Constructing a bridge to multicultural marketplace well-being: a consumer-centered framework for marketer action

As modern societies have become increasingly diverse, we witness elevated tensions between different cultural groups. Through spaces and representations they create, marketers provide interaction for various groups and we argue that marketing science, education and practice can play a transformative role in addressing these tensions. Towards this end, this paper contributes in three areas. First, we examine the structures and mechanisms underlying tensions and argue for a change from current policies of tolerance that merely recognize diversity, to actively seeking a well-being-enhancing multicultural engagement. Second, we provide a conceptual framework, employing a bridge metaphor that identifies the interactive marketplace domains of multicultural engagement (security, visibility, opportunity, utility, competence, and cultural navigability). Third, from the framework, we derive an agenda for actions by marketing academe and practice to support each domain

Political commitment and transparency as a critical factor to achieve territorial cohesion and sustainable growth. European cross-border projects and strategies

Political commitment and transparency have been previously identified as critical factors for territorial success, as well as factors which allow the achievement of stronger cohesion and sustainable growth of cross-border cooperation projects and strategies. The present study is aimed at a more thorough analysis of these factors. Throughout the analysis and assessment of the European CBC case studies, where political commitment has been defined as a critical factor, political and economic transparency plays a key role. This analysis, which incorporates public and technical opinions, provides a better comprehension on how these factors influence the European panorama. It includes the key messages for policy-makers when designing and implementing development strategies specifically tailored to the needs of these places.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Transnational entrepreneurship : opportunity identification and venture creation

The present case study focuses on entrepreneurs who have migrated from one developed economy (Sweden or Finland) to another developed economy (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)). In contrast to the dominating understanding, we find that the transnational entrepreneurial incentives were opportunity driven rather than necessity based. The opportunity types identified varied, but indicate the importance of service opportunities, a type often left out of studies and classifications. A prevalent characteristic of transnational entrepreneurship is opportunity recognition based on introducing processes or products to the country of residence, familiar from the country of origin or based on use of the entrepreneurs’ contacts in the home country. This study showed, however, that although this was the case for two entrepreneurs, some identified opportunities for acting in the opposite direction, or did both import and export. Notably, there was also a fourth category, offering business-facilitating services, bridging differing cultural contexts in relationship-middlemen positions. For these entrepreneurs, there was thus no obvious “domestic market” from the start as assumed in traditional internationalization theories. Furthermore, although their businesses started on a limited scale between two countries, they quickly grew and entered other country markets. These transnational businesses thus represent forms of born globals not included in the high-tech business models often associated with such firms. Our findings finally lend support to arguments that a business-favorable institutional environment facilitates and encourages entrepreneurship.