دانلود رایگان مقاله شکاف دانش B2B

Abstract

Roughly equal in terms of the economic value of transactions, B2B (Business-to-Business) marketing sees a small fraction of the academic research attention that B2C (Business-to-Consumer) marketing sees. In this article, I cite some of the reasons for that imbalance. I then highlight three specific areas—B2B Innovation, B2B Buying and B2B Analytics—that have great potential for yielding academically significant research contributions that meet the needs of practitioners. In each area, I sketch the state of knowledge and then identify a few research questions. I then highlight a number of other areas of B2B that offer high potential. Next, I comment on the importance of crafting B2B academic research that is both rigorous and relevant and what we as a profession might do to encourage more such work. I then offer a few thoughts about how to increase the participation of practitioners in the B2B knowledge creation process.

9. Conclusion

I have argued that B2B markets receive far less than their proportional share of research attention that do B2C markets and have speculated on some of the reasons for that imbalance. I then highlighted three specific areas---B2B Innovation, B2B Buying and B2B Analytics—that I feel have the greatest potential for yielding academically important research contributions that both meet the needs of practitioners and that are on the Pareto frontier of B2B rigor vs. relevance. In each area I have both identified key research questions and suggested research processes for addressing those questions, some of which are beyond the traditional academic research model. I have included some specific recommendations that individual academics and their institutions might consider embracing to help bridge the B2B Knowledge Gap. I have also included some remarks aimed at practitioners and intermediaries, needed partners in making that research come to fruition.