The local brand representative in reseller networks

This study investigates the characteristics of local individuals who represent a brand to its resellers by first conceptualizing these characteristics by employing complexity theory and then testing the conceptualization. This research revealed that four characteristics ‘native’, ‘entrepreneurial’, ‘advisor’, and ‘compatible’ are the main ones that influence reseller brand preferences. The study finds a link between reseller brand preference and reseller brand loyalty which is useful for managing business-to-business markets. The study closes with implications, limitations, and directions for future research

Marketing innovation: a consequence of competitiveness

This research uses complexity theory to probe the relationship between competiveness and innovation in the marketing practices of large manufacturing firms that offer their branded products in a foreign market by engaging a network of local small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as resellers of their brand. A deductive, quantitative research approach was employed and data was collected over a nine-month period from resellers of international IT firms in India using a questionnaire. A structural equation modelling technique and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were employed on a sample of 649 respondents to find answers to the questions raised. This research suggests that a successful business relationship between a brand and its resellers can enable both parties to compete in a competitive market. This study finds that innovativeness in the marketing initiatives of the brand can be a function of the contributions made by the brand to its competitiveness. Nevertheless, the findings are also subject to some limitations and provide direction for future research on the topic

Trends and indications in international business: Topics for future research

Forecasting changes in business environments is critical for appropriate responses by policy makers and corporate decision makers. This article reports on a Delphi study which features three rounds of interchanges between experts on possible changes in the international business environment and practice in the next years. Results indicate that terrorism and corruption issues have risen in importance while trade negotiations have declined. Corporate strategies are seen to need significant reform to deliver on the promise of globalization. As trends are becoming more multidimensional, regular solicitation of stakeholder perspectives becomes more important

Foreign market entry mode of service firms: The case of U.S. MBA programs

While international expansion has become an important strategic imperative on the part of knowledge intensive service firms such as U.S. business schools, little empirical support is available on how these business schools enter foreign markets. If U.S. based business education programs are expected to prosper in light of the potential onslaught of international competition, expansion to overseas markets will be one of the most sought after options available. A poor choice in market entry strategy, or the lack of international market entry, can result in a negative impact on the educational institution. This research focuses on developing, measuring, and empirically testing a framework of key factors influencing international market entry mode choice of U.S. business schools by using primary data from faculty and administrators of U.S. Master of Business Administration (MBA) schools