| Marketing strategy research can be classified into content and process, with the former dealing with the specifics of a chosen or intended strategy, and the latter with factors that influence strategy formulation and implementation. Process issues have been underresearched in the marketing strategy literature.; Two key process variables that have been posited to affect market planning and performance are organizational culture (Deshpande, Farley, and Webster 1993; Deshpande and Webster 1989; Weitz, Sujan, and Sujan 1986) and organizational conflict (Amason 1996; Jaworski and Kohli 1993; Menon, Bharadwaj, and Howell 1996). Although anecdotal evidence exists regarding the combined influence of organizational culture and conflict on marketing strategy planning and implementation, these two constructs have not been researched in a single comprehensive model of marketing strategy effectiveness.; This dissertation focuses on the combined effects that two organizational factors, culture and conflict, have on the effectiveness of marketing strategy formulation and implementation processes. Cooperation mediates the effect of organizational conflict on the implementation process. This research develops and tests a comprehensive theoretical model of marketing strategy effectiveness. The results help managers develop specific kinds of cultures that could either discourage conflict and/or encourage cooperation, which would ultimately have an impact on the effectiveness of marketing strategy planning and implementation. |
