Industrial Marketing And Purchasing Research Articles

The IMP research on business networks: a systematic literature review and research agenda

More than 40 years of Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) research have revealed that in b2b markets, business exchange is carried out in continuous buyer–seller relationships. This involves direct and indirect interaction and dynamics resulting in significant related social and material investments and in extensive interdependencies that confer on the business landscape a market-as-network structure. Since the introduction of this ideas, research on business networks has been richly alimented by researchers of the IMP community. Yet, we do not have a clear overview of what this literature has covered in the last twenty years (in the period 2002–2022), in parallel with the many changes that have affected business landscape. With this study, we aim to examine what is the status of the last 20 years of IMP literature specifically dealing with the business networks level of analysis (45 articles) and to offer key directions for imminent research in this domain while analyzing and synthesizing extant literature.

Local value creation for developing business relationships: An SME case study in the pasta industry

Drawing on the market-as-network approach from the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group, this paper explores how small and medium-sized companies can leverage their network to become network orchestrators, co-creating value locally and developing business relationships. Specifically, the paper addresses the following research questions: RQ1) How can SMEs act as network orchestrators for local value co-creation? RQ2) How can SMEs leverage local value to develop business relationships? Methodologically, the industrial network theory is applied to an exploratory and single case study of an Italian food company in the pasta sector, Fabianelli. This enterprise boasts a historical tradition firmly linked to its origins and a solid attachment to the Tuscany region where it is located. The paper identifies specific actors, resources, and activities defining a company’s network orchestrator role. Further, it analyzes the value co-created locally to discuss four strategies used by Fabianelli to develop relationships with national and international actors.

Add a seat for another actor in the business network! Consumer communities’ roles for fashion sustainable new ventures

Purpose This paper aims to integrate the consumption perspective within the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) debate. The study delves into how consumer communities can be conceived like other network business actors. The perspective of sustainable new ventures (SNVs) in the fashion industry is adopted, considering their specific connection with consumer communities. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a multiple case study methodology, this paper uses a qualitative approach. Data collection mainly relies on interviews conducted with 10 SNVs in the fashion industry; this sector is a fertile ground for studying sustainability and consumer communities. For data analysis, the abductive approach of systematic combining is applied. Findings The paper identifies four distinct types of consumer communities and four roles that they can assume as business actors in the business network. Owing to their engagement in these specific roles, consumer communities become part of the SNVs’ network, akin to other business-to-business players. Originality/value This study represents one of the initial endeavors to introduce consumption into the IMP theoretical framework. In this paper’s conceptualization, consumer communities are groups of consumers and collective actors in the business network. Additionally, this study advances the research on sustainability as a network concept by including consumer communities’ roles in business networks.

The set up process of Innovation Units: Resource development and interaction

This study observes the set-up and development process of Innovation Units in firms, exploring implications at the intra- and inter-organisational level. Methodology relies on an in-depth, qualitative single case study of an engineering firm operating in the Oil & Gas sector. The analysis identifies three phases constituting the process of developing Innovation Units (IUs); every phase requires combining interdependent intra- and inter-organisational resources, adding complexity to the whole process. An Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) perspective based on the resource interaction approach (RIA) helps in disentangling IUs’ implementation, from which theoretical and managerial implications emerge.

Actors, resources, and activities in Digital Servitization: a business network perspective

Digital Servitization (DS), that is the development of new services through the use of digital technologies, is an emerging research stream characterized by an inherent complexity that requires understanding changes occurring over time and impacting relationships and network dynamics. Scholars have argued for the need to move towards an analysis of the micro-interaction processes and the adoption of a networking perspective. In this direction, this study aims to explore the contribution of the business network approach, compared to other existing frameworks, in the analysis of complex digital phenomena. To reach this aim, the study undertakes a single case study of an Italian manufacturer which is undertaking a DS process. The empirical analysis is guided by the three dimensions of the interpretative Actors-Resources-Activities (ARA) framework, developed within the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) approach. The analysis has provided insights into each of the three layers of the ARA framework and has pointed to a continuous interrelation between the internal and external context and interdependence among the three layers. The study provides a theoretical contribution to the stream of literature dealing with the DS phenomenon by providing a unified theoretical approach - i.e., the business network approach - characterized by analytical completeness. Also, the research paves the way for the business network approach and for the ARA framework to be adopted in the investigation of complex business phenomena, such as DS.

Inter-organizational tensions in servitization: A dialectic process model

This study investigates inter-organizational tensions in servitization and develops a dialectic process model to better understand the emergent nature of servitization. Inter-organizational tensions have gained increasing attention in servitization literature recently, but their role in the emergent nature of servitization requires further research. By combining dialectic theory and the ARA framework from the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) tradition, we develop a dialectic process model that identifies inter-organizational tensions as generative forces in servitization. We present a single case study about the implementation of a circular service proposition in the construction industry called “Façade-as-a-Service. Our results reveal multiple tensions in a servitization context and how they emerged as a result of contradictory relationship structures in the existing and envisioned situations. We found that the tensions may be either anticipated as a result from direct clash between the status quo and an envisioned situation or unanticipated because they are indirectly as a result of interdepend ARA dimension. Our findings contribute to the existing literature by (i) extending knowledge on servitization tensions to a circular economy context, (ii) portraying servitization as a dialectic process that requires integration of competing interests, and (iii) opening the black box of inter-organizational tensions by adopting the ARA framework.

Handling resource deficiencies through resource interaction in business networks

This paper conceptualizes how to handle resource deficiencies due to disruption and turbulence in supply chains from an Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) perspective. A conceptual framework explores how three resource deficiencies, resource scarcity, resource quality, and lack of availability, impacts upon, and is mitigated via, resource interaction. There is a need for reconfiguring resources to cope with both temporary and permanent disruptions in handling resource deficiencies in complex, turbulent contexts. The three deficiencies can occur within a business network both separately and in combination. The paper outlines a dynamic capabilities perspective on resource deficiencies in business networks by linking resource interaction and capabilities. The reality of resource deficiencies requires a sense of urgency; they are disruptive and most likely unplanned. This challenges mainstream IMP understanding about the dynamics of resource development.

Bouncing back in turbulent business environments: Exploring resilience in business networks

This study explores resilience as an empirical phenomenon from the interactive perspective of Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) in order to understand how firms build and manage interdependencies within their business environment to become and remain resilient in the face of turbulent change. The paper reviews managerial literature on resilience and relates it to IMP's basic tenets of firm interaction and resource interdependence within the contexts of business networks and business environment, as well as the concept of social capital. This analytical framework is used to analyse selected vignettes from an in-depth case study of a firm and its business network operating in a turbulent industrial market under chronically uncertain institutional conditions in Russia. This paper presents a context-bound model of firm resilience, explaining how it is achieved in a business network situated in a particularly turbulent business environment, specifically highlighting the role of social capital in accessing resources. The paper contributes to the conceptual base of IMP with a context-sensitive interpretation of resilience, while also nuancing the views of IMP on the function of business networks and the nature of resource interdependencies, as well as problematising the network logic that may encourage the development of resilience through shady means.

From knowledge broker to solution provider in the Industry 4.0 setting: the innovation path of a small consulting firm

PurposeThis study aims to explore the resource development process implemented by a small consulting firm, active in a traditional industrial context, pursuing the innovation path to develop solutions within the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) domain.Design/methodology/approachThis study undertakes a single qualitative case study of Sinergia, an Italian innovative small consulting firm. The case study is analyzed through critical events and adopting the 4 R model, developed within the industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) approach.FindingsThe analysis highlights a transition from knowledge broker to solution provider, based on a process of networking, with a relevant strategizing effort, and of assembling internal, external and shared resources. Three patterns in the evolution of the company’s innovation path emerge: resource-oriented networking, hybrid resource development and resource assembly.Originality/valueThe empirical study provides novel empirical evidence over localized innovation processes in I4.0 by exploring the innovation path pursued by a small consulting firm in connection with the local business. The study represents a theoretical development in terms of the 4 R model as it suggests the need to further conceptualize the category of technical resources – including products and facilities – in the increasingly complex I4.0 domain and provides insights on the changing role of actors in networks underpinned by emerging resource structures.

From After-Sales to Advanced Services: A Network Analysis on the Impacts of Digital Servitization Evolution

The B2B context has experienced a push toward digital servitization (DS), i.e., the development of services by means of digital technologies. There are three levels of DS: (1) product provision, (2) after-sale servicing, and (3) advanced services taking after-sales to the next level. At level 3, DS evolves from a product and service-oriented strategy to a service-centric one. The literature has acknowledged the changes provoked by levels 1 and 2 of DS. Yet, further changes at level 3 still have not been explored. This research aims to understand the impact of DS’s evolution after the DS setup, with an intra- and interorganizational focus. To reach this aim, the case of Beta, an Italian mechatronic manufacturer implementing IIoT-based DS, is analyzed. The adopted framework is the ‘developing’, ‘producing’, ‘using’ (DPU) framework, formulated within the industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) approach. Results are summarized in three propositions, showing how: (1) DS complexity unfolds intra- and interorganizationally and is gradually embedded in the three settings of the framework; (2) integration of settings and resources becomes essential; and (3) processes of resource procurement, development, and integration allow the evolution toward a service platform. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided.

It ain’t over till it’s over: exploring the post-failure phase of new ventures in business networks

Purpose To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is a first attempt to deal with the phenomenon of new venture failure from the business network perspective of the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group. In particular, this study aims to explore the post-failure phase of a new venture to investigate what happens to the new venture’s resources and relationships in the aftermath of its failure and the role of the entrepreneur in this process. Design/methodology/approach The paper builds on an explorative multiple case study of two failed new ventures, unfolding the failure and post-failure phase: evidence from both cases is confronted and discussed. Findings This study shows that the post-failure is a complex phase of recombination of activities and residual resources that may lead to new business opportunities. It is discussed that residual resources influence the direction and extent of post-failure activities in terms of restrictions as well as opportunities to restart new projects or ventures. It is also shown how the entrepreneur deals with the “business remains”. Originality/value While much attention has been devoted to new ventures’ failure, the paper focuses on the post-failure phase, an almost neglected topic in industrial marketing research. This study sheds some new light upon the journey through which entrepreneurs come to develop the set of resources, activities and relationships that are not only key to the establishment of the venture but also relevant in the complex and intricate trajectories of post-failure.

Resource interaction: Key concepts, relations and representations

Value co-creation is a core focus area in both B2B marketing and strategy research, necessitating resource utilization within and across organizational boundaries. In the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) group, scholars have focused on the interactions among resources as one important way to analyze central questions about resources in business relationships and networks. This has produced a breadth of investigations and concepts that are locally defined and utilized. This may hamper further theoretical development and inhibit analytical precision. The purpose of this paper is to develop a more general shared understanding of resource interaction by identifying and explicating the key concepts used, and to assess its status as an approach. The paper synthesizes 20 years of research to identify key concepts and the relationships across concepts. This provides both a platform for further conceptual and empirical research within IMP and potential for cross-fertilization with parallel B2B areas.

Clearing the paradigmatic fog — how to move forward in business marketing research

Although research in business-to-business (B2B) marketing has significantly increased, critical voices questioning the managerial relevance and theoretical innovativeness of the discipline abound. To find reasons for the alleged stagnation and forward the discipline, obtaining a better understanding of its current knowledge bases is essential. We aim to provide a meta-theoretical analysis of the B2B research domain by analyzing its major research communities and their paradigmatic ways of producing knowledge. The key premise is that the North American mainstream tradition (NAM) and the industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) group-driven research approach form the dominant research cultures of B2B marketing. Paradigmatic profiling is used as a method of analysis for making the underlying assumptions and intellectual goals of the two communities transparent, enabling a rational assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. By contrasting the two paradigms, we highlight the fragmented knowledge base, identify neglected issues and unanswered questions, and suggest how to advance theory construction in the field. By analyzing the implicit assumptions and silent drivers of the NAM and IMP research communities, the study adds to our understanding of why we conduct this kind of research, how we can make better informed decisions concerning our studies, and how we might break free from the invisible paradigmatic cages to advance our discipline.

Multilayered triads in the context of lean management

PurposeThis paper aims to develop the existing theoretical concept of a triad by informing it with the activity-resource-actor (ARA) model in a new empirical context of lean management (LM).Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper draws on the industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) school of thought and the ARA model as theoretical lenses to inform research on triads in an LM context.FindingsThe authors find that closed buyer-supplier-supplier (BSS) and buyer-supplier-logistics service provider (BSL) triads, which we call “lean triads,” had a positive impact on LM. The authors display the drivers for closure – LM improvements (Table 2) and the properties of these “lean triads” (Figure 3).Research limitations/implicationsThe paper focuses only on closed triads and is based on previous empirical studies.Practical implicationsThe authors demonstrate to lean managers the drivers for connecting their partners in BSS and BSL triads and show the importance of developing relationships on three layers between all three actors in both triads to improve a firm’s lean performance.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the discussion within the IMP school of thought on the value of triads by enriching the understanding of a triad concept with the ARA model, which compounds a concept of a multilayered triad in an LM context.

Szervezetközi kapcsolatok vizsgálata az egészségügyi prevencióban

A tanulmány célja a magyarországi egészségügyi prevencióban részt vevő szereplők azonosítása, és a szervezetek közötti kapcsolatok vizsgálata esettanulmány segítségével. Az üzleti kapcsolatokra vonatkozó elméleti hátteret az Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group megközelítésére alapozták a szerzők, mely kapcsolatok összefonódása napjainkban még inkább érezhető, mint valaha. E megközelítés szerint az üzleti kapcsolatok a szereplők, a tevékenységek és az erőforrások köteléke által jönnek létre és működnek. Az egészségügyi prevenció egy tipikusan olyan terület, ahol a magán- és a közszféra együttműködése elengedhetetlen. A tanulmányban bemutatják a szereplőket, elemzik a közöttük lévő kapcsolatokat egy szervezett egészségügyi prevenciós program (Magyarország átfogó egészségügyi szűrőprogramja 2010-2020) mentén. A kutatás eredményei rámutatnak arra, hogy az erőforrások kombinációjának fontos szerepe van a program sikerességében. Eredményeik alapján kirajzolódott, hogy az információ az egyik legfontosabb erőforrás és motiváló tényező a szereplők számára. A tanulmány kiemeli a program vezetőjének (mint aktor) kulcsszerepét a kapcsolatok kialakításában, fenntartásában.

IMP: it’s time to get emotional! Understanding the role of negative emotions in dynamic decision-making processes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) research that has a vague positioning of the bounded rationality of an actor. By borrowing insights from other disciplines, this study aims to develop the IMP approach further by acknowledging the importance of individuals who act and make decisions on behalf of their companies. Design/methodology/approach This study is conceptual. By examining the IMP studies in combination with decision-making literature from behavioral economics and psychology, this paper provides a new understanding of the phenomenon in question. Findings This study demonstrates that individual decision-making is not as rational as has previously been thought, thus indicating the bounded rationality of the actor. After examining the most common negative emotions that influence the decision-making process, the paper presents a research agenda. It provides a series of research topics and methodological choices for future IMP research endeavors. Research limitations/implications As this paper is conceptual, empirical research is needed to examine the role of negative emotions in dynamic decision-making processes. Practical implications Managerial implications of this paper are focused on providing instructions for managers on how to deal with negative emotions in dynamic decision-making processes. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first papers that attempts to connect the IMP studies with the dynamics of decision-making by examining negative emotions in the business world.

Exploring “high tech” and “high touch” interaction capabilities: aligning the IT portfolio with customer and supplier relationships

PurposeTo explore the emergent characteristics of IT portfolios in business-to-business (B2B) firms. The goal is to develop a model that clarifies what interaction capabilities B2B firms develop and to what form of IT this corresponds to.Design/methodology/approachWe apply an a priori conceptual framework that is based on the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group's theoretical focus on business relationships. The framework depicts the business relationship as dealing with uncertainty and equivocality as well as building and upholding reliance and trust. We utilize a case study approach involving a focal firm and ten of its customers and suppliers. Building on 60 interviews, field observations and archival data, we analyze interviewee responses and the complementary data to evaluate the role of IT in supporting or automated various aspects of organizational relationships.FindingsResults show how “high tech” and “high touch” relate to different interaction capabilities, which firms develop based on the characteristics of their business relationships. Although IT is associated with “high tech” and “high touch” interaction capabilities, some forms of IT are deployed to support the former, while other forms support the later. Both forms of technology-enabled interaction capabilities require investment, and firms must balance investment costs against the value created by improved interaction capabilities.Originality/valueOur findings emphasize the interorganizational perspective (dyadic or network) rather than a solely organizational perspective for understanding IT portfolio development. This perspective is presented through an emergent tech–touch interaction capability model that shows how B2B firms can align their IT portfolio based on the specific characteristics of their business relationships.

Creating a Sustainable Supply Chain Network by Adopting Relationship Management Strategies

ABSTRACT Purpose: This paper develops a conceptual framework to analyze the impact of a supply chain network (SCN) structure on relationship management strategies (RMS) that focal firms apply to manage sustainability issues within the SCN. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on a comprehensive review and analysis of the industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP), sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), and SCN literature. Findings: The conceptual framework expands the network perspective in the SSCM context by considering the important role of the SCN structure in the firm’s decision-making process. Four factors (dependency, distance, power, and transparency) were found that are useful in conceptualizing the SCN structure. The conceptual framework also categorizes various sustainability practices into four RMS (noncompliance, transactional, dictatorial, and collaborative), which are needed to make an SCN more sustainable. In addition, 16 propositions are developed based on how firms may identify the most effective RMS to implement appropriate sustainability practices through examining their SCN structure. Research limitations/implications: The conceptual framework, developed as a result of a comprehensive review of the literature, led to the development of 16 propositions, which can assist in furthering a research agenda on RMS to diffuse various sustainability practices within SCN structures. Originality/value: The relationship between SCN structure and RMS in the sustainability context remains an under-researched but emerging area of interest. This paper leverages existing research to develop a conceptual framework suitable for empirical testing.

Towards a spectacularly dynamic and pluralist “normal science”: pragmatism, communication, IMP and BtoB marketing research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to promote the use of pragmatism within industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP), business-to-business (B2B)/network research with its enhanced emphasis on developing adaptable, workable solutions to practical problems. The usability of findings and the study produced means that implications and impact become a natural part of the research process rather than an afterthought concluding a research project. Although the reader might feel that the approach oscillates between viewing pragmatism in its everyday sense (through the use of terminology such as “a pragmatic approach […].,” the intent is to elevate the discussion to one where pragmatism is viewed as a guiding philosophy. Design/methodology/approach It blends literature review and conceptual contemplation and challenges convention by “reading against the grain” (Brown and Wijland, 2018). Findings The authors do this to challenge convention and advocate for pluralism and diversity, theoretical evolution based on empirical evidence and increased sensitivity to the critical role of discourse, semiotics and abduction as a catalyst between theory, method and empirical activities. This conceptual blending portrays “activities” and beliefs as mutually constituted through the symbolic mediation of rhetoric and discourse. Research limitations/implications Existing elements of American pragmatism and discourse are identified as already a tacit constituent of the IMP oeuvre. Combining these approaches more explicitly is advocated as a suitable basis for a potential future “IMP 3” research agenda with significant potentials afforded to IMP and B2B marketing research. Originality/value This paper contributes to the development and dissemination of alternative and critical perspectives in marketing theory. The implication is that activities must usually be justified by actors within communication as believable and this process always involves mixtures of rational and non-rational appeals. Existing elements of American pragmatism and discourse are identified as already a tacit constituent of the IMP oeuvre. Combining these approaches more explicitly is advocated as a suitable basis for a potential future “IMP 3” research agenda with significant potentials afforded to IMP and B2B marketing research.

Charting the reach and contribution of IMP literature in other disciplines: A bibliometric analysis

The acknowledgement of a research tradition by other disciplines shows its contribution to the development of the broader body of scientific knowledge. This paper investigates the contribution of IMP (Industrial Marketing and Purchasing) research to broader research disciplines by analyzing how researchers within and beyond IMP have cited core IMP articles. First, through quantitative bibliometric analysis, the paper identifies the diffusion to other research disciplines. Thereafter, through qualitative analysis, the impact of the IMP perspective is captured to understand how strong these imprints are. The analyses show that IMP research has been noticed among a range of adjacent research disciplines. However, the use of IMP references has generally been rudimentary, and without a deeper understanding of the IMP ontology, meaning that IMP still has some “weak ties” to the other disciplines. Establishing IMP's contribution through enduring imprints would need further engagement with researchers from other research disciplines and publications in top journals. The paper contributes empirically with how the IMP perspective has spread beyond the IMP Group and theoretically by adding insight into how research ideas travel and transform to other disciplines.