Abstract
The objective of this study is to develop a conceptual model that includes suitable theories and predictors for understanding and circumscribing governance choice and its drivers for marketing-process sourcing in multinational enterprises, and to test this model and make assumptions about how such processes are possibly governed by taking fundamental economic decision making theories into account The literature review has shown that there is currently very minimal understanding of how activities and processes in marketing can be sourced and geographically relocated. This study thus contributes to the body of knowledge that deals with the sourcing and allocation of marketing processes by developing a clear picture of what marketing processes are and how they can be identified and contextualised in multinational enterprises. Based on the literature review, the conceptual model suggests how new institutional economics interplays with marketing-process sourcing. The model applies the transaction-cost theory as well as the resource-based theory in order to synthesise practice-oriented process characteristics, process-specific factors and non-transactional aspects with regard to strategic partnership and contracting. The study is designed as a sequential-explanatory research project using mixed methods in accordance with Ulrich. Furthermore, a cluster sampling among NAICS industry categories was also carried out. Consequently, this study performs practical research in business economics in two steps: the acquisition and the interpretation of problem-relevant empirical-scientific theories and scientific knowledge using an online questionnaire and, in addition, the use and testing of the explanations and statements in managerial and practical contexts through expert interviews. The regression analyses of the quantitatively collected data has shown that the process governance of pricing, branding, communication, supply chain management, customer management, marketing controlling and marketing management cannot be explained through transaction-cost economics, whereas significant results for market research, product development and direct marketing are exhibited by the theory. Furthermore, this research has shown highly significant correlations between contractual and market governance of marketing processes and strategic-specific variables derived from resource-based theory. The research has three primary limitations. Firstly, the qualitative research part of the mixed-method research could not be performed comprehensively. The discussions of the experts were limited to five interviews carried out in order to confirm the research findings. However, from a qualitative exploratory perspective the interviews enrich the results of the quantitative data-collection phase. Secondly, design limitation may arise from the sampling strategy, since key informant conflicts occur. Thirdly, technological uncertainty of product development, branding and customer management only possess moderate reliability coefficients and have to be treated with caution.