The Business Marketing Course Managing in

The Business Marketing Course is an important and insightful book that brings together the main theories and contributions of the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group in a student-friendly form. The book provides complete coverage of the role of business relationships and networks in domestic and international business - a topic that is now gaining widespread attention among researchers and practitioners and is a vital part of student learning. -Professor Ian F. Wilkinson, School of Marketing, University of New South Wales, AustraliaThe second edition of this fine book offers another step forward in terms of structure, coverage and significance. The thoughtful use of figures, tables, boxes and assignments provides further clarity for students. -Professor Luis Araujo, Department of Marketing, Lancaster University, UKThe new edition of this widely used business marketing text has been completely revised and rewritten. The Business Marketing Course provides a comprehensive insight into business marketing in a compact and accessible format that provides the ideal foundation for courses on business or industrial marketing.The new edition concentrates on the reality facing business marketers operating in complex and dynamic business networks. The book provides a structured approach to both technology and the development of the marketer's offerings as well as an expanded guide on how to analyse business networks and customers and how to develop marketing strategy.The book is essential reading for students who are studying business markets. It is also an excellent guide for all managers who would like a clearer understanding of the complexity of networks in which they operate. The book is still firmly based on the ideas of the IMP (Industrial Marketing and Purchasing) Group. It includes a new chapter on how marketers can work effectively with colleagues in other functional areas. The new edition is presented in a highly readable style with extensive use of examples and illustrations.Each chapter in the book concludes with a study assignment based on the authors' own experience of teaching business marketing.

Professor David Ford is founder member of the IMP (International Marketing and Purchasing) Group, a body of researchers from eight countries which has carried out a number of large-scale studies into international industrial marketing and purchasing. He is also visiting professor at the University of Texas and a member of the internal board of advisers for the School of Business at Uppsala University in Sweden.

Hakan Hakansson is professor at the Nordic School of Management, BI, in Norway.

Lars-Erik Gadde is professor at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

Ivan Snehota is professor at the University of Lugano in Switzerland.

Notes on the Authors	p. xiii
Preface to the Second Edition	p. xv
The Idea of Business Networks	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
A network approach to business marketing	p. 2
Some of the things that go wrong in business marketing	p. 2
Understanding business networks	p. 3
The scale of business networks	p. 3
The complexity of business networks	p. 4
A small numbers game	p. 8
Dynamic networks	p. 10
Dynamics of companies	p. 10
The dynamics of relationships	p. 11
Dynamics of networks	p. 13
Conclusions	p. 13
Further reading	p. 14
The Wallace company	p. 14
Questions	p. 15
Analysing Business Networks	p. 17
Aims of this chapter	p. 17
Introduction	p. 17
A range of networks	p. 18
Supplier networks	p. 18
Distribution networks	p. 20
Product development network	p. 22
Analysing a single relationship in a network	p. 27
Activity links	p. 27
Resource ties	p. 29
Actor bonds	p. 30
Characterizing relationships	p. 31
Analysing connected relationships	p. 32
Activity pattern	p. 32
Resource constellation	p. 34
Web of actors	p. 35
Patterns in a network	p. 36
Positions in a network	p. 37
Conclusions	p. 38
Further reading	p. 39
	p. 39
Customers and Suppliers: Interaction in the Network	p. 41
Aims of this chapter	p. 41
Introduction	p. 41
Similarities and differences between business and consumer purchases	p. 42
Interacting in relationships	p. 45
Are close relationships always a good idea?	p. 48
What and why do companies buy?	p. 49
Problems	p. 49
Products and services	p. 53
Offerings	p. 54
Solutions	p. 56
Customer uncertainties	p. 57
What customer uncertainties mean for marketing management	p. 59
Supplier abilities	p. 59
Strategic choice in abilities	p. 60
Problems and uncertainties for the supplier	p. 63
What its own uncertainties mean for suppliers	p. 64
Interchangeable abilities	p. 65
Conclusions	p. 66
Further reading	p. 67
	p. 67
Technology, Business Networks and Business Marketing	p. 71
Aims of this chapter	p. 71
Introduction	p. 71
The idea of technology	p. 72
Technology and the company	p. 76
Technology decisions for the company	p. 77
Acquiring technology	p. 78
Exploiting technology	p. 80
Managing technology	p. 81
Examining the technologies of a company	p. 82
Types of technology	p. 82
Basic, distinctive and external technologies	p. 85
Technology, offerings and life-cycles	p. 88
Technology in supplier and customer	p. 90
Involving customers in technological development	p. 90
Differences in understanding of technology between customer and supplier	p. 92
Technology in the network	p. 93
Stability and change in technology	p. 93
Adapting to the network	p. 94
Conclusions	p. 36
Further reading	p. 97
	p. 97
New technology at Wallace	p. 97
Questions	p. 98
Understanding Customers	p. 99
Aims of this chapter	p. 99
Introduction: the importance of purchasing and suppliers	p. 99
The dimensions of supply	p. 101
The customer's problems	p. 102
Rationalization	p. 102
Development	p. 103
Who is involved in purchasing?	p. 104
How companies buy	p. 106
Solutions from existing relationships - Buy-cycle 1	p. 107
Searching outside existing relationships - Buy-cycle 2	p. 109
Information exchange in business transactions	p. 110
Resources for purchasing	p. 111
Uncertainties	p. 111
Organizational structure	p. 112
Supplier portfolio	p. 114
Network position	p. 115
Strategic choices in purchasing	p. 116
Determining the level of involvement with suppliers	p. 116
Configuration of the supply base	p. 118
The scope of supply	p. 120
Conclusions	p. 121
Further reading	p. 122
Case for discussion	p. 122
United Steel's new offering	p. 122
Questions for discussion	p. 123
Managing Relationships with Customers	p. 125
Aims of this chapter	p. 125
Introduction	p. 125
Analysing customers	p. 126
Researching customers	p. 127
Understanding yourself	p. 131
Managing a single relationship	p. 131
Managing learning and teaching with the customer	p. 134
Managing distance between the companies	p. 135
Investing in the relationship between the companies	p. 136
Making and controlling adaptations in the relationship	p. 136
Developing and demonstrating commitment and trust between customer and supplier	p. 138
Managing interdependence and power in a relationship	p. 139
Managing conflict in a relationship	p. 140
Managing interaction and communication	p. 141
Auditing a business relationship	p. 144
Managing a portfolio of customer relationships	p. 147
Categorizing the companies in a customer portfolio	p. 148
Relationships in the network	p. 151
Conclusions	p. 153
Further reading	p. 154
	p. 155
Customer problems and relationships at Airslash	p. 155
Designing Offerings: Developing the Promise	p. 159
Aims of this chapter	p. 159
Introduction: the bases of suppliers' offerings	p. 159
Customers' problems and uncertainties	p. 160
Supplier's problem-solving ability	p. 161
Customers' demand and transfer abilities	p. 162
Developing offerings between customer and supplier	p. 163
The elements of a supplier's offerings	p. 164
Inter-relationships between the elements of offerings	p. 168
What offering focus should we have?	p. 170
Developing the elements of offerings	p. 173
Designing a single offering	p. 176
Adapting offerings	p. 177
Adaptations in relationships	p. 179
Adaptations in different buy-cycles	p. 179
Quality of offerings	p. 180
Specifications	p. 180
Conclusions	p. 181
Further reading	p. 181
	p. 182
Offerings at Airslash	p. 182
Implementing the Offering: Fulfilling the Promise	p. 183
Aims of this chapter	p. 183
Introduction: transfer ability and implementation	p. 183
Major implementation issues for the business marketer	p. 185
Managing implementation	p. 187
Implementation processes for products	p. 187
Implementation processes for service	p. 190
Implementation processes for delivery	p. 194
Implementation in relationships	p. 198
Coordinating implementation in the supplier	p. 200
Coordinating with external partners	p. 201
Implementation in and through networks	p. 204
Conclusions	p. 206
Further reading	p. 207
	p. 208
Implementation at Airslash	p. 208
Costs, Price and Value	p. 209
Aims of this chapter	p. 209
Introduction	p. 209
Pricing issues for the business marketer	p. 210
Costs	p. 211
Indirect costs	p. 211
Recovering costs in relationships	p. 212
Direct costs	p. 213
Assessing costs	p. 213
Price and customer problems	p. 215
Price and customer uncertainties	p. 216
Transaction uncertainty	p. 216
Need and market uncertainty	p. 217
High- and low-involvement relationships and pricing	p. 219
Price and value	p. 220
Sources of relationship value	p. 220
Price and relationships	p. 221
Pricing for transactions	p. 221
Pricing in a relationship	p. 222
Price and the relationship portfolio	p. 224
Price and the network	p. 224
Costs, price and the offering	p. 226
Variations and tradeoffs in offerings	p. 226
Pricing and competitive offerings	p. 228
Controlling the price of an offering	p. 230
Pricing a new offering	p. 231
Re-pricing existing offerings	p. 232
Price and the quality of an offering	p. 232
Conclusions	p. 233
Further reading	p. 234
	p. 235
Price decisions at Wallace	p. 235
Question	p. 235
Developing Marketing Strategy	p. 237
Aims of this chapter	p. 237
A framework for strategy management	p. 237
The concept of strategy	p. 237
The content of strategy and strategy options	p. 238
The strategy development process	p. 241
Strategy in business networks	p. 243
The offering - the "What" of strategy	p. 244
Customer base - the "Who" of strategy	p. 247
Technical and organizational solutions - the "How" of strategy	p. 252
Strategy development in business networks	p. 253
Management's role in strategy development	p. 258
Final considerations: strategy content and process	p. 260
Further reading	p. 261
	p. 261
Marketing strategy at Airslash	p. 261
Index	p. 263
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The Business Marketing Course Managing in Complex Networks

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