Are There “Honorable Merchants” in International Marketing Channels?

The starting points of this initial exploratory study are two research questions: (1) could marketing relationships in international marketing channels be predicted by international marketing managers’ behavior reflected by “honorable merchants’” key concepts (ethics and trust) and experiential learning key concepts such as capability and competence?; and (2) can we measure the progress of this research theme in the international marketing literature and understand the nature of this phenomenon? We examine how scholarly research on international marketing managers’ behavior and their marketing relationships evolved from 2003 to 2013 and envisage the shape of this research theme the next years, to uncover current trends and possible research gaps on the ethics agenda in the international marketing education area. We identified the most salient concepts from 2,083 words for 22 key concepts counted in the abstracts of the 327 journal articles of the international marketing literature, in order to innovatively uncover the trends and concepts, explaining the marketing relationships in the international marketing context. We assessed sets of concepts that best reflect the marketing relationships in international marketing channels and indicated prospects for increasing the focus on specific topics, by conducting a series of multiple linear regression analyses and trend analyses. The research results show that the progress of the research theme can be measured. Innovatively, key competences and capabilities of international marketing managers relating to the key concepts of the “honorable merchant” construct are realized as a strong logical basis for the explanation of effective marketing relationships in international marketing channels. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

“Harm or Good?”: Consumer Perceptions of Corporate Strategic Giving in Schools

This paper reports on consumer perceptions of an in‐school strategic giving initiative as a form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to consider its social implications and to understand the complexity of children's vulnerability in this context. Results suggest that corporate benefits are not balanced by welfare gains to the children and this creates a tension between positive perceptions of the initiative and negative concerns with its targeting of children. This raises a number of ethical issues related to corporate marketing in schools and provides empirical support for earlier theoretical work in this area. The paper contributes to CSR literature by suggesting that opinions towards corporate giving are determined both by perceptions of their underlying motives and in relation to the benefits they provide to stakeholders. Finally, we provide support for the need for policy and regulatory revision with regard to children's vulnerability to in‐school marketing.     

“Green cannibalism” or an “organic inside job”? Empirical insights into the rivalry of ethical grocery types

Despite having favorable purchase intentions toward organic groceries, the respective purchase behavior falls often short. This so‐called intention–behavior gap is investigated by exploring the impact of competing ethical products fulfilling green consumption motives (“green fit”) as well or lacking credibility of organic groceries on organic purchase behavior. The first two studies (n ₁ = 225; n ₂ = 321) assessing actual and reported purchase behavior are testing the impact of perceived substitutability of local and fair trade alternatives compared with organic groceries. A third study ( n ₃ = 145) examines the impact of food miles and packaging on perceived product quality and credibility as possible reasons for a lacking “green fit” of organic groceries in terms of an experimental design. Local (fair trade) and organic groceries are perceived as substitute (complementary) alternatives. Additionally, local (organic) “green fit” impedes (enhances) the transformation from organic intentions into a respective purchase behavior. Wrapped organic produces with high food miles are linked to lower quality and credibility perceptions, reducing organic sales rates in favor of local groceries.     

Can Social Exclusion Against “Older Entrepreneurs” Be Managed?

This paper investigates how sources of social exclusion and support emerge within an “older” entrepreneur's immediate environment, and how this affects the development of their small business. Based on 22 in‐depth interviews in London, United Kingdom, we suggest how older entrepreneurs with different backgrounds are able to manage social exclusion, and identify four coping strategies—passive negotiation, active negotiation, modification, and avoidance. We argue that, if “older entrepreneurship” (people starting a business aged 50 or older) is to flourish, both entrepreneurs and support initiatives need to become sensitive to the diversity of sources of discrimination and strategies to manage them.     

Is “getting started” an effective way for people to overcome the depletion effect?

Whereas most research on depletion focuses on its effect on the overall performance of a subsequent task requiring self‐control, we examine the effect of depletion on self‐control after performance has begun. Across different manipulations of depletion and using different measures of self‐control (e.g., overriding an automatic behavioural tendency, enduring on a physically demanding task, and making healthy consumption choices), the results of three studies show that when self‐control has been initiated, the effect of depletion has little influence on subsequent behaviour also requiring self‐control: in other words, “getting started” on a self‐control task attenuates the depletion effect. The results also show that the way in which self‐control starts—that is, whether people choose to regulate, or whether this choice is forced—appears irrelevant. This research clarifies an effective way to facilitate self‐control after depletion, while providing a better understanding of the process underlying depletion. Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Is “glocalization” still the golden way for Electrolux? Is there more to be done?

Electrolux is the company in the worldwide household appliances industry with the widest geographic reach. But Electrolux manages to cope with regionalization in a clear and effective way, based on its dedication to deep local consumer insight. Electrolux is balancing between globalization and localization in the different key functions, searching to take the best from the two. We conclude that Electrolux has chosen a true glocalization strategy. But there still remain some tough future challenges for Electrolux in terms of coping with slow and blurred internal reporting lines.     

“Why Do Young Thai Women Desire White Skin?” Understanding Conscious and Nonconscious Motivations of Young Women in Bangkok

Skin whitening has been studied mainly using a postcolonial attitude analysis emphasizing conscious reasons behind skin bleaching. Studies dedicated to gaining a rich understanding of nonconscious motivations for skin whitening are scarce, especially in Asia. Therefore, two studies were conducted by using an innovative mix of research protocols to access to both conscious and nonconscious motivations. The studies were conducted among 92 female regular skin whitening users, aged 18–24 years, in Bangkok, Thailand. Study 1, among 42 women, used three‐combined qualitative research techniques of laddering, projective technique, and photo elicitation. Study 2 was conducted among 50 women to quantitatively test nonconscious motives implicitly associated with different white skin tones. The results revealed that motives are not linked to westernization. In a very competitive environment, light skin is seen as a strategic method to maintain men's loyalty, enhance self‐esteem, and guarantee career success. Managerial and methodological implications for marketers are discussed.     

What does diversity management mean for the gender equality project in the United Kingdom? Views and experiences of organizational “actors”

There has been a shift at the organizational level away from a traditional “equal opportunity” paradigm underpinned by notions of social justice, with a specific focus on tackling gender inequalities towards a business‐led “diversity management” paradigm, with a focus on the individual and their contribution to the organization. We argue that diversity management as a concept and model has the potential to undermine the gender equality project, but drawing on a UK‐based study we conclude that whether or not it presently does so in practice is less clear. Nevertheless, our study, presenting views and experiences of multiple organizational actors, demonstrates the seductiveness of the diversity discourse, which could herald danger for the future direction and substance of the gender equality project. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Can monetary policy survive policy model mis‐specification? Model uncertainty and the perils of “policy model complacency”

The question addressed in this paper is: can monetary policy succeed in stabilizing the economy even when the policy model on which it is predicated is mis‐specified? Using variants of the 3‐equation macroeconomic model, it is shown that this question can be answered in the affirmative. The purpose of the paper is not to encourage indifference toward model uncertainty, however, but rather to warn against the perils of “policy model complacency.” This arises if the success of policy is misinterpreted as successful understanding of the workings of the economy, which makes the policy maker vulnerable to surprises: events with systematic origins in the “true” model of the economy that are not anticipated by the (mis‐specified) policy model. To safeguard against this problem, policy makers should always entertain eclectic views of the workings of the economy. This task is easily accomplished by paying attention to heterodox macroeconomics, which frequently makes predictions that are very much at variance with those of the dominant policy model.     

Who is the “Self” that Buys?: An Exploratory Examination of Imaginative Consumption and Explanation of Opinion Leadership

The present research, first, combines literatures on self‐theory, imaginative consumption, and opinion leadership. Second, the research, using self‐theory, explores individual difference variables predictive of imaginative consumption in two studies using different populations. The results reveal fashion product involvement, self‐esteem, fashion knowledge, idea shopping motivation, and probability of a mispurchase influence the degree to which an individual imaginatively consumes fashion products. Third, the research makes a contribution by explaining from where opinion leaders derive their abilities—imaginative consumption. In contributing to scholarly work, the research explains the role of imagination and opinion leadership in both theories of self‐verification and self‐enhancement. Managerial implications include identifying potential opportunities for marketing communications and retail management. The findings are promising and encourage further exploration of the phenomenon of imaginative consumption.     

“Mum,did you just leave that tap running?!” The role of positive pester power in prompting sustainable consumption

This paper offers novel insights on the socio‐structural factors that sustain (or break) everyday behaviours in the home. Specifically, the adoption of sustainable consumption in the home as influenced by Green‐School children is explored. The findings presented are derived from surveys with Green‐School (Eco‐School) children and in‐depth interviews with their parents. The process of sustainable consumption adoption in the home, in the context of the Green‐Schools programme, is explored with an aim to understand if, and how, Green‐School children affect behaviours in the home. The findings enlighten our understanding of not only how environmental education programmes are reconciling the Dominant Social Paradigm with the New Environmental Paradigm, but also in terms of how sustainable consumption in the home, such as recycling and water and energy conservation, are initiated and reinforced by children through their use of positive pester power.     

Patent protection in the South: Is there a case for nondiscrimination?

We evaluate in terms of equilibrium world welfare the principle of national treatment (NT) in Southern patent protection. We use a variety-expansion model with R&D in North and South, and with Southern imitation targeted at both foreign and domestic innovations. In the short-run of Northern economy, NT can never dominate discrimination in the sense of generating a higher world welfare, and it tends to be dominated by discrimination. In the long-run of Northern economy, we obtain three results. First, under free trade, NT is favorable to the North while discrimination is favorable to the South. Second, if the entry cost of Northern R&D market is high and the strength of protection for Northern innovation under discrimination is not that weak, then NT is strictly dominated by discrimination, no matter whether trade barriers exist or not. Third, if trade barriers are sufficiently large, then NT dominates discrimination only when the strength of protection for Northern innovation under discrimination is weak; otherwise, NT is strictly dominated by discrimination.     

Developing a critical view on e‐learning trend reports: trend watching or trend setting?

Trend watching reports are an indispensable resource in the e‐learning domain. Many HRD departments consider these reports as essential cornerstones for the development of their e‐learning strategy. But what is the quality of the forecasts made in these reports? In this article, several methods of forecasting trends are discussed, resulting in a checklist to evaluate the quality of trend studies. Next, this checklist is applied to evaluate some significant trend studies. The evaluation results show that the reports do not meet basic quality criteria, such as ‘sound methodology’ and ‘objectivity’. The article concludes with some critical remarks on the role trend watching reports play in the domain of e‐learning.