The Influences On Contemporary Marketing Practices In High-Technology Companies: Research Programme and Preliminary Findings

The aim of this research is to identify and understand the contextual, customer and firm based factors that influence the adoption of certain marketing practice(s), and the transitions between practices in high technology industries. It is also intended that this research will give more detailed insight into and understanding of the nature of marketing practices in high technology industries. The work builds on the findings of the Contemporary Marketing Practice stream research, and develops further research gaps identified by Coviello, Brodie, Danaher and Johnston 2002. The specific research questions to be addressed are: 1. How is marketing practice changing in the firms to be studied? 2. Why are these changes happening? 3. How does the internal and external environment influence the process of change in marketing practice? A case study methodology has been selected in order to allow exploration of the phenomena under investigation in context. This is consistent with the purpose of the research, the nature of the research questions and the phenomena under study. Multiple holistic case studies will be used and work has been and will be conducted internationally. The paper describes the theoretical model underpinning the research together with findings from a pilot study.