In this article, the impact of strategic orientations on the use of digital marketing tactics and, subsequently, on the international business performance of small electronic retailers (e-retailers) in cross-border electronic commerce (e-commerce) is analysed. Furthermore, these relationships are compared between e-retailers originating in both developed and emerging e-commerce markets. Using a sample of 446 small business-to-consumer e-retailers from 20 European countries, we find that the deployment of digital marketing tactics has a positive effect on international business performance. Of the strategic orientations examined, foreign market orientation is most associated with the use of digital marketing tactics. Remarkably, growth orientation only has a positive effect on e-retailers from developed e-commerce markets, while customer orientation negatively affects e-retailers from emerging e-commerce markets. The differences between e-retailers from developed and emerging e-commerce markets are prominent and show that markets should not be considered as either uniform or generalisable.
Presented at the 14th 14th European Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance ECMLG 2018: From the article: "Abstract: Scientific literature and practices emphasize that organizations have to align their business strategies with their IT strategy. Strategic alignment of business with IT in organizations is not only a prerequisite for organizations to be successful or competitive but also positively influences IT effectiveness and leads to greater profitability. At the same time organizations have been struggling for a long time with the concept of strategic alignment. In this paper an enhanced concept of strategic alignment is given in such a way that organizations can practically use to align their business and IT. Based on scientific research in this study the existing concept of strategic alignment model, i.e. the relationship between business and IT, was enhanced by placing the discipline of information management between business and IT and thus making information management responsible for the alignment or linking of business with IT. This conceptually enhanced concept of strategic alignment was practically enhanced even further with the use of the Business information Service Library (BiSL) framework. This framework links business with IT on the strategically, managing and operational level of an organization. The BiSL process framework thus provides an description of the information management processes on the different levels of an organization that have to be implemented and carried out to achieve strategic alignment within an organization. With the support of three experts in the field of information management and BiSL, an enhanced Strategic Alignment Model was constructed. To validate this model 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted in eleven organizations. The results of these interviews show not only a strong and solid support for adding information management to the existing concept of strategic alignment but also indicate a strong and solid support for the use of the BiSL framework for implementing information management. These findings support the notion that the BiSL enhanced Strategic Alignment Model not only provides a conceptually enhanced strategic alignment model but also provides organizations with a concept of strategic alignment that organization can practically use to align their business with IT."
MULTIFILE
From the article: "After 1993, the concept of strategic alignment is evaluated from the connection between IT and business to much broader definitions in which the connection between all business functions, horizontally and vertically, and later also with projects and stakeholders is mentioned. To achieve stategic alignment there must be a coordination between the strategy of organizations and those who contribute to the implementation of the strategy and the actual performance of an organization. This process is called Human Oriented Performance Management (HOPM). The HOPM model consists of four dimensions: strategy translation, information and visualization, dialogue and action orientation, and continues improvement and organizational learning. To measure the effect of strategic alignment a range of financial performance indicators are used. Based on a literature review this paper explores which financial performance indicators could be used to measure the effect of HOPM. The literature was selected over a period from 1996 – 2015. The research is not only focused on the top of the strategy map, but also on the cause-effect relationships in the strategy map. The underlying performance indicators in the strategy map can show on which figures the dialogue in the HOPM model about strategy implementation must be based. This dialogue is the input to action in which strategic alignment comes about. The goal of the research is to optimize this dialogue by looking for performance indicators that can show the effect of HOPM" The article is used for the course: 'corporate policy' minor MSMM (Masterclass Strategic Marketing Management).
