they receive. Because customers differ widely in their perceptions
of benefits, their demands or needs are highly specific and hetero
geneous (Monroe, 1990). Over time, customers become more
sophisticated and demand services with superior performance and
reliability that are previously unheard of. Increasing sophistication
means that customers are more sensitive to nuances and differences
in the products and are attracted to those that are uniquely tailored
to their particular problems and needs (Zhou et al., 2005a).本文来自^辣@文~论^文%网*原文请找腾讯#324.9114
In such a market, a firm must develop a sufficient understanding
of its target customers in order to deliver superior value to those
customers (Desarbo et al., 2001). To compete on the delivery of
superior customer value, afirm should be able to answer four basic
questions:“(1) what exactly do customers value? (2) Of all the things
customers value, on which ones should we focus to achieve advan
tage? (3) How well do customers think we deliver that value? (4)
How will what customers value change in the future?”(Woodruff,
1997: 140). To answer these questions afirm must closely monitor its
customers. Because customers' perceptions of a product's benefits
change over time, afirm's offerings that match customers' needs today
will very likely not match their needs tomorrow (Zhou et al., 2005b).
Therefore, a firm must ascertain the changing preferences of
customers continuously and adjust its offerings accordingly. In other
words, a tilt toward a customer focus is necessary to reach and satisfy
service-conscious customers.
Customers' service emphasis may also lead to a greater level of
competitor orientation. First, afirm can better recognize its compe
titive position if thefirm has a clear understanding of the strengths
and weaknesses of its key current and potential competitors. Such an
understanding enables thefirm to develop a product and services mix
in order to position itself effectively against the competition (Li and
Calantone, 1998). Second, because customers' needs are dynamic, a
firm can attempt to anticipate changing customer preferences by
monitoring the successes and failures of its competitors (Porter, 1985).
Thus,firms can develop future products and services that are more
effectively positioned in the marketplace as a result of tracking their
competitors. In short, a customer value emphasis on service drives
firms to gather, interpret, disseminate, and act upon competitive
information so that they can meet and beat the competition. Hence,
H1a: The more the firm's customers emphasize service, the more
customer-oriented thefirm.
H1b: The more thefirm's customers emphasize service, the more
competitor-oriented thefirm.本文来自^辣@文~论^文%网*原文请找腾讯#3249.114
Price-conscious customers weigh their sacrifice (what they must
pay) most heavily in assessing the value of afirm's market offering. The
needs of such customers are relatively predictable (i.e., they generally
focus on price) and, therefore, the strategic focus should be on price.
To achieve a competitive advantage in price-conscious markets, a
firm must continually monitor its own operations in search of cost
advantages. The firm should also keep tabs on its competitors to
determine their sources of cost advantage (Day and Wensley, 1988).
Only after thefirm gets a clear idea of its cost position in a competitive
market, can it make correct pricing decisions (Porter, 1985). Therefore,
when its customers strongly emphasize price, thefirm's strategic
orientation falls necessarily on competitors. In contrast, when customer
needs are quite predictable, as with price-conscious customers,firms
can forego frequent and extensive monitoring of their customers
because such activities are expensive (Day and Wensley, 1988). This
discussion suggests that, for price-conscious markets,firms should pay
closer attention to their competitors. Therefore,
H1c: Customers' price emphasis has no significant bearing on the
degree of afirm's customer orientation.
H1d: The more the firm's customers emphasize price, the more
competitor-oriented thefirm.
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