This study explores how internal and external factors influence the design and use of marketing performance measurement (MPM) practices in Chinese firms. The results show that a firm’s MPM practice is subject to its characteristics (e.g., marketing dashboard, market orientation, marketing complexity) and its external condition (i.e., market turbulence).

Well-developed listening skills are crucial to success in the marketing profession. Poor listening skills have been rated as the most important contributing factor to salesperson failure (Ingram et al., 1992). Listening errors can result in conflicts, missed business opportunities, alienated relationships, and a waste of time and money (Bergeron & Laroche, 2009). Recognizing the importance of effective listening, organizations such as Pfizer, Ford, IBM have introduced listening training programs for all their personnel (Shepherd et al., 1997). A number of definitions exist for “listening” (e.g., Bergeron & Laroche, 2009). From the marketing perspective, this paper adopts a well-accepted listening definition as “the cognitive process of actively sensing, interpreting, evaluating and responding to the verbal and nonverbal messages of present or potential customers” (Castleberry & Shepherd, 1993, p.36). Prior research has underscored the importance of “active listening” strategies such as active empathetic listening (Drollinger et al., 2006; Bodie, 2011); adaptive selling (Spiro & Weitz, 1990); and listening across cultures (Imhof & Janusik, 2006). However, despite its importance, neither marketing students nor professionals receive coaching or instruction for situations when listening is particularly difficult – i.e., when we are required to listen carefully to another person in the presence of hindrances to communication (distractions, inattention, poor delivery). Salespeople, students, journalists, counselors … are often faced with the task of “tough listening” - when they must listen carefully to a person that is not communicating in an interesting or engaging manner, when the environment is full of distractions, or when they as listeners are fatigued. The major hindrances to effective listening have been well documented, but extant research that addresses how people might overcome those hindrances is scant. The purpose of this paper is to explore the range of strategies that people use to improve their comprehension and empathy of others when they wish to listen carefully but find it difficult to do so. The practice of effective listening is perhaps one of the most human and fundamental components of community, commerce, and culture. Several academic disciplines such as marketing, education, communication, and psychology have closely examined the listening process in an effort to understand and improve it.

A market-oriented culture remains a source of competitive advantage for organisations. Despite calls for an integrated research perspective on the linkage between organisational culture and market orientation (e.g., Deshpande and Webster 1989; Deshpande and Farley 2004), scholars have made limited attempts to examine the relationship between the two concepts. The objective of this study is to investigate what kind of organisational culture encourages and rewards market orientation behaviours. A structured survey was administered to 870 senior managers attending part-time EMBA programmes in prestigious business schools in China. A total of 370 completed questionnaires were returned, representing a response rate of 43 percent. The research findings suggested that different organisational cultures have different impacts on market orientation. Specifically, the results indicate that an adhocracy and a market culture facilitate the development of a market orientation, while a hierarchical culture hinders market orientation behaviours. However, the hypothesised negative relationship between a clan culture and a market orientation was not supported. This study seeks to extend the literature by responding to Deshpande and Webster ’s (1989) call for an integrated research of organisational culture and marketing. Besides its theoretical contributions, this study also offers some important insights for leaders of organisations. As organisations are driving to become more market-oriented, leaders need to understand why certain organisational cultures exist and their impact on market orientation practices. Although this research provides interesting insights on the understanding of market-oriented organisational culture, it is important to recognise the limitations of the research. Culture is a complex system of norms and values that develops over time and influences organisational processes and behaviours (Hurley and Hult 1998; Schneider and Rentsch 1988). On the other hand, time affects market orientation in a number of ways, such as lagged or cumulative effects during the implementation of a market-oriented strategy (Gauzente 2001). The inclusion of