Summary
Contents
Written by a group of top American and international scholars, Networks in Marketing provides an overview of what networks are and how they are used in marketing management practices. This timely volume examines a variety of topics, including customer-to-customer and business-to-business networks, relationships as investment opportunities, and strategic alliances. It also looks at market dynamics, specifically brand switching and the structure of consumer networks. In addition to these major topics, a stellar cast of marketing scholars–Lou Stern, Robert Spekman, Joseph Galaskiewicz, and others–contributes mini chapters that reflect on their own research and expertise. The final chapter explores several advanced methodological issues and discusses directions for future research. Researchers and professionals in marketing, consumer behavior, relationship marketing, and methodologists will find the information provided in this volume valuable. This book may also be of interest to organizational networkers and traditional social network scholars.
Examining the Embedded Markets of Network Marketing Organizations
Examining the Embedded Markets of Network Marketing Organizations
An “embedded market” is one in which economic and social Aexchange are intermingled (Frenzen & Davis, 1990; Granovetter, 1985). The embeddedness of marketing exchanges has long been recognized (e.g., Bagozzi, 1975) and has recentlq been given considerable prominence by researchers focusing on relationship marketing (e.g., Dwyer, Schurr, & Oh, 1987; Moorman, Zaltman, & Deshpande, 1992; Morgan & Hunt, 1994). The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the potential research value of a highly embedded marketing strategy called “network marketing,” which is sometimes also called “multilevel marketing” or “MLM.” Network marketing organizations are likely to foster highly embedded exchange because they build their sales and distribution via the social network ...
