The VIS group studies the marketing and sales functions from an effectiveness and efficiency perspective, while considering the ever-changing business environment. Our research provides answers to questions concerning management’s top priorities: means of increasing profitability and the value of the firm. We are basically addressing how companies could get the best value out one of their significant costs, the resources spent on marketing and sales.
The VIS group’s ambition is to add to the body of knowledge in marketing and strategy by combining a marketing and organizational approach – i.e. organizing applied in a marketing context. Our studies concern not only principles and models, but also knowledge regarding practical implications and processes.
The main VIS theme is twofold and covers: (1) change in managerial perspectives and (2) the consequences it brings on the organization of the marketing and sales functions. Our studies aims at defining best practices, in respect to:
- Organizing and customer orientation (including branding)
- Organizing and specific issues, such as: selling, pricing, the company offering, purchasing, new technology.
- Re-organizing processes
The VIS research has by tradition a dominant focus on the B2B sector. However, to the extent that different contexts and types of organisations are considered to bring insight on the studied phenomenon, they are part of our research. Results are for the dominant part empirically generated through numerous case studies, using an inductive approach.
CURRENT PROJECTS
- “Organizing marketing and sales to instantly deal with multiple challenges – or – eating the cake and still keeping it?!”
Professor Björn Axelsson
- “How Organizational Structure affects on Customer Orientation”
Professor Per Andersson & Research assistant Kristoffer Jönsson, PriceGain
- “Marketing Reorganization and Transition Processes”
Professor Per Andersson & Research assistant Kristoffer Jönsson, PriceGain
- “Organizational implications from pricing strategies”
Professor Per Andersson & Research assistant Kristoffer Jönsson, PriceGain
- “The brand’s role in a B2B context: Shifting from product to solution focus”
PhD project, Cecilia Cederlund
- “The pursuit of effectiveness and efficiency with the sales function in focus”
PhD project, Ebba Laurin
- ”Customer Based Management: customer portfolio analysis at business markets and its operational implications”
PhD project, Mats Vilgon
- ”Business Manoeuvring - Managing the Complex Dynamics of Contemporary B2B Selling Processes” PhD Lars-Johan Åge