- Log In/Sign Up
- P-ISSN2765-6934
- E-ISSN2765-7027
- KCI
ISSN : 2765-6934
Key Account Management: Towards a Multidimensional Definition
Nor Azila Mohd Noor (University Utara Malaysia)
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to propose an integrative definition of key account management (KAM) at the organizational level through a content analysis of the existing definitions of KAM available in the business literatures. A representative pool of definitions of key account management was generated through literature review from twenty three journals that covers the divergence of name variety like global account management, strategic account management, national account management, international key account management, key client management, major account management, key customers management and key account management. Relating to the definition of key account management various attributes are identified through content analysis and according to the relevance, profile for each attributes are developed. On the basis of these attributes a diagrammatic and textual definition is proposed that covers the different standpoints and aspects of key account management approach and captures its essence as well. Eventually, several strategic implications are derived that create the field for further empirical investigation.
- keywords
- Key account management, business strategy, multidimensional, seller initiation, competitive advantage.
Reference
Abratt, R. & Kelly, P.M.(2002), “Customer-supplier partnerships:Perceptions of a successful key account management program”, Industrial Marketing Management, 31(5), 467-476.
Al-Husan, F.B. & Brennan, R.(2009), “Strategic account management in an emerging economy”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 24(8), 611-620.
Backer, Y.D. & Linden, C.V.D.(2005), “Key account management:Creating added value in European hospitals”, Journal of Medical Marketing, 5(3), 219–229.
Baregheh, A., Rowley, J. & Sambrook, S.(2009), “Towards a multidisciplinary definition of innovation”, Management Decision, 47(8), 1323-1339.
Barrett, J.(1986), “Why major account selling works”, Industrial Marketing Management, 15(1), 63-73.
Birkinshaw, J., Toulan, O. & Arnold, D.(2001), “Global account management in multinational corporations: theory and evidence”, Journal of International Business Studies, 32(2), 231-248.
Boles, J., Johnston, W. & Gardner, A.(1999), “The selection and organization of national accounts: a North American perspective”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 14(4), 264-282.
Boles, J.S., Pilling, B.K. & Goodwyn, G.W.(1994), “Revitalizing your national account marketing program: the NAM audit”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 9(1), 24-33.
Brady, N.(2004), “In search of market orientation: An experiment in key account management”, Marketing Intelligence &Planning, 22(2), 144-159.
Brehmer, P.O. & Rehme, J.(2009), “Proactive and reactive: drivers for key account management programmes”, European Journal of Marketing, 43(7/8), 961-984.
Bryman, A.(2001), Social Research Method, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Capon, N. and Senn, C.(2010), “Global customer management programs:how to make them really work”, California Management Review, 52(2), 32-55.
Cahill, D.J.(1998), “Key account management: using key accounts as partners to get to the learning organization”, International Marketing Review, 15(3), 205-214.
Colletti, J.A. and Tubrity, G.S.(1987), “Effective major account sales management”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 7(2), 1-10.
Dishman, P. & Nitse, P.S.(1998), “National accounts revisited: new lessons from recent investigations”, Industrial Marketing Management, 27(1), 1-9.
Fleischer, M.(2010), “Key Account Management in the Managed Markets: Visibility and collaboration for greater effectiveness”, Journal of Medical Marketing, 10(1), 53-60.
Good, C.V. & Douglas, E.S.(1954), Methods of research-Educational, psychological, sociological. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts Inc.
Gosselin, D.P. & Bauwen, G.A.(2006), “Strategic account management:customer value creation through customer alignment”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 21(6), 376-385.
Gosselin, D. & Heene, A.(2005), “Strategic implications of a competence-based management approach to account management”, Research in Competence-based Management, 1, 177-200.
Guenzi, P., Pardo, C. & Georges, L.(2007), “Relational selling strategy and key account managers' relational behaviors: An exploratory study”, Industrial Marketing Management, 36(1),121-133.
Guesalaga, R. & Johnston, W.(2010), “What's next in key account management research? Building the bridge between the academic literature and the practitioners' priorities”, Industrial Marketing Management, 39, 1063–1068.
Hakansson, H. and Snehota, I.(1995), Developing Relationships in Business Networks, London: Routledge.
Harvey, M., Myers, M.B. & Novicevic, M.M.(2003), “The managerial issues associated with global account management: A relational contract perspective”, Journal of Management Development, 22(2), 103-129.
Harvey, M.G., Novicevic, M.M., Hench, T. & Myers, M.(2003), “Global account management: a supply-side managerial view”, Industrial Marketing Management, 32(7), 563-571.
Hollensen, S. & Grünbaum, N.(2006), “The Organizational Set-up of Global Account Management”, in Proceedings of 22nd IMP-conference in Milan, Italy .
Holsti, O.R.(1969), Content Analysis for the Social Sciences and Humanities, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
Homburg, C., Workman, J. P. & Jensen, O.(2000), “Fundamental changes in marketing organization: The movement toward a customer-focused organizational structure”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28(4), 459-478.
Homburg, C., Workman, J. P. & Jensen, O.(2002), “A configurational perspective on key account management”, Journal of Marketing, 66(2), 38-60.
Ivens, B.S. and Pardo, C.(2004), “Key-Account-Management in Business Markets: An Empirical Test of ‘Theoretical Wisdom’and ‘Common Wisdom” in Proceedings of 20th Annual IMP Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ivens, B. S. & Pardo, C.(2007), “Are key account relationships different? Empirical results on supplier strategies and customer reactions”, Industrial Marketing Management, 36(4), 470-482.
Ivens, B.S. & Pardo, C.(2008), “Key-account-management in business markets: an empirical test of common assumptions”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 23(5), 301-310.
Jolson, M.A.(1997), “Broadening the Scope of Relationship Selling”, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, XVII(4), 75-88.
Kempeners, M.A., Hart, V. & der, H.W.(1999), “Designing account management organizations”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 14(4), 310-335.
Kientop, D.(2010), “Integrating Medical Science Liaisons into Key Account Management”, Journal of Medical Marketing, 10(1), 45-51.
Kolbe, R.H. & Burnett, M.S.(1991), “Content analysis research: an examination of applications with directives for improving research reliability and objectivity”, Journal of Consumer Research, 18, 243-250.
Lambe, C.J. & Spekman, R.E.(1997), “National account management:large account selling or buyer-supplier alliance?”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 17, 61-74.
Lane, N. & Piercy, N.(2004), “Strategic Customer Management:Designing a Profitable Future for Your Sales Organization”, European Management Journal, 22(6), 659-668.
McDonald, M.(2000), “Key Account Management-A Domain Review”, Marketing Review, 1(1), 15-34.
McDonald, M., Millman, T. & Rogers, B.(1997), “Key account management:theory, practice and challenges”, Journal of Marketing Management, 13(8), 737-757.
Millman, T. F.(1996), “Global key account management and systems selling”, International Business Review, 5(6), 631-645.
Millman, T. & Wilson, K.(1995), “From key account selling to key account management”, Journal of Marketing Practice: Applied Marketing Science, 1(1), 9-21.
Millman, T. & Wilson, K.(1999), “Processual issues in key account management: underpinning the customer-facing organization”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 14(4), 328-344.
Montgomery, D.B. and Yip, G.S.(2000), “The Challenge of Global Customer Management”, Marketing Management, 9 (4), 22-29.
Montgomery, D.B., Yip, G.S. & Villalonga, B.(1999), “Demand for and use of global account management”, MSI report no. 99-115, Marketing Science Institute, Cambridge, MA.
Montgomery, D.B., Yip, G.S. & Villalonga, B.(2001), “An industry explanation of global account management”, Research paper No. 1724, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Montgomery, D.B., Yip, G.S. & Villalonga, B.(2002), “Explaining Supplier Behavior On Global Account Management”, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University.
Napolitano, L.(1997), “Customer-supplier partnering: a strategy whose time has come”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 17, 1-8.
Ojasalo, J.(2000a), “Customer Commitment and Key Account Management”, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration.
Ojasalo, J.(2000b), ``The episodic, phase and state approaches to customer relationships'', in Van Gorp Cooley, F. (Ed.), Marketing in a Global Economy, Proceedings of the International Marketing Educators' Conference, American Marketing Association, Buenos Aires, June/July, 363-70.
Ojasalo, J.(2001), “Key account management at company and individual levels in business-to-business relationships”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 16(3), 199-220.
Ojasalo, J.(2002a), “Customer commitment in key account management”, The Marketing Review, 2(3), 301-318.
Ojasalo, J.(2002b), “Key account management in information-intensive services”, Journal of retailing and consumer services, 9(5), 269-276.
Ojasalo, J.(2004), “Key network management”, Industrial Marketing Management, 33(3), 195-205.
Pardo, C.(1997), “Key account management in the business to business field: the key account's point of view”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 17, 17-26.
Pardo, C.(1999), “Key account management in the business-to-business field: a French overview”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 14(4), 276-297.
Pardo, C.(2001), “Key Account Management in the Industrial Field. The Account Team for an Efficient Reconfiguration of the Supplier-Customer Relationship”, in Proceedings of the 17th Annual IMP Conference, Oslo 9. - 11.
Pardo, C.(2006), "Key account management in the industrial field", in Sarathy, V.P. and Balakhrishna, A.V. (Eds), Key Accounts Management: Concepts and Applications, The ICFAI University Press, Hyderabad, 111-31.
Pardo, C., Henneberg, S.C., Mouzas, S. & Naudè, P.(2006), “Unpicking the meaning of value in key account management”, European Journal of Marketing, 40(11/12), 1360-1374.
Pegram, R.(1972), "Selling and servicing the national account", Report No. 557, The Conference Board, New York, NY.
Pels, J.(1992), “Identification and management of key clients”, European Journal of Marketing, 26(5), 5-21.
Piercy, N.F. & Lane, N.(2006a), “The hidden risks in strategic account management strategy”, Journal of Business Strategy, 27(1), 18-26.
Piercy, N. & Lane, N.(2006b), “The underlying vulnerabilities in key account management strategies”, European Management Journal, 24(2-3), 151-162.
Richards, K.A. & Jones, E.(2009), “Key Account Management:Adding Elements of Account Fit to an Integrative Theoretical Framework”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 29(4), 305-320.
Ryals, L.J. & Holt, S.(2007), “Creating and capturing value in KAM relationships”, Journal of Strategic Marketing, 15(5), 403-420.
Sanford Jr, D.M. & Maddox, L.(1999), “Key account management–advertising agency management of domestic and international accounts”, International Marketing Review, 16(6), 504-517.
Sekaran, U. & Bougie, R.(2010), Research methods for business: A skill building approach, 5th ed, Chichester: John Willey &Sons Ltd.
Sengupta, S., Krapfel, R.E. & Pusateri, M.A.(1997), “Switching costs in key account relationships”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 17, 9-16.
Sengupta, S., Krapfel, R.E. & Pusateri, M.A.(2000), “An empirical investigation of key account salesperson effectiveness”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 20(4), 253-262.
Shapiro, B.P. and Moriarty, R.T.(1980), “National Account Management”, MSI Report, No. 80-104, 21.
Shapiro, B.P. and Moriarty, R.T.(1982), "National account management:emerging insights", Working Paper No. 82-100, MSI, Cambridge, MA 23.
Shapiro, B.P. and Moriarty, R.T.(1984a), “Organizing the National Account Force”, MSI Report, No. 84-101, 38 .
Shapiro, B.P. and Moriarty, R.T.(1984b), “Support Systems for National Account Management Programs - Promises Made, Promises Kept”, MSI Report, No. 84-102, 21.
Shapiro, B.P. and Wyman, J.(1981), "New Ways to Reach Your Customers," Harvard Business Review, (July-August), 103-110.
Sharma, A. (1997), “Who Prefers Key Account Management Programs? An Investigation of Business Buying Behavior and Buying Firm Characteristics”, Journal of Personal Selling &Sales Management, XVII(4 ), 27-39.
Shi, L.H., White, J.C., Zou, S. and Cavusgil, S.T.(2010), “Global account management strategies: drivers and outcomes”, Journal of International Business Studies, 41(4) 620–638.
Shi, L.H., White, J.C., McNally, R.C., Tamer Cavusgil, S. & Zou,S.(2005), “Executive insights: global account management capability:insights from leading suppliers”, Journal of International Marketing, 13(2), 93-113.
Shi, L.H., Zou, S. & Cavusgil, S.T.(2004), “A conceptual framework of global account management capabilities and firm performance”, International Business Review, 13, 539–553.
Smith, B.D.(2009), “Myth, reality and requirements in pharmaceutical Key Account Management”, Journal of Medical Marketing, 9(2), 89-95.
Spencer, R.(1999), “Key accounts: effectively managing strategic complexity”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 14(4), 291-310.
Spencer, R.(2007), “You said Global Account Management? Relationship and network perspectives on handling international strategic customers”, in Proceedings of 22nd Annual Conference of the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP)Group, September, Manchester.
Stevenson, T.H. & Page, A.L.(1979), “The adoption of national account marketing by industrial firms”, Industrial Marketing Management, 8(1), 94-100.
Storbacka, K., Davies, I., Nenonen, S. & Ryals, L.J.(2009), “Selling as a cross-functional process”, European Journal of Marketing, 43(7/8), 890–906.
Tommi, M. & Olavi, U.(2009), “Factors Affecting Key Account Manager Performance”, in the Proceedings of ANZMAC conference, 2009, 1-5.
Turner, P.(1990), “Product Management for Major Accounts–An Opportunity to Differentiate”, European Journal of Marketing, 24(5), 30-40.
Weeks, W.A. & Stevens, C.G.(1997), “National account management sales training and directions for improvement: a focus on skills/abilities”, Industrial Marketing Management, 26(5), 423-431.
Weilbaker, D.C. & Weeks, W.A.(1997), “The evolution of national account management: a literature perspective”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 17, 49-60.
Wengler, S., Ehret, M. & Saab, S.(2006), “Implementation of Key Account Management: Who, why, and how? An exploratory study on the current implementation of Key Account Management programs”, Industrial Marketing Management, 35(1), 103-112.
Wilson, K. & Weilbaker, D.(2004), “Global account management: a literature based conceptual model”, Mid American Journal of Business, 19, 13-22.
Wong, Y.(1998), “Key to key account management: relationship(guanxi) model”, International Marketing Review, 15(3), 215-231.
Workman, J.P., Homburg, C. & Jensen, O.(2003), “Intra organizational determinants of key account management effectiveness”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 31(1), 3-21.
Wotruba, T.R. & Castleberry, S.B.(1993), “Job analysis and hiring practices for national account marketing positions”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 13, 49-49.
Yip, G.S. & Bink, A.(2007), “Managing global accounts”, Harvard Business Review, 85(9), 102-111.
Yip, G.S. & Madsen, T.L.(1996), “Global account management: the new frontier in relationship marketing”, International Marketing Review, 13(3), 24-42.
Zupancic, D.(2008), “Towards an integrated framework of key account management”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 23(5), 323-331.
Zupancic, D. and Müllner, M.(2008), “International Key Account Management in Manufacturing Companies: An Exploratory Approach of Situative Differentiation”, Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 15(4), 455-75.
- Downloaded
- Viewed
- 0KCI Citations
- 0WOS Citations