International Marketing Research Research Articles

The problem with standardizing international market research: A case study from B2B services

One of the key issues for multinational corporations (MNCs) is whether to standardize their marketing approach across all countries or adapt their practices to fit each country. In order to make this decision, MNCs must determine if their marketing approach is cross-culturally appropriate and equivalent from country to country. Unfortunately, recent research indicates that the vast majority of academic studies do not adequately address the cross-cultural equivalence issue. The primary purpose of this article is to illustrate the problem of using a standardized, global, B2B research approach. The second goal is to show how cross-cultural equivalence can be identified and managed. The firm in this study is a Fortune 100 MNC that provides facilities management services in over 100 countries. This article compares the cross-cultural equivalence of customer satisfaction survey data from the US and from Japan. The results show that about half of the items typically used to measure dimensions of product and service quality as drivers of customer satisfaction lack cross-cultural equivalence. The implication is that the use of a fully standardized approach to global research must be questioned.

Partnering for Growth in Emerging Markets

<h3>ABSTRACT</h3> C. Samuel Craig, the Catherine and Peter Kellner Professor of Marketing and International Business at New York University9s Stern School of Business, finds a number of challenges for advertisers in emerging markets. Professor Craig, in fact, has developed a distinguished body of work covering international marketing research and global marketing strategy. In the pages that follow, Dr. Craig argues that it is essential for global advertisers and agencies to establish a presence in emerging markets while, at the same time, embracing rapidly changing technology as it reshapes how they reach and influence consumers. <i>Douglas West</i> <i>Executive Editor</i>

Selling and Sales Management in Action: The Sales Force's Role in International Marketing Research and Marketing Information Systems

Many companies resist global markets because of seemingly insurmountable problems with these markets. Salespeople are often used successfully to gather market information. There is a wealth of market data that can be collected by a company's international sales force and distributors' sales force which can prove to be valuable in surmounting cultural and marketing barriers associated with global markets. The current paper discusses how and with what success U.S. multinational companies are using their international sales forces in gathering international marketing research data.

Exploring the landscape of qualitative research in international marketing

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.

Emerging perspectives in qualitative research in international marketing

Emerging perspectives in qualitative research in international marketing

Emerging perspectives in qualitative research in international marketing

Emerging perspectives in qualitative research in international marketing

A qualitative approach to understanding brand image in an international context

Purpose – The paper aims to demonstrate the utility of qualitative research for: understanding differences in brand image across markets; the critical assessment of marketing theory; informing revisions to quantitative scales and metrics used in international branding research. This is accomplished via research on a particular case (socialist era brands in Croatia and Serbia). Design/methodology/approach – A total of 12 focus groups, cutting across two countries (Croatia and Serbia) and three age groups (18-21, 35-45, pensioners), were conducted. The contemporary brand images of labels from the socialist era were compared against competing products (launched in the post-socialist period by local manufacturers and those from transnational companies). Findings – Analysis revealed significant differences in the image of the socialist era brands between their home and foreign markets. Variations are linked to a cultural context of newly (re)emerging states with high ethnocentrism, animosity and uneasy political relationships. Transnational brands, however, appear immune to much consumer ethnocentrism. Research limitations/implications – Firms from the region face significant barriers to creating standardised brand images across the successor states of the Socijalistička Federativna Republika Jugoslavija. While strong in their home markets, the socialist era brands are rarely suitable platforms for international market entry in the region. The dangers of conflating “Western” with foreign in international branding research are documented. Originality/value – The case illustrates the role qualitative research can play in understanding variations in perceived brand image across international markets. It evaluates the utility of Kapferer’s approach to brand identity. The concept of origin hierarchies is introduced and the inadequacies of international marketing research that relies on a simple domestic versus foreign dichotomy are documented.

International business research: strategies and resources

Introduction Chapter 1: Basic Tools and Sources for International Business Research Chapter 2: International Monetary System and Financial Markets Chapter 3: Resources with World Coverage Chapter 4: Regional Economic Organizations and Trade Blocs Chapter 5: International Company Research Chapter 6: Classification Systems for Industry Chapter 7: International Industry Research Chapter 8: International Market Research Chapter 9: Global Investing Index About the Authors

Special issue Multicultural marketplaces: new territory for international marketing and cross-cultural consumer research

Special issue Multicultural marketplaces: new territory for international marketing and cross-cultural consumer research

Special issue Multicultural marketplaces: new territory for international marketing and cross-cultural consumer research

Special issue Multicultural marketplaces: new territory for international marketing and cross-cultural consumer research

Global Consumer Culture Positioning (GCCP): Reviews and Conceptual Framework

Alden, Steenkamp, and Batra (1999) first proposed Global Consumer Culture Positioning (GCCP) as an alternative advertising strategy comparing with Local Consumer Culture Positioning (LCCP) and Foreign Consumer Culture Positioning (FCCP). Since then, several important studies have been conducted and published in this field. It has become an emerging topic in international marketing research. This article provides a consolidated review of some selected articles related to GCCP and proposed a conceptual framework of GCCP that illustrate the correlations between GCCP and several potential factors.

Methodological issues in cross-cultural research: An overview and recommendations

Cross-cultural/national research is essential for both scholars and practitioners. Although the methodological issues specific to this research have long been acknowledged in the literature, recent studies confirm that the standards demanded by earlier studies have not been met. Accordingly, we review some of the most relevant methodological issues involved in cross-cultural/national research and provide guidelines for addressing these issues, offering a fresh perspective based on the new trends and suggestions from recent literature. This study seeks to encourage greater methodological rigor in survey research conducted across cultures and/or countries to develop more theoretically robust and managerially relevant international market research.

Aspiring to Go Global: Unitech Engineers

Unitech Engineers, a manufacturer of high tensile fasteners, was established by the Modi brothers – one a commerce graduate and the other a technocrat with engineering and managerial degrees. From a small workshop, the company gradually crossed many hurdles, and by investing in technological upgradation and quality assurance systems, it grew to become one of the leading manufacturers of fasteners. With a fairly secured position in the domestic market and infusion of new blood in the management team, the company was now inspired from its success and was aspiring to expand its horizons beyond India. Ms Kruti Modi, the younger generation of the family, after doing a careful international market research decided that Unitech Engineers should now start exporting. Based on the primary research for international market selection Ms Modi had zeroed in on South Africa to begin overseas operations. The question, however, now aroused as how to approach the South African market and select a suitable and effective market entry strategy for a sustainable and scalable overseas business? The primary objective of the case is to make management graduates understand the natural progression of a first generation entrepreneurial venture. They can also understand various hurdles a company passes through and the kind of decisions one has to make. Students will appreciate that investments in technology and quality systems are a must if a company has to progress over a certain level and then aspire to go global.The issues involved in this case are about the vision of an entrepreneur, various stages through which a new business moves, investment options available to an entrepreneur and his ability to foresee the change in the market dynamics, his investment decisions (capacity expansion, technological upgradation, takeovers, etc.), and strategies to sustain and expand the business. With the inspirations from the success in the domestic market, the firm was now determined to go global over a period of time. Further, case highlights the need for international market research one has to do in order to select a country for export and underscores the market selection procedure for overseas marketing. The factors one needs to consider and how they are different from doing business domestically are discussed for determining suitable marketing strategies.TEACHING NOTE also available: ECCH Ref No. 812-016-8.

Integrating Cross-Cultural Marketing Research Training in International Business Education Programs: It's Time, and Here's Why and How

International business necessitates that its international business educators prepare today's workforce with skills necessary to take on cross-cultural research tasks and challenges. Yet, global business finds these skills in short supply. Perhaps this is the case because empirical evidence shows U.S. academic coverage of cross-cultural research complexities are severely limited as measured by text coverage. Slightly lagging behind international business and marketing programs located outside the United States in recognizing and acting on this this need, many U.S. programs now seek to enhance cross-cultural coverage. However, empirical evidences show that U.S.-based programs and the textbooks they use are lagging behind in their treatment of cross-cultural marketing research. Coverage in these texts is typically limited to a single chapter that repeats basic research concepts usually covered in principles of marketing courses. This article discusses a customized international marketing research course integrated with training that includes cross-cultural research issues and complexities and provides a framework of criteria useful in selecting an appropriate text.

Marketing in the New Millennium: Emerging Issues and Trends

Given focus on marketing research, present paper combines both academic and practitioner perspectives to highlight several issues and emerging trends that will shape role of marketing research in new millennium. These include redefinition of marketing researcher, ongoing nature of marketing research, qualitative research, Internet marketing research, and ethical issues in marketing research. I. The growing importance of marketing research As we have stepped into new millennium, marketing research, or market research as it is also called, is becoming more and more important for companies facing intensifying competition. This trend is firmly in place and marketing research is expected to experience continued growth as long as competitively driven economies of world expand. Two principal reasons are cited for continued growth of marketing research. First speed of business has increased due to diffusion of computers, digital technologies, and telecommunication devices. Such advances have enabled firms to be more responsive to be more responsive to customers through flexible manufacturing, and reduced cycle times in channel operations. Instant communication has become a prerequisite to developing a viable market. Although always important, marketing has assumed new significance in organization, as costs for misreading signals from marketing place become increasingly steeper. As detector and interpreter of signals and clues from marketplace, marketing research has a critical role in providing the voice of customer to management. Advances in technology have enhanced scope, effectiveness, and efficiency of marketing research leading to its increased use. The second reason for continued growth of marketing research is implicit imperative for global operations as end of Cold War has brought a new international system of globalization. As citizens of world are increasingly aware of consumption opportunities elsewhere, demand for political, judicial, and delivery systems has increased in corresponding manner. Although it has lingering presence in world scene, nationalistic protectionism has lost much of its pallor. With more open markets, international competitors have moved into more markets of world. At same time, competition has become more global, flat or declining birth rates in developed countries of world have rendered many product categories as saturated. As a result, markets for products in developing and newly developed countries continue to expand as these countries have only recently experienced relative prosperity leading to an expanded middle class. Thus many of multinational companies (MNCs) based in developed countries are seeking to penetrate these developing markets. Marketing research can provide essential knowledge to management teams of firms entering new markets. Despite potential value of developing a market orientation and effectively utilizing marketing research, realizing these goals proves to be elusive for many firms struggling to become learning organizations. While perceived high cost of commissioning research appears to keep many firms from initiating marketing research, deploying marketing research is a complex process for best of firms. The purpose of this article is to illuminate emerging issues and trends in marketing research as we enter a new millennium. In this way, we hope to boost efforts of practitioners contributing to organizational learning. In this article we highlight several issues and emerging trends that will shake role of marketing research in new millennium. These include a redefinition of marketing researcher, ongoing nature of marketing research, qualitative research, quantitative research, international marketing research, internet marketing research, and ethical issues in marketing research.

Focus on Authors

Focus on Authors

The regional and global competitiveness of multinational firms

International competitiveness ultimately depends upon the linkages between a firm’s unique, idiosyncratic capabilities (firm-specific advantages, FSAs) and its home country assets (country-specific advantages, CSAs). In this paper, we present a modified FSA/CSA matrix building upon the FSA/CSA matrix (Rugman 1981). We relate this to the diamond framework for national competitiveness (Porter 1990), and the double diamond model (Rugman and D’Cruz 1993). We provide empirical evidence to demonstrate the merits and usefulness of the modified FSA/CSA matrix using the Fortune Global 500 firms. We examine the FSAs based on the geographic scope of sales and CSAs that can lead to national, home region, and global competitiveness. Our empirical analysis suggests that the world’s largest 500 firms have increased their firm-level international competitiveness. However, much of this is still being achieved within their home region. In other words, international competitiveness is a regional not a global phenomenon. Our findings have significant implications for research and practice. Future research in international marketing should take into account the multi-faceted nature of FSAs and CSAs across different levels. For MNE managers, our study provides useful insights for strategic marketing planning and implementation.

Are You Planning to Use Culture as a Variable in International Marketing Research

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and assess the appropriateness of widely employed cultural frameworks in international marketing research. A review of earlier and contemporary approaches to culture study in international marketing is presented. Four dominant frameworks of culture are examined and their sigruficance is assessed with regard to well-defined criteria. Their appropnateness for mternahonal marketmg is compared and directions for future research are presented. The results and discussions might be helpful to the researchers not only in choosing the appropriate cultural frameworks for their studies but also encourage them to develop new cultural typologies.

The Anchor Contraction Effect in International Marketing Research

In an increasingly globalized marketplace, it is common for marketing researchers to collect data from respondents who are not native speakers of the language in which the questions are formulated. Examples include online customer ratings and internal marketing initiatives in multinational corporations. This raises the issue of whether providing responses on rating scales in a person's native versus second language exerts a systematic influence on the responses obtained. This article documents the anchor contraction effect (ACE), the systematic tendency to report more intense emotions when answering questions using rating scales in a nonnative language than in the native language. Nine studies (1) establish ACE, test the underlying process, and rule out alternative explanations; (2) examine the generalizability of ACE across a range of situations, measures, and response scale formats; and (3) explore managerially relevant and easily implementable corrective techniques.

Interpreting interrelations across multiple levels in HGLM models

PurposeAlthough the use of data from different levels is very common in international marketing research, the practice of employing multi‐level analysis techniques is relatively new. The paper aims to provide an application of a specific case of multi‐level modelling – where the dependent variable is dichotomous, which is often the case in marketing research (e.g. whether a consumer buys the brand or not, whether he/she is aware of the brand or not, etc.)Design/methodology/approachA hierarchical generalized linear model is employed.FindingsSince this is a technical paper, the authors would like to emphasize the process rather than the empirical findings. In summary, the paper: provides a brief theoretical overview of Hierarchical Linear Modeling and Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling; illustrates the application of the method using the domains of consumers within countries and a dichotomous dependent variable; focuses on interpretation of log‐odds results; and concludes with practical issues and research implications.Originality/valueThe main value of this research is to demonstrate how to employ multi‐level models when the dependent variable is dichotomous. Multi‐level techniques are quite new in international marketing research, although nested data structures are relatively common in our field. This is a technical paper that guides the researchers as to how to apply and interpret the results when modeling such data with a dichotomous dependent variable.