A Model of Marketing Knowledge use within Firms

Abstract

The process of knowledge utilization within firms has come to be viewed as an increasingly important area for research in light of its implications for organizational effectiveness. However, our current understanding of this phenomenon is limited because the process of knowledge use in organizations is complex and difficult to conceptualize and measure. Building on prior research in public policy, sociology, marketing, and other administrative disciplines, the authors first explicate the nature of knowledge utilization and propose a framework for circumscribing the concept of knowledge utilization. Next, using an emerging theoretical perspective on knowledge utilization, the “organizational” view, the authors present a conceptual model and research propositions that provide insights into informational and organizational factors that affect marketing knowledge utilization in firms.