Exploring brand identity and entrepreneurship as drivers of small specialist retailer internationalisation: a German case study

While the comparatively sparse literature on small specialist retailing typically supports a proactive interpretation of the drivers of retail internationalisation, a more differentiated picture exists with regard to understanding the role of the brand construct in this process. The wider marketing literature recognises that brand identity, as well as brand image, can inform the process of internationalisation; yet, research focusing on small specialist retail internationalisation remains underdeveloped in this regard. Neither the notion of a multi-faceted brand concept nor its function as a strategic device in the internationalisation process has been analysed with sufficient depth. Furthermore, a better understanding of how and to what extent brand identity is interdependent upon the characteristics and activities of the entrepreneur is yet to emerge. This paper explores the construct of brand identity and its role within small specialist retail internationalisation, and the related influence of the entrepreneur on the internationalisation process. A case study approach is adopted, examining one German small specialist retailer. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with owner-managers and other senior management, an assessment of company documentation as well as participant observation, providing in-depth insights into distinctive internationalisation patterns. The study finds that a simple ‘either-or’ approach, in terms of characterising the retailer’s motivation to internationalisation as being either reactive or proactive, is inadequate in understanding this particular case. Whilst initial motivation was characterised as being reactive, the motivations underpinning further planned internationalisation are determined to be more proactive. More particularly, analysis reveals how brand identity is considered to play an important role in the internationalisation of the case study retailer, and highlights the numerous ways in which the characteristics and activities of the entrepreneurial owner-managers impact the firm’s internationalisation. This research contributes to retail and management research concerning SME internationalisation as well as to the retail branding literature.     

电子商务对贸易发展影响的机制研究

电子商务的兴起对国内外贸易产生了重大影响,传统贸易的组织、业态和经营方式都受到冲击,新的电子商务模式则欣欣向荣。电子商务为什么会对贸易产生颠覆性的影响,它是通过怎样的机理和传导机制改变零售业、批发业和国际贸易的,文章对此进行了研究,从六个方面分析了电子商务对贸易发展的影响机制,并据此引申出电子商务导致的贸易理论创新。     

从国际营销视角探讨中国外贸出口型企业发展

文章通过国际贸易与国际营销的异同,指出中国外贸型企业应该转变传统的、被动的国际贸易观念,树立更富有主动性、创造性的国际营销观念;通过从产品导向转变为顾客需求导向、从价格导向转变为顾客成本导向、从通路导向转变为顾客便利导向以及从促销导向转变为与顾客沟通导向四个具体的观念转变,从而走出国际经济贸易分工中＂微笑曲线＂的最低点,使众多外贸出口型企业成为强大国际贸易实体.     

农业行业标准对我国农产品贸易竞争力影响的量化研究

针对我国农产品进出口总额不断扩大,农产品贸易竞争力却日趋下降这一问题,文章采用1985-2008年间的经济数据,就我国农业行业标准的制定和农产品出口增量对我国农产品贸易竞争力影响进行协整检验和格兰杰检验,实证分析显示我国农业行业标准的制定对我国农产品贸易竞争力有促进作用;农产品出口增量对我国农产品贸易竞争力有抑制作用;最后为增强我国农产品竞争力提出了政策建议。     

竞争力平价与人民币均衡汇率研究

传统的汇率决定理论认为，一国货币汇率的衡水平是由购买力平价、利率平价和货币相对供求等决定的。大多数实证研究表明，这些均衡汇率理论只是强调单一因素，同现实相距甚远。本文构建了多因素国际竞争力平价模型，认为均衡实际汇率随着国际竞争力的相对变化而变化，国际竞争力相对提高，该国货币升值，反之则反之。本文利用主成分分析法，从影响人民币汇率的多因素中构造国际竞争力这个指标，实证研究表明人民币实际有效汇率与国际竞争力之间存在协整关系，然后再基于这个协整关系式计算人民币的均衡实际有效汇率，并据以判断人民币汇率偏离均衡水平的程度。     

Dual Circulation and China's Development

In 2020, China proposed a new development paradigm centered on domestic circulation with a "dual circulation" model in which domestic circulation and international circulation promote each other. This new paradigm reflects a clear understanding of China's development trend that saw its share of exports in the GDP declining steadily since 2006. However, the new paradigm does not necessarily mean that China should change its past policy of fully utilizing domestic and international markets and resources in economic development. Because of large economies of scale in modern manufacturing sector, China should continue to make full use of international markets.     

国内国际双循环相互促进研究——中国规模化经济视角

构建"以国内大循环为主体,国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局",并不是忽视国际循环,而是追求国际循环更高质量的发展。本文通过对中国与相同人均GDP时期的日本、韩国和欧美国家进行比较发现,同发展水平下,中国的生产、消费和对外贸易等的规模均远大于这些已经实现工业化的国家。这种规模化发展模式不仅促成了国内大循环强大的生产供给能力和消费需求潜能,而且可以通过出口贸易、对外投资、进口消费和外资引进等多条路径向其他国家释放"工业化红利",加速全球特别是诸多发展中国家的工业化进程,助推国际循环的高质量发展。本文从中国规模化经济视角探讨中国全球工业化的贡献,为国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局提供了理论支持。     

我国国际石油合作中的问题与对策

目前,我国石油资源供需矛盾尖锐,国内油气资源的产量难以满足经济发展对其需求量。参与国际石油合作,开发海外油气资源,以获得充足的油气供应是我们的必然选择。我国参与国际石油合作已经有十几年的历史了,取得了很大成效,但是依然存在着很多问题,我们应该积极地采取各种措施来解决这些问题,以使我国石油公司的国际石油合作水平有更大提高。     

中国承接国际服务外包研究综述

中国承接国际服务外包研究是服务贸易领域研究的一个重点和热点,文章从中国承接国际服务外包的意义和作用、中国承接国际服务外包的现状和问题、中国承接国际服务外包的政策建议三个方面对现有的主要研究成果进行梳理。     

The impact of strategic sourcing and E-procurement on supply chain performance management

Major changes are currently taking place within purchasing functions of manufacturing firms. Purchasing is shifting its focus from daily procurement activities to long term, value-adding purchasing and supply chain initiatives. At the same time, it is responding to the challenges and opportunities of electronic procurement （E-procurement）, which refers to the utilization of the internet to buy and sell products and services. The responsibilities of purchasing have changed markedly over the last few decades, purchasing focused heavily on the transactional elements of the procurement process. Purchasing was accepted as a support function that provides for the sourcing needs of other departments. The development of materials management and introduction of new manufacturing technologies in the 1970s brought pre-and post-production flows closer together. The manufacturing-purchasing interface strengthened, creating a need to align the buying cycle with production requirements. Purchasing started to create a ＂culture＂ that could help it to attain a more proactive role in the company and start taking responsibility in product design and development activities. The research reported here was undertaken to understand the impact of purchasing on this thesis supply chain performance by （1） investigating current and emerging E-procurement practices, （2） identifying the critical elements of strategic sourcing, and （3） assessing the impact of strategic souring and E-procurement on fn＇m and supply management performance through empirical investigation.