International Marketing: Strategy, Planning, Market Entry and Implementation
... But in addition to this overall objective, there can be the specific am bitions, w hich determ ine a co m pan y's com m itm ent to enterin g the foreign market (s). The amount and significance of various stimulis is specific for each company and the different classifications of such motives were developed in the academic literature on the internationalization process of a firm (Hodne & Rosendahl, 2000; Albaum, Strandskov & Duerr, 2002; Bennett & Blyth, 2002; Solberg, 2005). Hodne and Rosendahl (2000) argue that the most important motives for a N orw egian firm 's internationalization can be the ones, shown in The difference of this classification is that it organizes the motives according to two criteria: 1. Point of originating of the motives: within a company (internal) or initiated from the firm 's environm ent (external). ...
... The review of the academic literature on the topic (Young, 1989; Johansson, 1997; Bennett & Blyth, 2002; Marshall, 2003Bennett & Blyth, 2002). It can be enforced on ad valorem basis (as a certain percentage of value of imported commodities) or on the specific basis (as money amount per unit). ...
... The review of the academic literature on the topic (Young, 1989; Johansson, 1997; Bennett & Blyth, 2002; Marshall, 2003Bennett & Blyth, 2002). It can be enforced on ad valorem basis (as a certain percentage of value of imported commodities) or on the specific basis (as money amount per unit). ...
The paper is devoted to consideration of main aspects of internationalization process of the firm. The international marketing literature and findings of previous studies in the area construct theoretical framework for the conceptual model, worked out for the purposes of current research. Empirical study investigates motives for entering the Russian seafood market, perceived barriers and choice of entry mode by Norwegian exporters. It consists of study of four cases from Norwegian seafood industry and interviews with key informants. Results illustrated that perceived barriers against entering the Russian seafood market are outweighed by the main overall stimuli for entering it – growing potential of the market, based on rapid development of retailing sector in Russia and stable demand for seafood among consumers. Such motivation has proactive nature. In the other words, entry is driven by perceived attractiveness of the Russian seafood market. On the modern stage of internationalization of Norwegian seafood companies to Russia the main perceived problem is weak and unstable legal environment in Russia. It’s pointed out as the most important factor, which stipulates preference of exporting as organizational mode for work in Russia over other more risky modes. Further, it was found out that firms use direct exporting. It means that seafood trade with Russia occurs via the Russian importers. On the basis of obtained findings there were worked out implications for Norwegian seafood industry as well as for the Russian authorities.
... En effet, si l'on excepte l'ouvrage d 'Usunier (1996), les principaux manuels de marketing international, qu'ils soient français ou anglo-saxons (e. g. Croue 1993; Douglas et Craig, 1995;Czinkota and Ronkainen 1998;Bennett 1998;Cateora 1998;Herbing 1998...) ne consacrent que quelques lignes au problème de la couleur Typiquement, on observe que la couleur est souvent simplement évoquée au travers d'une ou de quelques anecdotes concernant des échecs à l'international du fait d'un choix de couleur(s) erroné. ...
... Ainsi, plusieurs déconvenues liées à l'emploi du blanc, abondamment reprises dans les manuels, ont été enregistrées en Asie, où le blanc est pourtant apprécié. L'exemple le plus célèbre est celui de Mac Donald's qui ne put imposer son personnage emblématique, le clown Ronald Mac Donald, au Japon où son visage blanc évoquait trop nettement la mort (Bennett, 1998). Déribéré (1969) signale également le fiasco d'une entreprise qui exporta en Chine des milliers de brosses à cheveux à monture blanche. ...
... by Bennett & Blythe (2002) and On Competition of Porter M. (1998) has been used for this project. ...
... Porter is very innovative in terms of expressing complex concept in an easily understandable format. Many authors have referred to Porter in their book several times (E.G.Bennett & Blythe 2002). Moreover, we have been studying Porter throughout our whole academic period, and we have deeper understanding of these theories than some others.The concept of evaluating the market byPorter (1998) is handy and results in with the information of the degree of suitability of the market. ...
... Internationalization of business or at least part of the business is becoming very important. According to Bennett (1998), the choice of international market strategy is very pertinent, as it involves huge costs and resources. Internationalization makes organizations competitive by moving production base into countries where the labor costs are low, thereby reducing the costs (Westhead et al., 2001). ...
Purpose
To compete and to survive in this era of globalization, organizations, including family businesses, need to have competitive advantage, and innovation and internationalization are some of the ways to achieve this. This paper aims to analyze whether family businesses innovate and internationalize more than non-family businesses and further analyses the type of family businesses “age-wise” and “size-wise” that innovate and internationalize more.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is empirical in nature. The period of study is 11 years, from 2005 to 2015 (both years inclusive). The sample is chosen from Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 500 index, a broad-based index in India, covering about 20 industries of the economy. The present study uses multiple regression models to find the innovativeness and internationalization of family businesses. The dependent variables are R&D (proxy for innovativeness) and FXINC (proxy for internationalization). The independent variables are FB (variable that defines whether a business is family business or non-family business); FBAGE (variable that defines the age of the family business); and FBSIZE (variable that defines the size of the family business). The other control variables used in in the study are TA (total assets), REV (revenue), CR (current ratio), QR (quick ratio), DER (debt-equity ratio) and RONW (return on net worth). Fixed effects model was used to understand the innovativeness and internationalization of family businesses. Both industry and year fixed effects were used. SPSS 20.0 version is used for the analysis. All results are heteroscedastic consistent using Breusch–Pagan test.
Findings
It is found that family businesses are more innovative and internationalized when compared to non-family businesses. The results are consistent with the resource-based theory where it is found that family businesses are entrepreneurial in nature (Salvato, 2004; Zahra et al. , 2004; Kellermanns and Eddleston, 2006) which makes them more innovative. It was also found that within the family businesses, younger firms were more innovative and internationalized than older firms. This can be explained by the theory of “learning advantages of newness”, according to which younger firms are more flexible, eager to learn, have less internal resistance and are able to adapt to the changing environment much faster.
Originality/value
During the studies, the authors have found that there is no conclusive evidence on the innovativeness and internationalization of family businesses. Further, there are apparently negligible studies that analyze what type of family businesses, age wise (younger or older firms) and size wise (smaller or larger firms) use the strategy of innovation and internationalization to grow. The present study analyses the innovativeness and internationalization of family businesses when compared to non-family businesses and also studies the type of family businesses (age wise and size wise) that are more innovative and internationalized.
... The key to triumph in international markets is to 'being global but acting local' (Svensson, 2002;Cateora & Graham, 2005). Therefore, a suitable international marketing tactic is crucial and indispensable for multinational companies and for the most part of a international strategy is Adaptation or Standardization (Roger, 1995). Heterogeneity among diverse countries does not consent to complete standardization while the huge costs associated with adaptation may not allow adaptation to be employed extensively (Vrontis, 2005). ...
This paper examines the strategic application of standardisation and adaptation of Multinational companies'
(MNCs) marketing mix (4P's) on a diverse cultural environment. Business Strategy Approach was employed as a
theoretical foundation for the study .Eighty - two managers of the multinational companies operating in Accra
and Kumasi, Ghana were conveniently and purposively sampled for the study. Cochran Q Test statistic was used
to analyse the data - on a linear continuum across a three time point.The study identified that, multinational
manufacturing companies employ a combination of both adaptation and standardisation strategies on their
marketing mixes. Price was observed to be the most adapted element of the marketing mix. The study
recommended for managers of multinational companies to utilize more of adaptation strategies rather than
standardisation due to changes in cultural dynamics, consumer characteristics, market economy as well as
government’s business laws and regulations - which are different within the African continent.
... Deciding to export is a complex process that requires investment in research of markets. Considering Bennett and Blythe (2002) sequential linear model of market entry strategy, it is possible to deduct that Albanian beekeepers are still in the very initial steps of the process of either engaging in the activity indirectly, through the use of export merchants or a consortium of producers with the exception of one larger producer who has demonstrated being able to venture abroad by attending trade fairs. ...
This paper evaluates the potential of the Albanian apiculture sector to enter export markets in the EU and to identify key issues affecting the honey supply chain that could help to better position Albanian produce. Albanian honey production is characterised by small family-based units with a strong subsistence element. Typical of a transitional economy, since the opening of its borders in the late 1980s, beekeepers are now facing the challenges of adjusting to a more market-oriented approach. Distribution channels for honey are not well organised and fail to follow good farming practices, in particular, the indiscriminate use of pesticides impact on the overall quality of the honey. Despite the great potential and the proximity of the EU and other markets in the Balkans, most producers are not export oriented. Honey is generally sold at the farm gate to a collector who sells it to wholesalers or retailers in urban areas. Very little honey is exported and low entry barriers present a threat to less competitive farmers. The lack of knowledge of consumer's requirements, coupled with the demanding and strict phytosanitary requirements of the EU discourage many farmers. Nevertheless, as a diversification strategy, some larger honey producers are attempting to venture into the export market and use quality, origin and packaging as a means of differentiating their product offer in the market.
... In the end this also means that the exporter doesn't have to monitor the distributor as much as an agent, since it is in the distributor's own interest to sell the stock. The disadvantages with a foreign distributor are lack of control, and possible demands from the distributor to have more saying about how things should be done, because of the risk the distributor takes (Bennett & Blythe, 2002). ...
... Many authors in extant literature describe the process of internationalization and market entry (Czinkota & Ronkainen, 2004;Albaum et al., 2002;Roger & Blythe, 2002). Nevertheless, the previous research on international market entry is often confusing and ambiguous. ...
... The choice of an internationalization strategy, as well as decisions related to the mode of entry in foreign markets, are particularly relevant because of the risk and the high resources it involves, in the face of limited capacity of firms (Bennett, 1998). ...
The ceramic industry in Portugal is a traditional productive sector strongly marked by internationalization, verifying in the last decade an increasing trend in exports compared to the declining number of businesses and employees. This study examines the process of internationalization of ceramics firms of the Portuguese district of Aveiro and his contribution as a competitiveness factor. With this propose, has developed an exploratory analysis of data obtained through a survey and interviews with leaders of the ceramics business of the district of Aveiro. The analysis was based on a theoretical framework given by the traditional approaches of internationalization, supported in the behaviour theory of the firm and in the resources based view, and allowed to draw conclusions about the involvement and motivation on the internationalization of the industrial sector, the resources involved, the main strategies used and the explanatory models.
... International marketing is at the forefront in the confrontation with foreign cultures (Dupriez & Simons, 2002).Starting from the postulate that marketing is a set of attitudes and techniques by which the company seeks to anticipate the needs of its customers to sell products or programs that give them optimal satisfaction in the short and medium term without alienating provided societal long-term well-being (Henault, 1987), what does it become when it is operating in an international context? Indeed, this is an activity field of the expanded enterprise into more than one country and it forces to make decisions on how they are entering foreign markets, developing international business strategies, their implementation and monitoring (Cateora & Graham, 2007).In opposition to the universalist approach of marketing which is based on the postulate of planetary motion representations and lifestyles for individuals and thus enabling and the enterprise to make an offer of almost standardized products and services backed by icons that encourage mimicry (Croué, 2002;Czinkota & Ronkainen, 2007)several studies have called for the adaptation of marketing to cultural, ethnic and communicational specificities of the host country (Bennett & Blythe, 2002;Dupriez & Simons,2002;Herbig, 1998). ...
With the growth of the phenomenon of internationalization of firms, we are becoming more aware that the needs of the firm abroad are not always financial. The cultural aspect that has long been neglected is hitting hard and causes in case of ignorance or disrespect a source of challenge to social cohesion and good functioning of the foreign firm.The present work highlights the need for foreign firms to demonstrate a particular sensitivity towards cultural differences and an adaptation faculty to such differences when it comes to surviving in countries where they exist.To show that there is neither single solution to achieve this adaptation nor standard responses to problems that may arise; we conducted a comparison between the specificities of the adaptation of French and German firms in the Tunisian cultural context.
... The aim of marketing segmentation is to divide these different groups' wants and needs, into distinct groups of buyers who might require separate products and services, but also separate marketing mixes (Kotler et al., 1999). Indeed, marketing segmentation is focused not only in markets needs and wants, but also in breaking down the total market into self-contained and relatively homogeneous subgroups of consumers, where its market possessing its own special requirements and characteristics (Bennett, 1995). It is therefore important to summarise that, marketing segmentation is a useful tool at the hand of any organisation, in order to select those groups of customers that is best able to the product and services offered and also useful tool to improve the effectiveness of their marketing decision-making (Lancaster & Reynolds, 1995). ...
Tourism has become one of the most important industries in both the developed and the less developed world. This unique economic activity has attracted the interest of many academic disciplines. In recent years, the number of books, papers and scientific journals that deal with tourism has mushroomed.
The Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER) in collaboration with the Academy of Tourism Research and Studies (ATEM), both based in Athens, Greece, attempt to contribute to this increasingly important tourism literature.
Other general conferences organized by ATINER have included and still include sessions or papers on tourism research. However, since 2005, an annual international conference, specific on Tourism, is organized in Athens, Greece. These conferences produced two books edited by Epitropoulos (2007) and Papadopoulos (2006). Earlier, in 1999, ATINER organized a conference on tourism, recreation and leisure in collaboration with the Research Institute of Tourism that produced a volume edited by Papanikos (2000).
From all these conferences and a very simple glance at the international tourism literature, it seems that the research interest in tourism is interdisciplinary and comes from a wide spectrum of social sciences, business studies and humanities. This is actually the approach that fits well the interests of both academics and practitioners. Academics find in the tourist industry a unique data generation process that allows them to test all the theoretical hypotheses that they develop in the core subject of their discipline. On the other hand, national and international policy makers in the area of tourism, have access to a wide range of academic literature to base their policy recommendations for tourism development. Similarly, investors and business people in the tourist industry can rely, as in no other industry, on the richness of tourism research in the areas of management and marketing of tourism enterprises.
It is the ambition of the editors and the individual authors of this volume to contribute to the tourism literature, having in mind the above approach. Papers published in this volume might be useful to all three stakeholders of the tourism industry: investors-entrepreneurs, academics, and policy makers. The present volume includes selected papers from the 2007 and 2008 conferences on Tourism. It also includes tourism papers that were presented in other ATINER conferences. All papers were reviewed using the standard procedures established by ATINER, which are applied to all of its publications.
This book is organized into four thematic parts. Part I presents seven papers that deal with issues of tourism policy and development. Part II presents fourteen papers that are devoted to tourism marketing. Part III examines seven papers in the area of tourism management. Finally, Part IV presents four papers devoted on food and beverages. The remaining of this introduction presents, in a summary form, the papers published in the current volume, following the taxonomy of the material into the aforementioned parts.
I.Tourism Policy and Development
This part includes seven papers on policy and development issues of tourism. The first paper, by Doris Schmallegger and Dean Carson, deals with the development of aboriginal tourism enterprises in remote Australia. The authors use two focus groups and thirty in-depth interviews with domestic and international travel parties in central Australia to assess their demand for aboriginal tourism products and their information search and trip planning strategies. As the authors claim, the prospect of economic benefit for aboriginal people is related to an understanding of the market, which is segmented into organised tours and independent travellers. They continue by suggesting policies to develop aboriginal tourism. They actually claim that distant Australia’s natural attractions should have a higher priority than its culture. From an investor’s point of view, it might be more profitable for aboriginal businesses to relate their products to experiences of the landscape. They also emphasize that there is a lack of information for the independent traveller, but as they conclude, we need more research to investigate the process of information delivery and product design.
The second paper of this part deals with another issue of tourism development and policy that deals with geotourism. More precisely, Thomas A. Hose examines geoconservation defined as a dynamic process of preserving and conserving geological sites. On the other hand, as the author explains, overexploitation of geological sites occurs when the long-term geological interest is not maintained. The author uses two case studies and concludes that the social and cultural climate for geological fieldwork by the social elite was transformed by the works of visual and literary artists. Landscape positive reception and understanding, a significant aspect of geotourism, is still to a degree an aesthetic pursuit. Such appreciation can be spoiled by over-exploitation, as was the case with the Peak District in the late eighteenth century. The consequence is that tourists seek out alternative “clean” locations. The incorporation within geological tourism of geoconservation measures is very important.
In the third paper, Ondrej Mitáš and Alinda Kokkinou, discuss the physical, economic, and cultural changes that have been linked by popular media and academic research to the arrival of low-cost airline flights in several European cities over the past 15 years. They try to make out if low-cost airlines can change the cities they fly to, and if so in what way. They conclude that low-cost airline operations will continue to grow and increase their market share.
The fourth paper, by Loïck Menvielle and William Menvielle, present the phenomenon of medical tourism, not only from a historical point of view, but also as a vision of the modern medical tourism industry. In fact, authors consider this phenomenon as a new way of travelling. With the help of Mueller and Lanz Kaufmann’s theory (2001), the two researchers attempt to create a new blueprint of medical tourism concepts. Their approach is focused on the tourist-patient involvement and especially on the perceived and undergoing risk in order to set up a new classification. Then, some reflections on the inciting conditions of this trend are presented, alongside a geographical diversification of medical tourism and the specialization of countries in certain types of care - surgical operations.
The fifth paper, by Anestis Fotiadis and Gábor Michalkó, recommends strategies and techniques for implementing successful solutions to the problems of rural tourism stakeholders. The examination of Greek and Hungarian villages provides different levels of rural tourism development. Their query is dealt through personal field research, interviews and questionnaires addressed to local citizens and entrepreneurs working in rural tourism. Differences in the goal of different groups must be joined together for a common goal, which for the authors must deal with the general prosperity.
The sixth paper, by Feryal Söylemezoğlu and Zeynep Erdoğan, examines how handicrafts raise tourism incomes. According to the researchers, in some regions, which are more attractive in Turkey as tourism centers, the production of one or more handicrafts has great importance. Beypazarı, a district located near Ankara, is used as a case study in this paper, as it presents high tourism potential and many traditional features. The contributions of the region’s tourism facilities to the sustainability of handicrafts are also examined, with the help of face-to-face interviews. The Municipality, the Tourism District Directorates, the society education center authorities, the silver workers and the authorities of silver product selling stores of the region have participated in these interviews. Beypazarı is proposed in the conclusion of this research as an important region for Turkey’s rural and cultural tourism development.
In the seventh and last paper of this section, Fadila Maraouch presents the hotel room of the future, that will be designed to suit every customer’s need and desire down to the smallest detail. The main reason behind those changes is the increased use of technology. The reasons and ways to achieve the desired changes are also examined in this original study.
II.Tourism Marketing
The Tourism Marketing part includes twelve papers. The first paper of the second part, by Sonia Mileva and Sofia Gesiou, suggests that humans must be, from now on, the most important part of tourism and hospitality marketing. Mileva and Gesiou argue that it is very important to first ask clients to identify their personal needs and expectations and then, satisfy them, as individual attention is crucial. Facing each client individually and meeting his own special needs makes him feel important. The result is usually choosing the same tourism country destination, company, place or service in a possible future travel. The aim in this procedure is for Mileva and Gesiou to abrogate the travelling restrictions to the highest possible degree. By creating flexible programs, able to respond to specific human needs, the clients can satisfy their wishes in the tourism region they desire, as the two authors explain. Even if there are many difficulties in carrying out this proposal, it is necessary to support the active employee, to improve the processes continuously and to accept the risk of the innovation. The second very important danger to be avoided is for Mileva and Gesiou to weaken the services’ quality, as customer satisfaction is related to it. The difficulty is that service performance is not easily controlled, as many people and human relationships are involved in determining it. The last part of this study provides information about the importance and influence of the future cliental movement in the tourism industry.
The second paper of the second part, by Andrew Taylor and Dean Carson, examines the spending patterns of four wheel drive visitors of desert regions in the Northern Territory of Australia, compared with non-four wheel drive leisure visitors of the same destinations, for a five year period inclusive of 2000 to 2004. In addition to assessing the amount of expenditure (overall and per day), the research investigates whether there were differences in the items of expenditure and the dispersal of expenditure among destinations. According to the writers, this information can help inform decision-makers about the level of investment in attracting the four wheel drive market that might be justified and the types of product opportunities that could arise from the market.
In the third paper of this book’s Tourism Marketing part, Moreno Pacheco Pilar and González Rodríguez Mª Rosario aim, through the analysis of data in the province of Seville from a segmentation perspective, to identify the travellers’ composition with respect to their destination loyalty. This study provides empirical evidence of the causal relationships between the criterion variable and those predictors that have been selected by the segmentation technique. The implications of the results that are presented in this paper provide a guide for destination marketers in the strategy of tourism development.
The fourth paper of this part, by Min-hwa Kim, Eun-jung Kim and Hong-bumm Kim, considers the impact of the residents’ evaluation of the tourism resources in their own residence area on selecting destinations for their future overseas trips, alongside their personal values and lifestyle. Their work aims to reveal whether the impact exists, and if so, to what extent this impact can be expanded, in order to let product developers, like travel agents or product marketers, know and predict the tendency of people’s present evaluation of their area and the future destination selection for their trips.
In the fifth paper of the second part, Caballero Fernández Rafael, González Lozano, Mercedes Molina Luque Julián, and Rodríguez Díaz Beatriz develop the issue of a tourist trying to plan a trip for a certain area, taking into account the diverse economic costs, the timing of the different activities that s/he is planning to carry out and his/her particular preferences. The researchers indicate a number of possible tourist activities, after having examined tourists’ preferences. Information obtained is later used in a multiobjective problem formulation, so as to obtain a set of efficient solutions (by means of a metaheuristic method based on Taboo Search). Finally, using an interactive procedure, the researchers help the decision maker (tourist) to choose the most preferred solution among a set of efficient choices, which will provide him/her a set of activities for each day and a schedule for each one of them.
The sixth paper of the second part, by Rosemarie Geißler, Mike Peters and Peter Williams, identifies various clusters of wine consumers displaying specific attitudes and behaviours concerning wine tourism. A literature review highlights the main contributions in the field of wine tourism research and puts forward the research question and hypothesis to be examined. Furthermore, this paper presents an empirical survey carried out in Austria in 2006, which identifies new target segments for wine tourism among wine lovers.
The seventh paper of the second part, by Samiye Erdoğan and Hatice Ağca, examines the culinary culture of Yalvaç, formed with the effects of Yalvaç’s natural, historical, economic, and cultural characteristics. The data of this study were collected with the method of self-completion questionnaires. Thirty-three families living in Yalvaç gave their answers and perspectives concerning this culinary culture. For the authors, the traditional culture should be protected and transmitted to the next generations.
The eighth paper of this part, by Nachmias N. Stefanos and Niki Kyriakidou, presents a research study that seeks to investigate the importance of segmenting markets, with particular attention on the sport tourism in Greece. It also examines the benefits that Greece can receive from the growth and expansion of golf tourism, with the purpose of truly developing it. According to the writers, sport tourism has many market segments that each country can attract as new tourists and this is why tourism specialists should take it into consideration.
In the ninth paper of the second part, H.Sinem Şanli, Nuran Kayabaşi and Tuba Çittir explain how products made within the framework of handicrafts have an important part in tourism marketing activities. For them, handicraft products are shaped by the economic, social and cultural conditions of the country in which they are produced. They claim that domestic and foreign tourists buy a good product, which is easily portable, functional, relatively cheaper and has an authentic value. This constitutes a contribution to its recognition and increases the country’s income. The authors explain how handicrafts, which are produced with the aim of being given as a gift and touristic good, reach their buyers through handicraft shops. They also explain that Turkey has unique handicrafts in almost every region, as different raw materials exist, thanks to different geographical conditions that have given the possibility of producing diverse handicraft products and of practicing new alternatives. The example given to explain this fact is of handicraft products made of fibber raw material, which may be seen in almost every region. However, Şanli, Kayabaşi and Çittir explain that in compliance with the raw materials produced in the region, handicraft products embroil tree materials (engraving), vegetable weaving (cereal stems, thin branches), stone (meerschaum, onyx, oltu), mine (copper, silver) and soil (bowl and earthenware pot, ceramic).
The tenth paper of the second part presents the study of Pars R Sahbaz, which examines promotion activities of tourism planning, using Turkey as a case study. The tourism sector has been developing very fast since mid 1980s in Turkey and there are even documents of World Tourism Organization that explain this development process as a ‘miracle’, the author explains. Nowadays, although the tourism sector has serious problems in Turkey, it is one of the most important sources of income, as about twenty five percent of export income comes from this sector. Nevertheless, the writer claims that one of its serious problems is the insufficiency of promotion activities. The aim of this study is (a) to discuss the importance of tourism planning for promotion activities and (b) to evaluate the promotion activities in Turkey. The method used is literature research. The examination of Turkey’s promotion activities and their analysis, has showed that the main problems of tourism planning are the insufficiency of (a) stability, (b) coordination and (c) budget.
The eleventh paper of the second part presents the study of Tzu-Hui Tseng, Ching-Cheng Shen and Yu-Chun Chen, which examines how the food and beverage tourism influenced rural tourism in Taiwan. In the context of the study, the Neophobic and Neophylic-type tourists constituted the mediating variable in the relationship model between “tourism motivation”, “barriers of food-consumption”, “choosing a reason for food consumption”, “food consumption attraction”, “travel satisfaction”, and the “willingness to revisit”. Rural tourists in Nanjhuang, Miaoli County, were sampled for the empirical study. First of all, from the structural equation model, it appeared that “tourism motivation” had a positive influence on “food consumption attraction”. Secondly, the “food-consuming barriers” had a negative influence on “food consuming attraction”. The highest factor loadings of “food-consuming barriers” were from restaurant facilities and the taste of food, and thus, only tasty food could create a dining attraction. Thirdly, “the reason for choosing food consumption” also had a positive influence on the “food consuming attraction”, which meant that the culinary material, the taste, an unambiguous price and a high-class setting were more attractive. Fourthly, the higher “food consuming attraction” resulted in higher “travel satisfaction” from rural tourism, and it could also increase the possibility of revisiting. Fifth, the Neophobic tourists had a positive influence on “food consuming barriers” and had a negative influence on “food consuming attraction”, which revealed how important was to satisfy Neophobic tourists’ needs. Finally, the negative influence of “food consuming barriers” on “food consuming attraction” was eliminated when controlling for the variables of Neophobic and Neophylic tourists. The results of this study could be used to make recommendations for the development of rural and food and beverage tourism, as the two authors explain.
The twelfth and last paper of the Tourism Marketing part, by Yahsi Yaziocioğlu and Sinem H. Şanli, examines the belief of the evil eye, available in almost every society that has founded some techniques and components in order to be protected against evil eyes. According to the researches, one of the goods used to protect oneself from evil eyes is evileyebead, which was firstly used as a simple good in order to be protected from evil eyes, but at the moment has a decorative character. This new function has helped evileyebeards to continue being produced and proposed in many different forms. They have actually become a good that makes the ambiance in which they are used valuable. Other daily customs, beliefs and traditions, in combination with their ornamentation characteristics have augmented evileyebeards’ use by people. They have actually become a touristic good. Evileyebeads are today available in many different forms and colours. There are even products made by them, like key rings, piece of jewellery or wall ornaments, given that they are cheap, easily portable and original gifts. This is the reason that the variety of touristic goods using evileyebeads is growing, a fact that contributes both to the interaction among cultures (a unique culture is introduced thanks to them in Turkey) and to the economy, as Yaziocioğlu and Şanli explain. The authors examine, finally, the interaction of this old tradition with tourists and especially with other cultures. It is certain that this practice has today become a touristic good that keeps tourists’ attention.
III.Tourism Management
The Tourism Management part includes eight papers. In the first paper of this part, Dimitrios N. Koufopoulos, Ioannis P. Gkliatis and Maria Argyropoulou investigate the nature and use of strategic planning in the Greek hospitality industry and the positive outcomes of planning identified by Greek managers. Their thesis tries to give some insight in the nature and extent of the use of strategic planning and its positive outcomes in the Greek hospitality industry through a study based on a sample of 124 Greek five-star hotels.
The second paper of the Tourism Management part, by Professor Maud Tixier, uses some very interesting examples to draw conclusions, not only on who the tour-operators that come closer to a balanced view on sustainable tourism are, but also on the role of customer choice in selecting a journey and influencing future offer.
The third paper of the Tourist Management part, by Jung-won Lee and Hong-bumm Kim, identifies the types of strategic alliance in both horizontal and vertical contexts and examines the role of strategic alliance in the relationship between customer’s perception of alliance companies and hotel’s brand equity. The 488 hotel customer sample drawn in Seoul, Korea, shows that the appropriateness and awareness of the brand of the alliance company does affect the image, service quality and awareness of the chain, management contract, and franchise hotels, which is the form of horizontal integration.
The fourth paper of this part, by Soo-Young Hwang, Sung-hyuk Kim and Seongseop Kim, examines the impact of partner selection criteria on the perception of alliance outcomes among hotels. Their study sought to produce some significant findings that are important for hotels seeking new management solutions, such as management on commission and franchising, in an effort to build strategic alliances.
The fifth paper of the Tourist Management part, by Sema Etikan, Bilgin Güner, and Feryal Sőylemezoğlu, presents the all-inclusive system, which is one of the methods recently developed by the international actors of tourism on placing touristic goods into the market. This system, firstly used in Caribbean by English tour operators, has been based on the purpose of purchasing the touristic good by the high-income tourist group as a package. The all-inclusive system, which began to be used in the regions where there was a possibility of attack against the tourists, has been common in the course of time in all the countries of Mediterranean. Enlargement of the system has given rise to a strong competitive environment. Thus, travel and accommodation agencies have preferred to broaden a little bit more the scale of this all-inclusive system. Joining the agencies, except for the high-level accommodation ones, the ones that were obliged to apply this system faced some problems towards its standardization. In the regions where the all-inclusive system is applied, degradation of quality, depending on the quality and type of the system, may occur as a result of the decline in the level of income obtained from the handicraft sector.
The sixth paper of this part, by Hyejin Chun, Miju Kim and Youngsuk Song, provides good insights for career path of general managers in Korean 5-star hotels. It describes that human resources is one of the most important factors for the strategy of a tourism company, as employees’ quality of performance is directly linked to customer satisfaction with the general manager having the most important role.
The seventh paper of this session, by René Haarhoff, uses an International Travel Price Index (ITPI) that enables statistical evaluation. Furthermore, the particular ITPI permits comparison and monitors the cost of the major products that international tourists spent money on whilst visiting South Africa. The purpose is to objectively monitor and measure tourism price fluctuations and deviations.
The eighth and last paper of this part, by Wisnom Mary and Sherie Brezina, profiles spa tourism in three different countries : United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The comparison of data presented, that includes spa tourism revenue and motivations, number and types of spas, spa tourist demographic profiles, and key issues and assets for each country, provides an overview of the spa tourism industry.
IV. Food and Beverages
The fourth and last part of this book includes four papers. The first paper of the Food and beverages part presents the research of Funda Pinar Cakiroğlu and Asli Ucar conducted in six accommodation enterprises in Kuşadası (three five-star hotels and three holiday villages). The aim of this research was to examine the food safety perceptions of the food and beverages personnel employed in the accommodation enterprises.
In the second paper of this part, Ayse Ozfer Özcelik, Metin Saip Sürücüoĝlu, Asli Uçar, and Lale Sariye Akan examine the status of academic staff and their food choices when they are on holiday. The academic staff working at the Ankara University constitute the population of this survey. The research data has been collected through a questionnaire and has been analysed using SPSS programme. The majority of this surveys participants (73.1%) had a holiday regularly, with the seaside holiday being one of the most preferred tourism types.
The third paper of this part, presents the study of Ayse Ozfer Özçelik, Metin Saip Sürücüoğlu and Yahya Özdoğan, which examines the hygienic rules in the food and beverage departments of accommodation enterprises. Tourism has an important place in the countries’ economies: it has very quickly reached the fast developments in the sector. The accommodation enterprises, which are first in rank order among the first class tourism enterprises, as the authors’ claim, produce goods and services related to tourism. Their existence emerges from, and is shaped and diversified, by the tourism event. Accommodation enterprises also meet people’s food and beverage requirements at places where they stay temporarily. The food and beverages service is for the authors, not only a means of fulfilling a physiological need for guests, as these services demand a comfortable and nice atmosphere, friendly and caring staff and delicious food and beverages. One of the indispensable factors of the presentation of food and beverages is, according to the authors, their standard of hygiene from the stage of purchasing to the stage of serving them. Protecting the health of guests, who visit accommodation enterprises for this kind of services, is possible by following the hygiene and sanitation rules in the kitchen and service departments. It is certain that people do not want to catch epidemic diseases, face food poisoning or generally negative situations caused by the food they consume when they go out.
The fourth and last paper of this part, by Funda Pinar Çakiroğlu and Bircem Taş, is also related to the food and beverages sector. Tourism revenues are of great importance in view of Turkey’s economic development. One of the primary improvements in Turkey’s tourism is related to tourists’ satisfaction from the facilities of their accommodation, as the authors claim. The food and beverages services, which are at the heart of the ones offered at the accommodation enterprises, represent one of the main revenue sources for enterprises. The required condition for supplying a safe food and beverages service is for the authors to inspect whether the physical conditions, tools and equipment, personnel and food comply with hygiene rules. For the authors, cleanliness is an absolute necessity in a commercial kitchen. They actually claim that it is very important that the personnel, who are responsible for the preparation and the food service, are trained and knowledgeable on personal and kitchen hygiene from the perspective of both the sustainability of the service and the protection of the consumer’s health, as a little negligence may damage people’s health and cause food poisoning and even death. This research has been conducted in six accommodation enterprises in Kuşadası (three five-star hotels and three holiday villages). Age, length of employment, educational status and participants’ job were taken into account. Authors conclude that accommodation enterprises should hire experienced and competent employees.
As we said in the beginning of this introduction, this book is useful to practitioners and academics. The papers should be thought as raising questions and provoking thoughts, rather than as the final word in the discipline. We do hope that future conferences will include more papers in these and other areas of tourism studies.
References
Epitropoulos, M-F. G., ed., (2007) Issues on Tourism Policy, Athens, Greece: Athens Institute for Education & Research.
Mueller H. and Lanz Kaufmann E. (2001). Wellness tourism: Market analysis of a special health tourism segment and implications for the hotel industry, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 7 (1): 5-17.
Papadopoulos, N., ed. (2006) Contemporary Issues in Tourism: Perspectives and Challenges. Athens, Greece: Athens Institute for Education & Research.
Papanikos, G.T., ed. (2000) Themes on Tourism, Recreation and Leisure: Proceedings from the 1st International Conference on Tourism, Recreation, and Leisure. Athens, Greece: Athens Institute for Education & Research.
... The aim of marketing segmentation is to categorise these different groups' wants and needs into distinct groups of buyers who might require separate products and services, but also separate marketing mixes (Kotler et al., 2003). Indeed, marketing segmentation is not only focused on market needs and wants, but also on breaking down the overall market into self-contained and relatively homogeneous subgroups of consumers, where each group possesses its own special requirements and characteristics (Bennett, 2001). Overall, marketing segmentation is a valuable tool that organisations use to select those groups of customers that their product and services are best fit for and also a way for them to improve the effectiveness of their marketing decision-making (Lancaster & Reynolds, 1995). ...
The aim of this study was the investigation of the possible relationship between sport
participation and moral functioning between Greek handball team athletes. The instrument
that was used was developed by Gibbons, Ebbeck, and Weiss (1995). The sample consisted of
204 athletes, 107 men, 97 women. Factor analysis revealed 4 factors. Cronbach’s varied from
.81 up to .88. Statistical significant differences were indicated in the dependent variables of:
(1) lying, (2) violation of a rule, (3) intentional injury, and (4) deliberately hurting.
Conclusively, the results support the use of the instrument for measuring moral functioning
among Greek athletes.
... The aim of marketing segmentation is to categorise these different groups' wants and needs into distinct groups of buyers who might require separate products and services, but also separate marketing mixes (Kotler et al., 2003). Indeed, marketing segmentation is not only focused on market needs and wants, but also on breaking down the overall market into self-contained and relatively homogeneous subgroups of consumers, where each group possesses its own special requirements and characteristics (Bennett, 2001). Overall, marketing segmentation is a valuable tool that organisations use to select those groups of customers that their product and services are best fit for and also a way for them to improve the effectiveness of their marketing decision-making (Lancaster & Reynolds, 1995). ...
The aim of this study was to clarify and highlight the role of the international
distribution strategy in the promotion of exports outside of Algeria's incinerators by
examining the relationship between the two variables. In this context, we have reviewed the
intellectual umbrella of international marketing, international trade, as well as the analysis of
Algeria's offshore export sector by providing new statistics on the geographical distribution of
exports outside of burns, measuring the competitive indicators of the sector such as: the
Export Capability Index, the Offshore Coverage Index, the Commodity Concentration Index
and the Commodity Diversification Index. As for the applied study, we adopted the
distribution of the questionnaire and statistical analysis was carried out by averages of
calculation, standard deviation, repetitions, in addition to testing the veracity and consistency
of the study tool and then testing the correlation between the two variables and testing
hypotheses.
Keywords: International Marketing, International Distribution Strategy, Outside
Hydrocarbons Export Sector, Outside Hydrocarbons Export Competitiveness Indicators,
International Market Intrusion.
Ülkelerin ekonomik anlamda büyümeleri, farklı ülkelerde işletme sayılarının artması ve kendi ülkelerine potansiyel yatırımcıları çekerek yatırım yapmalarını sağlaması ancak uluslararası ticaret uygulamalarına önem vermesi ve koşullarını iyileştirmesi ile mümkün olmaktadır. Uluslararası ticaretin gelişimine en büyük katkıyı lojistik sektörü yapmaktadır. Bu nedenle lojistik sektöründe yaşanan küresel değişim ve gelişmeleri uygulamalarına entegre edebilmesi uluslararası ticaret yapılacak katkıyı artıracaktır. Eserin temel amacı da uluslararası ticarete katkı sağlayacak çalışmaları bir araya getirmektir. Ortaya konulan bu eserde özellikle uluslararası ticaret ve lojistik kapsamında yönetim, finans ve muhasebe konularında çalışmalara yer verilmiştir. Dokuz bölümden oluşan bu eserde birbirinden değerli yazarların kaleme aldığı akademik literatüre katkı sağlayacağı düşünülen çalışmalar bulunmaktadır. Bu eser hem akademik anlamda çalışma yapanlara hem de uluslararası ticarette faaliyet gösteren işletmeler için bir kaynak niteliği taşımaktadır.
Ülkelerin ekonomik anlamda büyümeleri, farklı ülkelerde işletme sayılarının artması ve kendi ülkelerine potansiyel yatırımcıları çekerek yatırım yapmalarını sağlaması ancak uluslararası ticaret uygulamalarına önem vermesi ve koşullarını iyileştirmesi ile mümkün olmaktadır. Uluslararası ticaretin gelişimine en büyük katkıyı lojistik sektörü yapmaktadır. Bu nedenle lojistik sektöründe yaşanan küresel değişim ve gelişmeleri uygulamalarına entegre edebilmesi uluslararası ticaret yapılacak katkıyı artıracaktır. Eserin temel amacı da uluslararası ticarete katkı sağlayacak çalışmaları bir araya getirmektir. Ortaya konulan bu eserde özellikle uluslararası ticaret ve lojistik kapsamında yönetim, finans ve muhasebe konularında çalışmalara yer verilmiştir. Dokuz bölümden oluşan bu eserde birbirinden değerli yazarların kaleme aldığı akademik literatüre katkı sağlayacağı düşünülen çalışmalar bulunmaktadır. Bu eser hem akademik anlamda çalışma yapanlara hem de uluslararası ticarette faaliyet gösteren işletmeler için bir kaynak niteliği taşımaktadır.
The main purpose of this article is to assess the effects of innovation strategies applied in Polish industrial enterprises. Innovation strategies were based on a model defined by the simultaneous imposition of three criteria: the place of the innovation`s creation (in-house or outside), the type of activity in terms of its continuity (continuous or occasional activity) and the innovation`s utilisation (own use or sale). As a result, eight different variants of innovation strategy were created which allow for conducting an empirical verification procedure. The effects of innovation strategy were evaluated by the following criteria: the average number of created innovation, the impact on achieving competitive advantage and the most common result of applied innovation strategy. The test sample covered the period 2012-2014 and a group of medium and large Polish enterprises belonging to low, medium and high-tech industries. As a result of quantitative research, 84 responses were obtained. The main finding of this research is that the most represented variant of strategy is the individual innovator who also has the highest impact on achieving competitive advantage (4.625/5) and an above average number of created innovations (9/8). The key finding, in a broader sense, is the lack of correlation between the number of created innovations and the achieved competitive advantage (correlation coefficient 0.18). These phenomena, called innovation funnel paradox, were examined in detail and explained on the basis of literature and research findings.
Jednym z głównych przejawów transformacji w kierunku globalnej gospodarki jest odejście od systemu produkcji opartego na specjalizacji i korzyściach skali i zastąpienie go gospodarką opartą na wiedzy, innowacjach i informacji (Toffler, 1997). W tym ujęciu o osiąganiu przewagi konkurencyjnej, w długim okresie czasu, decyduje zdolność gromadzenia wiedzy i jej komercjalizacji w postaci innowacji. Wytyczanie celów i zasad regulujących działalność w tym zakresie obejmuje strategia innowacji organizacji. Dokument ten powinien być opracowany w taki sposób, aby jego realizacja zapewniała długookresowe przetrwanie i wzrost konkurencyjności przedsiębiorstwa poprzez tworzenie strumieni przychodów opartych na wytwarzaniu i dostarczaniu wartości dla klientów. Jednakże na ograniczenia w procesie dyskontowania innowacji składa się postępująca dynamizacja otoczenia i zmienność uwarunkowań funkcjonowania organizacji, takich jak wzrost oczekiwań klientów, skracające się cykle życia technologii i produktów oraz narastająca presja konkurencyjna. Organizacje powinny zatem zapewnić taki rozwój, w ramach którego możliwe jest szybkie i skuteczne dopasowywanie się do zmian otoczenia. W związku z tym jednym z elementów, który determinują skuteczność procesu innowacji w warunkach turbulentnych są zdolności dynamiczne. Definiuje się je jako kompetencje do integracji, tworzenia i rekonfiguracji wewnętrznych i zewnętrznych zasobów w celu dostosowania się do zmiennych warunków otoczenia oraz możliwości kształtowania ich (Teece i in., 1997). Celem niniejszego artykułu jest zbadanie i przedstawienie zależności między wariantem stosowanej strategii innowacji a konfiguracją kompetencji organizacyjnych składających się na zdolności dynamiczne polskich przedsiębiorstw przemysłowych.
Many theoretical concepts of studying innovation strategies concentrate on selected aspects and determinants of this phenomenon and dissemble cohesive and wider perspective. In result there is lack of comprehensive researches concerning innovation policies, especially covering long term, repetitive studies based on the same methodology. The main purpose of this article is to assess innovation strategies applied in Polish medium and large industrial enterprises based on three dimensional innovation activity model – innovation cube. Those dimensions are: place of creating, continuity of activity and way of innovation utilization. In result of imposition above criteria these model presents eight different variations of innovation policies. The most common innovation policy utilized in Polish industrial enterprises is individual innovator. This means that innovations were created in continuous manner, based on own resources and for own use. The test sample covered years 2007-2009 and 2012-2014. Surveys were conducted on group of medium and large Polish enterprises belonging to low-, medium-and high-tech industries. Each phase of research was based on the same methodology. From first stage 80 responses were obtained and from the second one 92.
This paper introduces the aphorism “think globally, act locally” and examines consumer tendencies in the Chinese automobile marketplace based on the analysis of relevant local brands. Findings demonstrate significant consumer preferences for products related to the luxury category signifying the need for refining local marketing operations where performance of multinational corporations must match global standards as expected by local consumers. Car consumption has grown during the last years in China turning brand marketing into a critical variable that can forge an active place in consumer’s minds, or negative impact if a campaign is not well-implemented. The relevance of this subject result from the realities that brand marketing is one of the most important aspects of determining whether a brand succeeds or fails. Regardless of the benefits of the brand, poorly marketed brand can end in failure. Multinational corporations need to identify several factors to understand the benefits of branding such as the image and characteristics of the firm, the purpose of the brand, the consumers profile, the brand’s position within the marketplace, and the brand’s general impression. Once, multinational corporations entirely assume these aspects they can utilize brand marketing to market the benefits of the brand in any space in the marketplace. The investigation provides several recommendations to multinational corporations intending to enter Chinese market by utilizing brand marketing as a strategic tool to focus on consumer needs and preferences in the Chinese luxury automobile market.
This study describes the introduction of a new international technology transfer paradigm. The essence of this new paradigm is based on IT-enabled ITT process. The modern business environment is overwhelmed by increased competition and uncertainty, rapid changes in technology, a diminished technology life cycle, and the advent of more powerful, cheaper and easier to use ITs. These factors reinforce the need for the investigation of globalization possibilities of western SMEs via the utilization of high potential ITs in ITT. The ITT process has become more efficient as new ITs are integrated with SMEs’ existing information systems. This type of integration also eliminates many barriers of distance, geography and time. This study presents results of research examining the transfer of technology from western SMEs to recipient enterprises in developing countries using ITs. This research was carried out by literature review, by investigation of internet and databases, and by the survey and analysis of SMEs. A conceptual framework of ITT for the globalization process of SMEs is presented. The study presents a methodology for SMEs to achieve successful globalization in competitive business and dynamic technological environments.
Localization refers to taking a product and making it linguistically and culturally appropriate to the target locale where it will be used and sold. Within global marketing, localization is positioned alongside translation, internationalization, globalization, and standardization. Localization happens at many levels, one of which is translation. In marketing, companies approach their own corporate identities through their different advertising needs and the way they envisage their products, the world, and the various possible locales. In marketing across cultures, the issue of what actually constitutes a culture persists and is generally linked to a geopolitical territory. The advertising and success of a product is subject to both cultural and socio-economic constraints, hence the need to take into account the cultural specificity of each context when designing a marketing strategy. © Editorial matter and organization 2011 Kirsten Malmkjær and Kevin Windle. All rights reserved.
Methods of Phased Transition to Marketing-oriented Management for Retail Trade Companies. Tver: Tver Campus of MESI. 160p.
Keywords: marketing-oriented management, retail marketing
[Original title: Компаниец О.С. Методика поэтапного перехода предприятий розничной торговли к маркетинго-ориентированному управлению: Монография. – Тверь: Тверской филиал МЭСИ, 2012. – 160с. – 10 п.л.]
While it has long been recognised that standardisation-adaptation is a dynamic negotiation, less is known about the attendant processes within organisations. Accordingly, this study ‘pulls back the curtain’ on an innovative new global brand management strategy at Kimberly Clark (KC). An extended case method is employed, comprising three rounds of semi-structured interviews with senior regional and global marketing managers on six continents. Global brand strategy development at KC entails sharing information and best practices, implementing common brand planning processes, assigning responsibilities for global branding, and creating and implementing effective brand building strategies. Indeed, KC’s unique approach, predicated on accountable empowerment and capacity-building, is transforming the organisation by increasing marketing capability locally while instilling better processes and disciplines centrally. Unpacking these seemingly orthogonal objectives demonstrates how brand strategy cohesiveness is maintained in an unconventionally decentralised structure.
The benefits which market segmentation offers are well established, yet businesses continue to report implementation difficulties. Many complain about a paucity of practical assistance for those carrying out segmentation studies. The most common guidance available consists of simple checklists of criteria, such as those presented by Kotler who states that segments should be measurable, accessible, substantial and actionable. Despite widespread recognition of these criteria, such lists are limited in two ways. First, it is difficult to judge the completeness of such lists and second, insufficient guidance is given on exactly how and when the criteria should be applied. This paper comprehensively reviews and classifies the literature on segmentation criteria. The classification scheme highlights the diversity of published criteria and pinpoints when in the segmentation process they should be applied. A model is developed which illustrates the relationship between different types of segmentation criteria. The model highlights the contrasts and overlaps between different areas of the literature and helps set a research agenda. The paper concludes that criteria focusing solely on segmentation output provide insufficient implementation guidance. Three types of criteria are needed, focusing before, during and after the segmentation process. While the market segmentation literature gives considerable attention to the during and after stages, the discussion is confusing. Segmentation success factors which can be applied before the process begins are hardly considered at all.
Although exporting is a risky and crisis-prone activity (especially when selling to volatile markets in the Third World), little is known about the crisis planning behaviour of exporting firms. This empirical study examined the extents to which export crisis management plans and systems had been developed in a sample of 183 enterprises, all of which exported to Third World nations. Certain antecedents of the development of detailed export crisis management plans were proposed, and a model intended to explain the degrees to which companies engaged in crisis planning was tested. Around a fifth of the businesses in the sample possessed detailed or highly detailed export crisis management plans and systems, while a third had no such plans or systems whatsoever. It emerged that the propensity to engage in crisis planning was as much an "attitude of mind" as a question of resources. Companies with the most extensive crisis management plans and systems tended to be those that had experienced a crisis in the past, were averse to the assumption of risk, were highly dependent on export revenues and derived large amounts of their export incomes from Third World countries. Firms that were new to exporting were more likely to have crisis management plans than businesses that had been exporting for protracted periods. However, enterprises with the longest experiences of exporting were prone to develop relatively detailed crisis plans and systems.
Given that culture is an important factor in the international environment, it is a necessity that culture be well understood in order to achieve success in international marketing strategies. Previous research focused more on the broader influence of culture on marketing strategies, with few studies focusing on the way in which culture and marketing affect and are effected by one another, culture's role in the localisation or standardisation of a marketing strategy, as well as which elements of the marketing strategy to standardise versus localise. The sample was drawn from key employees working within reputable multinational organisations in South Africa. No hypotheses were formulated or tested but instead this exploratory study identified areas, which have not been researched in South Africa and eight propositions based on the findings were formulated. The findings indicate that culture plays a very important role in the overall formulation of an international marketing strategy, and it was not conclusive whether such a strategy should be standardised or whether it should be localised. Generally, the responses suggest that a marketer's strategy should suit the local culture in order to reach them and have the desired effect on the target market, and not the other way around because such evolutions could take an extensive amount of time in order to achieve marketing goals.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.