A Study and Analysis of International Marketing Research in a Global Environment

About the Authors. Preface. 1. Marketing Research in a Global Environment. Introduction. Complexity of International Marketing. Importance of Research for International Marketing Decisions. Issues in International Marketing Research. Scope of the Book. 2. Designing International Marketing Research. Introduction. The International Marketing Research Plan. The International Marketing Research Process. Structuring the Unit of Analysis. Selecting Information Sources. Research Plan. Issues in Administering International Marketing Research. Summary. 3. Secondary Data Sources. Introduction. Locating the Appropriate Information. Information Sources. Information Requirements. Summary. 4. Uses of Secondary Data. Introduction. Market Entry. Demand Estimation. Assessing Market Interconnectedness. Summary. 5. Structuring Primary Data Collection. Introduction. Defining the Unit of Analysis. Selecting Units of Analysis. Structuring the Research Design. Cultural Bias in Research Design, Communication and Interpretation. Summary. 6. Establishing the Comparability of Multicountry Data. Introduction. Establishing Comparability: The Emic/Etic Dilemma. Establishing Data Equivalence. Determining Construct Validity. Establishing Construct Reliability. Summary. 7. Nonsurvey Data Collection Techniques. Introduction. Different Qualitative Techniques. Observational and Quasi-observational Data. Projective Techniques. In-depth Interviews. Summary. 8. Survey Instrument Design. Introduction. Questionnaire Design and Question Formulation. Type of Question. Use of Nonverbal Stimuli. Instrument Translation. Potential Sources of Bias Associated with the Research Instrument. Summary. 9. Sampling and Data Collection. Introduction. Sampling. Achieving Comparability in Sampling. Data Collection Procedures. Field Staff Organization and Training. Summary. 10. Multicountry Scales. Introduction. General Issues in Scale Development. Using Multi-item Scales in Cross-cultural Research. Developing Cross-cultural Scales. Summary. 11. Analysis of Multicountry Data. Introduction. Multicountry Data Analysis. Assessing the Differences in the Level of Variables between Countries. Summary. 12. Assessing Differences in the Structure of Variables. Introduction. Correlation Analysis. Means-End Hierarchies. Cluster Analysis. Multidimensional Scaling. Factor Analysis. Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Covariance Structure Models. Advances in Data Analysis. Summary. 13. The International Marketing Information System. Introduction. Information Components of the International Marketing System. Data Collection and Processing for the International Marketing Information System. Applying the Information System. Summary. 14. Challenges Facing International Marketing Research. Introduction. Coping with Change: Marketing Infrastructure and Technology. Contending with Complexity: Conducting Research in Emerging Markets. Confronting Competition: Marketing Research Services in a Global Environment. Conforming to Conscience: Ethics in International Marketing Research. Summary. 15. Future Directions in International Marketing Research. Introduction. Comparability and Equivalence Revisited. Developing the Research Design. Improving Analysis of Cross-cultural Data. The Growth of Internet Research. Conclusion. Subject Index. Author Index. Acknowledgements.

The aim of this note is to understand how content relating to marketing and market research is distributed to and within universities. The focus of the study includes the behavior of all those in this market for information, namely suppliers (whether content generators, aggregators, packagers, or distributors of content) of marketing research, university staff, and students. The case study method was implemented to collect data. The case study focuses on UK Higher Education. Specifically, the authors use the case study of the newly developed Archive of Market and Social Research (AMSR) to explore how content relating to marketing and market research is distributed to and within universities. The research involved personal interviews with 15 librarian senior managers selected from 14 universities. The interviews with librarians provided insight into how AMSR could be distributed to university libraries and how it could be accessed. The findings highlight the role of university academics in specifying the content of marketing and market research. They focus on ‘real world’ management problems to deliver research with impact and relevant teaching. Therefore, they need company and industry information and are more likely to use current sources. The study maps the process of acquisition of marketing and market research content by universities and identifies the different roles involved in this process. The study is in line with the emerging literature that focuses on the role of education in explaining the relevance gap in marketing research. The study contrasts between the situation in the university market and industrial buying and adds to our understanding of the complexities associated with the distribution of the marketing research material. The result is expected to be a much sharper focus for the marketing of the archive material, leading to greater use of recent high-quality market research by marketing educators, and changes to marketing and market research syllabuses. This note provides insight into how suppliers (whether content generators, aggregators, packagers, or distributors of content) of market and marketing research should market to universities and ensure the use of their information resources by students and teachers and how they should. The findings of the study contribute to understanding customer needs and shaping a new service product proposition. In addition, the study provides insight into how university students and staff access and should access commercial research on marketing from the market research industry (in particular from the Archive of Market and Social Research) and use it in their learning, so that their knowledge will be more up to date and their employability will be increased. Adding several insights to the issue of distribution of marketing research material to universities. The paper relates to the marketing of information resources to universities, specifically to the work of the Archive of Market and Social Research, in marketing their information assets to universities, and more specifically the relationship between the “push” of suppliers, libraries, journal and textbook suppliers and information aggregators (such as EBSCO and JISC) and the pull coming from academic researchers and lecturers, who might use this information in their teaching and research. The present study can be seen as a classic case study of understanding buyer behavior, but in a modern world of information platforms, aggregation, and the digital economy.

IntroductionIn regard to the managerial courses there appears a need to include students in real-life managerial processes on the grounds of cooperation between the university and business practice. Only students' participation in actual managerial processes, directed at increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of operating on the international market, will enable them to gather the necessary wealth of experience. Gathering such experience allows students to consolidate the acquired knowledge, improve the skills and shape social competences.The aim of this paper is to present how students' knowledge, skills and social competences in regard to marketing research are developed within the international business curriculum. Furthermore the aim is to indicate the necessity to apply in the educational process diverse teaching methods oriented at building knowledge, skills and social competences expected by future employees.In the theoretical part of the paper determinants for market decision making by companies, especially those operating in the global market, are presented. Possessing up-to-date knowledge about the market in global scale based on marketing research results is indicated as valid managerial competence. Furthermore, institutional and systemic barriers that are faced by higher education institutions in the CEE region in the process of teaching business programs are discussed.The next part of the paper discusses the meaning of developing knowledge, skills and social competences in the scope of international marketing research among International Business graduates. With information being the key ingredient in developing successful international marketing strategies these areas seem to be a necessary condition to understand and take advantage of the changes occurring in the global environment. Hence the international marketing research course has been characterized, the syllabus of the course being oriented at filling the identified needs of diagnosing and analyzing global environment.The further parts of the paper discuss teaching methods and techniques applied within the course oriented at providing the students with most timely knowledge as well as skills and competences useful when operating on the global market. The exemplification of the teaching routines in the scope of international marketing research in the paper is a course offered by the University of Economics in Katowice within the International Business (IB) degree program. The whole program as well as the international marketing research syllabus has been inspired by the best standards and teaching routines elaborated in higher education institutions offering IB studies all over the world. This is why the challenges and barriers presented in the text may apply to teaching IB in a wider context.1.Theoretical backgroundThe 2011 report prepared by IBM, based on the opinions of more than 1700 marketing directors from all over the world (64 countries) representing 19 economy sectors indicated four key determinants for market decision making by companies [From stretched... 2011]:- exponential growth of data,- growing role of social media,- development of marketing channels and instruments,- change in the demographic structure of the clients.Companies face the challenge of gathering large amounts of information and its quick analysis. It is particularly important for the internationalized firms operating in rapidly changing international conditions, among others the evolution of clients' demographic structure. New markets are created in China and India as a result of increasing significance of younger generations with their specific consumption models and ways of company information search. In the USA and Western Europe companies face the necessity to adapt their offer the aging society of the population boom in the 1970s and 1980s. The changes occur also on the economic level and concern purchasing potential of the dynamically developing Asian countries. …

Purpose – The authors seek to show the extent and nature of qualitative research in international marketing in IMR (International Marketing Review) and then aim to understand and explain developments in this area. They explore the global coverage of extant qualitative work in IMR and reflect on the thematic focus, theoretical purpose, research design and transparency of methods prevailing in these studies. Design/methodology/approach – The authors identify and content-analyze 79 qualitative international marketing-focused articles published in IMR from 1990 to 2010. Findings – The analysis revealed several areas that can assist researchers in identifying gaps to be filled by future qualitative international marketing studies. These include: global coverage needs to be further developed; an increase in the number of comparative studies, yet insights from three or more countries remain scarce; extant qualitative studies seem to explore ten key themes; there is a growing trend in theory elaboration studies; interviews are still the most popular data collection method, yet the repertoire of methods is expanding; there is an upward trend in higher transparency in the description of data collection and analysis, but this needs further development. Originality/value – The paper fosters the development of qualitative research in international marketing by: highlighting the value of qualitative research for advancing theory in this field; inspiring international marketing scholars to learn more about qualitative methods; and offering guidelines to researchers that seek to advance this field.

Purpose – Endogeneity is a potential threat to the validity of international marketing (IM) research. The purpose of this paper is to draw the attention of IM researchers to issues of endogeneity, to provide a comprehensive overview of the sources of endogeneity, and to discuss the statistical solutions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct the research in two steps. In the first step, the authors review the nature and sources of endogeneity specifically in IM research. In the second step, the authors review 60 IM papers on endogeneity published in the period 1995-2014 and assess the current practice of addressing endogeneity in the IM literature. Findings – Sample selection bias and simultaneity are prevalent sources of endogeneity in IM research. Internationalization-performance relationship and innovation-export nexus are the two most frequently adopted models subject to potential endogeneity. Simply lagging the main independent variable is statistically flawed in dealing with endogeneity despite its popularity in IM research. Research limitations/implications – First, a careful choice and application of methods are critical when addressing endogeneity. Second, the authors suggest the employment of multiple study methods to address endogeneity robustly. Third, to prevent or solve endogeneity in structural equation modeling, researchers may either collect data on independent and dependent variables from different respondents or employ a two-stage least squares approach. Finally, it is helpful to design dedicated models to prevent proactively potential endogeneity a priori. Originality/value – The contribution of this study is twofold. First, it is the first in the literature to discuss the endogeneity issue specifically in IM research. In particular, the study elaborates the origins and consequences of the three most frequently confronted types of endogeneity in IM research. Second, the authors assess the four major methods of addressing endogeneity in IM research with a systematic discussion of the literature from the last two decades. The authors offer suggestions on how to minimize endogeneity in model design and empirical implementation for future IM research.

International marketing research: A global project management perspective

Motivation: The need to develop marketing information systems results from the generally accepted need act according to marketing concept. When defined as a specific type of management information, marketing information refers to any kind of data that can be used in the process of marketing management in order to attenuate the uncertainty of decisions undertaken in the context of strategic marketing and operational marketing. The dynamic character of market processes and phenomena causes that decision-making always entails a certain dose of risk. Risk reduction is possible, for instance, by means of deploying relevant marketing information. One may, therefore, say that a role of information in a decision-making process could be perceived in terms of both uncertainty reduction and rendering undertaken decisions a privilege of correctness understood a priori. Aim: Any expansion beyond the scope of domestic market and searching for competitive advantages in the diversified international business environments are necessitated by taking decisions which involve greater risk than routine decisions based on experiences derived from the corporation’s domestic market. Likewise, decision-making process require a more profound informational support when they refer to international markets. By placing an emphasis on the sub-system of marketing research undertaken in a multicultural business environment, this paper aims to categorize and provide an in-depth insight into theoretical bases of marketing information systems with regard to companies functioning on foreign markets. The text elaborates upon the role of information in marketing management as well as upon selected approaches to the formation of marketing information systems. Moreover, the significance of international marketing research and its role in the process of corporate internationalization are explained. Likewise, basic forms of organization with regard to international marketing research are also characterized and explained from a perspective of involved spatial variables. Results: Globalization processes and the increase in the internationalization of enterprises pave the way for the development of marketing information systems which are utilized by contemporary business ventures seeking to internationalize their operations. Hence, one may postulate that the development of conceptualizations referring to international and global marketing is a motivating factor leading to the increase in the significance of well-constructed systems of marketing information with a special emphasis placed on the subsystem of marketing research. At this point, one has to bear in mind the international marketing research cannot be treated simply as an extension of domestic studies. When investigating international business environment, one is in a position to take a plethora of specific methodological problems into account at all stages of research procedures. The fundamental problem of international marketing research, which may be conceived as a context for further research, is equivalence of studies on diverse foreign markets and diverse cultures.

Reviews relational research in marketing and makes suggestions for its application internationally. Issues relating to nature and role of relationships are highlighted. Specifically, suggests looking more widely, and to other cultures, for relational constructs. We illustrate this by considering the parallel Chinese literature on guanxi. Also argues that relationships should be seen merely as conduits; necessary but not sufficient for improved performance. Information and “animal spirits” are the two key factors that flow through these conduits. Finally, suggestions are made for applying relationship marketing internationally, relating to dynamics, dyads, contextual moderators, model completeness and culture.

The pharmaceutical market performs a key function of providing the population with medicines, where marketing is the driving force behind meeting the needs for quality healthcare and requires innovative approaches. The research relevance is determined by technological innovations, alongside the severe epidemiological situation in the world and the war in Ukraine, which have changed the requirements for the marketing complex in the pharmaceutical and healthcare markets. The study aimed to deepen the theoretical provisions and develop scientific and practical recommendations for the implementation of marketing innovations in the international pharmaceutical market to increase efficiency and improve and accelerate public access to innovative medicines. The methodological basis was comparative and quantitative methods, tabular analysis and synthesis. The study defined the role of marketing methods and management mechanisms in the international pharmaceutical market. The study analysed the challenges faced by international pharmaceutical market participants related to globalisation and identified the key aspects of international marketing that affect the success of pharmaceutical market management. The study discussed the need to adapt marketing strategies to different cultures and economic conditions inherent in different countries. The study analysed effective methods of promotion in international pharmaceutical markets and examined important aspects of branding and communication to ensure the success of management in the pharmaceutical sector. The study examined modern trends in international marketing in the pharmaceutical sector and identified strategies for adapting to changes in the global economic environment. The role of effective marketing management in creating competitive advantages in international markets was defined, prioritising improvement of the quality of customer service. The study proposed a structural and logical model for the formation of a marketing strategy for the development of business entities in the pharmaceutical market in the global economic space, emphasising their development in the international economic space. The challenges faced by pharmaceutical companies were studied, and the key aspects of international marketing aimed at effective positioning in the global market were identified. The practical significance of the study is determined by the development of a structural and logical model for the formation of a marketing strategy for business entities in the pharmaceutical market, which will contribute to their successful positioning in international markets and increase the efficiency of public access to innovative medicines

As businesses expand further and further in international markets, the role of timely and accurate marketing research to guide decision making becomes increasingly critical. Research to support international marketing decisions has evolved over the past four decades and must change even more to support firms in the twenty‐first century. There are four key areas where progress must be made. First, international marketing research efforts need to be more closely aligned with market growth opportunities outside the industrialized nations. Second, researchers must develop the capability to conduct and coordinate research that spans diverse research environments. Third, international marketing researchers need to develop new creative approaches to probe the cultural underpinnings of behavior. Finally, technological advances need to be incorporated into the research process in order to facilitate and expedite research conducted across the globe.

The main purpose of international marketing research is to identify the current needs of consumers in foreign markets to set the direction of enterprise development to meet them, thus bypassing competitors. Market research is only an integral part of this process. Although, the most important part of it. This is due to the need to take into account primarily the requirements of the market, which can create the conditions for eliminating existing shortcomings in foreign economic activity and have a positive impact on the prospects of companies. International marketing is an independent branch of the enterprise when entering foreign markets and includes a set of measures to organize the production and sale of products, services focused on meeting the needs of specific foreign consumers based on research and forecasting of international markets. The purpose of this work is to provide a definition of international marketing research, justify their importance in the present and consider the main problems that may arise along the way. International market research may cover the world commodity market, the market of countries and industries, domestic and foreign markets or their specific segment. In addition to market research, sales research has the highest frequency. There may be some difficulties in conducting marketing research abroad. For example, surveys of business people in Taiwan become possible only when using at least four languages. These circumstances create not only high costs for this type of research, but also not always, due to numerous translations from one language to another achieve the goal, as they may be accompanied by loss or distortion of information. International marketing research generates data in order to perform: sales forecasting, identify loyal and satisfied customers, identify the optimal price range for the company's products. Such analysis is a process of collecting and studying the information needed to make effective decisions in business management, including international.

This study is motivated by the theme of this special issue of International Marketing Review, which highlights the enormous economic success of Asia‐Pacific nations and their emergence as global marketers of the twenty‐first century. The success of firms situated in these nations has been even more pronounced since the 1990. This study highlights international marketing developments, opportunities, and research issues that warrant closer attention. In examining the topic, highlights a number of important developments including technological innovations, the penetration and influence of the Internet and electronic commerce in the region, the emergence of Asian multinational companies, the development of Asian brands, the importance of relationships and networks for firms in this region, and their greater international integration and cooperation with the rest of the world. International marketing research considerations pertaining to the Asia‐Pacific Region are explored in each section, as well as in the conclusions.

The state of the art in research in international marketing is examined for the 1990–9 period, with particular emphasis on the conceptual framework and theory development in the field. This decade was chosen deliberately as it provides a fairly broad time frame to probe any significant changes in the field, both in terms of (1) the substance of research and (2) the methodologies used, and to see to what extent these two fundamental concerns raised in the 1980s have been addressed. Thus, the study takes stock of research in international marketing to see if the discipline has overcome the deficiencies outlined in previous review articles. The earlier review articles classified the research streams fairly broadly, encompassing issues from the macro‐environment to marketing management to consumer behaviour. To make this review of the international marketing literature comparable to those of the 1980s, the literature classification employed by Douglas and Craig in 1992 (competitive strategy; strategic alliances; sourcing; multinational company performance) is also employed here.

There is no intensive review available of research at the interface of international marketing and entrepreneurship. This article systematically logs and organizes the subject matter and provides research suggestions. An organizing framework with three main dimensions—international marketing, the nature of marketing, and entrepreneurship—guides the literature review, which relies on a full search of articles relevant to international marketing and entrepreneurship published in academic journals over the past two decades (1997–2016). The study adopts a qualitative research approach to analyze 169 articles that meet the definitions of both international marketing and entrepreneurship research. Nine research types emerge at the intersection of international marketing and entrepreneurship research, and the study examines the theoretical and empirical trends of each type. A promising avenue for future studies would be cross-cultural comparative research on the individual–opportunity nexus in marketing across countries. More mixed-method and longitudinal research designs are also welcomed. The authors conclude by offering suggestions for future interdisciplinary research.

The article researches the process of forming an international marketing strategy of an enterprise, taking into account the globalization of enterprise activities. The theoretical aspects of globalization are considered, namely: the essence of globalization and the international global market, market conditions for the functioning of business structures. It is noted that the global market as a component of the global economy balances global supply and demand in the market, and the company's success in the global market is achieved only through the development and adherence to a long-term development plan, which is its international strategy. It is proved that the formation of an international marketing strategy should be performed according to a certain algorithm, based on market research, which consists of gathering information about the potential of the market to which it is planned to enter, studying its features, and the features of international business in general. It is noted that the necessary stage of formation is the segmentation of the market of goods and services in order to find groups of consumers or buyers with the same characteristics for one type of goods, which in the future provides the opportunity to form a trade policy precisely for the globalization of the enterprise. The article substantiates the levels according to which an international strategy should be formed – corporate, functional and instrumental. Also, the article considers the ways of entering the market, which depend on the scale of the enterprise's activities, the purpose in general, and the product to be sold on the international market. The importance of determining before the enterprise enters the international market marketing communications that must be implemented and used at the enterprise and the presence of a distribution system at the enterprise, which includes the choice of distribution channels, sales conditions, training of sales personnel, tasks of sales personnel, is indicated. It is emphasized that when entering international markets, enterprises should use international marketing tools, the content of which is important in modern realities, and its principles are vital.