• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2016

Studies in key account management (KAM) have identified the importance of cross-functional coordination in firms to effectively implement KAM. However, these studies have ignored how companies integrate KAM and other customer management (non-KAM). This paper explores coordination design between KAM units and non-KAM units by analyzing a case study through three dimensions: front-end coordination, back-end-coordination, and organizational translation at the beginning of research. The case study shows that non-KAM conditions can require a modification of the coordination design. This research performs an in-depth analysis of changes in the implementation of sales reforms for an IT-related machinery and system vendor in Japan. Data sources include interviews with KAM units and non-KAM sales units and an analysis of secondary data. This paper suggests that studying the coordination between KAM units and non-KAM units will further our understanding of internal coordination in KAM research.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2012

The aim of this paper is to propose an integrative definition of key account management (KAM) at the organizational level through a content analysis of the existing definitions of KAM available in the business literatures. A representative pool of definitions of key account management was generated through literature review from twenty three journals that covers the divergence of name variety like global account management, strategic account management, national account management, international key account management, key client management, major account management, key customers management and key account management. Relating to the definition of key account management various attributes are identified through content analysis and according to the relevance, profile for each attributes are developed. On the basis of these attributes a diagrammatic and textual definition is proposed that covers the different standpoints and aspects of key account management approach and captures its essence as well. Eventually, several strategic implications are derived that create the field for further empirical investigation.