Title: Marketing decisions in small businesses: how verbal decision analysis can help

Authors: Luiz Flavio Autran Monteiro Gomes, Helen Moshkovich, Adriano Torres

Addresses: Ibmec/RJ, Av. Presidente Wilson 118, 20.030-020, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. ' College of Business, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama, AL 35115, USA. ' ESPM, Rua do Rosario St. 90, 3rd floor, 20.041-002, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Abstract: Marketing decisions are crucial in the strategic planning and are usually a starting point for the analysis. Marketing practices of small businesses are different from those of large companies and require different approaches to decision support. The paper illustrates the use of the ORCLASS method of verbal decision analysis in a real application. The ORCLASS method is based solely on the use of qualitative (verbal) information and allows the process leading to decisions to be transparent and shared with the stakeholders in a clear way. The research results show that, the adoption of a qualitative method of decision support in particular, can benefit significantly the marketing of a small business.

Keywords: marketing; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; multi-criteria analysis; multicriteria decision making; MCDM; verbal decision analysis; ORdinal CLASSification; ORCLASS; strategic planning; qualitative information; transparency; stakeholders; Prodens Produtos Odontologicos; Brazil; dentistry; dental products; management; strategic decision making; decision aids; decision models.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMDM.2010.033641

International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 2010 Vol.11 No.1, pp.19 - 36

Published online: 09 Jun 2010 *

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