The Internationalization Of Indian SMEs In B-to-B Markets

Purpose – The study aims to examine the effect of market orientation on the international performance of Indian SMEs in the business-to-business market; assess the potential moderating effect of environmental uncertainty, along with market orientation, on SMEs’ performance; and discuss implications to guide SME owners/managers in their efforts to successfully expand internationally in turbulent markets. Design/methodology/approach – Surveys were sent to a random cross-sectional industry sample of SMEs located in India. The data consisted of 150 responses. Findings – Market orientation and international orientation are positively related to export performance and the relationship between the market orientation and international performance of Indian SMEs is moderated by market turbulence. Research limitations/implications – The data were collected at a single point in time, and therefore do not allow the determination of cause and effect or the impact of changes over time. Data were collected with a reliance on self-reports for all of the research variables. Practical implications – The positive relationship between market orientation, international orientation, and the degree of internationalization of the firm would suggest that the upper management of Indian SMEs should place a priority on promoting behaviors consistent with a positive international orientation, especially in turbulent markets. Originality/value – Studies focused on market orientation have been done primarily in the context of advanced economies. The significant economic contribution of SMEs is well understood, but their business practices in emerging economies have not been studied extensively. This study extends the literature concerning factors that impact business success in an important emerging market such as India

Qualitative Methods In International Sales Research: Cross-Cultural Considerations

As the global marketplace continues to change owing to the proliferation of global brands, changing international trade policies, and the rise of consolidated buyer power, the need for cross-cultural sales research continues to increase. International sales research differs from its domestic counterparts because its application to a multitude of cultural environments where comparable, relevant data are oftentimes nonexistent. In a similar vein, the roles, activities, and approaches to sales may vary across markets, which injects bias and confounds the results. Because of this complexity, conducting international sales research requires flexibility and creativity on the part of the researcher. The complexity of the international marketplace, the extreme differences that exist in different countries, and the unfamiliarity of foreign markets demand better information prior to launching costly international marketing and sales strategies. The focus of this paper is to develop a framework and discuss the role of qualitative methods in international sales research. More specifically, the paper focuses on the following key topics: the value of qualitative research, measurement equivalence in cross-cultural sales research, theory testing and building, and cross-cultural issues in conducting international sales research

Qualitative Methods In International Sales Research: Cross-Cultural Considerations

As the global marketplace continues to change owing to the proliferation of global brands, changing international trade policies, and the rise of consolidated buyer power, the need for cross-cultural sales research continues to increase. International sales research differs from its domestic counterparts because its application to a multitude of cultural environments where comparable, relevant data are oftentimes nonexistent. In a similar vein, the roles, activities, and approaches to sales may vary across markets, which injects bias and confounds the results. Because of this complexity, conducting international sales research requires flexibility and creativity on the part of the researcher. The complexity of the international marketplace, the extreme differences that exist in different countries, and the unfamiliarity of foreign markets demand better information prior to launching costly international marketing and sales strategies. The focus of this paper is to develop a framework and discuss the role of qualitative methods in international sales research. More specifically, the paper focuses on the following key topics: the value of qualitative research, measurement equivalence in cross-cultural sales research, theory testing and building, and cross-cultural issues in conducting international sales research

Research Framework, Strategies, And Applications Of Intelligent Agent Technologies (IATs) In Marketing

In this digital era, marketing theory and practice are being transformed by increasing complexity due to information availability, higher reach and interactions, and faster speeds of transactions. These have led to the adoption of intelligent agent technologies (IATs) by many companies. As IATs are relatively new and technologically complex, several definitions are evolving, and the theory in this area is not yet fully developed. There is a need to provide structure and guidance to marketers to further this emerging stream of research. As a first step, this paper proposes a marketing-centric definition and a systematic taxonomy and framework. The authors, using a grounded theory approach, conduct an extensive literature review and a qualitative study in which interviews with managers from 50 companies in 22 industries reveal the importance of understanding IAT applications and adopting them. Further, the authors propose an integrated conceptual framework with several propositions regarding IAT adoption. This research identifies the gaps in the literature and the need for adoption of IATs in the future of marketing given changing consumer behavior and product and industry characteristics

Franchise Partnership And International Expansion: A Conceptual Framework And Research Propositions

Although academic research has provided tremendous insights about the organizational form of franchising, considerable work remains with regard to understanding the critical factors that enable international franchise expansion and performance. The authors advance the argument that a franchise relationship is essentially an entrepreneurial partnership, and that this partnership influences the speed, scale, and scope of franchise expansion into international markets. In the proposed conceptual model, the authors detail the links among the franchise partnership, international expansion, and franchise system performance

Price Dispersion In The Airline Industry: A Conceptual Framework And Empirical Analysis

Many businesses compete in multiple markets which can cause businesses to temper their price adjustments, affecting price dispersion. The authors propose a framework based on major characteristics of competition and market structure which influence price dispersion. The focus of this study is the U.S. airline industry analyzing data from 5,974 city pair routes. The results of this empirical analysis show that multi-market contact and the interaction of market concentration with multi-market contact have considerable effects on price dispersion. An understanding of these effects provides valuable insights for developing pricing strategies and extending the stream of research on price dispersion

Entrepreneurship, Muddling Through, And Indian Internet-Enabled SMEs

Advancements in internet technology are enabling Indian entrepreneurs to engage in entrepreneurial activities and innovations using new business models to achieve scale and scope as they begin to compete in a global marketplace. An understanding of how these Indian entrepreneurs are successfully growing and rapidly expanding their businesses is critical, not only from research perspective, but also from a practitioner view. This paper contributes to the understanding of entrepreneurship in SMEs in emerging markets such as India. This aim is accomplished through the examination of companies that adopt the incremental decision making methods proposed by Lindblom (1959)

Entrepreneurial Orientation, Management Commitment, And Human Capital: The Internationalization Of SMEs In India

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make sizeable contributions to the economic success of nations. Research concerning the internationalization of SMEs is available in the context of developed economies but less is can be found dealing specifically with the entrepreneurial behavior and international expansion of SMEs in emerging markets such as India. This research extends the literature addressing the relationships surrounding the internationalization of SMEs in India as related to entrepreneurial behavior, firm resources, and commitment to internationalization. Entrepreneurial orientation, a commitment to internationalization, and the ability to leverage human capital influence the international success of Indian SMEs, based on the analysis of data collected from 150 Indian SMEs

Franchise Partnership And International Expansion: A Conceptual Framework And Research Propositions

Although academic research has provided tremendous insights about the organizational form of franchising, considerable work remains with regard to understanding the critical factors that enable international franchise expansion and performance. The authors advance the argument that a franchise relationship is essentially an entrepreneurial partnership, and that this partnership influences the speed, scale, and scope of franchise expansion into international markets. In the proposed conceptual model, the authors detail the links among the franchise partnership, international expansion, and franchise system performance