Competence Resource Specialization, Causal Ambiguity, and the Creation and Decay of Competitiveness: The Role of Marketing Strategy in New Product Performance and Shareholder Value

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Forthcoming

59 Pages Posted: 16 Oct 2012

See all articles by Jared M. Hansen

Jared M. Hansen

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Bob McDonald

Texas Tech University

Ronald K. Mitchell

Texas Tech University - Rawls College of Business

Date Written: September 19, 2012

Abstract

Marketing strategists should create, maintain, and arrest the decay of causally ambiguous resource competences that lead to competitiveness and thus performance. However, competence causal ambiguity, which helps create competitiveness, is also implicated in competitiveness decay. In this study we test a model of specialization-competitiveness-performance using primary and secondary data from 169 public respondents/firms, to examine the effects of negative internal barriers to replication and adaptation. These barriers develop due to resource lock-in arising from the same specialization processes that lead to the positive barriers to imitation that deter competitors. Results suggest that commitment to learning can mitigate resource lock-in problems with internal competence causal ambiguity, competence causal ambiguity among competitors appears more essential to competitiveness in more competitive markets, competitiveness positively relates to both shareholder value and new product performance, and an increased differential focus on marketing versus operations in the organization strengthens the positive bridge between organizational competitiveness and shareholder return.

Keywords: Competence, Organizational competitiveness, Marketing strategy, Resource specialization, Causal ambiguity, Resource lock-in, Commitment to learning, Tobin’s q, Knowledge Management, Austrain Economics, Evolutionary Economics, Barriers to Imitation

JEL Classification: L1, L10, L11, L19, L2, L20, L21, L22, L23, L6, M31, O3, O30, O31, O32, M10, M11, D4, D40, D41, D8

Suggested Citation

Hansen, Jared M. and McDonald, Robert and Mitchell, Ronald K., Competence Resource Specialization, Causal Ambiguity, and the Creation and Decay of Competitiveness: The Role of Marketing Strategy in New Product Performance and Shareholder Value (September 19, 2012). Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2162189

Jared M. Hansen (Contact Author)

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ( email )

9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001
United States

HOME PAGE: http://belkcollegeofbusiness.uncc.edu/jaredhansen

Robert McDonald

Texas Tech University ( email )

United States

Ronald K. Mitchell

Texas Tech University - Rawls College of Business ( email )

Lubbock, TX 79409
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
78
Abstract Views
1,141
Rank
559,655
PlumX Metrics