Christopher Medlin

APrf Christopher Medlin

School of Management

College of Business and Law

Chris researches in the field of business-to-business marketing and management. He applies interorganisational theory based on business relationships and networks to understand industrial transitions. His main research focus is on business relationships and network dynamics. Links to papers are included below.Chris has published papers in Industrial Marketing Management, the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, the Journal of Business Research, the International Journal of Project Management, and the Journal of Business-to-business Marketing. He has co-edited a number of books on Globalisation and Marketing, as well as a Special Issue of the Industrial Marketing Management journal on "Time and Process Research in Business Network Research".Chris is on the editorial board of the Industrial Marketing Management journal, the Journal of Business Research, and the Journal of General Management. In addition, he is on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing and the Journal of Business Market Management.Chris teaches in Strategic Marketing, Market Planning, Market Management, and Market Research. Over the years Chris has supervised student preparation of hundreds of Marketing Plans for Adelaide and Australian based businesses, government departments and non-profit organisations.Chris is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute. He has been a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) for more than 20 years and and he is a member of their Marketing Accreditation committee for higher education institutions. Chris has been awarded Certified Practising Marketer (CPM) status by the AMI.Here some of my thoughts about business marketing and management research: Interorganizational business research is focused on exchange and value creation between firms, government entities and not-for-profits. The inter-organizational sector is where entities meet, negotiate, develop, and implement innovations and manage and co-ordinate the economic processes of product and service delivery. Success and effectiveness in the exchange between entities is partly a factor of the processes of exchange and also the functions performed within and between the entities. Noteworthy is that the inter-organizational sector of an economy is as large and possibly more important than consumer markets, in the sense that the processes of economic development, innovation, and change directed at creating a sustainable economy are all located in the inter-organizational sector. Thus the inter-organizational sector deserves prominence in academic research. Efficiency in economic thinking is thought to be gained by developing markets with many buyers and sellers; but in the inter-organizational sector there is more often than not a small number context, referred to by Arndt (1979) as domesticated markets. The economic imperative is strong because organizations are in different value networks that compete against each other for business in consumer markets. However, and especially with a small number context, research is important on the processes of change that lead to development, innovation and creation of sustainable industry.

Business Relationships and Networks (Inter-organizational Theory), generally within the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group tradition.

More recent work includes applying Temporal Constructivist and Radical Constructivist Approaches to Business and Industrial Networks.

Chris is now undertaking research according to a "slow research" mode. Depth and quality of understanding is the key to thinking about slow research.

Date Position Institution name
2020 - ongoing Associate Professor (Adjunct) University of Adelaide
2017 - 2020 Associate Professor University of Adelaide

Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
2000 Achievement Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM) Australian Marketing Institute - -

Date Institution name Country Title
2001 University of Adelaide Australia PhD

Year Citation
2025 Medlin, C. J., & Törnroos, J. Å. (2025). Socio-mental adapting in business relationships: A dialogical understanding. Industrial Marketing Management, 125, 290-302.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2
2025 McGrath, H., Andersen, P. H., & Medlin, C. J. (2025). Coopetition: Stepping in and out of contextual spaces. Industrial Marketing Management, 126, 221-235.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2
2024 Ojansivu, I. T., Purchase, S., & Medlin, C. J. (2024). Editorial: Business-to-business marketing: imagining something different. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 39(3), 441-446.
DOI Scopus3 WoS1
2023 Andersen, P. H., Kim, W., Medlin, C. J., & Ojansivu, I. (2023). The parallax nature of studying business markets, relationships and networks. Industrial Marketing Management, 112, A5-A7.
DOI
2022 Ojansivu, I., Medlin, C. J., Andersen, P. H., & Kim, W. (2022). Using a ‘lens’ to re-search business markets, relationships and networks: Tensions, challenges and possibilities. Industrial Marketing Management, 100, 49-61.
DOI Scopus15 WoS14
2022 Medlin, C. J. (2022). Towards process research: Presuppositions and the vine metaphor. Industrial Marketing Management, 106, 71-82.
DOI Scopus10 WoS8
2022 Poblete, L., Havila, V., Anderson, H., Gidhagen, M., & Medlin, C. J. (2022). Resuming business operations after a Hiatus: The case of reappearing relationships. Industrial Marketing Management, 106, 256-266.
DOI Scopus9 WoS3
2020 Andersen, P. H., Medlin, C. J., & Törnroos, J. (2020). Re-appraising interaction and process for industrial network research: The future plunging mirror hall metaphor. Industrial Marketing Management, 91, 627-638.
DOI Scopus27 WoS22
2020 Andersen, P. H., Medlin, C. J., & Törnroos, J. Å. (2020). Introduction to the special issue on “Process thinking in dynamic business networks”. Industrial Marketing Management, 91, 621-626.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5
2020 Guercini, S., & Medlin, C. J. (2020). A radical constructivist approach to boundaries in business network research. Industrial Marketing Management, 91, 510-520.
DOI Scopus19 WoS16
2019 McGrath, H., Medlin, C. J., & O'Toole, T. (2019). A process-based model of network capability development by a start-up firm. Industrial Marketing Management, 80, 214-227.
DOI Scopus58 WoS49
2018 Ellegaard, C., & Medlin, C. (2018). Finding good relationships - intended and realized relational governance of international fine wine exchanges. Journal of World Business, 53(6), 794-805.
DOI Scopus6 WoS4
2017 Brodie, R., Benson-Rea, M., & Medlin, C. (2017). Branding as a dynamic capability: strategic advantage from integrating meanings with identification. Marketing Theory, 17(2), 183-199.
DOI Scopus72 WoS64
2017 Ojansivu, I., & Medlin, C. (2017). To whose drum are we marching? Change in business networks through a contextual logics perspective. Industrial Marketing Management, 70(April 2018), 145-155.
DOI Scopus20 WoS18
2016 Andersen, P., & Medlin, C. (2016). Transient commitments and dynamic business networking. Industrial Marketing Management, 58, 11-19.
DOI Scopus32 WoS30
2016 Törnroos, J. -A., Halinen, A., & Medlin, C. (2016). Dimensions of space in business network research. Industrial Marketing Management, 61, 10-19.
DOI Scopus42 WoS39
2015 Medlin, C., & Ellegaard, C. (2015). Conceptualizing competition and rivalry in a networking business market. Industrial Marketing Management, 51, 131-140.
DOI Scopus35 WoS31
2015 Medlin, C., & Törnroos, J. (2015). Exploring and exploiting network relationships to commercialize technology: a biofuel case. Industrial Marketing Management, 49, 42-52.
DOI Scopus45 WoS39
2014 Munksgaard, K., & Medlin, C. (2014). Self- and collective-interests: using formal network activities for developing firms' business. Industrial Marketing Management, 43(4), 613-621.
DOI Scopus50 WoS47
2014 Medlin, C., & Törnroos, J. (2014). Interest, sensemaking and adaptive processes in emerging business networks - an Australian biofuel case. Industrial Marketing Management, 43(6), 1096-1107.
DOI Scopus58 WoS54
2014 Ellegaard, C., Medlin, C., & Geersbro, J. (2014). Value appropriation in business exchange: literature review and future research opportunities. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 29(3), 185-198.
DOI Scopus39 WoS35
2013 Havila, V., Medlin, C., & Salmi, A. (2013). Project-ending competence in premature project closures. International Journal of Project Management, 31(1), 90-99.
DOI Scopus32 WoS23
2012 Medlin, C. (2012). Peter Drucker's ontology: understanding business relationships and networks. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 27(7), 513-520.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9
2012 Lu, V., Quester, P., Medlin, C., & Scholz, B. (2012). Determinants of export success in professional business services: a qualitative study. Service Industries Journal, 32(10), 1637-1652.
DOI Scopus14 WoS13
2012 Halinen, A., Medlin, C., & Tornroos, J. (2012). Time and process in business network research. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(2), 215-223.
DOI Scopus157 WoS156
2012 Havila, V., & Medlin, C. (2012). Ending-competence in business closure. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(3), 413-420.
DOI Scopus38 WoS29
2008 Tyler, K., & Medlin, C. (2008). Marketing relationships in financial services business markets: the global hedge fund industry. Journal of Customer Behavior, 7(4), 293-313.
DOI
2007 Medlin, C., & Tornroos, J. (2007). Inter-firm interaction from a human perspective. Finanza Marketing e Produzione, 25(1), 43-58.
2006 Whittenburg, G., Toole, H., Sciglimpaglia, D., & Medlin, C. (2006). AACSB international accreditation: An Australian perspective. The Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education, Sping/Fall, 9-13.
2006 Medlin, C. (2006). Self and collective interest in business relationships. Journal of Business Research, 59(7), 858-865.
DOI Scopus54 WoS43
2005 Medlin, C., Aurifeille, J., & Quester, P. (2005). A collaborative interest model of relational coordination and empirical results. Journal of Business Research, 58(2), 214-222.
DOI Scopus63 WoS51
2004 Medlin, C. (2004). Interaction in business relationships: A time perspective. Industrial Marketing Management, 33(3), 185-193.
DOI Scopus170 WoS158
2003 Medlin, C. (2003). A dyadic research program: the interaction possibility space model. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 10(3), 63-80.
DOI Scopus23
2001 Aurifeille, J., & Medlin, C. (2001). A dyadic segmentation approach to business partnerships. European Journal of Economic and Social Systems (EJESS), 15(2), 3-16.
DOI

Year Citation
2011 Aurifeille, J. M., Medlin, C. J., Tisdell, C. A., Lafuente, J. G., & Aluja, J. G. (Eds.) (2011). Globalisation, governance and ethics: New managerial and economic insights. Nova Science Publishers, Inc..
2011 Aurifeille, J. M., Medlin, C. J., Tisdell, C. A., Lafuente, J. G., & Aluja, J. G. (Eds.) (2011). Globalisation, governance and ethics: New managerial and economic insights. Nova Science Publishers, Inc..
2009 Aurifeille, J. M., Medlin, C. J., & Tisdell, C. (2009). Trust, globalisation and market expansion.
Scopus8

Year Citation
2025 Havila, V., Medlin, C. J., & Poblete, L. (2025). After the storm: What do we know about hiatus and the following recurring?. In Business Relationships and Networks Disruption Crises and Rapid Responses (pp. 162-178).
DOI
2024 Törnroos, J. Å., & Medlin, C. J. (2024). Adapting in business relationships: A dialogical human approach. In Individuals in B2b Marketing Sensemaking and Action in Context (pp. 87-109). Routledge.
DOI Scopus1
2018 Daniel, L., Medlin, C., O'Connor, A., Statsenko, L., Vnuk, R., & Hancock, G. (2018). Deconstructing the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Concept. In A. O'Connor, E. Stam, F. Sussan, & D. Audretsch (Eds.), Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Place-based transformations and transitions (Vol. 38, pp. 23-44). Switzerland: Springer.
DOI Scopus19
2015 Medlin, C. J., & Quester, P. G. (2015). An Exploratory study into the effect of Culture on Cooperative Alliances. In Developments in Marketing Science Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science (pp. 520-525). Springer International Publishing.
DOI
2013 Bouguettaya, A., Sheng, Q., & Daniel, F. (2013). Preface. In A. Bouguettaya, Q. Sheng, & F. Daniel (Eds.), Advanced Web Services (Vol. 9781461475354, pp. ix-x). Springer.
DOI
2012 Aurifeille, J., Medlin, C., & Gil-Lafuente, J. (2012). Consumer segmentation for globalising firms. In J. Mancini (Ed.), Globalization: partnerships, modernization and future perspectives (pp. 117-125). Nova Science Publishers.
2012 Medlin, C., & Saren, M. (2012). Interaction: coherence to a future. In M. Glynn, & A. Woodside (Eds.), Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing (Vol. 18, 1 ed., pp. 173-190). United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
DOI Scopus12
2011 Ito, T., & Medlin, C. (2011). Hierarchical Network Governance: An Examination of Keiretsu Networks. In J. Aurifeille, C. Medlin, C. Tisdell, J. Lafuente, & J. Aluja (Eds.), Globalisation, Governance and Ethics: New Managerial and Economic Insights (1 ed., pp. 125-142). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Scopus1
2011 Aurifeille, J., & Medlin, C. (2011). Inter-Firm Governance and Relationship Performance: A Study of Market, Hierarchy and Relational Coordination Mechanisms. In J. Aurifeille, C. Medlin, C. Tisdell, J. Lafuente, & J. Aluja (Eds.), Globalisation, Governance and Ethics: New Managerial and Economic Insights (1 ed., pp. 99-112). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Scopus2
2011 Aurifeille, J., Medlin, C., Tisdell, C., Lafuente, J., & Aluja, J. (2011). Globalisation, Governance and Ethics: The Main Issues. In J. Aurifeille, C. Medlin, C. Tisdell, J. Lafuente, & J. Aluja (Eds.), Globalisation, Governance and Ethics: New Managerial and Economic Insights (1 ed., pp. 1-12). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Scopus1
2011 Aurifeille, J. -M., Medlin, C., Tisdell, C., Lafuente, J., & Aluja, J. (2011). Preface. In J. Aurifeille, C. Medlin, C. Tisdell, J. Lafuente, & J. Aluja (Eds.), Unknown Book (pp. ix-x). Nova Science Publishers, Inc..
2009 Aurifeille, J. -M., Medlin, C., & Tisdell, C. (2009). Preface. In J. Aurifeille, C. Medlin, & C. Tisdell (Eds.), Trust, globalisation and market expansion (pp. 1-8). Nova Science Publishers, Inc..
2009 Aurifeille, J., & Medlin, C. (2009). Dimensions of inter-firm trust: benevolence and credibility. In M. Aurifeille, C. Medlin, & C. Tisdell (Eds.), Trust, globalisation and market expansion (pp. 9-22). New York, USA: Nova Science Publishers.
Scopus10
2009 Aurifeille, J., Medlin, C., & Tisdell, C. (2009). Trust and Globalisation: An Overview. In J. Aurifeille, C. Medlin, & C. Tisdell (Eds.), Trust, globalisation and market expansion (pp. 1-8). New York, USA: Nova Science Publishers.
Scopus4
2009 Ito, T., Medlin, C., Passerini, K., & Sakamoto, M. (2009). Influence, Trust and Trade in the Keiretsu of Toyota: A Centrality Analysis. In J. Aurifeille, C. Medlin, & C. Tisdell (Eds.), Trust, globalisation and market expansion (pp. 101-118). New York, USA: Nova Science Publishers.
Scopus8
2007 Aurifeille, J., Medlin, C., & Gil-Lafuente, J. (2007). Consumer segmentation for globalising firms. In J. Aurifeille, S. Svizzero, & C. Tisdell (Eds.), Globalization and Partnerships: Features of Business Alliances and International Cooperation (pp. 193-201). New York, USA: Nova Science Publishers.
2007 Aurifeille, J., & Medlin, C. (2007). Segmentation for dyadic analyses of international business relationships. In J. Aurifeille, S. Svizzero, & C. Tisdell (Eds.), Globalization and Partnerships: Features of Business Alliances and International Cooperation (pp. 109-124). New York, USA: Nova Science Publishers.
WoS3
2006 Aurifeille, J., & Medlin, C. (2006). A dyadic approach to the relationship performance of international business partners. In J. Aurifeille, S. Svizzero, & C. Tisdell (Eds.), Leading economic and managerial issues involving globalisation (pp. 93-103). Hauppauge NY: Nova Science Publishers.
WoS1

Year Citation
2010 Ito, T., Medlin, C., Ma, Y., & Makoto, S. (2010). The connection law and networks. In Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics Arob 15th 10 (pp. 184-187).

Year Citation
2018 Chaoluck, P., Medlin, C., & Conduit, J. (2018). Evidence for Three Role Behaviors for Frontline Service Employees. Poster session presented at the meeting of AMA Services Special Interest Group (SERVSIG) Conference. Paris, France.
2017 Medlin, C., Chaoluck, P., & Conduit, J. (2017). Service encounters through the lens of employee role behaviours: Implications for actor-actor-actor interaction. Poster session presented at the meeting of Naples Forum on Service.
2014 Brodie, R. J., Benson-Rea, M., & Medlin, C. J. (2014). Country of origin branding: Integrating collective meaning with identity and image. Poster session presented at the meeting of Agents of Change. Brisbane: ANZMAC c/o Social Marketing @ Griffith.

2019 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Invitational Fellowships for Research in Japan. Chris spent one month visiting Nihon University in Tokyo in March 2020, before covid intervened.

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2013 - 2015 Principal Supervisor The emergence of an inter-organizational business net and development of a managerial sensemaking framework Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Joanne Marie Harris
2012 - 2017 Principal Supervisor Assessment of Customer Perceptions Towards Frontline Service Employees' Role Behaviours Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Phiangdao Chaoluck
2007 - 2009 Co-Supervisor Key Success Drivers of Service Exports: The Role of Organisational Characteristics, Market Characteristics and Governance Mechanisms Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Vinh Lu
2006 - 2007 Co-Supervisor Investigating the Simultaneous Influence of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Cues: An Examination of the Interaction between Country of Origin, Price and Selected Sensory Variables Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time APrf Roberta Crouch
2002 - 2010 Co-Supervisor The Symbolic Consumption of Subcultures: An Ethnographic Study of the Australian Hip Hop Culture Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Damien Arthur

Date Role Membership Country
1991 - ongoing - Australian Marketing Institute Australia

Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
2015 - ongoing Board Member Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing - -
2011 - 2015 Board Member Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing - -
2005 - ongoing Board Member Industrial Marketing Management - -

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