Marketing's role in generating organizational competitiveness

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Abstract
Marketing's role in establishing a competitive organization is discussed in the context of systems theory. Our view is that the traditional functional role for marketing is not conducive to understanding its contribution to organizational competitiveness. We discuss the meaning of competitiveness and summarize the contribution of recent marketing theorists to this area. We then employ Beer's Viable Systems Model (VSM) to exemplify critical linkages between marketing and other units that create the environment and conditions for a competitive organization. This theoritical discussion is followed by a case example of a company that has employed many of Beer's ideas in restructuring its core business. Finally, we point to issues and questions relevant to researchers studying marketing's role in generating organizational competitiveness.