Studies On Market Intelligence Dissemination Within Firms

The purpose of this study is to examine the antecedents and consequences of the market intelligence dissemination process across functional boundaries. Especially, my study focuses on the general dissemination of market intelligence by marketing function to nonmarketing functions in the company.

To acquire this purpose, I adopted the following processes:

Ⅰ. I reviewed the previous researches on the market orientation, relationship marketing, new management techniques, and intelligence dissemination processes. But the primary focus of previous researches has been on the use of findings from a market research that is typically conducted by an external research suppliers. So my key objective was to examine the effects of interfunctional market intelligence dissemination process characteristics on perceptions of the quality of intelligence and receiver's use of it.

Ⅱ. Based on the review of previous studies, I established the research model and tested the following effects:

① The effects of the dissemination frequency and formality on PIQ (perceived intelligence quality) and market intelligence use

② The effects of the sender's trust on dissemination process and PIQ.

③ Antecedents of trust, dissemination process, PIQ and market intelligence use. Antecedents are composed of structural flux, market dynamism, openness of market information, organizational commitment, relationship length, interfunctional rivalry, and resource dependency.

The results of this study are summarized as follows:

① More frequent intelligence dissemination improves receiver's PIQ.

② The greater the receiver's trust in a sender, the greater the PIQ.

③ The greater the PIQ, the greater the market intelligence use.

④ The greater the organizational commitment of a receiver, the greater the receiver's trust in a sender from the marketing function.

⑤ The greater the sender-receiver relationship length, the greater the receiver's trust in a sender from the marketing function.

⑥ The greater the resource dependency on marketing department, the greater the intelligence dissemination frequency.

Implications are as follows:

① As the intelligence dissemination frequency increases, the receiver's perceptions of PIQ increase. Hence, managers should design the rules that facilitate the dissemination frequency.

② Trust affects PIQ. But trust cannot be developed overnight. It takes ongoing and consistent demonstration of sender's ability and motivation to provide good market intelligence.