European journal of marketing action research in marketing

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3/18/04

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Volume 38 Number 3/4 2004

ISBN 0-86176-932-5

ISSN 0309-0566

European Journal
of Marketing
Action research in marketing
Guest Editor: Chad Perry

www.emeraldinsight.com


European Journal of
Marketing

ISSN 0309-0566
Volume 38
Number 3/4
2004

Action research in marketing

Guest Editor
Chad Perry

Access this journal online __________________________ 291
Editorial advisory board ___________________________ 292
Abstracts and keywords ___________________________ 293
French abstracts___________________________________ 296
German abstracts __________________________________ 299
Spanish abstracts __________________________________ 302
Guest editorial ____________________________________________ 305
COMMENTARY
Action research in marketing
Chad Perry and Evert Gummesson _________________________________

310

Action research reviewed: a market-oriented
approach
David Ballantyne ________________________________________________

321

Improving customer relationship management
through database/Internet marketing:
a theory-building action research project
Chris O’Leary, Sally Rao and Chad Perry ____________________________

Access this journal electronically
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338

CONTENTS


CONTENTS
continued

Action research in turbulent environments:
an example in e-commerce prioritisation
Elizabeth Daniel and Hugh N. Wilson _______________________________

355

Towards rigour in action research:
a case study in marketing planning
Hugh N. Wilson ________________________________________________

378

Generalising results of an action research project in
one work place to other situations: principles and
practice

Frank Thompson and Chad Perry __________________________________

401

Adapting action research to marketing: a dialogic
argument between theory and practice
Steven M. Kates and Judy Robertson _______________________________

418

There can be no learning without action and no
action without learning: a case study
Damien McLoughlin _____________________________________________

433

Uncovering ‘‘theories-in-use’’: building luxury wine
brands
Michael Beverland_______________________________________________

446

About the authors _________________________________ 467


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EJM
38,3/4

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD

Professor Nicholas Alexander
University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
Dr Ali Bin Al-Khalifa
University of Bahrain, State of Bahrain
Professor George Avlonitis
Athens University of Economics & Business, Greece
Professor Michael Baker
Westburn Publishers Ltd, UK
Dr Susan Baker
Cranfield University, UK
Professor John Balmer
Bradford Management Centre, UK
Professor Jim Bell
University of Ulster, Magee College, Northern Ireland
Professor Bjo¨rn Bjerke
Malmo¨ University, Sweden
Professor Stephen Brown

University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Northern Ireland
Professor Francis Buttle
Macquarie University, Australia
Professor Tamar Cavusgil
Michigan State University, USA
Professor Bill Clarke
University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
Professor Brett Collins
Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Professor Nicole Coviello
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Professor David Cravens
Texas Christian University, USA
Professor Anthony Cunningham
Co. Dublin, Ireland
Professor Tevfik Dalgic
University of Texas at Dallas, USA
Dr Ken Deans
University of Otago, New Zealand
Professor Adamantios Diamantopoulos
Loughborough University, UK
Dr John Egan
Middlesex University Business School, UK
Professor John Fahy
University of Limerick, Ireland
Dr Kim Fam
City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Professor Gordon R. Foxall
Cardiff University, UK
Professor Pervez Ghauri

Manchester School of Management, UMIST, UK
Professor Christina Goulding
University of Wolverhampton, UK
Ken Grant
Monash University, Australia
Professor Gordon Greenley
Aston Business School, UK
Professor Kjell Grønhaug
Norges Handelshoyskole, Norway
Professor Lloyd Harris
Cardiff Business School, UK
Dr Phil Harris
Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Professor Roy Hayhurst
University of Limerick, Ireland
Professor Graham J. Hooley
Aston Business School, UK
European Journal of Marketing,
Dr Gillian Hopkinson
Vol. 38 No. 3/4, 2004
Lancaster University Management School, UK
p. 292
Professor Ga´bor Hova´nyi
# Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Panno´nia UTCA, Hungary

292

0309-0566

Professor Claes Hultman
¨ rebro University, Sweden
O
Professor Mark Jenkins
Nottingham University Business School, UK
Professor David Jobber
University of Bradford, UK
Dr La´szlo´ Ka´rpa´ti
University of Debrecen, Hungary
Professor Hans Kasper
University of Maastricht, The Netherlands
Professor Erdener Kaynak
Pennstate Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Professor David Kirby
University of Surrey, UK
Professor Philip Kitchen
The University of Hull, UK
Professor Simon Knox
Cranfield University, UK
Professor Raymond LaForge
University of Louisville, USA
Professor Uolevi Lehtinen
University of Tampere, Finland
Professor Barbara Lewis
Manchester School of Management, UMIST, UK
Professor Veronica Liljander
Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration,
Finland
Professor Andrew McAuley
University of Stirling, UK

Professor Jan Mattsson
Roskilde University, Denmark
Professor Bill Merrilees
Griffith University, Australia
Professor Morgan Miles
Georgia Southern University, USA
Professor dr Carla Millar
TSM Business School, The Netherlands
Professor Luiz Moutinho
University of Glasgow Business School, UK
Professor Patrick Murphy
University of Notre Dame, USA
Professor Aron O’Cass
The University of Newcastle, Australia
Professor Adrian Palmer
University of Gloucestershire, UK
Professor Paul Patterson
University of New South Wales, Australia
Professor Chad Perry
The Gap, Queensland, Australia
Professor Nigel Piercy
University of Warwick, UK
Professor David Shipley
University of Dublin, Ireland
Dr Wai-sum Siu
Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
Professor Richard Speed
Melbourne Business School, Australia
Professor Peter Turnbull
University of Birmingham, UK

Professor Caroline Tynan
Nottingham University Business School, UK
Professor Eduard Urban
University of Economics, Czechoslovakia
Professor Salvatore Vicari
Bocconi University, Milan, Italy
Dr Cleopatra Veloutsou
University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Professor Martin Wetzels
Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Professor Len Tiu Wright
De Montford University, UK


Action research in marketing
Chad Perry and Evert Gummesson
Keywords Action learning, Marketing,
Learning methods, Marketing strategy
Develops a definition of action research that is
particularly suitable for marketing and based
on the articles in this issue of European
Journal of Marketing, emphasising the breadth
of action research in marketing and its
distinctive interest in analytic generalisation,
that is, in building a theory that extends
beyond the particular situation that is being
action researched to other situations.. The
three sections of this commentary include:
definition of traditional action research, action
learning and case research. Second, drawing of

four implications from the articles within this
special issue about how action research can be
done in marketing. Finally, presents a broad
definition of action research in marketing.

Action research reviewed:
a market-oriented approach
David Ballantyne
Keywords Action learning,
Customer orientation,
Knowledge management, Market orientation,
Relationship marketing, Australia
The purpose of this article is to provide an
understanding of the methodology of action
research, especially its use in a marketing
context. A retrospective account of a
market-oriented action research project in
which the author was involved is provided in
the form of a summative evaluation of the
methodology used. The status of research
claims for action research in scholarly
publications is discussed and found to be
problematic. A hermeneutic case research
pathway is recommended as a solution.
Links between action research as
methodology and internal marketing as
strategy are made. A conclusion is reached
that the basis of market-oriented action
research is “knowledge renewal”. This is
achieved through an iterative process of action

and learning, facilitated by the relationships
formed between those involved.

Improving customer relationship
management through database/Internet
marketing: a theory-building action
research project
Chris O’Leary, Sally Rao and Chad Perry
Keywords Internet marketing,
Database marketing, Customer relations,
Action learning
Firms have only just begun to use the Internet
to obtain customer information in their
database marketing processes to enhance
customer relationship management. This
research uses an action research approach to
develop a new framework about how they can
do this. The action research project was
carried out in a large Australian database
company because no other sources of
empirical information about the topic were
available and it could provide rich findings
about an under-researched, practical area.
Results showed that integration of the Internet
and database marketing enhances the
effectiveness of customer relationship
management practices. For example, the
Internet offers benefits such as increased
consumer data collection accuracy and speed,
cost savings, greater interaction and better

relationships with customers. This research
also identifies that organizational culture, top
management support and collaboration
between marketing and IT teams need to be
in place to provide a supportive environment
that is critical for the success of the
integration.

Action research in turbulent
environments: an example in
e-commerce prioritisation
Elizabeth Daniel and Hugh N. Wilson
Keywords E-commerce, Action learning,
Predictive techniques
Planning tools originating from logical
rational models of strategy formation still
have their place in e-commerce, albeit
complemented
with
elements
of
incrementalism and vision. Tools for
prioritisation specifically, though, are
unvalidated in this sphere. Action research
would seem to be well suited to turbulent

Abstracts and
keywords

293

European Journal of Marketing
Vol. 38 No. 3/4, 2004
Abstracts and keywords
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0309-0566


EJM
38,3/4

294

environments such as e-commerce, due to its
immediacy of outcome, its future orientation,
its respect for practitioners as co-producers of
knowledge and its cyclical process. An action
research study is described which modifies the
directional policy matrix (DPM) to take
account of competition between business
models, not just between individual
organisations. Conclusions are drawn on the
wider applicability of the matrix, the role of
strategy tools in situations of uncertainty, and
the role of action research in reducing the gap
between theory and practice.

Towards rigour in action research:
a case study in marketing planning
Hugh N. Wilson

Keywords Action learning,
Marketing planning,
Decision support systems, Data analysis, Bias
A research study is described exploring the
potential of decision support systems to
improve marketing planning practice, using
a combination of project action research and
case research approaches. The paper focuses
on solutions to two practical methodological
problems: how to analyse action research data
in as rigorous a way as possible; and how to
minimise the biases which can arise from the
action researcher’s dual role as participant and
observer. In particular, the paper describes an
adaptation of the research design termed
analytic induction to the complex,
multi-propositional theory common in action
research, and indeed in much qualitative
management research. The findings of the
study itself are also reported briefly.

Generalising results of an action
research project in one work place to
other situations: principles and practice
Frank Thompson and Chad Perry
Keywords Action learning,
Analytical methods, Management research,
Paradigms
An action research project is usually restricted
to improving one workgroup’s practices within

one organisation. However, after that project is
done, some academics or consultants may want
to try to generalise the findings from that one
particular project to several other situations.
The aim of this paper is to identify the two
scientific paradigms appropriate for each of
these two purposes, and to identify the criteria
that could be used to judge how well each
purpose is achieved. Essentially, it argues that
the critical theory paradigm underlies the
action research project of a workgroup within
one organisation, and the realism paradigm
underlies the generalisation from those
findings to other situations. Criteria from the
two paradigms can be used to evaluate the
validity and reliability of these two processes.
An example of how this has been done in
practice is provided.

Adapting action research to marketing:
a dialogic argument between theory and
practice
Steven M. Kates and Judy Robertson
Keywords Action learning,
Organizational theory, Change management,
Organizational culture
The purpose of this article is to offer a
perspective on adapting action research
principles and methods in academic

marketing research contexts. From combined
theoretical and practical perspectives, the
article provides a dialogical argument about
the issues associated with implementing
action research, addressing three important
and related questions. First, are marketers
specifically (and people in organizations, more
generally) truly reflective? Is reflection suited
to some organizations’ authoritarian realities?
Second, how is a strong organizational culture
a barrier to change and further learning, and
how might this difficulty be overcome by
action research? Third, what is the role of the
researcher in the process, and what skills,
knowledge, and influence must this person
have to successfully implement an action
research program? The article concludes by
proposing that an incremental orientation to
change and intervention effectiveness is
needed for these approaches to work in
demanding marketing contexts.


There can be no learning without
action and no action without learning:
a case study
Damien McLoughlin
Keywords Action learning,
Marketing theory, Education,
Curriculum development

The purpose of this paper is to present an
example of action learning in marketing –
the unique postgraduate programme in
marketing
called
the
marketing
development programme (MDP). This
uniqueness arises in three main ways.
First, the MDP is open only to those
students with no work experience. Second,
it employs action learning as the central
pedagogy rather than an add-on. Finally, it
is a rolling programme with overlapping
intakes and as such appears to have no
beginning and no end. There are two
important streams of learning to be
harvested from such a programme. First,
the MDP has for more than 20 years
educated young marketers through
affording them the opportunity to learn
from marketing action within a supportive
learning environment. The second is that
there can be no action without learning, that
is, the MDP has learned from its experience
and created new learning for participants as

a result. The paper concludes by considering
the implications of the MDP for marketing
education, theory and practice.

Abstracts and
keywords

Uncovering “theories-in-use”:
building luxury wine brands
Michael Beverland
Keywords Wines, Brand names,
Brand image, Premier brands
Despite the high profile of many international
luxury brands, little is known about the
processes by which these brands are created
and how their market position is maintained.
Research and practitioner experience suggests
that these brands focus on building abstract,
“timeless” images or dreams. However, no
systematic research has been carried out on
the processes and strategies of luxury
marketers. Based upon case studies in the
luxury wine trade, this research sought to
uncover the tacit processes underlying the
creation and maintenance of luxury wine
brands. Results highlight that luxury brands
are a complex combination of dedication to
product quality, a strong set of values, tacit
understanding of marketing, a focus on detail,
and strategic emergence.

295

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296

French abstracts
Recherche active en mercatique
Chad Perry et Evert Gummesson
Mots-cle´s Apprentissage actif, Mercatique, Me´thodes d’apprentissage, Strate´gie de mercatique
L’article met au point une de´finition de la recherche active qui convient particulie`rement bien a` la
mercatique et qui est fonde´e sur les articles publie´s dans le nume´ro de European Journal of
Marketing que voici; il souligne l’ampleur de la recherche active en mercatique et l’inte´reˆt distinct
qu’elle montre envers la ge´ne´ralisation analytique, c’est-a`-dire l’e´laboration d’une the´orie qui va
au-dela` de la situation particulie`re, qui est soumise a` la recherche active et applique´e a` d’autres
situations. Le commentaire que voici comprend les trois sections suivantes: il de´finit tout d’abord
la recherche active traditionnelle, l’apprentissage actif et la recherche sur des cas pratiques. Il tire
ensuite quatre implications des articles renferme´s dans le nume´ro spe´cial que voici, concernant la
manie`re dont la recherche active peut eˆtre entreprise en mercatique, et pour terminer il pre´sente
une de´finition ge´ne´rale de la recherche active en mercatique.
Examen de la recherche active: une approche oriente´e vers le marche´
David Ballantyne
Mots-cle´s Apprentissage actif, Orientation vers le consommateur, Mercatique interne,
Gestion des connaissances, Orientation du marche´, Mercatique des rapports
Le but de l’article que voici est de permettre de comprendre la me´thodologie poursuivie par la
recherche active, surtout son utilisation dans un contexte de mercatique. Il donne un compterendu re´trospectif sur un projet de recherche active oriente´ sur le marche´, dans lequel l’auteur
fut implique´; ce compte-rendu prend la forme d’une e´valuation sommaire de la me´thodologie
utilise´e. Il discute l’e´tat actuel des demandes pour une recherche active dans les publications
e´rudites et de´couvre la pre´sence de proble`mes. Il recommande l’herme´neutique comme solution
pour la recherche pratique. Il e´tablit des rapports entre la recherche active en tant que

me´thodologie et la mercatique interne en tant que strate´gie. Il arrive a` la conclusion que le
fondement de la recherche active oriente´e vers le marche´ re´side dans le ‘‘renouveau des
connaissances’’. Ce renouveau s’obtient par un processus ite´ratif d’action et d’apprentissage,
facilite´ par les rapports qui se forment entre les personnes implique´es.

European Journal of Marketing
Vol. 38 No. 3/4, 2004
French abstracts
#Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0309-0566

Ame´liorer la gestion des relations avec les clients au moyen de la mercatique sur
bases de donne´es/par l’Internet: un projet de recherche active qui permet
d’e´laborer une the´orie
Chris O’Leary, Sally Rao et Chad Perry
Mots-cle´s Mercatique par Internet, Mercatique sur base de donne´es, Relations avec les clients,
Apprentissage actif
Les entreprises viennent a` peine de commencer a` utiliser l’Internet pour obtenir des
informations sur leurs clients dans leurs processus de mercatique sur base de donne´es qui
leur permettent d’ame´liorer la gestion des relations avec leurs clients. La recherche que voici se
sert d’une me´thode de recherche active afin de mettre au point une nouvelle structure qui leur
permette de le re´aliser. Le projet de recherche active fut entrepris dans une grosse socie´te´
australienne de bases de donne´es, parce qu’aucune autre source d’information empirique n’e´tait
disponible sur le sujet et qu’elle permettait de fournir des informations pre´cieuses sur un
domaine pratique qui avait fait l’objet de peu de recherches. Les re´sultats indiquaient que
l’inte´gration de la mercatique par l’Internet et sur bases de donne´es permet de rehausser
l’efficacite´ des pratiques de gestion des relations avec les clients. Par exemple, l’Internet offre les
avantages suivants: une pre´cision et une rapidite´ accrues lors de la collecte des donne´es sur les
clients, une re´duction des couˆts, une inte´gration plus grande et de meilleures relations avec les
clients. La recherche que voici identifie e´galement que la culture organisationnelle, le soutien de

la direction supe´rieure et la collaboration entre l’e´quipe de mercatique et l’e´quipe d’informatique
doivent eˆtre en place pour pouvoir fournir l’environnement de soutien qui est essentiel pour le
succe`s de l’inte´gration.


Recherche active dans les environnements turbulents: un exemple dans la
prioritisation du commerce e´lectronique
Elizabeth Daniel et Hugh N. Wilson
Mots-cle´s Commerce e´lectronique, Apprentissage actif, Techniques pre´dictives
Les outils de planification, provenant de mode`les de formulation de la strate´gie qui sont
rationnels et logiques, occupent toujours une place dans le commerce e´lectronique, bien qu’ils
soient comple´te´s par des e´le´ments d’incre´mentalisme et de vision. Cependant, la validite´ des
outils de prioritisation, plus spe´cifiquement, est infirme´e dans cette sphe`re. La recherche active
semblerait bien convenir aux environnements turbulents, comme le commerce e´lectronique, en
raison de l’imme´diacite´ de ses re´sultats, de son orientation future, de son respect pour les
praticiens en tant que coproducteurs des connaissances et de son processus cyclique. L’article
de´crit une e´tude de recherche active qui modifie la matrice de politique directionnelle
(directional policy matrix DPM) pour prendre en conside´ration la concurrence entre les mode`les
commerciaux, et pas seulement entre les organisations individuelles. Il tire des conclusions
quant a` l’applicabilite´ plus ge´ne´rale de la matrice, au roˆle des outils de strate´gie dans des
situations d’incertitude, et au roˆle de la recherche active, lorsqu’il s’agit de re´duire la lacune qui
existe entre la the´orie et la pratique.

Aspirer a` la rigueur en recherche active: une e´tude pratique dans la planification
de la mercatique
Hugh N. Wilson
Mots-cle´s Apprentissage actif, Planification de la mercatique, Syste`mes de soutien de´cisionnel,
Analyse des donne´es, Pre´juge´s
L’article de´crit une e´tude de recherche en explorant les possibilite´s offertes par les syste`mes
de soutien de´cisionnel d’ame´liorer la pratique de planification de la mercatique, en combinant

la me´thode de recherche active sur un projet et la me´thode de recherche sur des cas pratiques.
Il se concentre sur les solutions que l’on peut apporter a` deux proble`mes me´thodologiques
pratiques: comment analyser les donne´es de la recherche active de manie` re aussi rigoureuse
que possible, et comment re´duire au minimum les pre´juge´s pouvant provenir du roˆ le double
que joue le chercheur actif, en tant que participant et en tant qu’observateur. Plus
spe´cifiquement, il de´crit l’adaptation du mode`le de recherche, appele´ induction analytique, a` la
the´orie complexe et multi-propositionnelle qui est commune en recherche active, et certes dans
de nombreuses recherches de gestion qualitatives. Il de´crit e´galement brie`vement les re´sultats
de l’e´tude elle-meˆme.

Ge´ne´raliser les re´sultats d’un projet de recherche active, entrepris dans un lieu de
travail, pour les appliquer a` d’autres situations: principes et pratiques
Frank Thompson et Chad Perry
Mots-cle´s Apprentissage actif, Me´thodes analytiques, Recherche en gestion, Paradigmes
Un projet de recherche active se limite normalement a` l’ame´lioration des pratiques d’un groupe
de travail au sein d’une seule organisation. Cependant, une fois ce projet termine´, certains
acade´miciens ou consultants voudront peut-eˆtre essayer de ge´ne´raliser les re´sultats de ce projet
particulier et les appliquer a` plusieurs autres situations. Le but de l’article que voici est
d’identifier les deux paradigmes scientifiques qui conviennent a` chacun de ces deux buts, et
d’identifier les crite`res qui pourraient servir pour de´terminer la qualite´ du but obtenu.
Essentiellement, nous postulons que le paradigme the´orique critique est sous-jacent au projet de
recherche active d’un groupe de travail au sein d’une organisation et que le paradigme re´aliste
est sous-jacent a` la ge´ne´ralisation provenant de ces re´sultats et a` leur application a` d’autres
situations. Les crite`res emprunte´s aux deux paradigmes peuvent servir pour e´valuer la validite´
et la fiabilite´ de ces deux proce´de´s. L’article donne un exemple de la manie`re dont ceci a e´te´ fait
en pratique.

French abstracts

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Adapter la recherche active a` la mercatique: un argument dialogique entre la
the´orie et la pratique
Steven M. Kates et Judy Robertson
Mots-cle´s Apprentissage actif, The´orie organisationnelle, Gestion du changement,
Culture organisationnelle
Le but de l’article que voici est d’offrir une perspective sur l’adaptation des principes et me´thodes
de la recherche active pour les appliquer aux contextes de la recherche acade´mique en
mercatique. En combinant notre perspective the´orique a` notre perspective pratique, nous offrons
un argument dialogique concernant les questions associe´es a` la mise en oeuvre de la recherche
active, et nous abordons trois questions apparente´es importantes. Tout d’abord, les mercaticiens,
en particulier (et plus ge´ne´ralement, les personnes se trouvant a` l’inte´rieur des organisations)
sont-ils vraiment re´fle´chis? La re´flexion convient-elle a` certaines des re´alite´s autoritaires
pre´sentes dans les organisations? Deuxie`mement, comment une culture organisationnelle forte
repre´sente-t-elle un obstacle au changement et a` l’apprentissage poursuivi, et comment cette
difficulte´ peut-elle eˆtre surmonte´e au moyen de la recherche active? Troisie`mement, quel roˆle le
chercheur joue-t-il dans le processus, et quelles sont les compe´tences, les connaissances et
l’influence requises de cette personne pour pouvoir mettre en oeuvre, avec succe`s, un programme
de recherche active? Pour conclure, nous sugge´rons qu’une orientation incre´mentielle envers le
changement et une intervention efficace sont ne´cessaires pour que ces approches puissent re´ussir
dans des contextes de mercatique exigeants.
Il ne peut pas y avoir d’apprentissage sans action et pas d’action sans
apprentissage: une e´tude pratique
Damien McLoughlin

Mots-cle´s Apprentissage actif, The´orie de mercatique, E´ducation,
Mise au point du curriculum
L’article que voici a pour but de pre´senter un exemple d’apprentissage actif en mercatique le
programme de mercatique de troisie`me cycle, appele´ ‘‘de´veloppement de la mercatique’’
(marketing development programme MDP). Le caracte`re unique de ce programme a trois
facettes principales. Tout d’abord, le MDP n’est accessible qu’aux e´tudiants n’ayant aucune
expe´rience de travail. Deuxie`mement, il se sert de l’apprentissage actif comme pe´dagogie
centrale plutoˆt que comme supple´ment, Finalement, le programme est continuellement en cours
et les recrutements d’e´tudiants se chevauchent; c’est pourquoi il ne semble avoir ni
commencement ni fin. Un programme de ce genre renferme deux courants d’apprentissage
principaux. Tout d’abord, pendant plus de 20 ans, le MDP a e´duque´ les jeunes mercaticiens en
leur offrant la possibilite´ d’apprendre, a` partir de la mercatique active, dans un environnement
d’apprentissage supportif. Deuxie`mement, il ne peut pas y avoir d’action sans apprentissage: le
MDP a retire´ des lec¸ons de son expe´rience et, en conse´quence, il a cre´e´ de nouvelles lec¸ons pour
les participants. L’article conclut en conside´rant les implications du MDP pour l’e´ducation en
mercatique, ainsi que pour la mercatique the´orique et pratique.
Re´ve´ler les ‘‘the´ories utilise´es’’: e´laborer des marques de vin de luxe
Michael Beverland
Mots-cle´s Vins, Noms de marques, Image de marque, Premie`res marques
Malgre´ la haute conside´ration dont jouissent de nombreuses marques de luxe internationales,
rares sont les connaissances concernant les processus qui permettent de cre´er ces marques et
comment elles maintiennent leur position sur le marche´. Les expe´riences des chercheurs et
praticiens sugge`rent que ces marques se concentrent sur l’e´laboration d’images ou de reˆves a`
caracte`re abstrait et ‘‘intemporel’’. Cependant, aucune recherche syste´matique n’a e´te´ entreprise
sur les processus et strate´gies mises en oeuvre par les mercaticiens de marques de luxe. La
recherche que voici se fonde sur les e´tudes pratiques entreprises dans le commerce des vins de
luxe; elle s’efforce de re´ve´ler les processus tacites qui sous-tendent la cre´ation et le maintien des
marques de vin de luxe. Les re´sultats indiquent que les marques de luxe constituent une notion
complexe qui combine l’attachement a` la qualite´ d’un produit, un ensemble de valeurs puissant,
la compre´hension tacite de la mercatique, l’attention au de´tail et l’e´mergence de strate´gies.

German abstracts
Aktionsforschung im Marketing
Chad Perry und Evert Gummesson
Stichworte Aktionslernen, Marketing, Lernmethoden, Marketingstrategie
Die Autoren erarbeiten eine Definition der Aktionsforschung, die besonders auf den
Marketingbereich zugeschnitten ist und auf den Artikeln in dieser Ausgabe des European
Journal of Marketing beruht. Besonders hervorgehoben wird das breite Spektrum der
Aktionsforschung im Marketing und ihr spezielles Interesse an einer analytischen
Generalisierung der Aufstellung von Theorien, die u¨ ber die im Rahmen der
Aktionsforschung untersuchte Situation hinaus auch andere Situationen einbeziehen. Dieser
Kommentar untergliedert sich in drei Bereiche: Als Erstes werden die traditionelle
Aktionsforschung, das Aktionslernen und die Fallforschung definiert. Anschließend werden
aus den Artikeln in dieser Sonderausgabe vier Schlussfolgerungen bezu¨glich der Anwendung
der Aktionsforschung im Marketing gezogen. Zuletzt wird eine breite Definition der
Aktionsforschung im Marketing vorgestellt.

German
abstracts

299

¨ berblick: ein marktorientierter Ansatz
Aktionsforschung im U
David Ballantyne
Stichworte Aktionslernen, Kundenorientierung, internes Marketing, Wissensmanagement,
Marktorientierung, Beziehungsmarketing
Ziel dieses Artikels ist es, ein Versta¨ndnis fu¨r die Methodik der Aktionsforschung und
insbesondere ihre Anwendung im Marketingkontext zu vermitteln. Ein marktorientiertes

Aktionsforschungsprojekt, an dem der Autor beteiligt war, wird retrospektiv in Form einer
summativen Evaluation der verwendeten Methodik beschrieben. Der Stellenwert der
Forschungsaussagen in wissenschaftlichen Publikationen wird untersucht und fu¨ r
problematisch befunden. Als Lo¨ sung wird ein hermeneutischer Fallforschungsansatz
vorgeschlagen. Es werden Verbindungen zwischen der Aktionsforschung als Methodik und
dem internen Marketing als Strategie hergestellt. Der Autor kommt zu der Schlussfolgerung,
dass die Grundlage der marktorientierten Aktionsforschung die ‘‘Wissenserneuerung’’ ist. Diese
wird durch einen iterativen Prozess der Aktion und des Lernens erzielt, der durch die
Beziehungen zwischen den Beteiligten gefo¨rdert wird.
Verbesserung des Managements von Kundenbeziehungen durch Datenbank-/
Internet-Marketing: ein theoriebildendes Aktionsforschungsprojekt
Chris O’Leary, Sally Rao und Chad Perry
Stichworte Internetmarketing, Datenbankmarketing, Kundenbeziehungen, Aktionslernen
Firmen haben gerade erst damit begonnen, das Internet im Rahmen des DatenbankmarketingProzesses zur Sammlung von Kundeninformationen zu nutzen, um das Management ihrer
Kundenbeziehungen zu verbessern. Die hier beschriebene Untersuchung verwendet einen
Aktionsforschungsansatz, um hierfu¨ r einen neuen Rahmen zu entwickeln. Das
Aktionsforschungsprojekt wurde in einer großen australischen Datenbankfirma durchgefu¨hrt,
weil keine anderen empirischen Informationsquellen zu dem Thema zur Verfu¨gung standen und
weil diese umfassende Einblicke in einen bisher nur mangelhaft erforschten, praktischen
Bereich liefern konnte. Die Ergebnisse haben gezeigt, dass die Integration des Internet- und
Datenbank-Marketings die Effektivita¨t des Managements von Kundenbeziehungen verbessert.
Zu den Vorteilen des Internets geho¨ren eine genauere und schnellere Sammlung von
Kundendaten, Kosteneinsparungen sowie eine sta¨rkere Interaktion und bessere Beziehung
mit den Kunden. Die Untersuchung hat zudem gezeigt, dass eine entsprechende
Organisationskultur, eine Unterstu¨tzung seitens der Unternehmensleitung und eine gute
Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Marketing- und IT-Teams gegeben sein mu¨ssen, um das
unterstu¨tzende Umfeld zu schaffen, das fu¨r eine erfolgreiche Integration wichtig ist.

European Journal of Marketing
Vol. 38 No. 3/4, 2004

German abstracts
#Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0309-0566


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300

Aktionsforschung in turbulentem Umfeld: Beispiel E-Commerce-Priorisierung
Elizabeth Daniel und Hugh N. Wilson
Stichworte E-Commerce, Aktionslernen, pra¨diktive Techniken
Planungsinstrumente, die von logischen rationalen Modellen der Strategiebildung abgeleitet
sind, haben im E-Commerce noch immer ihren Platz, sie werden jedoch durch andere Elemente
wie den Inkrementalismus und die Vision erga¨nzt. Insbesondere die Instrumente, die zur
Priorisierung verwendet werden, sind in diesem Bereich bisher jedoch noch nicht validiert
worden. Eine Aktionsforschung scheint in turbulenten Umfeldern wie dem E-Commerce aus
verschiedenen Gru¨nden besonders geeignet: wegen der Direktheit ihres Ergebnisses, ihrer
Zukunftsorientierung, ihrer Beru¨cksichtigung von Praktikern als Koproduzenten des Wissens
und wegen ihrer Zyklizita¨t. Es wird eine Aktionsforschungsstudie beschrieben, die die Matrix
der Richtungspolitik (Directional Policy Matrix, DPM) dahingehend modifiziert, dass auch der
Wettbewerb zwischen den Business-Modellen und nicht nur der zwischen den einzelnen
Organisationen beru¨cksichtigt wird. Es werden Schlussfolgerungen hinsichtlich der breiteren
Anwendbarkeit der Matrix, des Stellenwerts von Strategieinstrumenten in
¨ berbru¨ckung der
Unsicherheitssituationen und der Rolle der Aktionsforschung bei der U
Kluft zwischen Theorie und Praxis gezogen.

Mehr Strenge in der Aktionsforschung: eine Fallstudie zur Marketingplanung

Hugh N. Wilson
Stichworte Aktionslernen, Marketingplanung, entscheidungsunterstu¨tzende Systeme,
Datenanalyse, systematischer Fehler
Es wird eine Forschungsstudie beschrieben, die untersucht hat, wie
entscheidungsunterstu¨ tzende Systeme durch eine Kombination aus projektbezogenen
Aktionsforschungs- und Fallforschungsansa¨tzen die Marketingplanung verbessern ko¨nnen.
Der Artikel konzentriert sich auf die Lo¨sung zweier praktischer methodologischer Probleme: die
Frage, wie Aktionsforschungsdaten so streng wie mo¨glich analysiert werden ko¨nnen, und die
Frage, wie sich die systematischen Fehler, die sich aus der Doppelrolle des Aktionsforschers als
Teilnehmer und Beobachter ergeben ko¨nnen, reduzieren lassen. Der Artikel beschreibt
insbesondere die Anwendung einer speziellen Forschungsanlage, der ‘‘analytischen
Induktion’’, auf die komplexen, mehrere Aussagen einschließenden Theorien, die in der
Aktionsforschung und in vielen anderen Bereichen der qualitativen Managementforschung
anzutreffen sind. Die Ergebnisse der Studie werden ebenfalls kurz vorgestellt.

Generalisierung der Ergebnisse eines Aktionsforschungsprojekts an einem
Arbeitsplatz auf andere Situationen: Prinzipien und Praxis
Frank Thompson und Chad Perry
Stichworte Aktionslernen, Analysemethoden, Managementforschung, Paradigmen
Aktionsforschungsprojekte beschra¨nken sich meist darauf, die Praktiken einer einzelnen
Arbeitsgruppe innerhalb einer Organisation zu verbessern. Es kann jedoch vorkommen, dass
nach Abschluss des Projekts Akademiker oder Berater daran interessiert sind, die Ergebnisse
dieses bestimmten Projekts zu generalisieren und auf andere Situationen anzuwenden. Ziel
dieses Artikels ist es, die fu¨r diese beiden Zwecke passenden wissenschaftlichen Paradigmen zu
ermitteln und Kriterien zu identifizieren, anhand derer sich beurteilen la¨sst, wie gut die
jeweiligen Zwecke erfu¨llt worden sind. Im Wesentlichen wird argumentiert, dass das
Paradigma der Kritischen Theorie dem Aktionsforschungsprojekt einer Arbeitsgruppe
innerhalb einer Organisation zugrunde liegt, wa¨hrend das Realismus-Paradigma der
Generalisierung dieser Erkenntnisse und ihrer Anwendung auf andere Situationen zugrunde
liegt. Die Kriterien der beiden Paradigmen ko¨nnen dazu verwendet werden, die Validita¨t und

Zuverla¨ssigkeit der beiden Prozesse zu evaluieren. Ein Beispiel dafu¨r, wie dies in der Praxis
geschehen kann, wird angefu¨hrt.


Anpassung der Aktionsforschung an das Marketing: ein dialogisches Argument
zwischen Theorie und Praxis
Steven M. Kates und Judy Robertson
Stichworte Aktionslernen, Organisationstheorie, Vera¨nderungsmanagement,
Organisationskultur
Ziel dieses Artikels ist es, eine Perspektive fu¨r die Anpassung der Aktionsforschungsprinzipien
und -methoden im akademischen Marktforschungskontext zu geben. Durch Kombination
unserer theoretischen und praktischen Perspektiven pra¨sentieren wir ein dialogisches
Argument, das sich mit Themen der Implementierung der Aktionsforschung befasst. Dabei
werden drei wichtige, miteinander in Zusammenhang stehende Fragen angesprochen: Erstens:
Sind Marketer im Besonderen (und Personen in Organisationen im Allgemeinen) wirklich
reflektiv? Eignet sich Reflexion fu¨r die autorita¨ten Gegebenheiten in manchen Organisationen?
Zweitens: Inwieweit kann eine starke Organsiationskultur Vera¨nderung und weiteres Lernen
behindern und wie la¨sst sich diese Schwierigkeit durch Aktionsforschung u¨berwinden?
Drittens: Welche Rolle spielt der Forscher bei dem Projekt und welche Fertigkeiten, welches
Wissen und welchen Einfluss muss er mitbringen, um ein Aktionsforschungsprogramm
erfolgreich zu implementieren? Wir stellen abschließend fest, dass eine zunehmende
Orientierung hin auf eine effektive Vera¨nderung und Intervention erforderlich ist, damit
diese Ansa¨tze im anspruchsvollen Marketingkontext funktionieren.
Es gibt kein Lernen ohne Aktion und keine Aktion ohne Lernen: eine Fallstudie
Damien McLoughlin
Stichworte Aktionslernen, Marketingtheorie, Ausbildung, Lehrplanentwicklung
Der Zweck dieses Artikels ist es, ein Beispiel fu¨r Aktionslernen im Marketing vorzustellen: ein
einzigartiges Postgraduierten-Marketingprogramm namens MDP (Marketing Development
Programme). Das Programm ist in dreierlei Hinsicht besonders. Erstens steht das MDP nur
Studenten ohne Berufserfahrung offen. Zweitens spielt das Aktionslernen bei dem Programm

nicht nur eine nebengeordnete, sondern eine zentrale pa¨dagogische Rolle. Und drittens handelt
¨ berlappungen im Zugang der Studenten, so dass
es sich um ein fortlaufendes Programm mit U
das Programm keinen Anfang und kein Ende zu haben scheint. Ein solches Programm
unterstu¨tzt zwei verschiedene wichtige Lernstro¨mungen. Zum einen hat das MDP seit u¨ber 20
Jahren zur Ausbildung junger Marketer beigetragen, indem sie ihnen Gelegenheit gegeben hat,
in einem unterstu¨tzenden Lernumfeld von Marketingaktionen zu lernen. Zum anderen kann es
keine Aktion ohne Lernen geben, d.h. das MDP hat aus seinen Erfahrungen gelernt und daraus
ein neues Lernen fu¨r die Teilnehmer geschaffen. Der Artikel untersucht abschließend die
Implikationen, die das MDP fu¨r die Marketingausbildung in Theorie und Praxis mit sich bringt.
Aufdeckung von handlungsleitenden Theorien (‘‘theories-in-use’’): der Aufbau von
Luxus-Weinmarken
Michael Beverland
Stichworte Weine, Markennamen, Markenimage, Premium-Marken
Trotz des hohen Bekanntheitsgrades vieler internationaler Luxusmarken ist wenig u¨ber die
Prozesse bekannt, durch die diese Marken geschaffen werden und ihre Marktposition halten.
Die wissenschaftliche und praktische Erfahrung weist darauf hin, dass diese Marken sich
darauf konzentrieren, abstrakte, ‘‘zeitlose’’ Images und Tra¨ume zu schaffen. Bisher wurden
jedoch keine systematischen Untersuchungen zu den Prozessen und zu den Strategien der
Marketer von Luxusmarken angestellt. Ausgehend von Fallstudien im Luxusweinhandel hat
diese Studie versucht, die stillschweigenden Prozesse aufzudecken, die bei der Schaffung und
Erhaltung von Luxus-Weinmarken eine Rolle spielen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass
Luxusmarken eine komplexe Kombination aus kompromissloser Produktqualita¨t, einem
starken Wertesatz, einem stillschweigenden Marketingversta¨ndnis, einer Konzentration auf
Details und eines strategischen In-Erscheinung-Tretens ist.

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Spanish abstracts
Investigacio´n de accio´n en marketing
Chad Perry y Evert Gummesson
Palabras clave Aprendizaje de accion, Marketing, Me´todos de aprendizaje,
Estrategia de marketing
Desarrolla una definicio´n de investigacio´n de accio´n particularmente apta para el marketing y
basada en los artı´culos de esta edicio´n de European Journal of Marketing, que pone de relieve la
extensio´n de la investigacio´n de accio´n en marketing y su distintivo intere´s en la generalizacio´n
analı´tica, es decir, en construir una teorı´a que se extienda ma´s alla´ de la situacio´n cuya accio´n se
esta´ investigando y se aplique a otras situaciones. Las tres secciones de este comentario
incluyen: definicio´n de la investigacio´n de accio´n tradicional; aprendizaje de accio´n; e,
investigacio´n de casos. En segundo lugar, se extraen cuatro implicaciones de los artı´culos de
esta edicio´n especial sobre co´mo la investigacio´n de accio´n puede realizarse en marketing.
Finalmente, se presenta una definicio´n amplia de la investigacio´n de accio´n en marketing.
Investigacio´n de accio´n revisada: un planteamiento orientado hacia el mercado
David Ballantyne
Palabras clave Aprendizaje de accion, Orientacio´n al cliente, Marketing interno,
Gestio´n de conocimiento, Orientacio´n de mercado, Marketing de relaciones
El propo´sito de este artı´culo es ofrecer un entendimiento de la metodologı´a de la investigacio´n
de accio´n, y especialmente, su uso en un contexto de marketing. Se proporciona un recuento
retrospectivo de un proyecto de investigacio´n de accio´n orientado al mercado en el que participo´
el autor, en la forma de una evaluacio´n aditiva de la metodologı´a empleada. Se discute el status
de las peticiones investigativas sobre investigacio´n de accio´n en publicaciones acade´micas,

descubrie´ndose que resulta problema´tico. Se recomienda como solucio´n una ruta hermene´utica
de investigacio´n de casos. Se establecen conexiones entre la investigacio´n de accio´n como
metodologı´a y el marketing interno como estrategia. Se llega a la conclusio´n de que la base de la
investigacio´n de accio´n orientada hacia el mercado es la ‘‘renovacio´n de conocimiento’’. Esto se
logra a trave´s de un proceso iterativo de accio´n y aprendizaje, facilitado por las relaciones
formadas entre los involucrados.

European Journal of Marketing
Vol. 38 No. 3/4, 2004
Spanish abstracts
#Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0309-0566

Mejora de la gestio´n de las relaciones con el cliente a trave´s del marketing de
Internet/bases de datos: un proyecto de investigacio´n de accio´n para la creacio´n de
una teorı´a
Chris O’Leary, Sally Rao y Chad Perry
Palabras clave Marketing de Internet, Marketing de bases de datos,
Relaciones con los clientes, Aprendizaje de accion
Las empresas acaban de empezar a utilizar Internet para obtener informacio´n sobre clientes en
sus procesos de marketing de bases de datos, con objeto de mejorar la gestio´n de las relaciones
con los clientes. Este estudio utiliza un planteamiento de investigacio´n de accio´n para
desarrollar un nuevo marco de co´mo las empresas pueden hacerlo. El proyecto de investigacio´n
de accio´n se llevo´ a cabo en una empresa australiana de bases de datos de gran envergadura, ya
que no se disponı´a de otras fuentes de informacio´n empı´rica sobre este tema; y, e´sta podı´a
ofrecer interesantes descubrimientos sobre un a´rea pra´ctica y poco investigada. Los resultados
mostraron que la integracio´n del marketing de Internet y bases de datos mejora la eficacia de las
pra´cticas de gestio´n de las relaciones con los clientes. Por ejemplo, Internet ofrece beneficios
tales como un aumento de la exactitud y la rapidez de la recopilacio´n de datos sobre
consumidores; ahorros de costes; mayor interaccio´n y mejores relaciones con los clientes.

Asimismo, esta investigacio´n identifica que factores tales como una cultura organizacional,
apoyo de la directiva superior y colaboracio´n entre equipos informa´ticos y de marketing,
necesitan existir con objeto de ofrecer el entorno de apoyo crı´tico para el e´xito de la integracio´n.


Investigacio´n de accio´n en entornos turbulentos: un ejemplo en la asignacio´n de
prioridad al comercio electro´nico
Elizabeth Daniel y Hugh N. Wilson
Palabras clave Comercio electro´nico, Aprendizaje de accion, Te´cnicas de prono´stico
Las herramientas de planificacio´n procedentes de modelos racionales y lo´gicos para la
formacio´n de estrategias au´n tienen su puesto dentro del comercio electro´nico, aunque
complementadas por elementos de incremento y visio´n. Sin embargo, las herramientas para
asignar prioridades se invalidan especı´ficamente en esta esfera. La investigacio´n de accio´n
parecerı´a ser apta para entornos turbulentos tales como el del comercio electro´nico debido a lo
inmediato de los resultados, su orientacio´n de futuro, su respeto a los profesionales como
coproductores de conocimiento, y su proceso cı´clico. Se describe un estudio de investigacio´n de
accio´n que modifica la matriz de polı´tica direccional (DPM, Directional Policy Matrix) para tener
en cuenta la competencia entre modelos de negocios, y no so´lo entre organizaciones
individuales. Se sacan conclusiones sobre la aplicabilidad ma´s amplia de la matriz, la
funcio´n de herramientas de estrategia en situaciones de incertidumbre, y la funcio´n de la
investigacio´n de accio´n para reducir la separacio´n entre teorı´a y pra´ctica.

Hacia el rigor en la investigacio´n de accio´n: un estudio de caso sobre planificacio´n
de marketing
Hugh N. Wilson
Palabras clave Aprendizaje de accion, Planificacio´n de marketing,
Sistemas de apoyo de decisiones, Ana´lisis de datos, Parcialidad
Se describe un estudio de investigacio´n que explora el potencial de los sistemas de apoyo de
decisiones para mejorar la pra´ctica de la planificacio´n de marketing utilizando una combinacio´n
de investigacio´n de accio´n de proyectos, y planteamientos de investigacio´n de casos. El trabajo

se enfoca en soluciones para dos problemas metodolo´gicos pra´cticos: co´mo analizar los datos de
la investigacio´n de accio´n de la forma ma´s rigurosa posible; y, co´mo minimizar la parcialidad
que puede surgir de la funcio´n doble del investigador de accio´n como participante y observador.
En particular, el trabajo describe una adaptacio´n del disen˜o de investigacio´n denominado
induccio´n analı´tica a la teorı´a compleja y multiproposicional, comu´n en la investigacio´n de
accio´n y, de hecho, en mucha de la investigacio´n de gestio´n cualitativa. Tambie´n se reportan
brevemente los descubrimientos del estudio en sı´.

Generalizacio´n de los resultados de un proyecto de investigacio´n de accio´n en un
entorno laboral aplica´ndolos a otras situaciones: principios y pra´ctica
Frank Thompson y Chad Perry
Palabras clave Aprendizaje de accion, Me´todos analı´ticos, Investigacio´n de gestio´n,
Paradigmas
Generalmente, un proyecto de investigacio´n de accio´n se limita a mejorar las pra´cticas de un
grupo de trabajo dentro de una organizacio´n. No obstante, despue´s de realizar un proyecto,
algunos acade´micos o consultores podrı´an querer aplicar los descubrimientos de ese proyecto
particular a otras situaciones. El objetivo de este trabajo es identificar los dos paradigmas
cientı´ficos apropiados para cada uno de estos dos propo´sitos, e identificar los criterios que
podrı´an utilizarse para juzgar lo bien que se logra cada propo´sito. Esencialmente, discutimos
que el paradigma crı´tico de teorı´a es la base del proyecto de investigacio´n de accio´n de un grupo
de trabajo dentro de una organizacio´n, y que el paradigma de realismo es la base de la
generalizacio´n de estos descubrimientos en otras situaciones. Los criterios procedentes de los
dos paradigmas pueden emplearse para evaluar la validez y la fiabilidad de estos dos procesos.
Se ofrece un ejemplo de co´mo se ha aplicado esto a la pra´ctica.

Spanish
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304

Adaptacio´n de la investigacio´n de accio´n al marketing: un argumento dialo´gico
entre teorı´a y pra´ctica
Steven M. Kates y Judy Robertson
Palabras clave Aprendizaje de accion, Teorı´a organizacional, Gestio´n de cambio,
Cultura organizacional
El propo´sito de este artı´culo es ofrecer una perspectiva sobre la adaptacio´n de principios y
me´todos de la investigacio´n de accio´n en contextos de investigacio´n acade´mica de marketing.
Desde nuestras perspectivas teo´ricas y pra´cticas combinadas ofrecemos un argumento dialo´gico
sobre las cuestiones asociadas con la implantacio´n de investigacio´n de accio´n, tratando tres
cuestiones importantes y relacionadas. En primer lugar, ¿son los comercializadores,
especı´ficamente (y personas en organizaciones, con cara´ cter ma´ s generalizado),
verdaderamente pensativos? ¿Es adecuada la reflexio´n para las realidades autoritarias de
algunas organizaciones? En segundo lugar, ¿co´mo puede una cultura organizacional fuerte ser
una barrera para el cambio y el avance del aprendizaje, y co´mo podrı´a superarse esta dificultad
mediante la investigacio´n de accio´n? En tercer lugar, ¿cua´l es la funcio´n del investigador en el
proceso, y que´ habilidades, conocimiento e influencia debe tener esta persona para implantar
con e´xito un programa de investigacio´n de accio´n? Concluimos proponiendo que se necesitan
una orientacio´n en aumento hacia el cambio y una intervencio´n eficaz para que estos
planteamientos puedan funcionar dentro de contextos exigentes de marketing.
No puede haber aprendizaje sin accio´n ni accio´n sin aprendizaje: un estudio de caso
Damien McLoughlin
Palabras clave Aprendizaje de accio´n, Teorı´a de marketing, Educacio´n,
Desarrollo de currı´culo
El propo´sito de este trabajo es presentar un ejemplo de aprendizaje de accio´n en marketing el

exclusivo programa para graduados en marketing llamado programa de desarrollo de
marketing (MDP, marketing development programme). Esta singularidad se presenta en tres
esferas principales. En primer lugar, el MDP so´lo esta´ disponible para aquellos estudiantes sin
experiencia laboral. En segundo lugar, utiliza el aprendizaje de accio´n como pedagogı´a central
en lugar de complementaria. Finalmente, es un programa continuo con admisiones superpuestas
y, como tal, no parece tener principio ni fin. Hay dos ramas importantes de aprendizaje que
pueden extraerse de dicho programa. Primeramente, el MDP lleva ma´s de 20 an˜os educando
jo´venes comercializadores y ofrecie´ndoles la oportunidad de aprender de la accio´n de marketing
dentro de un entorno educativo de apoyo. La segunda rama es que no puede haber accio´n sin
aprendizaje, es decir, el MDP ha aprendido de su experiencia y, como resultado, ha creado nuevo
aprendizaje para los participantes. El trabajo concluye con la consideracio´n de las implicaciones
del MDP para la educacio´n, teorı´a y pra´ctica de marketing.
Revelando ‘‘teorı´as en uso’’: creacio´n de marcas de vino de lujo
Michael Beverland
Palabras clave Vinos, Nombres de marca, Imagen de marca, Marcas superiores
A pesar del alto perfil de muchas marcas de lujo internacionales, poco se sabe de los procesos
mediante los que se crean dichas marcas y sobre co´mo se mantiene su posicio´n en el mercado.
La investigacio´n y la experiencia de los profesionales sugieren que estas marcas se enfocan en
crear ima´genes o suen˜os abstractos e ‘‘imperecederos’’. No obstante, no se ha realizado ninguna
investigacio´n sistema´tica sobre los procesos y las estrategias de los comercializadores de lujo.
Esta investigacio´n, basada en estudios de casos del comercio de vino de lujo, intenta revelar los
procesos ta´citos que sustentan la creacio´n y el mantenimiento de marcas de vino de lujo. Los
resultados destacan que las marcas de lujo son una combinacio´n compleja de dedicacio´n a la
calidad del producto, un conjunto so´lido de valores, un entendimiento ta´cito del marketing, un
enfoque en el detalle y la emergencia estrate´gica.


Guest editorial
About the Guest Editor Chad Perry has recently retired from being Professor of Marketing
and Management at the Graduate College of Management, Southern Cross University, Gold

Coast. His research interests included relationship marketing and qualitative methods. He has
written or co-written three textbooks, eight book chapters and more than 100 refereed journal
articles and conference papers. He has presented management development workshops in Africa,
Asia, Papua New Guinea, the UK and Australia, as well as doing occasional management
consulting projects in some of those countries.

The call for this special issue on action research in marketing defined action
research widely to include action learning and case research (but not case
stories/descriptions). This call for papers has resulted in a collection of articles
that cover many areas of marketing management and many forms of action
research. Moreover, the action research in this special issue has a characteristic
that distinguishes action research in marketing from action research in other
disciplines – an emphasis on theory building, that is, analytic generalisation.
This special issue covers three of the many types of “action research”:
traditional action research, action learning and case research. Traditional
action research in management is often defined to be about a group of people
who work together to improve their work processes. For example, action
research could occur if a small team or task force was set up in a marketing
department to improve customer service or to reduce their company’s time in
getting a new product to market. Another example would be the series of
meetings involved in setting an advertising budget for next year so that it was
more successful than this year. Yet another example would be a group working
with a consultant to run new marketing software and incorporate it into their
daily processes. That is, this traditional action research often occurs within a
group of marketing managers, even though it may not be called that.
However, this emphasis in traditional action research upon groups working
together has tended to position action research within the constructivism and
critical theory paradigms (Guba and Lincoln, 1994; Perry et al., 1999) that
emphasise understanding and interpretation of constructed realities. These
constructed realities may be especially relevant when the phenomena being

researched are driven by internal, subjective perceptions rather than by an
external reality. For example, perceptions of “meaning” decide outcomes in
phenomena like falling in love, brand loyalty based upon a consumer’s identity,
and office power politics in big organisations with slow or blurry feedback
loops to the outside world. However, many marketing phenomena are clearly
determined by the external reality of a marketplace, and not by subjective
constructions, and so the underlying paradigm of traditional action research

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may have limited applicability in marketing. As Gummesson (2000, p. 105) puts
it:
In marketing, the company’s external environment is always more important than the
internal. The real decisions are made in the world outside – among consumers, middlemen,
competitors, politicians, legislators and trade organisations. The external environment is
neither particularly knowledgeable nor interested in the company and its development.

In brief, this special issue about action research in marketing had to take a
broader definition of action research than is traditionally taken in other
disciplines like management, to ensure that the broader world that marketing
researchers examine could be considered. That is, traditional action research
was assumed to be only one of several ways of learning about the processes of
marketing phenomena in a more in-depth way than can be done with surveys.
In particular, three different types of action research are presented in this
special issue:
(1) traditional action research;
(2) action learning; and
(3) case research.
To save repetition in the articles in this special issue, the authors of articles
were sent an early draft of the guest commentary that defines each of these
three methods. They were told that these definitions would be in the special
issue and so they did not need to provide them in their article.
Introduction to the articles in the special issue
The articles in this special issue cover a wide range of areas of marketing, from
internal marketing through database marketing to marketing planning. They
also cover a range of methods. The first six deal with traditional action
research, the next deals with action learning, and the final one is an example of
case research.
Consider the action research ones first. Ballantyne describes how project
action research was successfully carried out in one of Australia’s four major
banks and raises many of the concerns in this special issue. The project
consisted of an unusually large number of 100 cycles and involved 1,200 staff,
and lasted five years. The aim of the project was internal marketing of
customer-consciousness to staff, and so the unusual action research processes
described in the article are a contribution to the internal marketing literature as
well as to the action research literature. He explains how the action research

processes were appropriate, had to be flexibly adapted to a real world situation,
and were emancipatory as well as well as participatory. Somewhat unusually
for a traditional action researcher, he addresses the issue of generalising from
the particular situation of his bank to scholarly literature and describes the
“hermeneutic pathway” he has developed to developing academic articles:
The output of this approach has been a series of articles on the bank case published in
academic journals, moving from descriptive to interpretive, and then from interpretive to


theory generating. Some sources of interpretive ambiguity have been discovered and clarified
on the way.

O’Leary, Rao and Perry also describe a successful traditional action research
project about a practical problem at work. One of the authors led a work team
in a large Australian database company to explore how to use the Internet to
obtain customer information for his company’s database marketing processes,
to enhance customer relationship management. The action research project was
carried out because no other sources of empirical information about the
emerging problem were available. Results showed that integration of the
Internet and database marketing enhances the effectiveness of customer
relationship management practices. The framework developed for the
workgroup’s large and rather technical company happened to be general
enough to be the used in a doctoral research thesis, and in related conference
and journal publications. This suggests that analytic generalisation of the
action research findings for a particular situation to academic publications
need not be as difficult as sometimes thought, provided the action researchers
are dealing with a technical issue rather than the more subjective issues that
action researchers are concerned with.
The next article also describes a successful action research project, but
instead of ending up with a general framework, it started with one and than

applied it in a workgroup. This article demonstrates how important
“preunderstanding” (Gummesson, 2000, p. 15) from an initial reconnaissance
through the literature can be in an action research project, before a workgroup
embarks on the first planning step in the action research cycle. Daniel and
Wilson describe cycles of action research workshops with strategic marketers
in eight UK firms operating in the turbulent e-commerce environment. Action
research was well suited to turbulent environments such as e-commerce, owing
to its immediacy of outcome, its future orientation, its respect for practitioners
as co-producers of knowledge and its cyclical process. The action research
project modified the somewhat technical directional policy matrix (DPM) in
textbooks to take account of competition between business models, not just
between individual organisations. They conclude that action research can be
very useful for putting theory into practice in several, particular situations
across an industry:
We believe, then, that action research has a role in reducing the “gulf between basic research
and practice” . . . practitioners should be full, equal collaborators in the . . . testing of theories
which are workable as well as publishable, we believe that the action research approach
ensures that this principle is turned into practice.

The three articles above about successful action research projects did discuss
generalising the findings about one particular situation to others, but it was not
their main focus. The next two articles do make this issue their main focus.
Wilson asks how can we make action research with its iterative, inductive
development of “theory”, as rigorous as possible? Can we be sure that our
findings are not just conjectures based on anecdote? He describes a research

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study exploring the potential of decision support systems to improve
marketing planning practice, using a combination of project action research
workshops and case interview research, across 11 companies. He focuses on
solutions to two practical methodological problems: how to analyse action and
case research data in as rigorous a way as possible; and how to minimise the
biases which can arise from the action researcher’s dual role as participant and
observer. He uses analytic induction in a step-by-step consideration of action
research and case research data and the building and testing of theoretical
propositions as the cases proceed. His processes add to the external validity of
qualitative studies without reducing their internal validity.
Thompson and Perry also focus on analytic generalisation concerns in
action research projects. They confront these concerns by discussing scientific
research paradigms in their analysis of how the quality of an action research
project can be judged from within the two initially irreconcilable paradigms of
critical theory (a particular situation) and realism (many other situations).
Their illustrative project was positioned in the area of relationship marketing
and involved the development of tenders for international aid projects within
two small engineering companies. This project was less technical and more
specific to the small companies than the database marketing project above, and
so their report to the particular company could not be generalised as readily to
academic or consultant’s reports for other situations. They illustrate how the
quality of both types of reports – the first within the critical theory paradigm
and the second within the realism paradigm – can be planned and judged.
In brief, the articles above describe successful applications of action research

in marketing and are at the cutting edge of the serious problem of how to
generalise the findings of a traditional action research project from one
particular situation to others. The next article provides an alternative, more
complex and dark view of action research in marketing. Kates and Robertson
provide a dialogical argument about the issues associated with implementing
action research in marketing, addressing three important and related questions:
(1) Are marketers truly reflective as required in action research cycles,
indeed, is reflection suited to some organisations’ authoritarian realities?
(2) How is a strong organisational culture a barrier to change and further
learning, and how might this difficulty be overcome by action research?
(3) What is the role of the researcher in the process, and what skills,
knowledge, and influence must this person have to successfully
implement an action research program?
They conclude by proposing that an incremental orientation to change and
intervention effectiveness is needed for the traditional action research approach
to work in demanding marketing contexts.
As well as traditional action research, this special issue covers action
learning. McLoughlin presents an example of action learning in marketing –
the unique postgraduate programme in marketing at University College Dublin


called the Marketing Development Programme (MDP). The MDP employs
action learning as the central pedagogy rather than an add-on, it is open only to
those students with no work experience, and it is a rolling programme with
overlapping intakes so that it appears to have no beginning and no end. The
article describes the programme and how it has developed over many years
into an effective way of teaching marketing.
The final article is an example of case research. Beaverland began his
research about luxury brands by looking at 200 sources of secondary data
covering 300 years and then conducted 11 focus groups of 11 experts to scope

his research. The main research stage was 35 in-depth interviews with wine
producers and others in three countries. The case research uncovered the tacit
processes underlying the creation and maintenance of luxury wine brands.
Results highlight that luxury brands are a complex combination of dedication
to product quality, a strong set of values, tacit understanding of marketing, a
focus on detail, and strategic emergence.
Postscript
This special issue is the end product of a careful process involving the
reviewers and the authors. Until I became an editor, I had not fully realised the
crucial role that reviewers play in a journal. A journal relies on patient, careful
reviewers who have high standards and devote precious time to developing
authors. I thank the reviewing team of this special issue for doing their job so
thoroughly and efficiently. Incidentally, the articles that I co-authored were
blind reviewed through EJM’s regular editors and not through me, and so I do
not know the names of the reviewers (I suffered a rejection rate that was much
the same as the other authors’). I also thank the adventurous authors for
submitting articles about this relatively new topic in marketing and for
graciously working with the reviewers through the revision process. Some
submitted articles could not be published in this special issue because they fell
outside the scope of this special issue or were about research that was too
“green” – I hope the articles will be re-submitted to EJM when their research
projects are more advanced.
Chad Perry
Guest Editor
References
Guba, E.G. and Lincoln, Y.S. (1994), “Competing paradigms in qualitative research”, in
Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S. (Eds), Handbook of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications,
Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 105-17.
Gummesson, E. (2000), Qualitative Methods in Management, 2nd rev. ed., Sage, Thousand Oaks,
CA.

Perry, C., Riege, A. and Brown, L. (1999), “Realism’s role among scientific paradigms in
marketing research”, Irish Marketing Review, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 16-23.

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The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0309-0566.htm

COMMENTARY

Action research in marketing
Chad Perry
Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, Australia, and

Evert Gummesson
Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Keywords Action learning, Marketing, Learning methods, Marketing strategy
Abstract Develops a definition of action research that is particularly suitable for marketing and
based on the articles in this issue of European Journal of Marketing, emphasising the breadth of

action research in marketing and its distinctive interest in analytic generalisation, that is, in
building a theory that extends beyond the particular situation that is being action researched to
other situations.. The three sections of this commentary include: definition of traditional action
research, action learning and case research. Second, drawing of four implications from the articles
within this special issue about how action research can be done in marketing. Finally, presents a
broad definition of action research in marketing.

European Journal of Marketing
Vol. 38 No. 3/4, 2004
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0309-0566
DOI 10.1108/03090560410518567

The term “action research” was invented by the eminent social scientist Kurt
Lewin over half a century ago (Lewin, 1946). Since then, it has become
acclaimed and criticised. Reasons for controversy are that the label of action
research is rather broad, is often left undefined, or it used in different ways
(Coghlan and Brannick, 2001). For example, Gummesson (2000) distinguishes
four types of action research for management: societal action science (the
traditional type where researchers help underprivileged groups to solve
problems), management action science (where the purpose is to understand
organizations, markets and customers better, usually to make an operation
more efficient), real-time action science (working in a research project
planned for action research), and retrospective action science (letting past
experience and action through later scholarly reflection become data in a
research project).
Thus the aim of this commentary is to develop a definition of action research
that is suitable for marketing in particular. That categorisation is based on the
articles in this issue and emphasises the breadth of action research in

marketing and its distinctive interest in analytic generalisation, that is, in
building a theory that extends beyond the particular situation that is being
action researched to other situations.
This editorial has three sections. First, it defines traditional action research,
action learning and case research. Then four implications are drawn from the
articles in this special issue about how action research can be done in
marketing. Finally, a broad definition of action research in marketing is
presented.


Traditional action research
Consider the traditional form of action research first. There are four elements of
a traditional action research project (this discussion is based on Carson et al.,
2001 and the references listed there). That is, traditional action research
involves:
(1) a group of people who use spiralling cycles of activities that involve
planning, acting, observing and reflecting upon what had happened,
shown diagrammatically in Figure 1;
(2) to try to improve workgroup processes of action;
(3) that help to solve complex, practical problems about which little is
known; and
(4) produces at least one report to the workgroup’s organisation about what
was found.

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in marketing

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During these spiralling cycles, what is the relationship between an individual

researcher and the other members of the action research group? How do an
action researcher and others in the group interact? A key point is that an action
researcher and his or her clients differ in knowledge. Clients are the “problem
owners” and they have experience-based knowledge from their actual context.

Figure 1.
The spiralling cycles of
activities of traditional
action research


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In contrast, the researcher has her or his theorybased knowledge, but such
knowledge can be crucial to more precisely identify actual problems, clarify
implicit assumptions, and through interaction and training change a client’s
perspective on the need to undertake actions for improvements (Argyris, 1983).
In more detail, there are three levels of researcher participation in an action
research project: technical, practical and emancipatory (Carr and Kemmis,
1986). In the first, technical level of participation the action researcher is merely
a technical “expert”, a consultant who tells other people what to do. This is the
normal form of a consultant’s project; for example, a technical agribusiness
consultant is working in a grain development project in a developed country
and simply transfers the technology across. This is the simplest form of action
research and may not even meet the requirements of traditional action research
noted above.
The second, practical level of participation by a researcher is like the

starting point of a “process consultant” (Schein, 1990), where the researcher
has a Socratic role, encouraging participation and reflection about processes
so that others can learn about learning about doing, and not just learn
about doing. The researcher helps the client understand of how he or she
fits into a system.
The third, emancipatory level of researcher participation is the ideal
according to some action researchers (Carr and Kemmis, 1986). Here the
researcher becomes a co-researcher with the other people, for responsibility for
the project is shared equally among everyone. In emancipatory action research,
the researchers aim to change the whole context of the problem and thus
liberate themselves from its causes, including their mental context. That is, this
type of participation:
. . . aims not only at technical and practical improvement [technical] and the participants’
better understanding [practical] . . . but also at changing the system itself and/or those
conditions which impede desired improvement in the system or organisation. It also aims at
the participants’ empowerment and self confidence (Zuber-Skerritt, 1996, p. 5).

This third level of participation is indeed an ideal one and is probably only
really achieved by “revolutionaries” who change the structure within their
whole organisation or community. In other words, this type of action researcher
becomes a transformative intellectual who transforms the view that people had
of their world and so emancipates them from their mental prison bars. When
emancipatory action research is being done in Latin America, for example, it
might aim to lead to revolutions to liberate the poor (Freire, 1972). When
emancipatory action research is done in education, it can lead to more
democratic classrooms. When it is done in business, it may not be so dramatic
but it can lead to new ways of thinking that restructure processes and save
costs. For example, action researchers from several departments can come
together to look at functional interrelationships affecting what was at first
thought to be just a marketing problem. This traditional form of action