International Marketing Review Research Articles

COVID-19 pandemic: advancing international marketing theory and guiding practice

Purpose This paper has a dual purpose. The first is to provide a thorough analysis of developments in international marketing in relation to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; the second is to capitalize on these developments to set an agenda for future research in the field of international marketing.Design/methodology/approach This paper zooms in on and reviews the 18 papers published in International Marketing Review’s (IMR) Special Issue on “Covid 19: advancing international marketing theory and guiding practice” (2023, volume 40, issue 5). It also integrates recent research at the intersection of international marketing and the COVID-19 pandemic.Findings The paper highlights five areas that embody significant contemporaneous changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and affect international marketing practice. These include (1) shifts in consumer behavior, (2) digitalization and artificial intelligence, (3) disruptions in supply chains, (4) communication and corporate social responsibility (CSR), and (5) international dynamic marketing capabilities. In order to advance international marketing theory in relation to pandemics and other external crises, the paper establishes research directions for each of these areas.Originality/value The paper provides a novel and comprehensive categorization of fundamental shifts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and lays out a research roadmap to advance research in the field of International Marketing (IM). Important implications for practice are also discussed.

Consumer well‐being—A systematic literature review and research agenda usingTCCMframework

AbstractConsumer well‐being (CWB) refers to the cognitive and emotional reactions of consumers in response to their consumption experiences. It encompasses three elements: consumer satisfaction, positive emotions and perceived quality of life. In the past few years, there has been significant research growth in the field of CWB. However, a lack of effort is observed in reviewing this emerging and evolving field of research. This review utilises the Theory–Context–Construct–Methods (TCCM) framework given by Paul and Rosado‐Serrano (2019) (International Marketing Review,36(6), 830–858), to delve into the prominent theories, contexts (i.e., countries and industries), characteristics (major factors and variables) and methods (i.e., research designs and analysis) used in CWB research spanning over the past 24 years (1998–2022). Through a systematic analysis and synthesis of 142 articles, an overview of this research field is provided, establishing a path for future agenda within the TCCM framework. This review reveals a prevalence of single‐theory approaches, with studies primarily focusing on theories such as the self‐determination theory and the attribution theory. Furthermore, CWB research demonstrates a stronger inclination towards examining the services industry context compared to other industries covered in the literature. Additionally, the review emphasises the need for further research on countries with emerging economies. Detailed future research directions are presented.

Service failure and service recovery: A hybrid review and research agenda

AbstractIt is an opportune time to reflect on the progress of service failure and service recovery in the field of service marketing, specifically with a focus on perceived justice. Over the past three decades, justice theory has played a pivotal role in explaining these phenomena, prompting the need to evaluate its current standing and contributions. The study reviews the literature on service failure and recovery (SFR) using the hybrid review approach through an integration of bibliometric analysis and a framework‐based review (Theories–Characteristics–Contexts–Methods; Paul and Rosado‐Serrano, 2019, International Marketing Review, 36(6), 830–858). In the bibliometric overview, the publication trend and citation structure of articles dealing with perceived justice in SFR between 1990 and March 2022, the most prolific authors/sources as well as the most active institutions that contribute the most to this field of scientific inquiry have been analysed in detail. Following the performance analysis, the authors carry out scientific mapping that underscores the intellectual corpus as well as the emergent themes of the field. Using network analysis in visualization of similarities viewer software, service failure, service recovery and perceived justice in service failure and service recovery have been grouped into clusters based on co‐citation analysis and bibliographic coupling. The articles in the clusters are critically reviewed in terms of theories, contexts, characteristics and methods to not only synthesize the foundational knowledge in the field and propose avenues for future but also make recommendations for academia and industry. To add scientific rigour, the study uses Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (Paul et al., 2021, International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(4), O1–O16) protocol to guide review decisions in a bibliometric analysis.

Verifying rigor: analyzing qualitative research in international marketing

PurposeThere has been a growing call regarding broad criteria for assessing qualitative methods' reliability and validity in international marketing (IM) research. In response, this study synthesizes the past literature to present an overarching, yet adaptable, trustworthiness verification framework for assessing the rigor of various qualitative methods used in IM.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on qualitative research from various disciplines. It uses content analysis to examine how trustworthiness is conceptualized in qualitative studies in International Marketing Review (IMR) from 2005 to 2019.FindingsThe analysis reveals that strategies to ensure rigor and trustworthiness of qualitative research in IMR are partially applied. There remain gaps in implementing quality criteria across the trustworthiness dimensions of credibility, transferability, dependability, conformability and ethics.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper highlights the importance of incorporating strategies for assessing the quality of qualitative research in IM research. Since the analysis only focused on IMR, future research should explore and test the framework in other IM and business journals to reach a broader consensus in assessing qualitative studies' rigor.Originality/valueIM researchers have yet to develop a consensus regarding broad criteria for assessing qualitative methods' reliability and validity. This paper is an attempt to fill this gap.

A bibliometric review ofInternational Marketing Review (IMR): past, present, and future

PurposeThe primary objective of this endeavour is to form a retrospective overview of theInternational Marketing Review (IMR) and map its way forward.Design/methodology/approachA range of bibliometric techniques has been employed to analyse the performance ofIMRand its stakeholders, map the evolution of its thematic and intellectual structures and analyse the factors drivingIMR's academic influence and impactFindingsIMR's academic contributions, influence and impact have grown progressively. The thematic structure of the journal has evolved into six clusters. Simultaneously, its research fronts have submerged to six bibliographic clusters, noted as marketing channels, cross-cultural impact on emerging markets, export performance, country of origin (COO), online consumers and global business environment. Among these, the first four are still evolving, suggesting scope for future submissions.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this endeavour largely arises from its selection of bibliographic data being confined to Scopus.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first objective assessment of the journal, useful to its authors, readers, reviewers and editorial board.

The myriad meanings of cultural identities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide the authors’ response to three commentaries (Batra and Wu, 2019; Papadopoulos, 2019; Westjohn and Magnusson, 2019) on Strizhakova and Coulter (2019), “Consumer cultural identities: local and global cultural identities and measurement implications,” International Marketing Review. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper and a response to commentaries on the initial paper Strizhakova and Coulter (2019), “Consumer cultural identity: local and global cultural identities and measurement implications”. Findings This paper continues an important dialogue on the topic of multifaceted consumer cultural identities. Specifically, the authors discuss the myriad meanings of cultural identity, as well as meanings of global, local, disinterested/disidentified and glocal cultural beliefs. The paper offers directions and poses questions that warrant future research attention and have important implications for global and local brand managers. Originality/value The paper addresses important issues and future research directions about the provocative topic of consumer cultural identities, their meanings, measurements and practical/research implications.

The future of globalization: a comment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an afterword to Steenkamp’s reflections on the future of globalization published in this issue of International Marketing Review. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a commentary. Findings Through examples and arguments, the comment emphasizes the need to think locally even when pursuing global strategies, and raises the question of whether global consumer culture is desirable. Originality/value The comment builds on Steenkamp’s essay, and asks unique questions that global consumer culture scholars need to reflect upon.

Identifying emerging research fields: a longitudinal latent semantic keyword analysis

This study aims to gain insights into emerging research fields in the area of marketing and tourism. It provides support for the use of quantitative techniques to facilitate content analysis. The authors present a longitudinal latent semantic analysis of keywords. The proposed method is illustrated by two different examples: a scholarly journal (International Marketing Review) and conference proceedings (ENTER eTourism Conference). The methodology reveals an understanding of the current state of the art of marketing research and e-tourism by identifying neglected, popular or upcoming thematic research foci. The outcomes are compared with former results generated by traditional content analysis techniques. Findings confirm that the proposed methodology has the potential to complement qualitative content analysis, as the semantic analysis produces similar outcomes to qualitative content analysis to some extent. This paper reviews a journal's content over a period of nearly three decades. The authors argue that the suggested methodology facilitates the analysis dramatically and can thus be simply applied on a regular basis in order to monitor topic development within a specific research domain.

A critical look at the use of SEM in international business research

Purpose– Structural equation modeling (SEM) has been widely used to examine complex research models in international business and marketing research. While the covariance-based SEM (CB-SEM) approach is dominant, the authors argue that the field’s dynamic nature and the sometimes early stage of theory development more often require a partial least squares SEM (PLS-SEM) approach. The purpose of this paper is to critically review the application of SEM techniques in the field.Design/methodology/approach– The authors searched six journals with an international business (and marketing) focus (Management International Review,Journal of International Business Studies,Journal of International Management,International Marketing Review,Journal of World Business,International Business Review) from 1990 to 2013. The authors reviewed all articles that apply SEM, analyzed their research objectives and methodology choices, and assessed whether the PLS-SEM papers followed the best practices outlined in the past.Findings– Of the articles, 379 utilized CB-SEM and 45 PLS-SEM. The reasons for using PLS-SEM referred largely to sampling and data measurement issues and did not sufficiently build on the procedure’s benefits that stem from its design for predictive and exploratory purposes. Thus, the procedure’s key benefits, which might be fruitful for the theorizing process, are not being fully exploited. Furthermore, authors need to better follow best practices to truly advance theory building.Research limitations/implications– The authors examined a subset of journals in the field and did not include general management journals that publish international business and marketing-related studies. Fur-thermore, the authors found only limited use of PLS-SEM in the journals the authors considered relevant to the study.Originality/value– The study contributes to the literature by providing researchers seeking to adopt SEM as an analytical method with practical guidelines for making better choices concerning an appropriate SEM approach. Furthermore, based on a systematic review of current practices in the international business and marketing literature, the authors identify critical challenges in the selection and use of SEM procedures and offer concrete recommendations for better practice.

Consumer receptiveness to international retail expansion: a cross-cultural study of perceptions of social and economic influence of foreign retailers

Guided by the work of Samiee (1993. Journal of Business Research, 27 (2): 103–129), Sakarya, Eckman, and Hyllegard (2007. International Marketing Review, 24 (2): 208–238), and Alexander et al. (2010. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 38 (3): 160–172), a cross-cultural analysis was undertaken to examine consumer receptiveness to domestic market entry by foreign apparel specialty retailers. More specifically, this study explored differences in consumers' perceptions of the influence of foreign apparel specialty retailers on social, cultural, and economic development across three countries: Spain, Turkey, and the USA. Consumer receptiveness was measured as beliefs about the social and economic influence of foreign retailers and perceptions of retailers' brand characteristics and offerings. An intercept survey of 1233 apparel shoppers was conducted in major metropolitan shopping areas in all three countries. MANOVA revealed that Spanish consumers were least concerned about urban growth associated with foreign retailers and least likely to perceive positive employment/business opportunities and socio-cultural well-being from the presence of foreign retailers. Turkish consumers held the strongest perceptions regarding the influence of foreign retailers on urban growth. Paired sample t-tests revealed that Turkish consumers, when compared with Spanish consumers, evaluated U.S. retailers' offerings more positively and were more receptive to the entry of U.S. retailers into their domestic markets. Results of regression analyses indicated that Spanish and Turkish consumers' beliefs about retail brand characteristics and the socio-cultural and economic influence of foreign retailers positively predicted consumers' receptiveness, whereas age negatively influenced receptiveness. Differences in perceptions among Spanish, Turkish, and U.S. consumers may be attributed to the varying levels of economic development among the three countries as well as to the countries' differing policies concerning foreign retailers. Findings provide a basis for the development of a measure of consumer receptiveness to international retail expansion.

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.

An updated overview of research published in the International Marketing Review

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the 29 years of research published in International Marketing Review (IMR) since its inception.Design/methodology/approachA brief editorial history of the journal is chronicled, and its output is discussed. Special attention is focused upon journal content, authorship analysis, and methodological issues.FindingsThe authors find: IMR publishes articles that often focus on export and global marketing, with consumer behavior and branding being the fastest growing content areas; IMR's frequent contributors consist of world renowned experts in international marketing and business and have become more diverse; and the authors of IMR use a wide variety of data collection and analysis methods.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors conclude that IMR exhibits the characteristics of a mature and leading journal in the field of international business. To assist IMR in maintaining its significant impact on marketing scholarship, the paper outlines some possible directions for the future.Originality/valueThis article analyzes the 29 years of research published in International Marketing Review (IMR) since its inception. To assist IMR in maintaining its significant impact on marketing scholarship, it also outlines some possible directions for the future.

Internationalization patterns of small and medium‐sized enterprises

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the conceptual frameworks and concepts with which the research on internationalization patterns of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) should be conducted.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive overview of concepts and a conceptual framework to study internationalization patterns of SMEs is offered.FindingsThe complexities of existing definitions and methodologies for researching internationalization patterns are highlighted, and a synthesis of the issues is provided. An integrative model of internationalization pathways, and their antecedents and outcomes is presented.Research limitations/implicationsIt is recommended that future research focuses especially on the time dimension of internationalization patterns. Future research can contribute to the literature by adopting a longitudinal approach with larger samples and more detailed cases to capture the dynamics of internationalization.Practical implicationsPractitioners might map their positions, and look for challenges and opportunities with regard to their chosen internationalization pattern. They can also benchmark other firms’ pathways and fine‐tune their own approach to internationalization.Originality/valueThe paper integrates a large body of research in an important research area in international marketing. It also provides guidance on how to conduct future research in the area, and introduces the content of this special issue of the International Marketing Review.

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Resolving the impasse regarding research on the origins of products and brands

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address the apparent controversy surrounding the relevance of country of origin (CO) and brand origin (BO) lines of research, with particular reference to an article authored by Magnusson, Westjohn, and Zdravkovic (MWZ) whose research findings assert that CO matters, irrespective of whether customers can actually recall origins of brands.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the extant literature from academic and business publications, the paper offers evidence regarding the relative unimportance of origin‐related attributes in most purchasing situations. In this context, the paper examines the atheoretic nature of CO research combined with a general lack of realistic managerial relevance, consumers’ impoverished CO and BO knowledge base, and the challenges of using CO as a positioning tool in marketing strategy. Finally, the paper examines some critical research issues regarding MWZ's contribution.FindingsCountry of origin research is not as relevant in customer choice process as some scholars believe and is generally void of meaningful managerial guidelines.Originality/valueThis is a commentary about an International Marketing Review article.

Commentary—Invited Comment on “Opinion Leadership and Social Contagion in New Product Diffusion”

AboutSectionsView PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Go to Section HomeMarketing ScienceVol. 30, No. 2 Commentary—Invited Comment on “Opinion Leadership and Social Contagion in New Product Diffusion”David GodesDavid GodesPublished Online:10 Dec 2010https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1100.0605 Previous Back to Top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedInformationCited byImpacts of normative and hedonic motivations on continuous knowledge contribution in virtual community: the moderating effect of past contribution experience10 February 2023 | Information Technology & People, Vol. 22Relationships among immigrant consumers' cultural orientation, innovativeness and opinion leadership15 November 2021 | International Marketing Review, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-printConsumer susceptibility to social influence in new product diffusion networks: how does network location matter?31 December 2020 | European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 55, No. 5Social Media Firm Specific Advantages as Enablers of Network Embeddedness of International Entrepreneurial VenturesJournal of World Business, Vol. 56, No. 3Leaders that bind: the role of network position and network density in opinion leaders' responsiveness to social influenceAsia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-printCreating Social Contagion Through Firm-Mediated Message Design: Evidence from a Randomized Field ExperimentTianshu Sun, Siva Viswanathan, Elena Zheleva5 August 2020 | Management Science, Vol. 67, No. 2Improving the value of the retailer brand through social media equity18 April 2020 | Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 27, No. 5Social interactions impact on product and service development27 July 2020 | Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Vol. 14, No. 1Who is tech savvy? 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A Discrete Choice Analysis on Peer Effects in Solar Photovoltaic System Adoption of HouseholdsSSRN Electronic Journal, Vol. 65Socially Nudged: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Friends’ Social Influence in Online Product RatingsChong (Alex) Wang, Xiaoquan (Michael) Zhang, Il-Horn Hann10 May 2018 | Information Systems Research, Vol. 29, No. 3Preaching to the Choir: The Chasm Between Top-Ranked Reviewers, Mainstream Customers, and Product SalesElham Yazdani, Shyam Gopinath, Steve Carson22 August 2018 | Marketing Science, Vol. 37, No. 5How Customer Referral Programs Turn Social Capital into Economic Capital1 February 2018 | Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 55, No. 1Projecting service quality: The effects of social media reviews on service perceptionInternational Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 69When are influentials equally influenceable? The strength of strong ties in new product adoptionJournal of Business Research, Vol. 82Social Dollars in Online Communities: The Effect of Product, User, and Network Characteristics1 January 2018 | Journal of Marketing, Vol. 82, No. 1Marketing on TumblrFrom conformity to reactance: Contingent role of network centrality in consumer-to-consumer influenceJournal of Business Research, Vol. 75Marketing on TumblrIndicators of opinion leadership in customer networks: self-reports and degree centrality28 April 2015 | Marketing Letters, Vol. 27, No. 3Adaptive personalization using social networks1 May 2015 | Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 44, No. 1From Social to Sale: The Effects of Firm-Generated Content in Social Media on Customer Behavior1 January 2016 | Journal of Marketing, Vol. 80, No. 1Social networks in marketing research 2001–2014: a co-word analysis15 August 2015 | Scientometrics, Vol. 105, No. 1Word of Mouth and Interpersonal CommunicationSocial Contagion in New Product Trial and RepeatRaghuram Iyengar, Christophe Van den Bulte, Jae Young Lee19 January 2015 | Marketing Science, Vol. 34, No. 3Nonmonotonic Status Effects in New Product AdoptionYansong Hu, Christophe Van den Bulte13 May 2014 | Marketing Science, Vol. 33, No. 4Dynamic Effects of Social Influence and Direct Marketing on the Adoption of High-Technology Products1 March 2014 | Journal of Marketing, Vol. 78, No. 2Predicting Individual Behavior with Social NetworksSharad Goel, Daniel G. Goldstein24 October 2013 | Marketing Science, Vol. 33, No. 1Creating Social Contagion Through Firm Mediated Message Design: Evidence from a Randomized Field ExperimentSSRN Electronic Journal, Vol. 106Leveraging Peer-to-Peer Networks in Pharmaceutical Marketing26 October 2013Research Commentary —Information in Digital, Economic, and Social NetworksInformation Systems Research, Vol. 24, No. 4Rejoinder—Further Reflections on Studying Social Influence in New Product DiffusionRaghuram Iyengar, Christophe Van den Bulte, Thomas W. Valente, 10 December 2010 | Marketing Science, Vol. 30, No. 2Marketing on Tumblr Volume 30, Issue 2March-April 2011Pages 195-388 Article Information Metrics Information Received:June 24, 2010Accepted:June 27, 2010Published Online:December 10, 2010 Copyright © 2011, INFORMSCite asDavid Godes, (2010) Commentary—Invited Comment on “Opinion Leadership and Social Contagion in New Product Diffusion”. Marketing Science 30(2):224-229. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1100.0605 Keywordsdiffusion of innovationsopinion leadershipsocial contagionsocial networksPDF download

Comparative, cross‐cultural, and cross‐national research

PurposeThe paper seeks to provide guidance for those who have data from multiple countries and are considering writing a comparative or cross‐cultural/national research paper.Design/methodology/approachThe approach taken is an essay format.FindingsInternational comparative marketing research studies are often rejected from the International Marketing Review because authors develop theory for which they have inappropriate data.Research limitations/implicationsResearch models need to be commensurate with the data available. Models that claim to assess how nation‐level variables of interest differentially drive beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors across countries, and yet only test the models using samples from two or three countries are not appropriate. Appropriate solutions for researchers seeking to undertake international comparative research are suggested.Originality/valueThe paper provides researchers with insights into successful strategies for publishing international comparative research.

A perspective on the state of the field: International business publications in the elite journals as a measure of institutional and faculty productivity

This study ranks academic institutions and scholars in international business based on publications in International Business Review, International Marketing Review, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of International Management, Journal of International Marketing, Management International Review, Journal of World Business, and 22 elite mainstream academic journals between 1996 and 2008. In contrast to earlier rankings that did not include international business scholarship from a wide range of elite mainstream publications across business disciplines, our analysis of international business research uses a comprehensive scoring procedure which demonstrates that IB research consistently emanates from many of the traditionally highest ranking universities throughout the world. Of the top 10 ranked universities, six are from North America, two are from Europe, and two are from Asia.

Emerging themes in international business research

This study is motivated by two research questions: (1) Which recent contributions have been driving the research agenda in international business? (2) Which emerging themes in the literature are likely to set the stage for future work? To examine these questions, the study examined scholarly work in international business over the time period 1996–2006 in six leading international business journals (Journal of International Business Studies, Management International Review, Journal of World Business, International Marketing Review, Journal of International Marketing, and International Business Review). Next, a Delphi study of the most prolific authors in these journals over the same time period was conducted to delineate a future research agenda in international business. Addressing these two research questions provides us with a more complete understanding of the progress made to date in international business research, and provides a glimpse of the future.

Prolific authors and institutions in leading international business journals

The science and practice of international business is advanced through scholarly contribution to the leading international business journals. Increased competition among academic institutions has led to increased emphasis on publication in the leading international business journals. Yet, little is known as to the answers to questions such as: (1) Who are the most prolific authors in the leading international business journals? and (2) Which educational institutions appear poised to lead international business scholarship? To examine these questions, the study examines scholarly work in international business over the past eleven years in six leading international business journals (i.e., Journal of International Business Studies, Management International Review, Journal of World Business, International Marketing Review, Journal of International Marketing, and International Business Review). Addressing these two research questions provides us with a more complete understanding of the authors and institutions most likely to influence the field of international business.