Do different marketing practices pre-suppose different frames of reference? An exploratory study

Abstract

Purpose: The role of managerial assumptions in the formulation of organizational strategies has been well recognized by previous studies, yet in marketing literature, the effect of such imperative on marketing practice choice tends to be ignored. Therefore, this paper aims to empirically investigate how management assumptions fit with the choice of marketing practices, and how such fit affects performance. Design/methodology/approach: A model is developed and tested using survey methodology, and the data are analyzed using the partial least square (PLS) approach. Findings: The results show that different marketing practices were coupled with different frames of reference, resulting in viable matching profiles. Research limitations/implications: Given the novelty of the approach adopted in this study, conclusions about association and not causation are drawn. In addition, the study is restricted to Qatar which may reduce the generalizability of its findings and conclusions. Practical implications: The findings will help managers to examine carefully the internal logic of their marketing-related profiling, where coherent variables will enhance performance. Originality/value: To one’s knowledge, this paper reports a work in an area not previously researched. In addition, this study is one of the rare papers that examines unobserved heterogeneity using the PLS-structural equation modeling (SEM) in the field of marketing. © 2018, Allam Abu Farha and Said Elbanna.