Original Research
Distribution tactics for success in turbulent versus stable environments: A complexity theory approach
Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management | Vol 7, No 1 | a112 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jtscm.v7i1.112
| © 2013 Roger Bruce Mason
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 19 July 2013 | Published: 04 November 2013
Submitted: 19 July 2013 | Published: 04 November 2013
About the author(s)
Roger Bruce Mason, Department of Marketing and Retail Management and Institute of Systems Science, Durban University of Technology, South AfricaAbstract
This article proposes that the external environment influences the choice of distribution tactics. Since businesses and markets are complex adaptive systems, using complexity theory to understand such environments is necessary, but it has not been widely researched. A qualitative case method using in-depth interviews investigated four successful, versus less successful, companies in turbulent versus stable environments. The results tentatively confirmed that the more successful company, in a turbulent market, sees distribution activities as less important than other aspects of the marketing mix, but uses them to stabilise customer relationships and to maintain distribution processes. These findings can benefit marketers by emphasising a new way to consider place activities. How marketers can be assisted, and suggestions for further research, are provided.
Keywords
Environment; Turbulence; Complexity Theory; Distribution; Supply chain; Place
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Crossref Citations
1. The Influence of the Level of Environmental Complexity and Turbulence on the Choice of Marketing Tactics
Roger B Mason, Thomas Dobbelstein
Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies vol: 8 issue: 2(J) first page: 40 year: 2016
doi: 10.22610/jebs.v8i2(J).1253