Culture and Positioning as Determinants of Strategy Personality and the Business Organization

Strategic positioning is the assertion of an organizations personality on decisions of how and where to compete, it determines competitive position in the market place and differentiates the offering to the market. Operational positioning is an exercise in communication that concentrates on perception and image that complements the role of strategic positioning. This book offers an alternative to the traditional process of segmentation, targeting and positioning, highlighting some important implications for management and marketing practitioners as well as academics.

List of Tables and Figures Preface PART I: PRELUDE Context and Rationale The way things are now An age of advertising A paradox of success and failure A complicity of purpose A plan of the book Structure of the book PART II: LITERATURE REVIEW Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Segmentation Targeting Positioning A strategic role for positioning A few thoughts about STP Positioning A strategic approach to positioning Positioning and differentiation The source of strategic positioning Positioning as personality Personality as a driver of strategic positioning Further thoughts about positioning Organizational Culture and Positioning: the Link to Strategy Organizational culture Vision and mission Culture and the family business Change The link to strategic positioning Positioning as a determinant of strategy Some concluding remarks Reports from Contemporary Business The source of identity in the organization A sense of identity in the marketplace Personality and the way forward The ability to compete Implicationist Comment PART III: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY In Pursuit of the Paradigm Methodological approach A framework for collecting and analysing empirical material Use and selection of a case study Method of application to the case study Ethics and responsibilities of the qualitative approach Reflexivity and representational style Validity and reliabilty of phenomenological research methods Triangulation Methodology of triangulation Findings and implications PART IV: A CASE STUDY Parteisch International and Parteisch UK: A Tale Introduction In the beginning First meeting with UK Managers Early days Travels around Europe An unexpected departure The remnants of the board The lost board: If you don't know where you are going, any road will do Sell these! Times are changing A welcome departure What the customers think A new way forward - or is it the old way? A clear statement of the way forward The new way Restructure Parteisch UK Some closing remarks PART V: ACONCEPTUALIZATION OF POSITIONING AND CULTURE AS A DETERMINANT OF STRATEGY Conceptualization of the Case Study An overview of the case study Positioning and strategy: some propositions Manifestations of strategic positioning The source of strategic positioning Positioning and culture as a determinant of strategy Closing comment and conceptual summary Triangulation Sales perceptions of sales staff Discussion about sales perceptions Concluding remarks Market and customer perceptions in the UK Discussion Concluding remarks Senior manager perceptions Evaluation and validation of propositions PART VI: FINALE Discussion and Conclusions Summary Overview Positioning as personality Positioning and strategy Positioning and change Positioning - past, present and future Positioning and culture as a determinant of strategy Implications for marketing management Future research In a nutshell

TONY ELLSON is a lecturer in marketing and strategy at Cardiff Business School of Cardiff University. As a professional manager and industrial consultant holding executive board positions in European and UK companies over the past thirty years, he has extensive strategic and operational marketing experience. He strongly endorses an active partnership between academic scholars and practicing managers to achieve resonance between practice, research and theory.