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Dr Ian Combe

Ian Combe

Lecturer in Marketing Strategy  

Marketing Group

Education

  • Ph.D. Strategic Orientations in Practice, (Aston University)
    Supervisor: Professor Gordon Greenley (Aston University); External Examiner: Professor Ian Clarke (Lancaster University)
  • M.Sc. by Research in Business Management (Aston University)
  • B.Sc. University of London

Professional Associations

  • Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (Ref: 12621)
  • Member of British Academy of Management

Research Interests

Ian's research interests lay in a range of topics that interface between marketing and strategic management such as strategic orientation, strategic flexibility, strategy practice and managing service quality. He is experienced in conducting case study research and in the use of cognitive research methods such as sorting technique, laddering technique and cognitive mapping. His work has been published in journals such as European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management and Managerial Auditing.

Journal Editing

Guest editor for special edition of European Journal of Marketing: Marketing and Flexibility, www.emeraldinsight.com/ejm.htm

Teaching

  • Marketing Strategy (Postgraduate MSc and MBA)
  • Analysis for Dissertation Research Projects (Postgraduate MSc)

Research Supervision

I have successfully supervised over one hundred and twenty Research Dissertations at Masters Level through full-time mode and over one hundred through distance learning mode.

Research Funding

  • £122,000 Knowledge Transfer Partnership Scheme 2010; To develop management processes and culture for effective communication with commissioning bodies to secure new service development opportunities through introduction of effective tender responses. With Dr. J. Rudd and Dr. B. Clegg.
  • £260,000 Knowledge Transfer Partnership Scheme 2010; The development and implementation of a business strategy to reposition FactoryMaster from a product-focussed organisation, to one that is market-oriented, whilst maintaining its technical excellence. With Dr. J. Rudd, Prof. I. Nabney and Dr. J. Van Mourik
  • £3,000 Index project 2009; Internet Food Market Review. With Dr. A. M. Farrell
  • £85,000 Knowledge Transfer Partnership Scheme 2006; To develop and launch a revolutionary new platform and associated products in the UK, European and Chinese market places, for the converging voice, data and video telecommunications markets. With Dr. L. Rayman-Bacchus.
  • £5,000 European Union Enterprise Bureau 2006; IT Consultancy Market Review.

Selected Journal Publications

  • Combe, I. A. Marketing and Flexibility: Debates Past, Present and Future (Editorial), forthcoming European Journal of Marketing (special issue of on Marketing and Flexibility)
  •  Combe, I. A., Rudd, J. M., Leeflang, P.S.H. &  Greenley, G. E. Antecedents to Strategic Flexibility: Management Cognition, Firm Resources and Strategic Options, forthcoming European Journal of Marketing.
  • Greenland, S., Coshall, J. & Combe, I. A. (2006) Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction Evaluation in an Emerging Market, International
    Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 30, No 6, pp, 582-590. ISSN: 1470 6423.
    http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1470-6423
  • Combe, I. A. & Greenley, G. E. (2004) The Capability for Strategic Flexibility: A Cognitive Content Framework, European Journal of Marketing, Volume: 38, Number: 11/12, pp.1456-1480. ISSN: 0309 0566.
    http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/journals/ejm/ejm.jsp
  • Combe, I. A. & Botschen, G. (2004) Strategy Paradigms for the Management of Quality: Dealing with Complexity, European Journal of Marketing. Volume: 38, Number: 5, pp. 500-523. ISSN: 0309 0566.
    http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/journals/ejm/ejm.jsp
  • Conway, S., Combe, I. A & Crowther, D. (2003) Strategizing Networks of Power and Influence: The Internet and the Struggle over Contested Space, Managerial Auditing Journal, Volume: 18 Number: 3, pp. 254-262. ISSN: 0268-6902.
    http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/journals/maj/maj.jsp
  • Combe, I. A. & Crowther, D. E. & Greenland, S. (2003) The Semiology of Changing Brand Image, Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 5, Iss. 1, pp.1-24. ISSN: 1417-5201
    http://www.ewu.edu/x20494.xml
  • Combe, I. A. (1999) Multiple Strategy Paradigms: An Integrational Framework, Journal of Marketing Management, Volume 15, June, pp.341-359. ISSN: 0267 257X/99/050341.
    http://www.westburn.co.uk/search.cfm?search=combe

Selected Refereed Conference Presentations

  • Combe, I. A. The Seven Year Itch: A Longitudinal Study of Management Cognition, Accepted British Academy of Management Annual Conference, Sept. 2011.
  • Combe, I. A., Greenland, S. Coshall, J. and Farrell, A. M. (2009) The Measurement Dependency of Strategy Practice: The Issue of Importance in Services, Presented at the British Academy of Management Annual Conference, Sept. 2009.
  • Combe. I. A. & Greenley, G. E. (2008) Emergent Strategic Flexibility, Presented at the British Academy of Management Annual Conference, Sept. 2008. 
  • Combe, I. A. (2007) The Embeddedness of Strategy Practice: A Cognitive Investigation, Presented at the British Academy of Management Annual Conference, Sept. 2007.
  • Combe. I. A. & Greenley, G. E. (2000) Strategic Flexibility: A Cognitive Perspective, Presented at the British Academy of Management Annual Conference, Sept. 2000.