International Marketing Journals Research Articles

Expanding Research Horizons: use of online interviews in Consumer Culture Theory

Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) is the consumer research culturalist tradition. With the deterritorialization of culture, networked cultural connections fluidly encompass social and economic dynamics. The Internet has become a cultural network that allows for mediated social interactions. In this context, online interviews emerged as an adaptation of face-to-face interviews and a means of accessing individuals from physically dispersed cultural contexts, therefore, suitable for the CCT agenda. Thus, this research seeks to characterize the use of qualitative online interviews through Digital Technologies for Information and Communication in CCT research. To this end, we analyzed a research corpus composed of articles that adopted the online interview. The articles were published in the main international marketing journals recognized for publishing works in the culturalist tradition of consumer research. We identified that online interviews have gain resonance in the field, through different qualitative research methods, with a focus on access to spatially dispersed consumers. However, little emphasis has been given to the operationalization of the interviews. Thus, we concluded that discussions about the technique's use would be suitable for its broader and more transparent adoption.

Emerging market multinationals’ international equity-based entry mode strategies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the theories used to study the international equity-based entry mode strategies of emerging market multinationals (EMMs) and the contribution of these studies to extant literature.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a systematic review of the literature. A total of 73 articles were identified from key management, international business and international marketing journals published between 2000 and June 2015. Articles were analysed according to the theory(ies) used, thematic area, methodology, home/host countries studied and findings.FindingsDespite the great interest around the topic of how the antecedents and outcomes of EMMs’ international entry mode strategies may challenge and amend existing theories, the findings that come out of this research mirror patterns observed in the entry mode literature in general. Whilst traditional perspectives such as internalisation theory and the OLI paradigm remain prevalent, a growing number of studies draw on institutional theory and combine multiple theoretical perspectives. Newer theories developed specifically to study EMMs (e.g., the springboard perspective) are used in only five studies and challenged to differentiate their theoretical underpinnings from extant literature. Overall, the theoretical contribution of EMM studies is simply a change in emphasis from the role of firm-specific factors towards the influence of home country institutions on entry mode strategies. The authors conclude that the literature has only made tweaks at the edge of theories with no significant changes to extant theorisations.Originality/valueThis is the first systematic review of the literature focusing specifically on the international equity-based entry mode strategies of EMMs.

The Global and Regional Dispersion of Publishing in the Field of International Marketing

ABSTRACT This paper empirically examines the research productivity of academic institutions in the leading international marketing journals, leading generalist marketing journals, and leading international business journals between the years 1999 and 2003 from a regional and country-specific perspective. The research found that across the three groups of journals, the majority of works were authored by academics at institutions located in North America, although North Americans contribute significantly less in the international marketing and international business journals than leading generalist marketing journals. The findings suggest that there is a broadening of non-U.S. influence within the international marketing and international business journals, which should lead to a broadening of international marketing theory.

O Uso da técnica de modelagem em equações estruturais na área de marketing: um estudo comparativo entre publicações no Brasil e no exterior

Este artigo realiza uma avaliação crítica da aplicação de Modelagem em Equações Estruturais no Brasil, a partir de um estudo comparativo entre os trabalhos publicados na sub-área de marketing do ENANPAD e nas seções de marketing de três dos principais periódicos de administração do Brasil: RAE, RAUSP e RAC, de 1994 a 2003. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados às estatísticas que resumem a utilização de SEM em artigos publicados nos principais journals internacionais de marketing, tabulados e apresentados por Baumgartner e Homburg (1996). O texto se inicia por uma breve visão geral de SEM - surgimento, funções e características, etapas principais, aplicações, aspectos essenciais e alguns aspectos problemáticos da sua utilização. Após a discussão sobre os critérios utilizados para tabular os artigos, o panorama do uso de SEM no Brasil é apresentado e comparado com as estatísticas dos trabalhos publicados em âmbito internacional. O texto é encerrado com uma avaliação geral da qualidade da utilização desta abordagem no Brasil e apresentação de sugestões para futuras aplicações da modelagem de equações estruturais em marketing.

The Internet as a Marketing Interface for Welsh Speciality Small and Medium‐sized Agri‐food Enterprises

A major challenge facing Welsh speciality Small and Medium‐sized Agri‐food Enterprises (SMAFEs) is how to sustain growth in a global market. This can be enhanced through e‐commerce and the marketing of product through the Internet to an international audience. Recent research carried out by the Welsh Enterprise Institute (WEI) found that there may only be 10 per cent of Welsh SMAFEs using the Internet for this purpose. The challenge, therefore, is how to enable SMAFEs to market effectively their products; to put these small firms not only in contact with local markets but also international markets; to ensure a range of “authentic” food products is available to Welsh communities in other countries and those people with affinity to “all things Welsh”; and to establish channels that facilitate repeat purchase by visitors to Wales. This challenge can be responded to by enabling SMAFEs to gain access to the Internet and to be confidence in its use, to develop “user friendly” Web sites, to link to overseas markets through the Internet, and to establish a long‐term customer base. The WEI has undertaken a two stage survey to measure SMAFE usage of e‐mail and the Internet in Wales. The buying habits of Welsh Affinity Groups (WAGs) on the Internet in the USA, Canada and other countries has also been studied and it is planned to establish network links between the SMAFEs and the WAGs, and communities overseas. This paper describes the survey of SMAFEs in Wales and reports on the analysis of the findings together with recommendations for the establishment of a comprehensive Welsh food portal. This is related to the study of the WAGs in the USA and Canada and a proposal for the development of a virtual “market place” between the SMAFEs and the WAGs is explored. The WEI has joined forces with Web design companies WebAware and MAWR Ltd., to offer high quality consultancy and advice to provide Web site and e‐commerce solutions relevant to SMAFEs to create an anticipated multi‐million pound net gain to Wales and the Welsh Agri‐food sector through world‐wide sales. A Welsh food portal is therefore of immense importance as a marketing entrepreneurship interfacing tool not only to Agri‐food enterprises in Wales but also to customers from across the World. The paper concludes by arguing for the need for appropriate support to be provided for speciality Welsh SMAFEs to make them aware of the importance of the adoption of e‐commerce including the Internet and Web sites. This paper is a version of one that has been published in the International Journal of Applied Marketing, published by International Marketing Journals, ISSN: 1742‐2612.