Market Context Research Articles

A template for conducting qualitative sales research in the Middle East

Potential challenges in conducting international sales research, coupled with the lack of systematic guidance currently prevent western sales scholars from conducting research in emerging market contexts. The authors draw upon (a) their decade-long experience in conducting qualitative sales research in the Middle East (ME), as well as (b) depth interview data they collected specifically for this paper from eleven academics engaged in doing sales research in that region to propose a three-step framework for conducting qualitative sales research within the ME. The exclusivity of this framework to the ME context is rooted in its responsiveness to the unique elements and idiosyncrasies inherent within the ME culture. In addition to offering a systematic guidance, the framework implies that it is not the research expertise of the western scholars, but their ability to understand and respond to cultural nuances, and cultivate and employ soft skills such as communication, trust, relationship building, and/or mutual respect that may make or break their foray into conducting sales research in the ME markets.

Effect of a mobile app on breastfeeding among cesarean deliveries: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Aim Cesarean section has negative impacts on breastfeeding rates. This study is to evaluate the effect of a mobile application on breastfeeding outcomes among mothers who had cesarean section using a randomized control trial in Vietnam in 2020 - 2022. Methods A triple-blinded randomized trial of a mobile application was conducted. The mobile application was tailored to Vietnamese culture with two separate versions for the intervention and the control group. The intervention version auto-generated three messages per week and linked the information in the library content to improve breastfeeding while the control version sent messages on maternal and child health care. Pregnant mothers were recruited during their antenatal visits and randomly assigned to two groups. Outcomes of interest included early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding rates. Results A total of 275 mothers in the control and 293 in the intervention group who had undergone a cesarean section were included in the analyses. Significant increases were observed for early initiated breastfeeding within two hours (aOR= 1.51, 95%CI: 1.01 to 2.27) and exclusive breastfeeding during hospital stay (aOR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.02 to 2.49). Conclusions Our results support the use of a theory-based design mobile phone application as a part of a promising intervention to improve breastfeeding outcomes. Key messages • A mobile phone application could be a widely accessible, acceptable, and effective intervention to improve breastfeeding outcomes. • To improve exclusive breastfeeding rates, comprehensive interventions at different levels of sociocultural and market contexts, settings, and individuals are needed.

Brand Recognition, Interdepartmental Conflict, and Performance: An Investigation of Porter’s Differentiated Competitive Strategy Implementation in a Large Chinese Automobile Company

Due to the unique market context and consumer differences, Porter’s generic competitive strategy has often failed in China. This study examined the impacts of managerial factors on performance by using the company brand as an indicator of performance; furthermore, we discuss the management issues of Chang’an when adopting a differentiated competitive strategy. This research used a quantitative method to form a consumer cognition map and compared product brands with competitors. It also investigated the managerial factors of the case company that affected the implementation of a differentiated competitive strategy. Interviews of the managers from the case company were also conducted to provide an in-depth understanding of management issues. The results show that the case company, Chang’an, as a large state-owned automobile manufacturer, failed to generate satisfactory outcomes by implementing a differentiation strategy. The reasons for the unfavorable enterprise performance include unclear departmental role positioning, a lack of communication mechanisms, and missing evaluation mechanisms. This research offers an in-depth investigation of the application of Porter’s differentiated competitive strategy in a Chinese state-owned company (there has been little academic attention on this). Since many state-owned companies use similar management structures, the results of this research can help managers find management problems and fix them.

Guideline for the strategic implementation of social media messaging within a marketing communication context

Marketing communication practitioners lack a guideline for implementing social mediastrategically. In the light of this, the authors of this article explored the strategic implementationof social media within a marketing communication context. A grounded theory process was firstlyfollowed in order to compile a list of social media messaging categories. This list was then pairedwith the disciplines of the marketing communication mix, based on their inherent similarities. Todemonstrate the practical relevance of the pairings thereafter, the authors followed a process ofaction research as a way of analysing an organisation’s existing social media messaging plan, referencing the strategic considerations that the pairing process inferred. By doing so, the authorsestablished that the pairing and action research process explored could be used as a strategicguideline for social media managers to improve the degree to which an organisation’s socialmedia messaging is conducive to the reaching of specific marketing communication objectives.

Tax-Free Transit Benefits at 30: Evolution of a Free Parking Offset

Tax-free employee transit benefits emerged in the 1970s along with monthly pass plans and evolved over a 30-year period to be an important part of transit marketing, transit revenue, and traffic mitigation strategies. Transit benefit plans succeeded partly because they are an “offset” to employer-provided tax-free parking, an integral part of transit’s market context in theoretical and practical terms. First authorized in 1984 at a tax-free monthly maximum of $15, transit benefit legislation was expanded numerous times and now allows a monthly maximum of $230, equaling tax-free parking. Indicating the effectiveness of workplace market development, transit benefit impacts greatly exceed what comparable changes in transit fare levels suggest. A series of innovations for delivering transit benefits and unique public-private relationships provided ever-better ways to meet employer needs, and will continue to evolve as transit fare collection methods advance.

Exploring the meaningfulness of integrated reporting: a framing perspective

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to explain why there is a conflict in the meaningfulness of integrated reporting (IR) between International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and analysts and institutional investors using framing theory and suggest a way forward for a meaningful IR to analysts and institutional investors.Design/methodology/approachThe study used qualitative research design in which data was collected from IIRC's document and 21 semi-structured interviews of analysts and fund managers conducted between 2014 and 2015 after the introduction of IIRC framework. This period coincided with prior studies that provide conflicting evidence over the meaningfulness of IR between IIRC and analysts and fund managers.FindingsThe findings show that the IIRC from inception uses a preparer-centred frame where it predominantly interprets IR as meaningful from the perspective of preparers of information under ideal conditions, and as such also meaningful to fund managers and analysts. On the other hand, the fund managers and analysts from the onset use a user-centred frame where they interpret IR as not meaningful from their perspective as users of the information under pragmatic conditions. The context making it difficult to reconcile the differentiated frames are the timeframe; absence of trust relationship and balance in reporting.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by its qualitative nature meaning that generalisation of findings may not apply. Its data is also limited to IIRC IR Framework, analysts and fund managers as opposed to wider stakeholders.Practical implicationsThe practical implication of the findings suggests that if IR is to be made meaningful to analysts and fund managers, the promoters must reconcile the differentiations in frames employed by both the IIRC, analysts and institutional investors. Without this reconciliation IR may not serve the information needs of the intended primary users.Originality/valueThe study uses framing theory to show that time frame, emotional connectedness and data financialisation are attributes that make IR to be considered meaningful to analysts and fund managers. In addition, it provides insight into how the use of organisational and market context influences the framing of the meaningfulness of IR.

Foreign market entry modes for servitization under diverse macroenvironmental conditions: taxonomy and propositions

PurposeThe article explores how servitization influences firms' foreign market entry mode decisions. This relationship is researched under the contingent effect of macroenvironmental factors in the host country, namely, market attractiveness, institutional environment and national culture differences between the home and host country.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a conceptual framework typology that interrelates, contextualizes and conceptualizes extant knowledge to develop explicit propositions.FindingsBased on the extant literature, using a 2 × 2 matrix, the authors delineate the influence of two dimensions of servitization on entry mode decisions: customer relationship focus and digitalization focus. They conceptualize that relationship management and digitalization-based servitization have an antagonistic effect on the need for entry mode resource commitments, and macroenvironmental factors' favorability moderates this tension.Research limitations/implicationsThe study extends and incorporates the servitization literature into the context of international marketing by exploring the combined effect of the two most significant dimensions of servitization, i.e. investment in customer relations versus investment in digitalization on entry mode, thus delivering valuable new insights and perspectives, as well as explicit propositions toward empirical testing.Practical implicationsThe authors’ framework increases foreign market managers' awareness of how servitization drives entry mode decisions of firms in international markets. Also, the framework explicates how the host country's market attractiveness, institutional environment and difference with the home country's national culture tangibly influence the relationship.Originality/valueThe study provides novel insights into the implications of servitization on international marketing, particularly regarding foreign market entry mode. The study also elucidates the combined effect of two servitization dimensions, i.e. customer relations and digitalization – a critical research area in which the literature is scant.

Cultural murals and the evolving nature of the hero concept: an arts marketing context

PurposeThe authors provide an understanding of how the hero identity is culturally constructed and evolving. The authors focus on heroism within an arts marketing framework through an interrogation of Northern Ireland murals. In this paper, the authors elaborate on the links between arts marketing thought and the notion of hero and draw conclusions around what the authors see as a fruitful area for arts marketing theory.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have adopted a narrative approach, incorporating biographical method, visual analysis and ethnography in interpreting cultural murals. The authors assess representative examples in Northern Ireland using a thematic framework.FindingsThe murals the authors assessed have evolved from having a specific community focus to increasing numbers which now represent a “shared”, and therefore more modern version of the hero.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors identify an emerging, aesthetically balanced portrayal of cultural murals, with a different set of heroic priorities compared to the past, which should encourage further related research elsewhere.Practical implicationsNorthern Ireland murals are no longer the preserve of specific communities and are now also shared spaces which appeal to both the local population and cultural tourists.Originality/valueAlthough analysis and evaluation of political murals has been carried out in other disciplines, the authors add to the limited insight from an arts marketing perspective.

Corporate governance, gender diversity and risk-taking behaviour of banks in an emerging economy – some empirical evidence from Ghana

PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between corporate governance, including board gender diversity and bank risk-taking behaviour in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses panel corrected standard errors estimation on 26 selected banks over an 11-year period from 2006 to 2016.FindingsUsing three proxies for bank risk-taking and two proxies for gender diversity for the purposes of checking robustness, this study finds ample evidence to support the important influence of corporate governance and board gender diversity on bank risk-taking behaviour. The findings suggest that independence, gender diversity, size and leadership consolidation can have significant effects on the risk profile of banking firms. The initial finding of the study suggests the possibility that female board gender diversity on Ghanaian banking boards follows the tokenism theory. Subsequent estimations seem to provide evidence to suggest that attaining a critical mass of female board members imposes a significant control on risk-taking behaviour by banks.Originality/valueThis study has important implications for gender diversity in board construction within the banking sector and the discourse on bank risk-taking in an emerging market context.

International Industrial Selling: Demands, Resources, and Burnout

ABSTRACT Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of job demands and resources on international salesperson burnout. While general salesperson job demands are known, the current study seeks to identify role demands which are predominantly faced by international sales executives. Methodology/approach Job Demands-Resource Theory provides a foundation to expand the study of burnout to the international sales executive context. In addition, given the lack of established literature on international salesperson burnout, a grounded theory approach is ideal. Thirteen informants with experience selling internationally in all regions of the world were interviewed. The interviews averaged about 30 minutes and equated to 124 transcribed pages.A four-step process was applied to conduct this study. Step 1: Reviewing existing literature to guide the study. Step 2: Determine the analytical approach – including creating the interview guide, establishing sales profile criteria, and determining the data collection process. Step 3: Conducting the interviews, listening to the recorded interviews, and reading the transcripts. Step 4: Identifying themes and reporting the findings. Findings Four job demands are identified that are exacerbated within an international sales context (demands of understanding different cultures, the complexity of international business, understanding business, and demand of international travel). Job resources, at the firm and individual level, are examined as a buffer used to reduce the impact of job demands on burnout. Internal support and resource alignment were impactful at the firm level. Personal investments, personal time, and grit were impactful at the individual level. Additionally, this study identified sales closure rates, work-family conflict, and fight as self-undermining aspects that international sales executives experience. Research implications International sales research has remained limited. In 2011, only 97 articles were found over a 30-year period in the top 15 leading journal. To help address this limitation, this study identifies how job demands can lead to burnout, if not actively managed, within an international sales context. Practical implications The findings from this research indicate that managers need to be cognizant of the complexities of international travel. Duration to win can be much longer, win rates are significantly lower than domestic markets, and expenses can be significantly higher. Maximizing long-term results while balancing short-term costs need considerable attention. At a personal level, sales executives are more impactful when proper company policies and channels for communication with senior executives are aligned.International sales executives work in a function that requires travel away from home for two-to-three weeks at a time. Creating special policies for international sales executives to balance work and family can optimize company profitability while minimizing employee self-undermining. Originality/value/contribution This research provides a foundation for the examination of Job-Demand Resource Theory within an international selling context. Based on the results, seven propositions are developed to advance this stream of research. In addition, a series ofguidelines are offered for international firms to use in managing their salesforce

Using the power of machine learning in sales research: process and potential

This study addresses the potential for improving the accuracy, scope, and value of sales research through the application of data mining and machine learning algorithms. By examining prior research, identifying opportunities for improvement, and assessing gaps that can benefit from machine learning, research and application are made more accessible for sales researchers and managers. Machine learning can address important sales research questions that cannot be answered with the same accuracy or efficiency as traditional research methods. This study demonstrates the benefits of the methods through an example of application to the prediction of salesforce performance based on behavioral, attitudinal, and demographic data. This includes future research ideas, usage cases, and applications where machine learning could advance sales research and management. Machine learning and predictive analytics methods have multiple applications, including in B2C and B2B market contexts and for companies and independent sales teams.

Marketing in the Metaverse: A Sceptical Viewpoint of Opportunities and Future Research Directions

Metaverse can be a difficult concept to comprehend because of its nature which includes richness and complexity. Researchers, managers, and opinion leaders anticipate that the Metaverse might actually change how customers engage with products and services. On the other hand, much technical staff and business managers are still unfamiliar with the Metaverse as a new business concept. By taking a sceptical viewpoint, the current paper may assist managers and scholars in making better decisions concerning the concept of the Metaverse in a marketing context. The paper begins by describing the metaverse notion in broad and in relation to marketing. Following this, we adopt a sceptical approach towards four critical categories: customer experiences, customer trust, customer engagement, and advertising in the Metaverse. Lastly, we propose future research directions, including defining what marketing in the Metaverse is and describing its narratives while minimising the hype and exaggerated claims surrounding it.

From holistically to accidentally sustainable: a study of motivations and identity expression in sustainable living

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of individual action in addressing challenges of sustainability, and to help marketing scholars and practitioners better understand what motivates sustainable living. Design/methodology/approach Semistructured interviews with 35 individuals self-identifying as sustainable shed light on motivations and identity expression in sustainable living. Four Drive Theory, and Personal and Social Identity Theory (operationalized through the Dynamic Model of Identity Development), provide this study’s guiding theoretical framework. Data analysis was informed by the Gioia methodology. Findings Individuals differently express their personal and social identities through sustainable living, and are differently motivated to live sustainably. Those expressing personal identity salience through sustainable living draw on a broader set of motivations than those expressing social identity salience. This results in varying levels of commitment to sustainable living, with differences also found in individuals’ personal satisfaction derived from their sustainable living efforts. Based on these findings, a novel typology of sustainable individuals is developed. Research limitations/implications This study is limited by its focus on one geographic area and relatively small sample size. A key implication is the need to consider both personal and social identity when studying behavior in other marketing contexts. Practical implications The research provides important insights for marketing practitioners, policymakers and others seeking to better categorize sustainable individuals and target marketing messages to encourage sustainable behaviors. Originality/value This paper contributes to marketing scholarship by providing new insights on the role of identity and motivations in sustainable living. It introduces a novel typology of sustainable individuals, founded on differences in identity expression and motivational drives, which are also associated with the range of sustainable behaviors people engage with and how individuals make sense of these behaviors.

Muslim Consumers’ Perceptions of Marketing Korea as a Muslim-Friendly and Halal Tourism Destination: Future Implications

Halal tourism is becoming an emerging niche market to attract Muslim tourists to non-Muslim majority countries. This study aims to assess current conditions associated with the availability of halal-friendly tourism elements and services and future implications for halal tourism in Korea through the lenses of diaspora from Muslim-dominated countries, including Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. A qualitative approach with the descriptive exploratory design was employed and data were collected through in-depth interviews (N = 27) and direct observation. Results in the marketing context indicated that Koreans have basic knowledge of the concept of halal, halal food, halal services, and halal tourism. Muslim residents have a remarkable positive attitude when recommending others to visit Korea as a tourist destination, but the availability of halal tourism is insufficient. Thus, this study contributes to the literature on halal tourism and can serve as an information source for stakeholders and policymakers involved in the halal food market. A few marketing implications are also noted. Muslim consumers are unsatisfied with the facilities of halal tourism. They suggest that tourism organizations, hotel managers, and policymakers improve such facilities according to the sharia-based needs of Muslim tourists.

Policy uncertainty, the economy and business

Elevated policy uncertainty acts as a tax on investment. In 1921, Frank Knight made a basic conceptual distinction between risk and uncertainty. In a market context, risks can be hedged through the use of different instruments, yet in the policy context, uncertainty makes waiting and seeing an option with value. However, this can come at a high economic cost. The academic analysis of policy uncertainty is today an active field of research globally. Some papers have been published in this regard, each using different approaches to measure macroeconomic and policy uncertainty. In 2015, the North-West University Business School (in conjunction with the School of Economics) pioneered the creation and publication of a Policy Uncertainty Index (PUI) for South Africa, which has since then captured the impact of key events – from ‘Nenegate’ to ‘Ramaphoria’. This paper presents an analysis of policy uncertainty in South Africa and how the PUI has contributed to an understanding of the economic environment in which business operates, with a specific focus on investment. The paper’s contribution lies in the unique context that it creates – where policymaking is more performative than evidence-based and there is a perennial tug of war between the state and market forces, against the backdrop of South Africa’s mixed economy.

THE IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKETING ON FIRM PERFORMANCE: MEDIATING EFFECT OF NETWORK DIVERSITY AND LEARNING CAPACITY; MODERATING EFFECT OF COMPETITIVE INTENSITY

This study investigates the role of entrepreneurial marketing as a predictor of firm performance. The research integrates variables of the dynamic interaction: mediating role of diversity of network and learning capability, moderating role of competitive intensity on the relationship between entrepreneurial marketing and performance of the firm.The study is explanatory in nature. To ensure the accuracy of quantitative results based on the experience of study participants, we employed a mixed method of qualitative and quantitative data collection. Data was collected in two stages: 1) field survey, 2) interviews of SMEs owners in Oman. The sample was purposively drawn from SMEs managers perceived to be knowledgeable about the tourism industry.No significant relationship was found between entrepreneurial marketing and firm performance. In addition, it was found that network selection mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial marketing and firm performance; however, learning capability does not.This study adds to the literature of the Omani market context on a strategic issue and provides managers with useful insights. Mixed methods provide a methodological contribution to understanding the dynamic relationship between variables presented in the entrepreneurship literature.

Property valuation problems and market context – evidence from Kenya

ABSTRACT Property valuation problems such as valuation inaccuracies/variations, client influence, and the use of heuristics persist despite efforts by professional bodies and researchers to improve the practice of valuation worldwide. While some studies attribute the above problems to limited information, most studies link these problems to valuer misconduct. Previous studies in developing countries mirror those of developed nations despite the different property market environments in the two nations; they place little emphasis on market-related problems. Further, there is limited evidence on why valuation problems persist in developing countries. The main objective of this study is to establish why valuation problems in Kenya persist despite efforts to minimise them. The study utilised a quantitative research design involving a survey and experiment of registered and practicing valuers in Kenya. Findings indicate that the above valuation problems persist because of the nature of the valuation environment in Kenya, characterised by limited information. This is typical of many other developing countries. The study makes a critical contribution to knowledge as it builds on the existing literature by providing additional empirical support on why valuation problems persist while introducing appropriate measures to address them.

A Decentralized Marketing Model for the Online Accommodation Rental Market

This paper presents an infrastructure redesign of the online accommodation rental marketing model. The decentralized marketplace it proposes represents a significant Business Model Innovation (BMI) and a new normative marketing tool. We suggest it has the potential to be disruptive from an International Marketing (IM) perspective, shifting the focus from owners as agents, to a shared one with renters and agents. This is supportive of the paradigm where marketing is focused on facilitating and maintaining relationships. Using code that we developed, we illustrate how a decentralized application (dAirBnB) can promote disintermediation and can be built to optimize price discovery. Utilizing block chain technology, we show how trust originates from the distributed consensus enforced by a network of peers. This trusted interaction is facilitated between untrusted parties over the internet, thereby changing the marketing relationship. In this respect, the application and the business model are inextricably linked. Enabled by the technology, we propose a monetization of reputation, which introduces the concept of good behaviour as an asset in a marketing context. We explore the implications of this for both BMI and IM. Our approach would increase the quality and quantity of information in online rentals, both major dimensions of marketing advantage. The dominant position of AirBnB represents a limitation on the implementation of our approach and would be an area for policy makers to focus on.

UNEXPECTED DIGITAL EXPERIMENT: CLOUD COMPUTING AS SOLUTION FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD?

The recent events that have taken place globally, often characterized as facilitators of unexpected changes in almost all fields of activity, determined new key directions to be followed, the potential for their future support and development being also realized. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the entrepreneurial activity itself has undergone sudden shifts, conducted by the desire to survive in uncertain times. As a result, the main actors involved in the entrepreneurial processes have chosen either to focus on the existing business solutions expansion, or on the creation and adoption of new ones, both options offering, in fact, alternatives to the traditional business models. On the other hand, the national lockdowns have led to an intensive digital transformation, especially of the entrepreneurial field, but not only. In this regard, cloud computing became a certain direction of interest for practitioners. Hence, an unforeseen digital trial resulted. While the pandemic accelerated the migration to cloud as a solution to survive in a different market context, the question is how the entrepreneurs will perceive this option in a post-pandemic world? Undoubtedly, the implementation of future action decisions involves the detailed analysis of the potential benefits and of the relationship between the involved inputs and the expected outputs.Under these circumstances, the main aim of the present research is to highlight the significance of cloud computing during and post-pandemic, taking into consideration the entrepreneurial activity. In order to achieve the stated goal, both fundamental and empirical approaches were considered. The research results illustrate the discrepancies between the countries in terms of adopting cloud computing solutions for entrepreneurial activity, considering the evidence obtained during and post-pandemic. Additionally, the opportunities and challenges of cloud computing adoption were discussed.

Examining the role of cross-cultural factors in the international market on customer engagement and purchase intention

Customer engagement (CE) refers to an organization's effort to develop relationships with individual customers through personalized interactions using multiple available channels. The goal of such CE is to gain new customer and to retain loyal customers. In the last decade there have been many studies on CE, particularly in the domestic or local market context, which lack generalizability. Also, there is only limited research on CE in the international market context focusing on the cross-cultural aspects of customers. Thus, there is clearly a research gap. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the role of cross-cultural factors in the international market on CE and their influence on customer purchase intention. After reviewing existing theories and literature, a conceptual model was developed. Later, the model was validated using structural equation modeling with a sample of 432 customers of different countries in Asia and Europe. The study found that there is a significant impact of cross-cultural factors in the international market on customer engagement, which in turn impacts customers' purchase intention in the international market. This study also proposes and examines a rival model to determine the efficiency of the proposed model.