Customer Orientation of Cognitive Organizational System Scale

What it measures

Thirteen-item scale measuring the extent to which an organisation’s information processing activities are oriented toward customers. Covers four sequential facets: generation (systematically gathering customer data), dissemination (sharing it cross-functionally), analysis (periodically interpreting it), and storage (maintaining it in systems and documents). Used as item parcels (sub-scale means) in structural models. The dominant driver of customer-related responsiveness was the affective rather than this cognitive system.

Response format

7-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree); four sub-scales used as item parcels in SEM

Scale items

• Information Generation: We systematically and constantly gather information about our customers.
• Information Generation: We collect information about customers in a comprehensive and holistic way.
• Information Generation: We systematically and constantly keep track of the behavior of our customers.
• Information Dissemination: Our personnel spends a fair amount of time to exchange newest customer-related developments with other functional departments.
• Information Dissemination: We regularly circulate documents (e.g., reports, newsletters) that provide relevant information on customers.
• Information Dissemination: Members of all hierarchical levels in our business unit regularly receive information about the newest customer-related developments.
• Information Analysis: We systematically and regularly analyze information about customers.
• Information Analysis: Our top managers periodically analyze and interpret the gathered information on customers.
• Information Analysis: Members of different departments regularly meet to analyze customer-related changes.
• Information Storage: We regularly and systematically store and update information about our customers in the corresponding information systems (e.g., databases, expert systems, intranet).
• Information Storage: We regularly and systematically store and update information about our customers in corresponding documents (e.g., presentations, reports, newsletters).
• Information Storage: Our personnel store all relevant information about our customers.
• Information Storage: Members of all hierarchical levels have access to the available information about customers.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Overall: composite reliability = .85; AVE = .59. Sub-scale reliabilities: Information Generation α = .83, CR = .84; Information Dissemination α = .78, CR = .78 (below threshold—flagged); Information Analysis α = .82, CR = .82; Information Storage α = .80, CR = .81. Dissemination sub-scale below threshold but overall scale included on overall CR basis. Items for generation and dissemination adapted from Kohli, Jaworski, and Kumar (1993) and Moorman (1995); analysis and storage facets newly developed. Validated in a cross-industry multi-informant study (n = 280 business units, 117 dyads).

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Citation

Homburg, C., Grozdanovic, M., & Klarmann, M. (2007). Responsiveness to customers and competitors: The role of affective and cognitive organizational systems. Journal of Marketing, 71(3), 18–38.

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