Date of Award

Spring 2002

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

Management

First Advisor

R. Anthony Inman

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to answer the following research questions related to the efficacy of a Just-in-Time (JIT) selling strategy: (1) What is the nature of the relationships among market orientation, JIT selling, organizational structure, and organizational performance constructs? (2) Does JIT selling mediate and/or moderate the relationships among market orientation and organizational structure and organizational performance?

The market orientation model theorized by Kohli and Jaworski (1990) and the JIT selling model theorized and tested by Germain, Dröge and Daugherty (1994) and Claycomb, Dröge and Germain (1999) are combined to facilitate investigation of the link between market orientation and JIT selling. Generally, the combined model incorporates market orientation as an antecedent to JIT selling and organizational structure and performance as consequences.

Data relating to all constructs were collected from 177 marketing oriented representatives from manufacturing firms using a combined Internet survey and traditional mailing methodology. A multiple regression and structural equation modeling approach returned results indicating that market orientation and JIT selling are positively linked, that market orientation and JIT selling are positively associated with organizational performance and with the integration, formalization and specialization components of organizational structure but not with the decentralization component. JIT selling partially mediates the relationship between market orientation and organizational performance but neither mediates nor moderates the relations among market orientation and integration, formalization and specialization.

Managers implementing a JIT selling strategy within the context of an organization exhibiting a high market orientation may expect improvements in organizational performance. A JIT selling strategy requires development of long-term, single-source relationships with buyers and efforts by the organization's sales representatives to build value during the selling process based on established organizational abilities to deliver zero-defect products precisely on-time and in the precise quantities desired by customers while minimizing total waste and total cost throughout the supply chain.

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