Marketing effectiveness and its precursors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the linkages between leadership, organisational trust, and marketing effectiveness, in service businesses within three service categories (health care, hotel, and resort) in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach – The research utilizes ANOVAs and structural equation model. Findings – The findings revealed that transactional leadership is associated with calculus‐based trust. Transformational leadership, on the other hand, cultivates knowledge‐based trust and identity‐based trust, which in turn positively influence marketing effectiveness. A direct relationship between transformational leadership and marketing effectiveness is also examined. Originality/value – The research offers insight into the role that leadership and trust play in determining marketing effectiveness in service businesses in Vietnam.