Rajan Varadaran

The Marketing Strategy SIG honored Rajan Varadaran by awarding him the 2003 Mahajan Award for lifetime contributions to the field of marketing strategy. The award was presented at a special luncheon at the AMA Summer Educators' Conference in Chicago.

Rajan Varadarajan has played a lead role in shaping the marketing strategy field through his prodigious research publication record. With over 60 publications, most of which are in the top strategy journals, it is easy to understand why he is widely cited as among the most productive marketing scholars. His research has made a significant impact on the study and practice of marketing. Researchers draw on his works to shape the way they conceptualize and test marketing-related relationships. Managers make important strategic decisions based on his insights and recommendations. Undergraduate students are influenced by his thoughts that they read in their textbooks and, for doctoral students, his publications are seen as the "definitive" contribution in many areas.

SIG Chair Chris Moorman presented the award and presentations were made by Rajan's students and colleagues.

Chris White presented a brief overview of Rajan's vitae and proposed that there are four P's to Rajan's success: Pressure (his ability to publish a total of 16 articles in his 5th and 6th year), Patience (serving on 26 dissertation committees takes a great deal of it), Precision (Rajan crafts his manuscripts with the greatest of care), and Prabha (his wife).

Next, Sundar Bharadwaj's comments focused on Rajan's mentorship of doctoral students. Several of Rajan's former students nodded in recognition as Bharadwaj described sessions in which a wall full of Post-It notes (each representing a construct of interest) were painstakingly organized to represent a complex integrative model.

Finally, Roger Kerin reflected on Rajan's impressive record of scholarly achievement and editorial service to the marketing academy. Referring to Rajan as a quintessential scholar, Kerin highlighted three qualities of Rajan's scholarship. First, Rajan has consistently examined "big ideas" that affect marketing thought and practice. Second, Rajan's multidisciplinary approach to scholarship makes his work impactful both inside and outside the marketing discipline. Finally, Rajan's work features insightful integrative/conceptual frameworks that illuminate the phenomenon under consideration. Kerin concluded his remarks by stating that Rajan's scholarship is the gold standard upon which academic work on marketing strategy is judged today.

Here are few of Rajan's most recent publications:

"Market Situation Interpretation and Response: The Role of Cognitive Style, Organizational Culture and Information Use," Journal of Marketing, Vol. 67, July 2003, 63-79. With J. Chris White and Peter A. Dacin.

"Marketing Strategy and the Internet: An Organizing Framework", Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 30, No. 4, Fall 2002, 296-312. [Invited Paper for the Academy of Marketing Science - Marketing Science Institute Special Issue on the Marketing to and Serving Customers Through the Internet. Guest Editors -- A. Parasuraman and G. Zinkhan]. With Manjit Yadav.

"Generating New Product Ideas: An Initial Investigation of the Role of Market Information and Organizational Characteristics," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 29, Winter 2001, 89-101. With Lisa C. Troy and David M. Szymanski.

"Strategic Interdependence in Organizations: Deconglomeration and Marketing Strategy," Journal of Marketing, Vol. 65, January 2001, 15-28. [Winner of the 2001 Harold H. Maynard Award - Journal of Marketing Best Paper Award for Significant Contribution to Marketing Theory and Thought.] With Satish Jayachandran and J. Chris White.

A brief overview of Rajan's career:

Rajan Varadarajan (B.E., Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, M. Tech., Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst) is Distinguished Professor of Marketing and holder of the Ford Chair in Marketing and E-Commerce at the Mays Business School, Texas A&M University. His teaching and research interests are in the areas of strategy, international marketing and e-commerce. Rajan's research has been published in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, and other journals. His research has been recognized with a number of awards including the Journal of Marketing best paper award, the American Marketing Association best conference paper award and the Academy of Marketing Science best conference paper award.

Rajan served as editor of the Journal of Marketing from 1993 to 1996 and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science from 2000 to 2003. He also currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Marketing Science and on the Editorial Review Boards of the Journal of Marketing, Journal of International Marketing, Journal of Strategic Marketing, and Journal of Marketing Management.

In recognition of his research, teaching and service contributions to the marketing profession, the Academy of Marketing Science will be honoring Rajan with the Academy of Marketing Science Distinguished Marketing Educator Award in May 2003 at its annual national conference. In May 2002, the Academy recognized him with the honorary designation of Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of Marketing Science. In 1994, he was awarded the Texas A&M University Distinguished Achievement Award for Research, the highest honor the University bestows. Prior to that, he received the Texas A&M University, Mays Business School Distinguished Research Award in 1985 and 1990.

Rajan Varadaran's vita