The impact of organisational context on the failure of key and strategic account management programmes

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore some of the contextual reasons for the failure of key or strategic account management (K/SAM) programmes. It will discuss how organisational context impacts the implementation and effective operation of such programmes in business-to-business markets. The paper looks at the issues affecting K/SAM programmes rather than the management of individual relationships.Organisational context shapes the work environment (Rice 2005, Porter and McGloghlin, 2006): it is comprised of those elements that drive behaviour and facilitate or impede management processes (Goodman and Haisley, 2007). The literature prescribes a wide range of contextual elements conducive to K/SAM processes, but is less expansive on the subject of elements that may cause K/SAM programmes to disappoint.

Design/methodology/approach

This work in-progress paper takes an inductive approach to material provided by surveys of K/SAM communities and their discussions in LinkedIn special interest groups or similar forums to develop a model to give structure to the organisational context issues which may be responsible for K/SAM failure.

Findings

From an initial reading of the literature, two broad categories of factors were identified as elements of organizational context: what might be called the formal or “hard” elements supporting K/SAM programmes and the “soft”, more informal and partly cultural elements that “moderate” or “intervene” in implementation. A model is developed to illustrate the linkages between organizational elements in K/SAM.

Research limitations/implications

Although a pilot study, we believe that valuable insights into KAM failure are provided by the study. The next stage will include a co-operative inquiry approach based on this data, in which participants will actively validate and develop the model by exploring it within their organisations.

Practical implications

The paper draws out a number of significant implications for managers.

Originality/value

The existing context within which attempts are made to implement K/SAM have received little attention and often are ignored or remain “unspoken”. This paper addresses those important issues.

Citation

Wilson, K. and Woodburn, D. (2014), "The impact of organisational context on the failure of key and strategic account management programmes", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 29 No. 5, pp. 353-363. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-03-2013-0061