Persistent poor service delivery will have a harmful impact on the survival and growth prospects of service firms. The literature contends that, if service failures occur, there are strategies that service firms can employ to return customers to a state of satisfaction. Very little scholarly research has been done, however, to assess the satisfaction of customers after service firms have tried to recover from service failure. Although anecdotal evidence suggest it, no empirical research has been done to confirm that effective service recovery will ensure ‘overall’ satisfaction, or the long-term loyalty of complaining customers.The purpose of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of an instrument purported to measure satisfaction with service recovery (RECOVSAT), and to determine which dimensions of service recovery satisfaction are the most important predictors of overall satisfaction and loyalty.

After years of isolation from the international sporting arena, South African sports teams have recently achieved much success. This article is concerned specifically with managing for organisational effectiveness in South African cricket. According to the theory of transformational leadership, there should be a positive relationship between this style of leadership and organisational effectiveness. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire was used to collect information about leadership while data for organisational effectiveness, the dependent variable, was collected using the Effectiveness Survey for Cricket Administration. Most of the results regarding the relationship of the transformational leadership factors and organisational effectiveness were significant. On the other hand, most of the results regarding the relationship of the transactional leadership factors and organisational effectiveness were not significant. The overall results provide general support of Bass' (1990) argument of the universal application of the transformational leadership theory.

Purpose: This paper is based on the proposition that the choice of marketing tactics is determined, or at least significantly influenced, by the nature of the company's external environment. It aims to illustrate the type of marketing mix tactics that are suggested for a complex and turbulent environment when marketing and the environment are viewed through a chaos and complexity theory lens.Design/Methodology/Approach: Since chaos and complexity theories are proposed as a good means of understanding the dynamics of complex and turbulent markets, a comprehensive review and analysis of literature on the marketing mix and marketing tactics from a chaos and complexity viewpoint was conducted. From this literature review, a marketing mix model was conceptualised.Findings: A marketing mix model considered appropriate for success in complex and turbulent environments was developed. In such environments, the literature suggests destabilising marketing activities are more effective, whereas stabilising type activities are more effective in simple, stable environments. Therefore the model proposes predominantly destabilising type tactics as appropriate for a complex and turbulent environment such as is currently being experienced in South Africa.Implications: This paper is of benefit to marketers by emphasising a new way to consider the future marketing activities of their companies. How this model can assist marketers and suggestions for research to develop and apply this model are provided. It is hoped that the model suggested will form the basis of empirical research to test its applicability in the turbulent South African environment.Originality/Value: Since businesses and markets are complex adaptive systems, using complexity theory to understand how to cope in complex, turbulent environments is necessary, but has not been widely researched. In fact, most chaos and complexity theory work in marketing has concentrated on marketing strategy, with little emphasis on individual tactics and even less on the marketing mix as a whole. Therefore, this paper can be viewed as an important foundation for a new stream of research using chaos and complexity theory to better understand marketing mixes and the choice of marketing tactics for complex and turbulent business environments.

Research paperThis paper proposes that the choice of marketing tactics is influenced by the company’s external environment. It aims to illustrate the marketing tactics suggested for a complex, turbulent environment, when marketing and the environment are viewed through a complexity lens.\ud \ud Design/Methodology/Approach: A marketing mix model, derived from complexity literature, was assessed via a multiple case study to identify the type of marketing mix suggested for a complex, turbulent environment. The study was exploratory, using depth interviews with two companies in the IT industry.\ud \ud Findings: The results tentatively confirmed that the more successful company used a destabilizing marketing mix, and suggest that using complexity theory to develop marketing tactics could be helpful in turbulent environments.\ud \ud Research limitations/implications: The findings are limited by the study’s exploratory, qualitative nature and the small sample. Generalizing should be done with care and therefore further research with larger samples and in different environments is recommended.\ud \ud Practical Implications: This paper will benefit marketers by emphasizing a new way to consider future marketing activities of their companies. The model can assist marketers to identify the tactics to use, dependent on the nature of their environment.\ud \ud Originality/Value: Most work on complexity in marketing has concentrated on strategy, with little emphasis on tactics and the marketing mix. Therefore, this paper is an important contribution to the understanding of marketing mix choices, of interest to both practicing marketers and marketing academics

It is commonly held that there are four economic utilities which need to be created in relation to a product before it has any value to the ultimate consumer. These are form, time, place and possession utilities. The creation of form utility, or the conversion of raw materials into finished products, is traditionally the responsibility of the production function. The creation of possession utility, on the other hand, is the responsibility of marketing which does this by identifying the needs and wants of consumers and by informing consumers both of the availability of products, as well as of their merits.