Abstract

This study explores the widely reported decline in marketing department decision influence. A series of field interviews were used to develop a conceptual model of marketing department influence, which was empirically tested using an online survey. Unlike many previous studies, the researchers used a sample frame of finance professionals to avoid possible self-reporting bias from marketing professionals. Furthermore, the researchers use Australian based organizations to assist in extending the research beyond North America and Europe. This study found a positive relationship between marketing accountability and marketing influence, with marketing functions that are able to demonstrate a link between their marketing activities and organizational outcomes having higher levels of marketing decision influence within organizations. The results also suggest a positive relationship between marketing department decision influence and organizational performance, reinforcing the need for organizations to develop marketing departments with high levels of decision influence. This study also found Australian organizations to have levels of marketing influence lower than European and North American organizations for marketing issues but higher levels of influence on strategic issues such as strategic business direction, entry into new geographic markets and new product development.

Citation

Gaskil, A and Winzar, H (2014), "Marketing’s Decision Influence within the Firm", Journal of Empirical Generalisations in Marketing Science, Vol. 15, No. 2

Keywords

Decision Influence, Marketing Accountability, Marketing Influence