International Marketing Channels Research Articles

The effect of organizational culture on territorial exclusivity in international marketing channels: a study of Japanese manufacturing exporters

PurposeIt is important for an exporting manufacturer to motivate its foreign channel partners to sell and promote its products. An excellent way to motivate such foreign channel partners is to give them exclusive territories. Unfortunately, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the determinants of territorial exclusivity. This study aims to investigate the relationship between organizational culture and territorial exclusivity and the moderating role of firm size in this relationship.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected from manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan. To test the hypotheses, a regression analysis was conducted using the ordinary least squares technique.FindingsEmpirical evidence shows that the cultural values of collectivism and uncertainty avoidance influence territorial exclusivity; collectivist exporters are likely to use territorial exclusivity, whereas exporters with high uncertainty avoidance are not likely to use it. Furthermore, the larger the firm size, the smaller the impact of cultural values on territorial exclusivity; this suggests that large SMEs do not rely on their organizational culture to make decisions about exclusive territories.Originality/valueThe export marketing literature emphasizes the advantages of exclusive territories. By contrast, the channel management literature suggests that exclusive territories also have disadvantages. As exclusive territories have both advantages and disadvantages, it is crucial to answer the following question: What kinds of exporting manufacturers grant exclusive territories to their foreign channel partners? By addressing this question, this study contributes to a better understanding of export channel strategy.

INTERNATIONAL MARKET ENTRY STRATEGIES SELECTING FOREIGN DISTRIBUTORS

ABSTRACT Marketing strategies to enter international industrial markets generally proceed from exporting, to selling through distributors, to direct sales, to licensing or franchising, to strategic alliances, and finally to direct investment in a sales facility in a foreign country. These are international marketing channels. The question here is how to select a good industrial distributor in a foreign country. The manufacturer when seeking to expand into international markets must select the best possible distributor because the industrial distributor buys in bulk from the manufacturer, imports the product into the foreign country, finds and grows markets for the product and pays the manufacturer, all without serious cost or risk to the manufacturer. Given the importance of the foreign industrial distributor to the success of the manufacturer''s international marketing efforts, the selection of the optimal distributor is very important, but how to do so? Although it is tempting to simply ‘google'' distributors in a foreign country, prowess with HTML and/or other software languages, although very good, is not the same as prowess in international marketing. Googling is at best, only a first step. The best tool available to the manufacturer is the industrial trade show in a foreign country. Local industrial distributors participate in trade shows since the shows are an opportunity to showcase their products and services in order to market to their customers. The trade show then is an opportunity for the manufacturer to compare all the distributors, and their marketing and financial strengths, before making the final selection. Keywords International Channels, Industrial Sales, B2B Sales, Business to Business Sales, Distributors, International Marketing

Cultural and institutional determinants in international marketing channel adaptation: the case of Vichy Cosmetics in China

Cultural and institutional determinants in international marketing channel adaptation: the case of Vichy Cosmetics in China

Digital Echelons and Interfaces within Value Chains: End-to-End Marketing and Logistics Integration

The goals of real business in the context of the digital transformation of international logistics networks and marketing channels have necessitated the application of a scientifically based theoretical approach to the development of a formalized description acceptable for predictive planning based on leading indicators. In the context of globalization and interstate and regional economic unions, this will lead to achieving the maximum end-to-end integration of digital platforms. Based on the analysis, the article presents the integration of digital logistics and marketing approaches with the mathematical models of the ecosystem organization of economic relations. The features of the organization of economic relations between contractors involved in the execution of virtual transactions and the material movement of resources were analyzed. The researchers considered prerequisites for the analytical description of interconnections between the participants of digital platforms in cross border e-commerce. The authors’ approach is based on the idea of both a sales funnel in marketing and a conversion funnel in digital transformation. Considering the integration of logistics and marketing, authors offer the definition of business echelons as stages of the consumer value creation. The theoretical contribution of this article consists in constructing a mathematical description of business echelons along the entire value chain. The developed analytical description of business echelons is acceptable both for embedding a digital management support system into various software products, and for conducting in-depth analysis and finding optimal solutions.

Small exporting firms’ choice of exchange mode in international marketing channels for perishable products: A contingency approach

This study investigates how small, resource-constrained firms identify international marketing strategies for perishable products. Although international marketing of perishable products poses challenges for the exporter, many small companies manage to survive and thrive on an international business arena. Over the past decades, there has been a growing interest in how small firms design their international marketing channels. However, little is known about the conditions leading to the choice of a particular exchange modality. Drawing from the contingency framework, we investigate the role of firm-specific and industry-related factors in the choice of exchange mode among resource-constrained exporters. Based on insights from the Norwegian seafood industry, we introduce a contingency framework and develop a typology of exchange modalities. We suggest that resource-constrained exporters are inclined to engage in a succession of transactional exchanges. We offer propositions on the choice among alternative exchange modalities contingent upon firm and industry factors.

The migration of fishers as a driver of change in local fishers’ identity. The case of Imraguen fishermen in Mauritania

ABSTRACT Once an isolated territory difficult to access, the Banc d’Arguin has gradually opened up to international marketing channels for fishing products despite its status as a marine protected area. For the past thirty years or so, the park’s rich fishery resources have continued to attract the covetousness of Mauritanian migrant fishermen and fishermen from countries of the West African sub-region. Neighbourhood with the Imraguen over the decades has not been without consequences on their fishing practice, their mentality, their behaviour, their economy and their identity in crisis of recognition. This article aims to analyse the changes that have taken place within this Imraguen fishing community, particularly due to the presence of migrant fishermen who have settled in the park since the mid-1980s.

The Role of Organizational Strategies, Social Support, and Technological Capabilities in International Marketing Channel Performance

Information communication technologies increase the competitive intensity among organizations. The only way to get a sustainable competitive advantage is to focus on their resources, and capabilities to establish, and implement effective strategies to increase international marketing channel performance (IMCP). The target population of this study is the food industry in Pakistan, and the sample size is 400. Data has been collected through survey method based on an adapted questionnaire. Data has been analyzed through partial least square – structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. Results showed that validity and reliability of data, and organizational strategies (OS) focused on relationship strategies (RS) and marketing integration strategies (MIS) has positive and significant effect on IMCP. Whereas, technological capabilities (TC) has moderated and significant effect between OS and IMCP. Furthermore, social support (SS) has insignificant effect. This study has theoretical and practical significance. Because this study opens the new horizons in literature and provide guidelines to align their strategies with their capabilities to gain sustainable competitive advantage, which will improve their IMCP.

A behavioral model of international channel relationships

ABSTRACTPurpose: The main purpose of the study is to fill the existing gap in international relationship marketing (IRM) literature by developing and testing empirically a comprehensive conceptual model of firms’ relationship with their marketing channels in export markets. Whereas concepts such as power, conflicts, trust, commitment, and communication have been shown to be related to the economic success of interfirm cooperation in general and buyer–seller relations in particular, the need for a comprehensive model is often expressed in the literature.Methodology/approach: The authors combine commitment-trust theory with resource-based and knowledge-based view perspectives to develop a new comprehensive conceptual model of firms’ relationship with their marketing channels in export markets. Data from 104 strategic business units in Israel was used to test the model empirically.Findings: Notably, the model tested explained a higher percentage of the variance in performance. The findings suggest that noncoercive power enhances relationship quality (i.e., communication, trust, and commitment), which in turn improve cooperation and export performance. Conflict had a negative effect on relationship quality. In addition, cooperative conflict management strategies had a positive moderating effect on the conflict— relationship quality link, whereas competitive conflict management strategies had a negative moderating effect on the impact of conflict on relationship quality. Finally, the results suggest that there are strong positive relations between communication and trust and between trust and commitment.Research implications: The research develops and tests empirically a conceptual comprehensive model of firms’ relationship with their marketing channels in export markets by including major performance drivers. The model incorporates conflict management strategies and combines commitment-trust theory with resource-based view (RBV) and knowledge-based view (KBV), an innovative combination with great explanatory potential. Based on the findings, there is sufficient support for using the suggested model as a new integrative behavioral model that explains channel relationships.Practical implications: The results indicate that managers should use noncoercive power and cooperative conflict management strategies in order to positively affect relationship quality (i.e., communication, trust, and commitment), which in turn enhances cooperation and export performance.Originality/value/contribution: The suggested research model presents a novel combination of existing relationship marketing (RM) knowledge with the limited IRM knowledge into a comprehensive IRM model. It includes new relationships beyond those studied before. Integrating and synthesizing results from a large body of conceptual and empirical literature led to the final model. Accordingly, it contributes elements of newness. First, the model includes major antecedents of performance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive model of firms’ relationship with their international marketing channels in export markets. Second, there are almost no studies investigating conflict management strategies neither in RM nor in IRM models. Accordingly, a contribution of this research is incorporating conflict management strategies within the model and analyzing their effects.

Country of origin effects in international marketing channels

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the country-of-origin (COO) effect on overseas distributors’ behaviour in international marketing channels. Integrating the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the concepts of country-induced biases, the current study develops an empirically testable model that explains and predicts overseas distributors’ behaviour in international marketing channels.Design/methodology/approachHypotheses were tested using primary data stemmed from a survey of channel relationships between exporters and their overseas distributors. Data were collected from 103 distributors in the USA.FindingsEmpirical evidence shows that attitude towards foreign brands, social valuation of the origin of brands, and perceived behavioural control affect overseas distributors’ intention to place foreign brands. In addition, country-induced bias factors – buyer animosity and country-related affect to the origin of manufacture – are considered to be the antecedents of attitude towards foreign brands.Research limitations/implicationsBecause this study adopted a cross-sectional design, the limitations of this method can be applied to the study. In addition, because of the research context, the results of the present research may lack generalizability. This manuscript, however, integrated the TPB and the concepts of country-induced biases and addressed the calls for research on the COO effects on overseas distributors’ decision in international marketing channels.Practical implicationsThe manuscript suggests that to build positive attitudes towards foreign brands, a firm should focus on promotions through various media in international markets to lower animosity and the perceived risk to the origin of manufacture. In addition, firms with foreign brands need to identify and target a segment that feels comfortable about spending their resources on those brands. Finally, international marketers should focus on creating positive attitudes towards foreign brand goods and proper pricing strategies.Originality/valueThis manuscript fills the knowledge gap of the COO effect on organizational buyer behaviour in international marketing channels.

International entrepreneurial orientation and regional expansion

This study examines how behavioral elements of international entrepreneurial orientation (i.e. product innovativeness, risk-taking, proactiveness, competitive aggressiveness, and autonomy) increase variability in scope of regional market expansion, and the international marketing channel management conditions under which this occurs. Results from an empirical study in a developing market show that not all behavioral elements of international entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) increase scope of regional expansion. The study specifically finds that scope of regional expansion is fostered when high levels of product innovation intensity, risk-taking, competitive aggressiveness, and autonomous behaviors are aligned with a stronger channel management capability. Conversely, the regional expansion values of product innovation novelty and proactiveness are cancelled out when channel management capability levels are high.

Relationship Value: Drivers and Outcomes in International Marketing Channels

Although collaborative business arrangements based on relationship marketing have become ubiquitous over the past decades, research studies of relationship value in international marketing channels are scarce. Drawing on the relational view of competitive advantage, this study investigates the drivers of relationship value in exporter–importer relationships and its impact on customer loyalty. The study findings reveal that relationship-specific investments, knowledge sharing, complementary capabilities, and relational norms are powerful contributors of importer-perceived value in an overseas supplier relationship. Importantly, exporter cultural sensitivity weakens the negative effect of psychic distance on relationship value; when cultural sensitivity is low, psychic distance takes on greater importance in attenuating relationship value, whereas when cultural sensitivity is high, psychic distance has no discernible effect. In addition, the results demonstrate that relationship value results in insensitivity to competitive offerings and future purchase expansion. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for international marketing theory and practice.

Factors Influencing Pricing Decisions

In this paper, we look at factors that affect how marketers set price. The final price for a product might be influenced by numerous factors, which can be categorized into two main groups, internal factors and external factors, both areas are discussed in further detail in this paper. In addition to discussing the factors that influence international marketing channels, which are the channels within which goods and services pass to reach their foreign customers. This suggests that manufacturers and consumers must be located in either the producers or customers country or having presence in both countries. Lastly, the paper will discuss standardized advertising versus localized advertising in an international market.

Are There “Honorable Merchants” in International Marketing Channels?

The starting points of this initial exploratory study are two research questions: (1) could marketing relationships in international marketing channels be predicted by international marketing managers’ behavior reflected by “honorable merchants’” key concepts (ethics and trust) and experiential learning key concepts such as capability and competence?; and (2) can we measure the progress of this research theme in the international marketing literature and understand the nature of this phenomenon? We examine how scholarly research on international marketing managers’ behavior and their marketing relationships evolved from 2003 to 2013 and envisage the shape of this research theme the next years, to uncover current trends and possible research gaps on the ethics agenda in the international marketing education area. We identified the most salient concepts from 2,083 words for 22 key concepts counted in the abstracts of the 327 journal articles of the international marketing literature, in order to innovatively uncover the trends and concepts, explaining the marketing relationships in the international marketing context. We assessed sets of concepts that best reflect the marketing relationships in international marketing channels and indicated prospects for increasing the focus on specific topics, by conducting a series of multiple linear regression analyses and trend analyses. The research results show that the progress of the research theme can be measured. Innovatively, key competences and capabilities of international marketing managers relating to the key concepts of the “honorable merchant” construct are realized as a strong logical basis for the explanation of effective marketing relationships in international marketing channels. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Looking Back to Move Forward: A Review of the Evolution of Research in International Marketing Channels

Over the past fifty years, the scope of research on international marketing channels has significantly evolved. From an early focus on factors influencing the expansion of marketing channels internationally, the literature now investigates a myriad of topics related to the challenges of selecting channel structures and managing channel relationships. This article investigates the evolution of international marketing channels research by reviewing 353 international channels-related articles published from 1965 to 2014 under a periodization approach. The assessment of the state and evolution of the literature is used as a foundation for the identification of emerging themes that will move the field of international marketing channels forward.

A Data Mining Based Approach to a Firm's Marketing Channel

Abstract Firms need to collect and analyze marketing data in order to have a competitive advantage in the sector. The aim of this research is to extract knowledge from an international firm's marketing channel to improve the efficiency of the marketing system. The Cross Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM) is used to analyze the survey data. Data are clustered by applying a Kohonen Self Organizing Map (SOM) to reduce the attributes. Anomaly detection analysis is applied. We generate a C5.0 Decision Tree (DT) model used for predicting the marketing channel firms’ complaints with very high accuracy. Decision rules are also extracted.

Success in International Marketing Channels: Cases of Korean Exporter-Chinese Distributor Relationships

Success in International Marketing Channels: Cases of Korean Exporter-Chinese Distributor Relationships

Corporate Social Responsibility in International Marketing Channels: A Focus on Korean Multinational Enterprise-Overseas Distributor Relationships

Corporate Social Responsibility in International Marketing Channels: A Focus on Korean Multinational Enterprise-Overseas Distributor Relationships

Relationship-Driven Positional Advantage in International Marketing Channels: A Focus on Export Marketing Relationships

Relationship-Driven Positional Advantage in International Marketing Channels: A Focus on Export Marketing Relationships

The strategic value of niche importers in international marketing channels

Despite their importance, there is little documentation of the role of niche product importers in the marketing channel. This paper contributes theoretically to the field of study by exploring important ways importers of niche products provide value to their suppliers. Data from ten importers of fine, premium, or specialised wine and food are analysed. A reduced set of key importer value-enhancing activities for niche products is identified. For niche suppliers it is important to use importers that focus on appropriate market segments and that offer comprehensive international logistics solutions. Suppliers should strive to establish partnerships that allows for development of their capabilities and offerings. Such partnership should be based on a good fit between the two organisations. This could include long-term, close, and personal relationships, frequent and direct contact with key people, and similar business philosophies, values, and objectives.

International Marketing Channels for Brazilian Beef: Comparison between Russia and the United Kingdom

This article compares the Russian and British marketing channels for Brazilian beef distribution. The results show that the framework hereby developed aids understanding of the differences and the reasons for the organizational form of these channels. The findings also show that there is a difference in the way these channels are organized to seek efficiency in their business transactions. Institutional environment attributes are able to influence the distinction between channels in terms of transaction efficiency.