J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. DOI 10.1007/s11747-009-0150-4

Exploring the relationship between marketing and supply chain management: introduction to the special issue

John T. Mentzer & Greg Gundlach

Received: 8 May 2009 /Accepted: 13 May 2009 # Academy of Marketing Science 2009

Abstract Supply chains and supply chain management are ment, conversion, and logistics. As recently defined by the important areas of business practice and scholarship that Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals: overlap with the discipline and practice of marketing and Supply Chain Management encompasses the planning marketing management. The co-editors of the Journal’s and management of all activities involved in sourcing Special Issue “Exploring the Relationship Between Marketing and procurement, conversion, and all Logistics Man- and Supply Chain Management” provide an introduction to agement activities. Importantly, it also includes the special issue, overview its contents and extend their coordination and collaboration with channel partners, appreciation to the authors, reviewers, editor and staff whose which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party contributions and efforts made it possible. service providers, and customers. In essence, Supply Chain Management integrates supply and demand Keywords Supply chain . Supply chain management . management within and across companies. Marketing . Special issue introduction As developed, practiced and examined over time, supply chains and SCM include many phenomena and practices Introduction common to the discipline and practice of marketing and marketing management. Developments in marketing schol- Supply chains and supply chain management (SCM) have arship have increasingly recognized these commonalities emerged as increasingly important areas of business and benefited from their presence. For example, marketing practice and academic scholarship. Originally recognized scholarship has gained from the knowledge that is obtained in the 1980s, SCM has attracted growing interest and through consideration of an expanded unit of analysis that attention on the part of both academics and practitioners. defines supply chains as well as the managerial goal and Recent conceptions of SCM detail its expanding role within principles of integration that are at the core of SCM. At the organizations to encompass activities associated with the same time, scholarship in SCM has benefited from the integration of supply and demand management within and considerable knowledge that has developed within market- across companies, including coordination and collaboration ing concerning, for example, interfirm and interpersonal with channel partners and customers, sourcing, procure- coordination and collaboration including that which has been obtained through the study of interorganizational relationships. Other benefits and influences may also be J. T. Mentzer identified. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA Despite these developments and benefits, the nature and e-mail: [email protected] implications of the interrelationships of marketing and SCM have not been explored at great length in the * G. Gundlach ( ) marketing literature. In recognition of the importance of University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA supply chains, the emergence of SCM as an interdisciplin- e-mail: [email protected] ary field, and the important association of each with J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. marketing and marketing management, this Special Issue of managerial architectures within and between firms for the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science contains doing so. In marketing, this evolution has recently been interdisciplinary contributions that explore the relationship captured most prominently through scholarship associated between marketing and SCM. with the service-dominant (S-D) logic of marketing. Following on this work, Lusch, Vargo and Tanniru (2010) apply S-D thinking in an effort to move marketing and Contents of the special issue SCM further in this direction. They explain how emphasis on a firm’s resources and competencies facilitates under- Each of the eight articles in the special issue contributes to standing how the goods it produces may be better our understanding of the relationship between marketing understood as the tools or “provisioning mechanisms” for and supply chain management. The articles were selected serving customers. Together with consideration of its from 66 submissions based upon an extensive editorial position, role and relationship within others in the larger review process. We are grateful to the many individuals in “value networks” through which these offerings are the fields of marketing and supply chain management and provided to customers can advance both knowledge and related disciplines who provided expertise and input during practice in marketing and SCM. the editorial process. We are also grateful to Editor David The broadening consideration of thought within market- Stewart and the Editorial Review Board and the editorial ing and SCM has led to expansion of the breadth and scope staff of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science of the disciplines over time. This expansion has been a for their support in publishing the special issue. The content critical source for SCM’s advancement but also led to some of the special issue is briefly overviewed below. confusion. On the one hand it has enabled SCM to better address its integration goals, but on the other it has created Conceptual developments challenges for its understanding and development. It has also resulted in perceived redundancies with other disci- As reflected in their definitions and other conceptual plines in some areas. In an effort to facilitate better developments, the disciplines of both marketing and SCM understanding of the field, to clarify its development and have evolved over time. Three manuscripts in the special to identify opportunities for future research, in their article issue describe conceptual developments in and across the Stock, Boyer and Harmon (2010) trace and qualitatively disciplines thereby advancing understanding of the interre- analyze 166 unique definitions of SCM that have emerged lationship of marketing and SCM. As defined by the since SCM’s introduction in the 1980’s. They identify and Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals a elaborate on the major themes that have emerged over time foundational goal of SCM is the integration of supply (e.g., to define SCM. In so doing they identify key research logistics and operations) and demand (e.g., marketing) questions and issues pertaining to supply chains and SCM management within and across companies. Historically, that would benefit from research including work by companies have more often invested to create differential marketing scholars. advantages in one but not both of these domains, often resulting in their sub-optimal integration. In their article, Information technology addressing this strategic imperative, Esper et al. (2010) introduce a conceptual framework for overcoming this The application of information technology to improve challenge. Focusing on the creation of customer value productivity is the focus of considerable scholarship through implementation of knowledge management pro- ongoing in both marketing and SCM. However, the link cesses between firms they describe how successful integra- between investment in IT and performance has not been tion may be achieved through the shared generation, firmly established in the literature, leading to what some dissemination, interpretation and application of real-time have labeled the Information Technology productivity customer demand together with supply capacity restraints. “paradox.” To account for this paradox, theoretical explan- Their framework provides guidance to scholars and practi- ations that emphasize the mediating and moderating role of tioners interested in examining and applying these processes other variables between IT and performance have been to achieve enhanced integration of supply and demand advanced in the literature. Three articles in the special issue management. describe empirical studies of these variables and their role In both marketing and SCM, thought pertaining to within supply chains. In their article, extending explan- supply chains has steadily evolved from a narrow focus ations that emphasize the strategic “fit” of resources and the on tangible goods and their movement for the purposes of environment, Davis-Sramek, Germain and Iyer (2010) posit manufacturing to broadened consideration of (1) the nature and empirically investigate the role of environmental of “goods” offered in the marketplace, and (2) the scope of unpredictability on the implications of two forms of supply J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. chain IT for two levels of firm performance. Drawing on integrate demand and supply to understand this flow from the resource-advantage theory of competition, Davis and demand to supply and back to demand from a service Golicic (2010) develop and test a model that proposes dominant logic, to explore the drive for a common market-oriented IT competence as a mediator of the effects definition of SCM that encompasses all of its many facets, of IT infrastructure on marketing information flow, which to incorporate technology into the marketing-SCM interac- in turn yields comparative advantages in supply chain tion, and to assess the impact of all these on firm relationships. Finally, Richey, Tokman and Dalela (2010) performance. From these endeavors we can move toward empirically examine various interactions involving the use a more enhanced understanding of the fields of marketing of collaborative supply chain technologies and other and SCM. variables including relationship quality, resource comple- Any good research endeavor generates more questions mentarity, and retailer logistics service on financial perfor- than it answers, and we hope this special issue is no mance and ultimately on the overall performance in the exception. More empirical work is needed to test the partnership. In each case, findings from the studies add to concept of demand-supply integration. Scholarly disciplines our understanding of the intervening effects of select often wrestle with competing definitions of concepts, variables on the link between IT and performance. constructs, and indeed, the scope and definition of the discipline itself. This is a normal evolution of any Impacting firm performance discipline. Further research to explore SCM from a service-dominant logic perspective should bring added Beyond insights for understanding the role and impact of insights to the many competing definitions reviewed in this information technology on supply chain performance, other issue. The idea of IT enhanced interactions between variables are important to a firm’s performance within a marketing and SCM is intriguing and will not end in the supply chain. Two articles in the special issue empirically near future. As our concepts in both marketing and SCM examine additional variables of interest to marketing and evolve, and as IT continues to change at a breath-taking SCM. Focusing on dependence, Scheer, Miao and Garrett pace, these areas will remain ripe with research questions. (2010) examine whether the impact of suppliers’ capabil- Finally, the impact of different aspects of marketing and ities in terms of their core offering, communication and SCM on organization and supply chain performance is operations on various dimensions of customer loyalty are fundamental to what business management scholars do and mediated by the customers’ benefit and cost-based depen- should enjoy a healthy stream of future research. dence. Their mixed findings suggest that adoption of a bi- dimensional model of dependence focusing on its benefits and costs may more fully capture the theoretical domain of Thanks to reviewers dependence, thereby permitting researchers to better exam- ine its role in supply chains and component relationships. We would be remiss if we did not end this overview of the Waller et al. (2010) investigate the effects on a product’s special issue with heartfelt thanks to all of the reviewers who market share of different variables under the control of the worked so hard to give constructive feedback to all of the supplier (e.g., case pack quantity), the retailer (e.g., shelf- authors of the submitted papers. Some of these reviewers facings) and variables controlled jointly by the supplier and serve on the JAMS Editorial Review Board, but many retailer (e.g., price and shelf replenishment frequency). willingly served in an ad hoc reviewer capacity. Here is a Their findings suggest that retailers and suppliers must list, with gratitude, of all the reviewers for the special issue. work to integrate marketing activities and supply chain Ravi Achrol, George Washington University processes both within and across firms to most effectively Joseph Alba, University of Florida serve consumers and enhance their performance. Chad Autry, Texas Christian University Stacey Menzel Baker, University of Wyoming Suman Basuroy, Florida Atlantic University Conclusions Dan Bello, Georgia State University Sundar G. Bharadwaj, Emory University Our intent in this special issue was to explore the “state of Jim Boles, Georgia State University the theory and practice” in the places where marketing and Yemisi Bolumole, University of North Florida SCM touch. Where do they interact? Where do they not? Douglas Bowman, Emory University Are there gaps in the necessary interactions? And, finally, Thomas Brashear, University of Massachusetts what theories can be brought to bear to better answer these James R. Brown, West Virginia University questions? Contributors explored these questions from the Stephen Brown, Arizona State University perspective of the imperative for companies that properly Steven P. Brown, University of Houston J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci.

Roger Calantone, Michigan State University Steve Kim, Iowa State University Joseph P. Cannon, Colorado State University Piyesh Kumar, University of Georgia Martin Christopher, Cranfield University Paul D. Larson, University of Manitoba Dave Closs, Michigan State University Gene Lazniack, Marquette University Martha Cooper, Ohio State University Robert Lusch, University of Arizona Kofi Dadzi, Georgia State University Greg W. Marshall, Rollins College Robert Dahlstron, University of Kentucky Ken Matsuno, Babson College Rajiv Dant, University of South Florida Teresa McCarthy, Bryant College Pat Daugherty, University of Oklahoma John Mello, Arkansas State University Donna Davis, Texas Tech University Hong Min, University of Oklahoma Beth Davis-Sramek, University of Louisville Diane Mollenkopf, University of Tennessee Patricia Doney, Florida Atlantic University Robert Morgan, University of Alabama Cornelia Droge, Michigan State University Patrick Murphy, University of Notre Dame Bob Dwyer, University of Cincinnati Janet Murray, University of Missouri Adel El-Ansary, University of North Florida Matt Myers, University of Tennessee Alex Ellinger, University of Alabama Patricia Norberg, Quinnipiac University Lisa Ellram, Miami University Matthew O'Brien, Bradley University Reham Eltantawy, Univesity of North Florida Antony Paulraj, University of North Florida Terry Esper, University of Tennessee Lou Pelton, University of North Texas Phil Evers, University of Maryland Robert A. Peterson, University of Texas O. C. Ferrell, University of New Mexico Elliot Rabinovich, Arizona State University Dan Flint, University of Tennessee Glenn Richey, University of Alabama Helena Forslund, Vaxjo University Sweden Aric Rindfleisch, University of Wisconsin Robert Frankel, University of North Florida Lloyd Rinehart, University of Tennessee Brian Fugate, Colorado State University Funda Sahin, University of Tennessee Richard Germain, University of Louisville Amit Saini, University of Nebraska Inge Geyskens, Universiteit van Tilburg Scott Sampson, Brigham Young University David Gilliland, Colorado State University Lisa Scheer, University of Missouri Larry Giunipero, Florida State University Jeffrey Schmidt, University of Oklahoma Tom Goldsby, University of Kentucky Don E. Schultz, Northwestern University Susan Golicic, Colorado State University Judy A. Siguaw, Cornell University Michael Greenacre, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Penny Simpson, University of Texas-Pan American Dhruv Grewal, Babson College K. Sivakumar, Lehigh University Rajdeep Grewal, Pennsylvania State University Stanley Slater, Colorado State University Tom Gruen, University of Colorado Thomas W. Speh, Miami University Kelli Guttierez, University of Arizona Robert Spekman, University of Virginia Angela Hausman, Xavier University Mark T. Spriggs, University of St. Thomas Diana Haytko, Florida Gulf Coast University Ted Stank, University of Tennessee Charles Hofacker, Florida State University Jim Stock, University of South Florida Mary Holcomb, University of Tennessee David Szymanski, Texas A & M University G. Tomas M. Hult, Michigan State University Wolfgang Ulaga, HEC Paris Michael Hutt, Arizona State University Gerrit van Bruggen, Erasmus University Charles Ingene, University of Mississippi Rajan Varadarajan, Texas A&M University Sandy Jap, Emory University Glenn Voss, North Carolina State University Jean Johnson, Washington State University David Walters, University of Sydney Ken Kahn, Purdue University Judith Whipple, Michigan State University Scott Keller, University of West Florida Zach Zacharia, Lehigh University Daekwan Kim, Florida State University George Zinkhan, University of Georgia