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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Firms in less competitive industries have pursued the objective of profit maximization singularly, and have had some measure of success at least in the short-run. But economic and business realities in the competitive world have shown that ability of business organization to achieve their profit objective depends largely on the ability of such firms to attract and maintain sufficient customer patronage through effective marketing concept. However, the attraction and retention of customer patronage all thing being equal, will rest on the ability of the firm to identify and sufficiently satisfy the needs and the wants of the client/customer. In order to achieve the profit objective of the companies, there is need to fine tune their philosophies by trying to identify, anticipate and produce only the goods and services that will satisfy their customer needs and desires (Ifezue, 1990:24). This is the pre-requisite for the marketing concept. The customer is therefore placed at the centre of the business activity rather than the organization emphasizing on production as an end in itself with the opinion that what is produced can easily be sold automatically (Kotler et al, 2010:66).

From the foregoing, the elements of marketing concept are crucial to the ultimate success of a good service. With respect to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) marketing, it can best be described as the performance of such business activities directed at satisfying the needs and wants of clients. The marketing concept was first defined as “a way of thinking; a management philosophy guiding an organization’s overall activities (affecting) all the efforts of the organization, not just its marketing activities. Emerging first in the General Electric Company in 1952, the marketing concept has been consistently redefined over the past five decades. The academic discipline of marketing has two main schools of thought, where marketing is considered as either a philosophy or as a function. The marketing concept considers marketing as a philosophy rather than a function. The concept represent0s business thinking, and started developing since 1850s.

Effective marketing strategies had been established to improve the growth of professional services in the competitive environment. Although, most professionals perceive marketing as an unimportant management function therefore not integrated into the structure of the firms and where it was incorporated, the level of adoption was slow (Jaafar et al., 2008:11; Arslan et al., 2009:82). Recently, there is an increasing recognition that marketing has an important role to play in the enhancement of the performance of the construction profession (Arditi et al., 2008; Chen and Muhamed, 2008:94; Arslan et al., 2009:33; Polat, 2010:67; Polat and Donmez, 2010:43).

Marketing concept is therefore marketing practicalized if marketers should put themselves in the position of their customers and see to their satisfaction. Jerome Macarthy and William D. Perreult Jr. (1990:27) said that the marketing concept requires that an organization directs all its efforts at satisfying its customers at a profit. The “differentiated meaning of marketing orientation from marketing concept by saying that marketing orientation means trying to carry out the marketing concept, instead of trying to get customers to buy what the firm has produced, a marketing oriented firm tries to produce what customers need. In essence, the marketing concept is a market focused, customer oriented, coordinated marketing effort aimed at generating customer satisfaction as the key to satisfying organizational goals. These forms the foundation on which the three fundamental variables of marketing concept rest, which are; (i) Customer orientation and market focus (ii) Integrated effort. This is what Bell and Emory (1971:46) called the three basic elements of the marketing concepts.

The Corporate Affairs Commission as an agency of Government is charged with the responsibility of administering the Nigerian Company Registry. The commission became a child of necessity in January 1990 when it was established pursuant to section 1 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (hereinafter called the ‘CAMA’). Before 1990, it had became obvious that Nigeria … had been much in need of a modern legislation on corporate affairs…” in order to ensure that it moved with the tide pertaining to the sophisticated business transactions in the Companies Registry which the 1968 companies Act could no longer cope. The hitherto Nigerian Companies Registry suffered from so many problems. Some structural; others finance yet others related to bureaucracy and under funding. With a registry suffering from so many disabilities, no wonder it was understandably unable to perform its supervisory functions. It was therefore the need to bring to bear professionalism in the administration of corporate affairs that necessitated the establishment of the commission. With the added autonomy and corporate status of the commission, it is not an understatement to assert that the stage was set for efficient and professional administration of corporate affairs in Nigeria through systematic marketing concept.

1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

The research problem is borne out of the general outcry that government establishments does not perform efficiently and effectively because they are not profit oriented which has generated a lot of criticisms that have dogged the path of the marketing practices of most organizations in Nigeria. Thus, with emphasis on the Corporate Affairs Commission, Enugu branch, the research tries to evaluate the problems of the allegations that government establishments in the country do not undertake market/marketing research in the course of their service delivery. Another problem that necessitated the study is the argument that clients/customers’ views, opinions and needs are neither solicited nor accommodated in most companies marketing practices. Another problem is the claims that profit-maximization rather than customer-satisfaction is the marketing orientation of most organizations in the country and the criticisms that clients are not fed enough market information about the services, responsibilities and functions of the government establishments.

While marketing concept enables the organization analyze maximize and satisfy consumer demands, the concept is only a guide to planning. The organization must consider its strengths and weaknesses in such functional areas in order to have a balance of goals, customer needs and the resource capabilities. In addition, the impact of competition, government regulation and other forces external to the pharmaceutical firm must be evaluated Ultimately, the entire firm must be in tune with the market by placing emphasis on integration of the marketing function with research, product management, sales and – advertising, to enhance the firms total effectiveness. Lamb et all (1990: 15) said that integration of the marketing department with other functional groups greatly increases a firms chances of success, while poor relationship can undermine its performance and growth. Therefore, the entire business should be seen as a total operational system with only consumer and social problems taking precedence over operational considerations in all functional areas. Integrated operations of all the marketing functional areas and integration of the marketing department with these other departments within the organization is another feature of the marketing concept implementation by an organization so therefore non of the functional areas should work in isolation of marketing.

The type of organization structure a firm has will determine if it is proper for it to adopt and implement the marketing concept or not. Even though it should be improper to advocate for the marketing man to always occupy the key positions on the organization structure and place all customer related firms under the responsibility of a marketing vice president. The top marketing executive should be responsible for coordinating the overall marketing effort. Eldridge (1967;44) commented that “a mere organization structure is not enough evidence that a company is practicing market orientation in its business overall philosophy. What is necessary is that company should think marketing from the Board of Directors to the least person in the organization as marketing is a totality and indivisible business practice.”

It was discovered by Allen (1989:58) in his study that “the marketing concept is no longer a conglomeration of distinct and – separate functions rather marketing efforts should be treated as a coordinated and integrated systems of related activities and ‘ placed. under the top marketing executive”.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are as follows:

1. To evaluate the level of application of marketing concept in Corporate Affairs Commission.

2. To examine the influence of marketing orientation concept in CAC 3. To assess the Integration of marketing concept with other functions in CAC.

3. To ascertain how customer behavior affects the marketing concept of CAC.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research questions designed for the study are as follows:

1. To what extent is marketing concept applied in CAC?

2. What is the influence of marketing orientation in CAC?

3. How is marketing concept integrated with other functions in CAC?

4. How does customer behavior affects the marketing concept of CAC?

1.5 RESEACH HYPOTHESES

The following null hypotheses are formulated for the study.

1. Marketing concept is not adequately applied in CAC.

2. Marketing orientation does not have significant effect on CAC.

3. Customer behavior does not affect the marketing concept of CAC.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is significant in many respects. This derives from the usefulness of its findings to individuals, organizations and the government. To corporate organizations, it will encourage them to reconsider the implications of their ineffective application of marketing concept in their marketing activities. More especially, it will create awareness among both the marketing managers and the in the method, system and application of marketing concepts for increased organizational productivity. This will always direct management’s attention on the need for effective practices to decision making. To government it will see the need to create a favourable business/legal environment for business organizations since such government policies influence the policies and practices of the organizations in the exercise of their marketing concepts and philosophies.

To the researcher, as an aspiring young marketing manager, the study, would help expose her to some of the principal problem she would encounter in the actual practice and application of marketing concepts in marketing activities both in private practice and in government or corporate establishments. Above all, a successful completion of this study would enable the researcher obtain her MBA in Marketing. Finally, this study will inform marketing outfits, the commercial banks, bank managers, entrepreneurs, the general public of the need for effective application of marketing concept and philosophies that enhances organizational profitability and productivity, growth and development, improved services, products and social responsibility policies. The research is inexhaustive and would serve as a reference material to scholars and researchers as well as an area for further research.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers the application of marketing concepts in the activities of

Corporate Affairs Commission in the Enugu regional office, located at No. 1 Temple Avenue, GRA, Enugu, Enugu state.