Market-driving strategy and personnel attributes: Top management versus middle management

摘要

This study focuses on the role that personnel attributes play during the implementation of a market-driving strategy, a topic that has heretofore received limited academic attention. Contrary to the traditional reactive market-driven approach, the proactive market-driving approach pertains to influencing the market structure and/or the market players' behavior in a direction that enhances the firm's competitive posture. Using a qualitative research design, it is empirically demonstrated for the first time that specific characteristics of the top management (i.e., open-minded policy, strong vision, strategic human resource management, transformational leadership, prediction skills and insightfulness, fostering creativity), as well as certain traits of middle-level employees (i.e., open-minded policy, transformational leadership, creativity, expertise, intrapreneurship, commitment, flexibility) are of central importance to the market-driving concept. Relevant research propositions are formulated and their respective implications are discussed.