Market information approaches, product innovativeness, and firm performance: An empirical study in the fashion industry

Paola Cillo, Luigi M. De Luca and Gabriele Troilo

Research Policy, 2010, vol. 39, issue 9, 1242-1252

Abstract: In this study the authors propose a distinction between two approaches to market information, rooted in the marked-based learning theory. The two approaches are conceptualized and operationalized on the basis of their differences along three processes: generation, dissemination and use of market information. In the retrospective approach, the generation process is based on expressed customer needs and extant market relations; the dissemination is based on formal mechanisms; the use process is more instrumental. In the forward-looking approach, the generation process is based on latent customer needs and on the evolutionary patterns of the future market relations; the dissemination process is more informal; the use of information is more conceptual. A series of hypotheses concerning the relationships between these approaches, product innovativeness and firm performance are tested on a sample of Italian fashion firms. Results suggest that the two approaches are complementary for firm performance, but have opposite effects on product innovativeness: while a forward-looking approach is positively related to product innovativeness, a retrospective approach seems to be negatively related. The results also shed light on how market information approaches and product innovativeness jointly affect firm performance.

Keywords: Market; information; approach; Product; innovativeness; Firm; performance; Fashion; industry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048-7333(10)00155-1
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:39:y:2010:i:9:p:1242-1252

Access Statistics for this article

Research Policy is currently edited by M. Bell, B. Martin, W.E. Steinmueller, A. Arora, M. Callon, M. Kenney, S. Kuhlmann, Keun Lee and F. Murray

More articles in Research Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().