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External shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic can fundamentally change the working conditions of salespeople and their customer interactions. This paper examines whether and how a change in social media usage by B2B salespeople following the first wave of lockdowns in response to COVID-19 in 2020 affected their sales performance. The results of a survey of 568 B2B salespeople show that an increase in social media usage following this external shock can lead to an increase in salespeople's performance under certain conditions: This effect is contingent on the salespeople's level of training in social media and their customer focus in social media usage. If these conditions are not met, an increase in social media usage following this external shock may even decrease salespeople's performance. These findings provide insights into how firms can better understand what helps to be prepared for a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic and successfully further embed social media in the functioning of their sales organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is evident that companies invest considerable resources in creating and implementing marketing initiatives mainly to attract customers and thereby increase their market presence. Determining if these marketing efforts are effective in convincing customers to take desired actions is challenging since companies need to ensure that their marketing campaigns are feasible in order to target the right customers who are most likely to respond to the marketing treatment. Prescriptive analytics provide better means to measure the impact of a marketing campaign on customer behavior when compared to conventional predictive analytics. Uplift modeling presents an opportunity to maximize the incremental impact of marketing treatment by determining the most responsive customer segment who will take positive action only because of receiving the treatment. This paper aims to suggest an uplift modeling approach in a marketing campaign in B2B context for better evaluation of performance which has not gained enough attention as B2C in literature. By applying three uplift modeling techniques to a real-world B2B cross-sell campaign, it is demonstrated that the campaign effectiveness can be increased significantly by determining the customers who are truly responsive to the related campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study of a selling strategy adapted by some retail salespeople recommended that salespeople should expeditiously disengage from a customer interaction when they believe that a customer with whom they are interacting is unlikely to make a purchase (Cron et al. 2021). The question addressed in this study is whether this sales strategy is similarly effective for salespeople in a B2B context. The B2B context for this study is a low purchasing complexity environment where the majority of sales revenue stems from customers' reordering current supplies and equipment. Similar to the outcomes observed in a retail environment, the results suggest that B2B salespeople's use of an NC2 strategy (short for No Conversion, No Conversation) increases sales revenues if salespeople work in an environment characterized by time scarcity and if they are relationship building oriented. Critically, if B2B salespeople apply the NC2 sales strategy with a low relationship building orientation, results show detrimental effects of the strategy over time. This potentially harmful effect did not emerge in retail settings. Moreover, unlike the results in a retail setting the effectiveness of the NC2 sales strategy does not depend on salespeople's experience. For practitioners in B2B settings these findings are meaningful and actionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly disrupted B2B markets, impacting companies at the product, service, and organizational levels. A key focus is on how to leverage the power of AI to augment and automate activities to create value for customers. One specific form of value creation investigated in marketing is co-creation between parties. Introducing AI into the co-creation process is exciting due to its technological characteristics and the anticipated business value it can bring. This study explores the state of the art in co-creation with AI in B2B markets. It examines how buyers, suppliers, and technology providers interact, along with their motives and characteristics. Furthermore, it investigates the processes enabling these interactions, from the form of AI used and AI tool integration to the necessary capabilities of other actors involved. Finally, this study examines the content of co-creation described in the existing literature and the value created jointly. This review contributes to delineating the interaction between human and non-human actors in a B2B co-creation ecosystem. The implications of this research provide B2B companies with a discussion about the actors, motives, characteristics, processes, and content of co-creation with AI in B2B drivers and barriers of AI for co-creation, mapping the way for success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the business models in the digital field that has proliferated the most lately is the omnichannel model. Its objective is to provide services adapted to the specific demand of each particular client, regardless of the channel at any given time. To carry it out, the firm must have exact knowledge of the client. Manufacturing companies that have incorporated technology to learn more about their industrial customers and predict which proposal is the most appropriate for each customer-context have the basis to go further and get to know the final consumer. This knowledge of the consumer is a pillar for innovation in a company and especially for product innovation. Usually, the manufacturer does not want to bypass the traditional distribution channel, so it is proposed to create an ecosystem for the provision of services. That is, manufacturers enable digital communication channels with the final consumer, to collect information, while providing the service or supply through the traditional channel. In this way, omnichannel ecosystems arise. This article aims to clarify the barriers that hinder customer performance, either directly as an industrial buyer of a good, or as an intermediary, in an omnichannel ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to identify the connection between the enterprise's interest in the stakeholders and their mutual relationship. It examines whether stakeholders' opinions, priorities, needs, and goals influence the enterprise's decisions in managing sustainable relationships with buyers and suppliers. Additionally, it explores whether the knowledge regarding the stakeholders (such as their needs, opinions, etc.) affects the relationship between the enterprise and the stakeholders. Establishing a good, mutual, long-lasting, and sustainable relationship with stakeholders is an integral part of the value creation process and value management. The study first determines whether enterprises implement value management and then assesses the impact of buyers' and suppliers' opinions, priorities, and goals on the decision-making process in building these relationships. It also evaluates the strength of these relationships, where a stronger relationship indicates greater sustainability. The focus is on relationships with suppliers and buyers, with responses collected from 385 Slovak manufacturing enterprises. The analysis of how knowledge of stakeholders' needs, priorities, and goals impacts relationships with suppliers and buyers was conducted separately using the Shapiro–Wilk test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and ANOVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple factors contribute to the occurrences of disruptions in workflow management within the e-commerce system that focuses on the distribution of goods and other fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). These disruptions have particularly affected and increased lead times and caused frequent shipment delays. The causes of these disruptions, especially in the context of distribution of goods and FMCG towards inventory control, have been widely speculated upon in recent years. Given the recent interruptions, the study presented in this paper used a methodology called statistical model analysis (SMA) to study the impact of human factors (HFs) on the system performance in a warehouse distribution system. A case study was taken on a particular company called ABC and XYZ to model the impact of some specific HF such as job fatigue, and job rotation to name a few and to uncover the underlying reasons behind the ongoing disruptions within the distribution system. Specifically, the result of this study aims to provide a data-driven understanding of these issues and one of the contributions of this study is to enhance our understanding of the significance of these HFs, rather than focusing on the equipment and materials as seen in prior research. Through this data-based approach study, stakeholders in operations management, e-commerce, and the supply chain system would be well-informed in many ways to resolve the challenges faced by humans in the system towards enhancing their overall system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodology/ApproachFindingsResearch ImplicationsPractical ImplicationsOriginality/Value/ContributionTransformative marketing (TM) has reached considerable attention of both academic and practitioner communities. Being defined as the “confluence of a firm’s marketing activities, concepts, metrics, strategies, and programs that are in response to marketplace changes and future trends” (Kumar 2018, 2), TM aims at fostering beneficial customer-solutions and providing competitive advantages for firms and their stakeholders. However, five notable research gaps persist within TM to date: First, inadequate consideration of B2B contexts despite being a uniquely disruptive market constellation. Second, a lack of empirical TM studies hindering substantial insights on generalization. Third, scarcity of contextual foundations such as the prototypical, yet highly transformative application context of mobility ecosystems. Fourth, absence of a holistic view capturing TM instruments, strategies, and success metrics. Fifth, unexamined aspects of the Resource-Based View (RBV) in TM enabling further insights into firm’s transformation readiness. A distinctive feature of this research is its deliberate focus on B2B mobility firms, a domain characterized by high levels of disruption yet surprisingly neglected in TM literature. By delving into this overlooked sector, we aim to address critical knowledge gaps and unravel the intricate dynamics of disruptive B2B mobility ecosystems. For this purpose, we firstly delineate the morphology of disruptive B2B mobility ecosystems, shedding light on their structure and components. Secondly, we aim to develop a robust frame for assessing the “transformation readiness” of B2B mobility companies, crucial for navigating disruptive landscapes effectively. Thirdly, we endeavor to identify and scrutinize the TM instruments deployed within B2B mobility, with a view to constructing a comprehensive typology of TM strategies tailored to this context. Finally, we aspire to establish metrics for measuring the success of TM initiatives within B2B mobility companies, providing valuable insights for practitioners and scholars alike.This work presents a comprehensive qualitative study involving 30 in-depth expert interviews conducted between July-September 2023 in Europe and the U.S. Capturing the perspectives of multiple firm types active in B2B mobility, as suppliers, technology firms or mobility service providers (MSPs), the study takes a deep look into the TM phenomena of this turbulent environment. In addition to 14 managers with leadership experience in marketing, strategy and sales, our study incorporates 11 distinguished professionals from management boards encompassing CEOs, CFOs or CDOs. Further, we engage 5 leaders specialized in innovation and digitalization. The findings are derived through a thematic analysis employing both structural and open coding techniques (Saldana, 2013, Strauss & Corbin, 1998).Our study involves six major findings related to the questions defined. First, suppliers in B2B mobility have not yet transformed from a value-based toward an ecosystem-based acting and lack a customer-centric perspective (RQ1). Second, a company’s readiness for transformation is notably influenced by its commitment to design a market-oriented and integrated organization, its adoption of a transformative culture and its success to acquire software-oriented human capital (RQ2). Third, the transformative marketing (TM) instruments applied in B2B mobility markets relate to six thematic categories and are dominantly characterized by strategic levers – a facet, which has so far received limited theoretical and conceptual attention (RQ3). Fourth, there are four foundational TM strategies evident, namely dependent, progressive, reactive, and evasive approaches, distinguishable through their intensity and proactivity (RQ3). Fifth, the selection of TM success indicators remains largely independent from organizational types and management levels, with a primary focus on financial and profitability metrics (RQ4). And sixth, explaining the success measurement of TM in B2B mobility companies requires the consideration of a firm’s foundational TM strategy (RQ4).Our research advances the theoretical understanding of B2B TM, lays the foundation for further generalizing research and theory-building and enhances the current B2B TM perception toward a more strategic perspective. Additionally, we seek to contribute to a greater consideration of B2B marketing in contexts of turbulent environments. We emphasize that the integration of TM with the Business Ecosystem (BES) and the Resource-Based View (RBV) increases further explanatory power of transformational phenomena. In terms of the BES, we show that the perception of a turbulent environment varies depending on company type and has a major influence on a firm’s transformation. In relation to the RBV, our results demonstrate that within the B2B TM context, a stronger focus should be placed on identifying supportive and hindering transformation resources. Thus we propose describing the gap between existing (positive and hindering) and required resources as the “transformative resource gap (TRG)” and suggest, that this construct has the potential to enhance the RBV perspective on TM.The study presented offers the practitioner community to more thoroughly examine B2B firms’ TM phenomena. Connecting TM with concepts of the BES and the Resource-Based View (RBV) enables a deeper understanding of strengths and risks related to organization’s market-related activities. Further, we underline threats resulting from a missing market- and customer-centric perspective and recommend validating market assumptions near customers to reduce misjudgments. Additionally, our findings assist in managing the proactivity and intensity of TM, suggesting ways for reaching a progressive TM strategy. Ultimately, we encourage companies to select success metrics in line with their chosen strategy.Our research stands at the forefront of advancing the theoretical landscape of B2B TM by integrating two pivotal frameworks: the Business Ecosystem (BES) and the Resource-Based View (RBV). This integration is not merely incidental but strategically chosen to amplify our understanding of transformational phenomena within B2B contexts. By leveraging the RBV, we delve deep into the internal resources, capabilities, and competencies of B2B mobility BES, unraveling their unique strategic characteristics and sources of competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the needs, preferences, and behaviors of its target market in the Indonesian full-service restaurant (FSR) sector. Firstly, it seeks to map the customer journey of FSRs in the food supplies purchasing process, identifying key touchpoints, brand awareness levels, information sources, and factors influencing brand choice. Secondly, it evaluates the effectiveness of various digital marketing channels, such as social media advertising, search engine marketing, and email marketing, by analyzing cost-per-lead and conversion rates to identify the most efficient channels for acquiring new FSR customers for PT MBI. Finally, the research intends to develop a data-driven digital marketing strategy that optimizes customer interactions, enhance brand visibility, and improve lead generation at each decision-making stage to drive sales conversions and increase customer lifetime value. The results of this study show that the current focus of PTXYZin the FSR segment lies between two segments: Relationship-Driven Traditionalists and Hybrid Decision-Makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful business transformation requires companies to cope with serious resource constraints. Despite fruitful research on the factors influencing transformation, how companies achieve transformation remains unclear. This study investigates transformation mechanisms by adopting the resource orchestration perspective and conducting a case study of a fintech company. The findings demonstrate a three-stage model of resource constraints, resource orchestration actions, and resulting capabilities. This study contributes to transformation theory by exploring the transformation process with a focus on resource constraints and actions and the capabilities to respond to the constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of private labels and digital marketing brings new challenges to manufacturers. However, within these challenges, manufacturers can discover strategic opportunities to uphold a competitive advantage in the market. This study considers two scarce topics in the literature: the private label business from a supplier's perspective and the inclusion of the digital strategy in the B2B segment. Data collected from 203 manufacturers interviewed are tested against the research model using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that the digital strategy of the manufacturers influences their network capacity and the performance of the private label supply. Network capability also influences the performance of private labels. Digital strategy is a key element in the development of the private label supply business. Furthermore, the study mentions that companies with lower export levels tend to have less competence in private label performance. Consequently, the global presence of manufacturers has been acknowledged as a driving factor for the success of private brands, facilitating entry into international markets and expanding the customer base. The findings of this study have important practical implications for private label manufacturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Marmara University Social Sciences Institute / Öneri is the property of Marmara University, Institute of Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The expansion of healthcare infrastructure has led to a surge in demand for diagnostic equipment, presenting opportunities for healthcare equipment suppliers. However, the market faces challenges, including intense competition exacerbated by limited product differentiation and a surplus of suppliers. Amidst this competitive landscape, understanding the factors influencing business consumer preferences and loyalty becomes crucial for suppliers. Theoretical perspectives highlight trust as a foundational element in business-to-business (B2B) relationships, influencing loyalty. Perceived value, reflecting consumer assessments of product quality, pricing, and relational benefits, mediates this relationship. Nevertheless, research on trust and loyalty in B2B healthcare markets, particularly in Indonesia, remains limited. Furthermore, the role of switching costs in shaping loyalty, especially in the context of healthcare equipment, is underexplored. Employing Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS), this study investigates trust, perceived value, switching costs, and loyalty dynamics between private hospitals and equipment providers in Java, Indonesia. Findings reveal that trust significantly influences loyalty, with perceived value partially mediating the trust-loyalty relationship. Surprisingly, switching costs do not moderate the trust-loyalty relationship. This study’s contributions include clarifying trust and loyalty dynamics in B2B healthcare markets in Indonesia and underscoring the importance of perceived value in driving loyalty. Despite limitations, such as geographic scope, this research informs strategic marketing and relationship management in the healthcare equipment sector.

Business-to-business (B2B) manufacturing companies are increasingly confronted with transformative trends such as sustainability, digitalization, and servitization. These trends are changing how product portfolios are developed, and how value contributions are assessed, and therefore have disruptive potential. Dealing with these disruptive factors in Product Portfolio Management (PPM) is a largely unexplored topic. This study presents an empirical-qualitative exploration that contributes significantly to the field. The aim is to clarify the extent to which disruptive factors influence the evaluation and shaping of the product portfolio in B2B manufacturing companies. The Gioia method was used to evaluate 21 semi-structured interviews with experts from leading B2B manufacturing companies. Eight overarching challenges in PPM resulting from disruptive factors were identified. Based on the eight overarching challenges and their associated causal relationships, two aggregated dimensions of action were derived: (1) increasing speed and flexibility by using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in a defined PPM process and (2) adjusting the product portfolio evaluation to consider various strategic drivers. These two dimensions of action call for future research to overcome the disruptive factors in PPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of HMD: Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to analyze the influence of service quality, relationship marketing, perceived value, and satisfaction on intention to continue relationships in the business-to-business context of lubricant companies in Indonesia. We utilized the theoretical perspectives of the Social Exchange Theory and Expectation–Confirmation Theory. The research sample comprised 135 distributors of lubricant companies in Indonesia selected through saturated sampling. Data collection employed a survey method, and data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicate that service quality and relational marketing significantly affect perceived value while perceived value significantly influences satisfaction. However, the direct influence of perceived value on the intention to continue relationships was not significant. Conversely, satisfaction was found to have a significant positive influence on the intention to continue relationships. These findings underscore the importance of integrating sustainability principles into service quality, relationship marketing, and satisfaction strategies to foster long-term business relationships in the B2B context within the lubricant industry in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is burgeoning literature on luxury branding in B2C, there is a complete dearth of research vis-à-vis the relevance of luxury strategy in B2B. This paper uses a single case study methodology to examine Brembo, the global leader in the design and manufacturing of braking systems for the automotive industry, as a luxury B2B brand. Based on findings from the case study, we identify and discuss similarities and differences between luxury branding in B2C and B2B. We argue that the concept is more complex in B2B as the salience of luxury brand dimensions varies across stakeholders. Some dimensions such as quality are in line with the B2C literature, while other dimensions such as elitism and uniqueness are different in B2B. The interpersonal dimensions of luxury such as self-identity are found to be relevant in the BBC domain. This is the first study to discuss the luxury concept in B2B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the behavioral differences of firms that internationalize rapidly from birth (born globals) are well documented, the effects of early internationalization on new venture strategy remains largely unexplored. Using a large sample of nascent entrepreneurs, we explore the relationship between internationalization level and founder emphasis on four key dimensions of business strategy (i.e., price, product scope (i.e., niche/focus), differentiation, and innovation). Our finding of support for a non-linear (inverted-U) relationship between internationalization level and strategy suggests that strategy differences between born globals and domestic firms decrease at higher levels of intended internationalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Organizations have started using the metaverse to sell non-fungible tokens, execute engineering processes and conduct business meetings. A condition of creating value by moving business processes to the metaverse is acceptance of this technology. In business-to-business scenarios, internal employees and external partners may have different views on the topic but must agree upon new practices. Understanding common motivations and challenges associated with using the metaverse is crucial to its success. Design/methodology/approach: The authors interviewed managers from a pharmaceutical company considering conducting meetings with clients in the metaverse. A series of 23 statements on reasons for (non)-use was generated. Twenty-five individuals (13 employees and 12 clients) then ranked these statements against each other, revealing what would drive or hinder their metaverse use. The authors compared these perspectives to identify common issues. Findings: The authors identified four different views. Views 1 and 2 correspond to internal and external participants, while Views 3 and 4 correspond to external ones only. View 1 is skeptical and underlines the role of peers in acceptance. View 2 is a positive perspective centered on usefulness. View 3 is ambivalent and is centered on efforts required to use the metaverse. View 4 reveals a reversed perspective wherein using the metaverse is a low-effort activity. Originality/value: This paper proposes a case study probing acceptance of a realistic business use of the metaverse. This paper identifies risks to mitigate and motivations to leverage when proposing metaverse usage in a business-to-business context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morocco is an African country containing a very large market for e-commerce, which further expanded during the 2020–2022 COVID-19 pandemic. However, a few obstacles, like low internet penetration and lack of digital payment systems, are acting as obstacles for the local e-commerce service providers to reach potential in the country. Chari is one such B2B company whose operations changed the landscape of logistics and distribution among the FMCG businesses in Morocco. The company also exercises a B2B2C model, which it achieved through acquiring Karny.ma and Axa Credit, enabling its customers to use a lending and financial transaction tracking model. However, the industry is quite competitive, with offline retailers like TradeDepot, WaystoCap (acquired by MaxAB), and Sokowatch deciding to exploit the possibilities online. Apart from the rising competition, Chari still faces challenges in additional expansion due to the improper and inadequate infrastructure of the country. However, if it can overcome the external threats and utilize the geographical location of Morocco to its advantage, Chari has enormous potential to flourish both locally and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To extract the full revenue potential of their front line, B2B firms use their technical field service force for selling activities. However, as selling is only a complementary activity embedded in technicians' main service tasks, they may struggle to sell effectively. The authors investigate the service situation as a key driver of (i) the technician's decision to engage in selling (selling activity) and (ii) the customer's decision to purchase (selling success). They identify four types of service situations with unique effects on these outcomes. Notably, technicians' selling activity is highest (+ 10% compared to baseline) in service situations that offer a lower (-22%) likelihood of success, whereas activity is lower in the most promising situations. Thus, technicians do not properly exploit sales opportunities. The extent of inefficiencies moreover varies by employee-specific moderators, such that specialized technicians and those with little practical experience have particular difficulty exploiting excellent sales opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the digital era has transformed E-commerce platforms into critical tools for industry, yet traditional recommendation systems often fall short in the specialized context of the electric power industry. These systems typically struggle with the industry's unique challenges, such as infrequent and high-stakes transactions, prolonged decision-making processes, and sparse data. This research has developed a novel recommendation engine tailored to these specific conditions, such as to handle the low frequency and long cycle nature of Business-to-Business (B2B) transactions. This approach includes algorithmic enhancements to better process and interpret the limited data available, and data pre-processing techniques designed to enrich the sparse datasets characteristic of this industry. This research also introduces a methodological innovation that integrates multi-dimensional data, combining user E-commerce activities, product specifics, and essential non-tendering information. The proposed engine employs advanced machine learning techniques to provide more accurate and relevant recommendations. The results demonstrate a marked improvement over traditional models, offering a more robust and effective tool for facilitating B2B transactions in the electric power industry. This research not only addresses the sector's unique challenges but also provides a blueprint for adapting recommendation systems to other industries with similar B2B characteristics.

Objective: This study aims to highlight the role of purchase engagement in the business-to-business (B2B) context, which is mainly under-explored due to the intricacy and diverseness of stakeholders embroiled in B2B purchasing decisions. This paper fills the gap by studying purchase engagement in the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) B2B setting, particularly for app-based service subscriptions. Design/Methods/Approach: The study recruited responses from 215 MSME owners and managers, current customers of a subscription-based point-of-sales (POS) service. The PLS-SEM technique empirically validated the conceptual framework and the research hypotheses. Findings: The findings indicate that the conceptual model of customization, identification with virtual communities, and loyalty to account managers are exogenous factors influencing purchase engagement, perceived dependency, and willingness to pay for price premiums. Originality/Value: This study aims to understand purchase engagement in B2B, focusing on transactional drivers. This framework also investigates a particular set of drivers and results from purchase engagement factors in B2B app-based service subscriptions. Practical/Policy implication: B2B app-based service subscription stakeholders must ensure that all efforts to engage with customers strengthen their dependency on the service by starting with purchase engagement, customization, identification with virtual communities, and loyalty to account managers.

The goal of this article is to develop recommendations to assist logistic companies in formulating their B2B deployment policies as part of their engineering infrastructure strategy. It is postulated that logistic firms are likely to integrate B2B into their organizational structure in order to obtain a competitive advantage. The research examines the situation not only in the period immediately prior (2006) and after (2010) the 2008–2009 economic crisis, but also over a longer period of the following years in order to discover an eventual impact of the crisis on B2B deployment (2014, 2018). The results obtained from the 2008–2009 economic crisis are then applied analogically to the current 2020 coronavirus economic recession, where they serve as a foundation for formulating B2B deployment policy recommendations. We ascertained that B2B deployment increases in time of intensified market competition due to an economic crisis or recession and this tendency persists even in a longer horizon after the macroeconomic instability culmination. B2B systems can thus act as a significant “tool” for enhancing business competitiveness, which may be crucial for their economic “survival.”

We identify three key priorities for needed work on sales negotiations, based on current marketplace conditions and gaps in the literature. We call these priorities 'big spaces': blank or unoccupied portions or areas. Big space #1 considers who the negotiators might be, whether they are consumers or firms. While much research has considered the characteristics and motivation of individual negotiators, much less investigates the negotiating dyad as a mix of firms and individuals, or between two individuals. Big space #2 recognizes the need for more understanding of negotiations that occur in digital contexts. The pandemic has clearly accelerated movement to these spaces and illuminated many intriguing opportunities. Finally, Big space #3 considers relational phenomena that can arise between negotiators, even in brief, one-time encounters. We also suggest novel directions for negotiations that occur over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several approaches for strategic and tactical integration of supply chains considering the demand management process have been proposed in the literature. However, in the context of Industry 4.0, there is a lack of studies related to the scheduling and rescheduling process integrating industries on the operational level. This paper proposes a novel hybrid flow shop rescheduling procedure to address the integration, on the operational level, of a contract manufacturer, who handles production execution and inventory control, and their industrial customers, who are in charge of the delivery planning process. The research question emerged from the empirical problem of connecting a contract manufacturer with its industrial customers. In alignment with the findings in the literature review, based on an updated conceptual model, a real hybrid flow shop was modelled using a multi-method approach that combines discrete event and agent-based simulation. The results show improvements in overall production and delivery performance. One can say that this is the first time that a production rescheduling problem is handled considering industries' integration at the operational level. Even though the primary motivation of this research was to solve a production rescheduling issue in a Contract Manufacturer, the developed approach allows application in any B2B partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In many companies, it is possible to see the low alignment of marketing and business strategies. This defect leads to problems in business development, product sales, and failure to achieve the designed goals and plans. Based on the importance of the subject, the current research seeks to identify the antecedents of the alignment of marketing strategies and business strategies at the business-to-business level in knowledge-based businesses. Method: In this research, a qualitative analysis of the interviews of 10 experts and executive managers in the field of knowledge-based businesses was done. These people were selected purposefully and collected data through in-depth interviews. After data analysis, 215 initial codes were extracted and 34 organizing themes and 10 comprehensive themes were obtained from these codes. Findings: The findings of this research indicate that the antecedents of the alignment of marketing and business strategies at the interenterprise level in knowledge-based businesses include 10 comprehensive themes including communication-information integration, efficiency, and human capital empowerment. Strategic pronunciation, strategic thinking, customer value management, structural-management efficiency and coherence, strategic leadership, processoperational agility, competitive intelligence, and supporting resources. Conclusion: Based on the results of the research, it was determined that knowledge-based companies should know that before anything and any kind of action to align the stated antecedents, the conditions of the company should be examined and the competitors and the environment should be fully analyzed and understood, and the necessary preparations for Provide alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]