Macroenvironmental Forces, Marketing Strategy and Business Performance: A Futures Research Approach

Abstract

A method of futures research is used to empirically test a structure-conduct-performance (SCP) model in a marketing setting. It is proposed that within the macroenvironment there exist, varying levels of resource constraints and structural fluctuations which are positively correlated. Increased resource constraints and structural fluctuations, which are characteristics of a turbulent environment, are expected to increase the competititive intensity in an industry. This higher level of competitive intensity is hypothesized to result in increased use of nonprice marketing strategies. Nonprice marketing strategies are also expected to increase business performance because of the contingency relationship be tween conduct (strategy) and performance. The possible role of "blind" luck or stochastic processes in determining suc cess is also discussed.