority have both supplier and buyer experience in a complex industrial solution context, with four respondents having only supplier-side experience and three only having buyer-side experience. The major industry sectors that these respondents represent include information and communications technology, construction, engineering, and government. Interviews lasted 90 min on average, with most respondents interviewed on multiple occasions. An additional 94 pages of transcripts were produced through these interviews. Table 3 contains respondent's anonymous details. Other provisions in the study establish credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability (Hirschman, 1986; Lincoln & Guba,

Table 1 Online community discussion group characteristics. Group 1. Project Manager Network #1 group for project managers 2. Consultants' Network 3. Project Manager Community — best group for project management 4. Linking Construction 5. PMO — Project Management Office 6. Market Research Professionals 7. 8. 9. 10.

Global Project Management The Association for Project Management (official group) Project Manager Alliance Project Managers Group

Membership composition

Orientation

Start date

Number of members

Program and project managers Various business related consultants Program and project managers

Supplier Supplier Supplier and client

17 Oct 07 31 Oct 07 28 Sep 07

219,978 207,713 97,254

People involved in construction, development and infrastructure Program and project managers People involved in market research, competitive intelligence or strategic planning Program and project managers Program and project managers Program and project managers, project stakeholders Program and project managers

Supplier and client

28 Apr 08

47,335

Supplier and client Supplier and client

31 Mar 08 3 Apr 08

26,341 18,644

Supplier and client Supplier Supplier, client and stakeholders Supplier

19 26 26 10

18,198 16,611 13,770 11,878

Sep 07 Sep 07 Sep 07 Jan 08

1196

D.D. Prior / Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201

Table 2 Sample discussions. Title

Number of posts

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

What top ten actions can IT project managers take to increase the likelihood of implementation success? What is your follow-up strategy once the client has your proposal and it's time to close the deal? How do you assess the way your company is handling offshore projects? How do you handle clients who are ‘headaches’? Do you hate your clients? Is it Quality Control or Quality Assurance? You have had a really bad experience with outsourcing a software development project to India/China. What questions would need to be answered before you would look at this avenue again? What problems did you face, and put you off this route? 8. As a customer facing a project manager, do you specialize in a certain types of project situations? 9. What are the most common problems that plague project managers? 10. If PRINCE2 is a good project management framework, why do so many UK government IT projects fail/overrun? 11. We receive RFPs on a weekly basis. The majority are so awful but the real tragedy is that the RFP creates confusion, clutter and cost. What do you love/hate about them, what would make the process ideal for you? Total posts

1985). Two research assistants examined a random sample of 60 community member LinkedIn profiles. These profiles detail member professional experience and qualifications and provide links to online discussion contributions. All respondent profiles demonstrate credibility since they hold positions and have sufficient professional experience that allow them to act as key informants for this study. Transferability was also evident through the consistency between the messages posted by individuals over time and through comparison with other group members. Through the coding process, the data satisfies the criteria of dependability and confirmability through the good fit with the identifiable categories across respondents and data sources (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Strauss & Corbin, 1990).

4. Supplier representative activities and customer perceived value The study finds support for the notion that supplier representatives' activities have an impact on buyer perceived value. A considerable number of artifacts reflect this general sentiment. It appears, however, that actors who successfully create perceived value are motivated by an underlying focus on this goal. Their execution also appears to require an understanding of the nuances of the specific situation as well as the skills and knowledge to execute the task successfully. Comments in the data tended to use two terms to describe this: ‘professional’ and ‘experienced’.

148 26 24 24 22 20 16 12 11 7 6 316

“The most successful project managers are those that have the skills and expertise to deal with an enormous number of competing demands. They have to understand the system they are working with, the budgeting situation and, most importantly, the people. It is rare that someone without a good amount of experience can do this successfully… Professionalism plays a key role in successful projects. It involves not only project expertise, but a mindset that means things get done to a high standard….” [John, via LinkedIn] In terms of the approach to specific activities, the data reveals four basic attributes that describe some of the more desirable characteristics of task execution. These include: • Timing. This involves ensuring that activities are complete in a manner that minimizes unnecessary delays and/or sees the enlistment of necessary resources and support to pre-empt problems or issues of concern. • Accuracy. This involves ensuring that the information under discussion reflects relevant facts correctly. • Appropriateness. This involves the alignment between the activity, the individual responsible for its completion and the intended beneficiary. • Efforts to “value-add”. This involves accepting responsibility for a task and striving to ensure its successful completion. The primary evidence of this is in being ‘solution oriented’, where the supplier

Table 3 Respondent characteristics. Informant Personal characteristics (pseudonyms) 1. Emma 2. John 3. Jack 4. Mark 5. Craig 6. David 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

Bill Aron Lisa Gwen Carly Will Bob Ashley Helen Kevin Tania

Freelance management consultant, female, age 64, 15 years in current role, 40 year industry experience (20+ client side, 20+ supplier side) Managing Director, IT Project Management Firm 1, male, age 53, 12 years in current position, 25 year industry experience (10+ client side, 10+ supplier side) CEO, IT Project Management Firm 1, male, age 48, 12 months in current position (previously director, IT procurement, government department 1) 20 year industry experience (19+ client side, 1+ supplier side) Program Manager, Government Department 2, male, age 53, 5 years in current position, 20 year industry experience (all client side) Business Development Manager, IT Project Management Firm 3, male, age 32, 18 months in current position, 10 year industry experience (all supplier side) Business Development Manager, IT project management firm 4, male, age 58, 2 years in current position, 27 year industry experience (21+ year client side, 7+ supplier side) IT Project Manager, Government Department 3, male, age 55, 4 years in current position, 29 year industry experience (all client side) Infrastructure Project Director, Engineering Firm 1, male, age 38, 4 years in current position, 18 year industry experience (all supplier side) Building Project Manager, female, age 32, 4 years in current position, 12 year industry experience (all client side) Operations Manager, Engineering Firm 2, female, age 62, 2 years in current position, 35 year industry experience (25+ client side, 10+ supplier side) Delivery Manager, Construction Firm 1, female, age 28, 2 years in current position, 8 year industry experience (2+ client side, 6+ supplier side) Infrastructure Manager, Government Department, male, age 36, 5 years in current position, 11 year industry experience (5+ client side, 6+ supplier side) Branch Manager, Construction Firm 1, male, age 42, 3 years in current position, 22 year industry experience (all supplier side) General Manager, Construction Firm 2, male, age 31, 3 years in current position, 11 year industry experience (all supplier side) Managing Director, Engineering Firm 3, female, age 48, 3 years in current position, 23 year industry experience (18+ client side, 5+ supplier side) Program Manager, Government Department 4, male, age 45, 6 years in current position, 20 year industry experience (13+ client side, 6+ supplier side) Project Manager, Government Department 4, female, age 29, 3 years in current position, 9 year industry experience (6+ client side, 3+ supplier side)

D.D. Prior / Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201

representative presents a series of options for a given problem rather than the problem exclusively. These attributes appear to be desirable across the four primary categories of supplier activities evident in the data. The primary categories of activity include communication, planning, risk management and coordination. 4.1. Communication The theme of communication surfaced on many occasions as a contributor to customer perceived value. Several sets of comments in the data reflect the general agreement that communications are a major way in which supplier representatives achieve positive perceptions of value. Comments reflected the need to communicate regularly, to ensure mutual understanding between supplier representatives and buyer representatives. Communications appear to have an important role in providing emotional, social and functional benefits. This seems to occur through information exchange. Information exchange aids in decision-making and relationship development. “Communicate! Communicate! Communicate! This is the only way you can make sure you keep everyone on side”. [Greg, via LinkedIn]

1197

anticipating client needs involves ascertaining the client's perspective through ongoing dialog, particularly about the constraints that affect the current project and developing approaches to mitigate any foreseen problems. This often materializes as a risk plan. Secondly, in dealing with current problematic situations, expectations management encompasses the recognition of problems, the development and application of solutions, and, the liaison between the project team (or team member) and other stakeholders. Expectations management occurs more through individual conversations than through team level activities during the course of a project, with exceptions being the preparation of mitigation plans. “Ensure all the stakeholders report good and bad things to you in a timely fashion, or in the words of a project manager I used to work with: it doesn't matter if news are good or bad, I don't want any surprises”. [Carl, via LinkedIn]

“I'd hope our suppliers provide all necessary information in a timely fashion, otherwise I don't know that I can trust them. I just wouldn't be confident in them…”. [Mark, Program Manager]

4.2. Planning “You need to make sure everyone is on board. This means you must communicate and communicate until you are 100% certain. You must communicate not just at formal meetings, but via phone, email and face-to-face constantly”. [Wendy via LinkedIn] Two sub-themes emerged through further analysis. 4.1.1. Information management Information management includes the procedures used to ensure an appropriate stakeholder receives accurate information in a timely fashion (“…make sure you're understood, that there's no ambiguity and that you understand others”, Amanda via LinkedIn). This construct appears to have two levels. Individuals involved in complex industrial solutions must adopt practices that see them use, develop and disseminate information. They adhere to spoken and unspoken principles about the standards of information timeliness, accuracy and clarity while also adopting perceptions as to the appropriate approaches and targets of information. At the delivery team level, information management becomes more standardized. Teams adopt a range of communication principles. In contrast to individuals, however, there is a greater likelihood a deliberate or planned approach is used. This often manifests as a document (communications plan) that comprises part of the overall approach the supplier adopts. “… communicate with the right people, at the right time, in the right way for them… develop a communications plan that matches their primary representational system”. [Dennis, via LinkedIn]

4.1.2. Expectations management Expectations management seems to relate to the attempts of supplier representatives to understand the perspective of the client, to make the supplier's limitations clear, to anticipate client information needs and to provide appropriate, timely information particularly in lieu of unexpected situations. Expectations management centers on managing client behaviors and attitudes towards the project. In essence, this involves providing sufficient information to create a feeling of assurance. It appears to have two primary elements. Firstly,

A considerable portion of comments refers to planning as an essential element of successful implementation. Planning involves the determination of a course of events to achieve a predetermined goal or objective. In this capacity, it clearly establishes the resource and other requirements to achieve these. Through the articulation of these parameters, planning provides a sense of security for both supplier and buyer representatives. This occurs by committing to a course of events through a sign-off process of official planning documents. Planning activities operate at two levels in parallel. These include solution-specific planning and a broader set of firm-level planning activities. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. [Bob, Branch Manager]

4.2.1. Solution specific Complex industrial solutions appear to adhere to a specific plan. This encompasses a clear timeframe (work breakdown structure) for the completion of solution-specific milestones. Details of resource procurements and deployments also seem to form an essential part of solution-specific planning. A budget generally accompanies this, as does parameters to manage risk and communication flows. The implementation of most complex industrial solutions involves the development of extensive planning documentation. This often manifests as a project plan. This document usually has several characteristics common to legal contracts in that it represents the offer the supplier makes to the buyer that both parties endorse. “I really like knowing where the plan is going. I always make sure that the project plan is finalized before we start”. [Bill, IT Project Manager]

“One of the major things a project manager can do is to develop a good project plan. This ensures that the right things get done at the right times…. Resources are available in a timely fashion if a good project plan exists”. [John, via LinkedIn]

1198

D.D. Prior / Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201

4.2.2. General planning An additional element of the planning function is to ensure the robustness of the organizational approach to project delivery. This encompasses building a resource base from which individual projects can draw. This includes the recruitment, training and performance management of personnel, the maintenance of appropriate corporate infrastructure and processes, as well as the development of relationships with network members. These processes operate as a general approach to supplier's self-management. They facilitate project delivery by ensuring resource availability and the robustness of these. “[Supplier X] has an almost endless pool of talent. The people that we use from that organization are extremely qualified and experienced; they all know what they are doing. They are one of the best suppliers we have”. [Lisa, Building Project Manager]

4.3. Risk management Risk management seems to involve the identification, assessment and prioritization of current and potentially problematic issues. Risk management focuses specifically on the identification and mitigation of issues that threaten successful project completion. Risks can emerge through the characteristics of the product or system, its integration with other pre-existing systems, and the implementation of the project. A major element of the planning and communication functions is to ensure adequate risk management. This includes the preparation of the risk management plan, which is part of the overall project plan. The data displays evidence of three related elements that fall within the purview of the risk management concept. 4.3.1. Risk anticipation Firstly, risk anticipation involves understanding the nature of the project to an extent that likely problem areas are identifiable. This encompasses forethought about the likely circumstances to emerge during project implementation. In this sense, the expectation that an event will occur enables planning to minimize any resulting damage or to take advantage of potential benefits. “Ensure that ‘rainy days’ scenarios are captured as well as ‘sunny days’ ones: error handling quite often represents half the code in a system so if you don't plan for it, you don't plan for half your project”. [Cliff via LinkedIn]

4.3.2. Problem solving Problem solving forms an important part of risk management. This involves determining an appropriate course of action to deal with unexpected issues. Through the skills and knowledge available to them, this involves an individual assessing a given problematic situation in the event it arises. Upon making an initial determination, the individual then identifies a solution and persists with its implementation. In this sense, problem solving is more relevant after the project has commenced. It requires an understanding of the problem as it emerges in its given context. Problem solving allows the project to adapt to unanticipated situations. It is unlikely these activities receive recognition in a project plan since they were unforeseeable. “One time, we had a system failure. It was during a major system upgrade… I had phone calls and emails from all parts of the organization. We called Michael [supplier technical manager] and he had us up and running in about two hours. Lucky he was onsite helping with [related system projects]”. [Charlie via LinkedIn]

4.3.3. Flexibility Flexibility seems to involve the ability to adapt to new circumstances and issues as they emerge. These new developments alter the planned trajectory of the project. It often means changing significant plans, particularly resource allocations to account for differences in client requirements that emerge during the project. This includes changes to timeframe requirements, budget availability and resource requirements. It also involves alterations to project governance processes (e.g. change in a manager), the emergence of new corporate directions and the re-evaluation of project goals. The emergence of perceivably better technological solutions to the initial problem also acts as a major influence on project trajectory and, thus may necessitate flexibility in project execution. “…. I know we're a pain to some of our project teams. I've had it happen on more than one occasion where we've decided to make a major change, usually because a new technology becomes available during the two years it takes to complete some projects. We really appreciate it when the supplier is flexible enough to accommodate changes like this”. [Andrew, via LinkedIn] 4.4. Coordination Coordination seems to involve the dynamic allocation of human, budgetary and other resources to the completion of identified tasks. That is, it is a process of facilitating the completion of project tasks through specific resource allocations in real time. Importantly, it encompasses the organizing function to achieve desired outcomes. As opposed to the notion of flexibility, coordination involves higher-level thinking. The project manager must anticipate short-term buyer demands and resource constraints and act accordingly. Coordination differs from planning in that it happens in real time. While it does involve anticipation and the direction of resources to achieve outcomes, the need for coordination emerges throughout the project rather than prior to commencement. “I think the most valuable thing a project team can do is to get the job done on time and on budget. This means making sure they have the right team in the right place at the right time. Everything else is just fuzz”. [Bill, IT Project Manager] 5. Discussion The findings of this study appear to support the claim that the activities of supplier representatives influence customer perceived value in complex industrial solution delivery. The data reveal four categories of activity (communications, planning, risk management, coordination) that supplier representatives enact during the delivery process. It is possible, however, that further categories exist. Buyer representatives appear to perceive activities mostly in social, emotional and functional terms. Table 4 contains a summary of the major findings. It shows the four major categories of activity, the sub-activities that they comprise and the apparent linkages between them and the perceivable impacts on buyer representatives. In essence, this is more a conceptual model than a theory in the truest sense, but it is important as an initial exploration and description. The conceptual model has the potential to lead to further theoretical developments and managerial understanding. This section continues through a discussion of the theoretical and managerial implications as well as the limitations of the study. 5.1. Theoretical implications The findings of the study have the potential to yield some important theoretical developments. Firstly, they suggest the notion that

D.D. Prior / Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201

1199

Table 4 Supplier representative activities and customer perceived value. Activity category

Sub-activities

Primary forms of customer perceived value

Indicative quotations

Communications

Information management

• Efficient time usage (functional) • Trust in ability (social/emotional)

Expectations management

• Reduced customer anxiety (emotional)

Solution-specific

• Delivery efficiency (functional) • Professional execution (social/emotional) • Delivery efficiency (functional) • Trust in ability (social/emotional) • Reduced customer anxiety (emotional) • Preventing implementation problems (functional) • Reduced customer anxiety (emotional) • Getting the project back on track (functional) • Allowing changes to project scope (functional) • Relief of not having to start from scratch (emotional)

“I want to know what I want to know when I want to know it! I can't be waiting around for a report or formal meeting, particularly when there's a major problem” John via LinkedIn. “I like it when I can rely on a project manager to relay information to me in the right way. This lets me get on with my job without having to worry about how the project is going constantly” Jill via LinkedIn. “Sometimes clients expect you give them everything including the kitchen sink. This is usually impossible, particularly when this means significant differences from the initial RFP. We have to make sure we manage their expectations down so they're not disappointed” Aron, Project Director. “One of the major things a project manager can do is to develop a good project plan. This ensures that the right things get done at the right times…. Resources are available in a timely fashion if a good project plan exists” John, via LinkedIn.

Planning

General

Risk management

Risk anticipation

Problem solving

Flexibility

Coordination

Human resource allocation; budget allocation; other resource allocation

• Task execution (functional)

value-in-use in complex industrial solutions can be emotional and social in nature. This is a deviation from the current customer perceived value literature in industrial marketing contexts. The clear focus in many cases is on utility maximization (Blocker, Flint, Myers, & Slater, 2011; Lapierre, 2000; Parry et al., 2012; Ulaga & Chacour, 2001). This study suggests the possibility that the appraisal of value in complex industrial solutions is not always a rational process. These developments broaden the scope of customer perceived value in complex industrial solutions, which appears to be a relatively novel contribution to this literature. A second contribution of this study is the identification and description of activities as mechanisms for the creation of intangible value. This compliments other approaches to explaining value creation in complex industrial solutions that focus on capabilities and business models, and enhance the current value creation literature. This step shifts the emphasis to a phenomenon that operates at a micro level. These ideas are central to several branches of management theory. The institutional logics perspective involves the consideration of multiple levels of analysis to explain intra-organizational interactions (Thornton, Ocasio, & Lounsbury, 2012). By considering activities as a central means to value creation, this idea is similar to those found in the strategy-as-practice literature, which utilizes activity theory to explain how strategy development and implementation occur (Jarzabkowski, 2005, 2008; Johnson, Melin, & Whittington, 2003; Whittington, 1992). The conceptual linkages between management theory and marketing theory in this paper are important for the study of complex industrial solutions. They show that, as opposed to business-to-consumer and consumer behavior models of consumption, the study of inter-organizational

“[Supplier X] has an almost endless pool of talent. The people that we use from that organization are extremely qualified and experienced; they all know what they are doing. They are one of the best suppliers we have” Lisa, Building Project Manager. “When I sit down with one of the project managers from a supplier, I want to be sure he understands the risks that are likely to occur. What impresses me is when, without even asking, they can produce a document that details all likely risks and outlines how they will handle them” Will, Infrastructure Manager “One time, we had a system failure. It was during a major system upgrade…. I had phone calls and emails from all parts of the organization. We called Michael [supplier technical manager] and he had us up and running in about two hours. Lucky he was onsite helping with [related system projects]” Charlie via LinkedIn. “…. I know we're a pain to some of our project teams. I've had it happen on more than one occasion where we've decided to make a major change, usually because a new technology becomes available during the two years it takes to complete some projects. We really appreciate it when the supplier is flexible enough to accommodate changes like this” Andrew, via LinkedIn. “By coordinating human, physical and other resources, as well as getting enough budget, the project has a much better chance of success…” Jeremy via LinkedIn.

interactions requires greater acknowledgement of management theory that addresses similar phenomenon. 5.2. Managerial implications The framework the study identifies emanates from a supplier perspective. Consequently, it is possible that managers can use it as a tool to conceptualize their delivery approach in a complex industrial solution context. Through the identification of the four categories of activity, and the four major attributes that customer representatives use to evaluate these, managers can derive several potential benefits. The parameters managers use to design solution implementation can now incorporate greater focus on the activities the study identifies. This may see a greater focus on the four categories of activity and less on others, thus enabling greater efficiency of resource usage. Additionally, the recruitment and training practices that managers use for the human resources they deploy in complex industrial solutions can now focus on the four categories of activity. There is scope to ensure that new recruits and trainees develop high-level abilities in these activities. This is important due to the high incidence of personnel that are responsible for solution delivery that do not naturally possess well developed abilities in these areas. Importantly, this framework has the potential to account for some of the nuances of intangible value. Emotions have the potential to make solution delivery very difficult. To reduce the chance that emotions play an undesirable role in project execution, the framework is usable as a way to prescribe sets of activities to prevent negative circumstances and to deal with them if they do emerge. Several sets of

1200

D.D. Prior / Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201

activities have impacts in this domain and, through their manipulation, managers can potentially gain positive outcomes. 5.3. Limitations of the study This study encompasses several limitations. It focuses only on some of the activities supplier representatives can adopt in complex industrial solution delivery to maximize customer perceived value from their firm's offerings. The study does not address buyer activities explicitly. In addition, the findings presented here are derived only from an exploratory netnography of online communities. Substantial further work is necessary to examine this conceptual finding and generalize the findings beyond the conceptual setting. 6. Conclusion and future research directions This paper presents a conceptual framework of supplier representative activities and their potential impacts on customer perceived value in complex industrial solution delivery. Using a netnography of eleven discussion boards of ten online communities from the professional social networking site LinkedIn, this study establishes a link between activities and customer perceived value in complex industrial solution delivery. The study presents a framework that demonstrates that communication, planning, risk management and coordination are likely to lead to customer perceptions of value in complex industrial solutions. This study represents a significant addition to the complex industrial solution literature, which currently focuses on resources, the value proposition and the supplier–buyer relationship as primary drivers of value. The current literature also does not consider intangible value in social or emotional terms, which are additional contributions of this study. The emergent framework provides an in-depth description of the activities to perceived value link. However, the goals of this study are only exploratory and descriptive. Further research is necessary to confirm this framework beyond the current empirical setting. The framework focuses on the supplier perspective, so further integration with buyer perspectives will enhance the current findings. Scope also exists for the investigation of heterogeneous perspectives on both sides of the supplier–buyer dyad in terms of perceived value due to the subjective nature of this construct. Acknowledgments The author wishes to thank the participants in the 2012 Academy of Marketing Science annual conference reviewers and the three anonymous IMM reviews for comments and feedback on the earlier versions of this manuscript. References Aarikka-Stenroos, L., & Jaakkola, E. (2012). Value co-creation in knowledge intensive business services: A dyadic perspective on the joint problem solving process. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(1), 15–26. Andersen, P. H., Christensen, P. R., & Damgaard, T. (2009). Diverging expectations in buyer–seller relationships: Institutional contexts and relationship norms. Industrial Marketing Management, 38(7), 814–824. Atkinson, P., & Hammersley, M. (1995). Ethnography (2nd ed.). London, UK: Routledge. Ballesteros-Pérez, P., González-Cruz, M. C., & Fernández-Diego, M. (2012). Human resource allocation management in multiple projects using sociometric techniques. International Journal of Project Management, 30(8), 901–913. Blocker, C. P. (2011). Modeling customer value perceptions in cross-cultural business markets. Journal of Business Research, 64(5), 533–540. Blocker, C. P., Flint, D. J., Myers, M. B., & Slater, S. F. (2011). Proactive customer orientation and its role for creating customer value in global markets. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(2), 216–233. Blomquist, T., & Wilson, T. L. (2007). Project marketing in multi-project organizations: A comparison of IS/IT and engineering firms. Industrial Marketing Management, 36(2), 206–218. Boksberger, P. E., & Melsen, L. (2011). Perceived value: A critical examination of definitions, concepts and measures for the service industry. Journal of Services Marketing, 25(3), 229–240.

Bowman, C., & Ambrosini, V. (2000). Value creation versus value capture: Towards a coherent definition of value in strategy. British Journal of Management, 11(1), 1–15. Brady, T., Davies, A., & Gann, D. M. (2005). Creating value by delivering integrated solutions. International Journal of Project Management, 23(5), 360–365. Burström, T. (2012). Understanding PMs' activities in a coopetitive interorganizational multi-project setting. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 5(1), 27–50. Cantù, C., Corsaro, D., & Snehota, I. (2012). Roles of actors in combining resources into complex solutions. Journal of Business Research, 65(2), 139–150. Cova, B., & Holstius, K. (1993). How to create competitive advantage in project business. Journal of Marketing Management, 9(2), 105–121. Cova, B., Mazet, F., & Salle, R. (1996). Milieu as a pertinent unit of analysis in project marketing. International Business Review, 5(6), 647–664. Cova, B., & Salle, R. (2005). Six key points to merge project marketing into project management. International Journal of Project Management, 23(5), 354–359. Cova, B., & Salle, R. (2007). Introduction to the IMM special issue on ‘Project marketing and the marketing of solutions’. A comprehensive approach to project marketing and the marketing of solutions. Industrial Marketing Management, 36(2), 138–146. Cova, B., & Salle, R. (2008). Marketing solutions in accordance with the S-D logic: Co-creating value with customer network actors. Industrial Marketing Management, 37(3), 270–277. Davies, A., Brady, T., & Hobday, M. (2007). Organizing for solutions: Systems seller vs. systems integrator. Industrial Marketing Management, 36(2), 183–193. Evans, K. R., Margheim, L., & Schlacter, J. L. (1982). A review of expectancy theory research in selling. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 2(2), 33. Fetterman, D. M. (2010). Ethnography: Step-by-step (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc. Ford, D. (2011). IMP and service-dominant logic: Divergence, convergence and development. Industrial Marketing Management, 40(2), 231–239. Forman, H., Lippert, S. K., & Kothandaraman, P. (2007). Understanding users' performance evaluation of IT solutions. Industrial Marketing Management, 36(6), 745–756. Galbraith, J. R. (2002). Organizing to deliver solutions. Organizational Dynamics, 31(2), 194–207. Garcia-Acebron, C., Vazquez-Casielles, R., & Iglesias, V. (2010). The effect of perceived value and switching barriers on customer price tolerance in industrial energy markets. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 17(4), 317–335. Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago, IL: Aldine. Grewal, R., Chandrashekaran, M., & Citrin, A. V. (2010). Customer satisfaction heterogeneity and shareholder value. Journal of Marketing Research, 47(4), 612–626. Grönroos, C. (2011a). A service perspective on business relationships: The value creation, interaction and marketing interface. Industrial Marketing Management, 40(2), 240–247. Grönroos, C. (2011b). Value co-creation in service logic: A critical analysis. Marketing Theory, 11(3), 279–301. Grönroos, C., & Ravald, A. (2011). Service as business logic: Implications for value creation and marketing. Journal of Service Management, 22(1), 5–22. Guenzi, P., Georges, L., & Pardo, C. (2009). The impact of strategic account managers' behaviors on relational outcomes: An empirical study. Industrial Marketing Management, 38(3), 300–311. Guillory, J., & Hancock, J. T. (2012). The effect of LinkedIn on deception in resumes. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 15(3), 135–140. Helander, A., & Möller, K. (2007). System supplier's customer strategy. Industrial Marketing Management, 36(6), 719–730. Helgesen, Ø. (2006). Are loyal customers profitable? Customer satisfaction, customer (action) loyalty and customer profitability at the individual level. Journal of Marketing Management, 22(3/4), 245–266. Hibbert, S., Winklhofer, H., & Temerak, M. S. (2012). Customers as resource integrators: Toward a model of customer learning. Journal of Service Research, 15(3), 247–261. Hine, C. (2000). Virtual ethnography. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage. Hirschman, E. C. (1986). Humanistic inquiry in marketing research: Philosophy, method, and criteria. Journal of Marketing Research, 23(3), 237–249. Howard, J. A., & Sheth, J. N. (1969). The theory of buyer behaviour. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Jalkala, A., Cova, B., Salle, R., & Salminen, R. T. (2010). Changing project business orientations: Towards a new logic of project marketing. European Management Journal, 28(2), 124–138. Jarzabkowski, P. (2005). Strategy as practice. London, UK: Sage Publications. Jarzabkowski, P. (2008). Shaping strategy as a structuration process. Academy of Management Journal, 51(4), 621–650. Johnson, G., Melin, L., & Whittington, R. (2003). Micro strategy and strategizing: Towards an activity-based view. Journal of Management Studies, 40(1), 3–22. Karl, K. A., & Peluchette, J. V. (2011). ‘Friending’ professors, parents and bosses: A Facebook connection conundrum. The Journal of Education for Business, 86(4), 214–222. Khalifa, A. S. (2004). Customer value: A review of recent literature and an integrative configuration. Management Decision, 42(5), 645–666. Kozinets, R. V. (2002). The field behind the screen: Using netnography for marketing research in online communities. Journal of Marketing Research, 39(1), 61–72. Kozinets, R. V. (2009). Netnography: Doing ethnographic research online. London, UK: SAGE Publications. Kozinets, R. V., de Valck, K., Wojnicki, A. C., & Wilner, S. J. S. (2010). Networked narratives: Understanding word-of-mouth marketing in online communities. Journal of Marketing, 74(2), 71–89. Lapierre, J. (2000). Customer-perceived value in industrial contexts. The Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 15(2/3), 122.

D.D. Prior / Industrial Marketing Management 42 (2013) 1192–1201 Lilien, G., Grewal, R., Bowman, D., Ding, M., Griffin, A., Kumar, V., et al. (2010). Calculating, creating, and claiming value in business markets: Status and research agenda. Marketing Letters, 21(3), 287–299. Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic enquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. Luo, X., Homburg, C., & Wieseke, J. (2010). Customer satisfaction, analyst stock recommendations, and firm value. Journal of Marketing Research, 47(6), 1041–1058. Mainela, T., & Ulkuniemi, P. (2013). Personal interaction and customer relationship management in project business. The Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 28(2), 103–110. Marshall, G. W., & Mowen, J. C. (1993). An experimental investigation of the outcome bias in salesperson performance evaluations. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 13(3), 31–47. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. London, UK: SAGE Publications. Nordin, F., & Kowalkowski, C. (2010). Solutions offerings: A critical review and reconceptualisation. Journal of Service Management, 21(4), 441–459. Parry, S., Rowley, J., Jones, R., & Kupiec-Teahan, B. (2012). Customer-perceived value in business-to-business relationships: A study of software customers. Journal of Marketing Management, 28(7–8), 887–911. Payne, A., & Holt, S. (2001). Diagnosing customer value: Integrating the value process and relationship marketing. British Journal of Management, 12(2), 159. Payne, A. F., Storbacka, K., & Frow, P. (2008). Managing the co-creation of value. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(1), 83–96. Pettit, R. A. Y. (2010). Netnography: Doing ethnographic research online. Journal of Advertising Research, 50(3), 240–241. Powell, J. H., & Swart, J. (2010). Mapping the values in B2B relationships: A systemic, knowledge-based perspective. Industrial Marketing Management, 39(3), 437–449. Prior, D. D., & Miller, L. M. (2012). Webethnography: Towards a typology for quality in research design. International Journal of Market Research, 54(4), 503–520. Project Management Institute, P. M. (2000). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK). Newton Square, Pennsylvania, USA: Project Management Institute Inc. Schmidt, J. B., Sarangee, K. R., & Montoya, M. M. (2009). Exploring new product development project review practices. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 26(5), 520–535. Seiden, S., & Sowa, J. E. (2011). Performance management and appraisal in human service organizations: Management and staff perspectives. Public Personnel Management, 40(3), 251–264. Sheth, J. N., Newman, B. I., & Gross, B. L. (1991). Why we buy what we buy: A theory of consumption values. Journal of Business Research, 22(2), 159–170. Skaates, M. A., & Tikkanen, H. (2003). International project marketing: an introduction to the INPM approach. International Journal of Project Management, 21(7), 503–510.

1201

Sommer, K. L., & Kulkarni, M. (2012). Does constructive performance feedback improve citizenship intentions and job satisfaction? The roles of perceived opportunities for advancement, respect, and mood. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 23(2), 177–201. Storbacka, K. (2012). Strategic account management programs: Alignment of design elements and management practices. The Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 27(4), 259–274. Strauss, A. L., & Corbin, J. M. (1990). Basic qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Thornton, P. H., Ocasio, W., & Lounsbury, M. (2012). The institutional logics perspective. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Tuli, K. R., Kohli, A. K., & Bharadwaj, S. G. (2007). Rethinking customer solutions: From product bundles to relational processes. Journal of Marketing, 71(3), 1–17. Ulaga, W. (2003). Capturing value creation in business relationships: A customer perspective. Industrial Marketing Management, 32(8), 677–693. Ulaga, W., & Chacour, S. (2001). Measuring customer-perceived value in business markets: A prerequisite for marketing strategy development and implementation. Industrial Marketing Management, 30(6), 525–540. Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. Journal of Marketing, 68(1), 1–17. Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2008). From goods to service(s): Divergences and convergences of logics. Industrial Marketing Management, 37(3), 254–259. Vargo, S. L., Maglio, P. P., & Akaka, M. A. (2008). On value and value co-creation: A service systems and service logic perspective. European Management Journal, 26(3), 145–152. Wagner, S. M., Eggert, A., & Lindemann, E. (2010). Creating and appropriating value in collaborative relationships. Journal of Business Research, 63(8), 840–848. Whittington, R. (1992). Putting giddens into action: Social systems and managerial agency. Journal of Management Studies, 29(6), 693–712. Windahl, C., & Lakemond, N. (2006). Developing integrated solutions: The importance of relationships within the network. Industrial Marketing Management, 35(7), 806–818. Woodruff, R. (1997). Customer value: The next source for competitive advantage. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 25(2), 139–153. Daniel D Prior is currently a Lecturer in Management at the University of New South Wales, Canberra campus. Daniel's research interests center on value in complex buyer–supplier exchange. Daniel has published journals such as the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, the Journal of General Management and the International Journal for Voluntary Sector and Non Profit Marketing. Daniel received his PhD from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Macquarie University in 2008.