The antecedent role of a collaborative vs. a controlling corporate culture on firm-wide integrated marketing communication and brand performance

Abstract

This study aims to (i) demonstrate the influence of two types of corporate culture (CC), namely collaborative and controlling, on firm-wide integrated marketing communication (IMC) implementation; and (ii) examine the mediating role of IMC on the relationship between CC and brand performance (BP). Data were gathered via a self-administered online survey among senior managers of service businesses (n = 180) and analyzed via path analysis. Findings show that the adoption of a collaborative culture positively affects IMC, and to a greater extent than a controlling culture. It is also found that IMC exerts a beneficial effect on brand competitive advantage. A key contribution of this study lies in providing empirical evidence of the mediation of IMC in the relationship between CC and BP, thus suggesting that, in terms of the resource-based view (RBV), IMC contributes to fostering organizational capability to translate organizational cultural values into competitive advantage.