The effects of the external environment on marketing decision-maker uncertainty

An important contribution to the literature on perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) is Milliken’s distinction between state uncertainty, effect uncertainty and response uncertainty. Although much is known about their conceptual underpinnings and measurement, there has been no empirical investigation of their antecedents. This is the focus of this study, which examines relationships between two environmental characteristics and perceptions of state, effect and response uncertainty, and the moderating role of marketing decision-maker locus of control. Both instability of change and environmental complexity are associated with marketing decision-maker uncertainty, with the former having the larger effect. Locus of control moderates the relationships between environmental characteristics and effect and response uncertainty. The findings have implications for theory, managerial practice and research methodology.