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Global account management strategies: Drivers and outcomes

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Abstract

Global account management (GAM) has become a vital part of many multinational enterprises’ global marketing. Yet little is known about successful GAM strategies. In this study, we conceptualize GAM strategies, and develop and empirically test an integrated theoretical model that links GAM strategies to their drivers and outcomes. We find that: (1) global strategic priority and globalization are significant drivers of four GAM strategies – inter-country coordination, inter-organizational coordination, marketing activities standardization, and global integration; (2) inter-country and inter-organizational coordination have significant main effects on GAM performance, while global customer demand positively moderates the effects of marketing activities standardization and global integration on GAM performance; and (3) GAM performance significantly influences relationship continuity. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications, and provide suggestions for future research.

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Notes

  1. Our thanks to an anonymous JIBS reviewer for providing this insight.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of Penn State’s Institute for the Study of Business Markets, Teradata Center for Customer Relationship Management at Duke University, Michigan State University-CIBER, the Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA), and University of Victoria Business Research Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada

    Linda Hui Shi

  2. Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, USA

    J Chris White

  3. University of Missouri, Columbia, USA

    Shaoming Zou

  4. Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA

    S Tamer Cavusgil

Authors
  1. Linda Hui Shi
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  2. J Chris White
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  3. Shaoming Zou
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  4. S Tamer Cavusgil
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Accepted by Daniel Bello, Area Editor. This paper has been with the authors for three revisions.

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Shi, L., White, J., Zou, S. et al. Global account management strategies: Drivers and outcomes. J Int Bus Stud 41, 620–638 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2009.26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2009.26

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