Bridging the Theory-Practice Gap in Business Marketing: Lessons from the Field—The JBBM at 21

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to first examine the distinctive role that Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing (JBBM) assumes in the marketing discipline, explore its heritage and notable accomplishments, and highlight the opportunities and challenges that specialized business journals confront across functional areas. Next, the authors explored the academic-practitioner divide and propose action steps that can be followed to craft corporate research partnerships to address business marketing problems.

Methodology/approach: The authors drew on research experience gained across more than a dozen empirical studies that have been used in a collaborative approach with a partner firm from the business-to-business sector to examine a core marketing problem.

Findings: High levels of engagement and support from the partner organization appear to be most likely to occur when members of the partnering firm were actively involved in framing the research question.

Research implications: A set of action steps is proposed as a vehicle for initiating and managing a corporate research partnership. By providing potential access to rare data, a collaborative approach may provide a path for attacking substantive research issues in business marketing.     

The economic impact of the Trans‐Pacific Partnership: What have we learned from CGE simulation?

The Trans‐Pacific Partnership (TPP ) trade agreement, if were it to be successfully implemented, would be one of the largest regional agreements ever seen. It is the only exemplar to date of a “mega‐regional” FTA for which negotiations have been successfully concluded, and a landmark in evolving approaches to Asia–Pacific integration. As such, quantitative assessments of its potential effects are of considerable interest. One of the most widely used techniques for evaluating the economic impact of regional trading agreements is numerical simulation with computable general equilibrium, or CGE , models. There have now been a large number of papers written that use CGE methods to analyse the potential economic impact of the TPP agreement under varying theoretical and policy assumptions. In this paper we provide a synthesis of the key results that have emerged from the literature, and introduce some new simulation results of our own to anchor the discussion.     

Challenges to Retailing Systems—Lessons from the People's Republic of China

Abstract

Based on an investigation of market leader manufacturers and consumers, this pilot study focuses on an analysis of the phenomena of “squeezing” retailing activities in China as a result of the double pressures from both producer and consumer. Based on this study, and in the context of the fierce international competition in the market place in China, the conclusion has been reached that (a) “In the market place, the manufacturers and consumers are one-step-ahead of retailers; (b) The large-scale production-retailing-consumption system is important to China's market economy and its future development; and (c) Marketing is the key for manufacturers and retailers to succeed in China today and in the future.”.     

Developing a market plan— Lessons from the Inn at Plum Greek

This inside look at an actual marketing plan will show you how to build yours and give you ideas for where to look for business. Only the names have been changed to protect the property     

Geopolitics of the European Rule of Law — Lessons from Ukraine and the Western Balkans

Intereconomics - Several opportunities arise for rule of law promoters: to reclaim the security discourse; to explain EU enlargement through the commitment to the rule of law; and consequently, to...     

Partnerships that go places: How to successfully market products from vendor partners at retail stores from the vendors’ perspective

This study constructed a model using multiple attribute decision making (MADM) to evaluate the successful marketing of products from vendor partners at an on-campus training store. We used the 5Ps of marketing (people, product, price, promotion, and place) as the research framework and applied the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to calculate the weight of each evaluation criterion. A gap analysis was performed on each evaluation criterion, using the modified VlseKriterijumska Optimizcija I Kaompromisno Resenje (modified VIKOR) to identify the important factors that students at an on-campus training store should prioritize for improvement when formulating marketing strategies from vendor partners. The results indicatae that when collaborating with the on-campus training store, vendor partners placed the greatest emphasis on promotion and the least on people. The results indicatae that when collaborating with the on-campus training store, vendor partners placed the greatest emphasis on promotion and the least on people. The evaluation dimensions were ranked according to their weights in descending order as follows: promotion(0.279), product(0.239), price(0.179), place(0.157), and people(0.143). Based on the overall weights of all evaluation criteria featured in present study, vendor partners placed the top five greatest emphasis on product quality and safety assurance(0.088), social media marketing(0.078), price promotion activities(0.071), product uniqueness(0.069), as well as brand advertising and promotion(0.066). The current research provides practical and appropriate strategies for planning successfully product marketing strategies from vendor partners, and further helping vendor partners increase product exposure and attract consumers to purchase their products at the on-campus training store. The findings may help vendor partners increase and improve product exposure and attract consumers to purchase their products.     

The determinants of bank internationalisation in times of financial globalisation: evidence from the world's largest banks, 1980–2007

This article analyses the determinants of bank internationalisation, of the world's largest banks from the period 1980–2007. The purpose of the article is twofold. First, we show how a mixed-methods research design, in which we combine a variables-based research with three case studies, can contribute to the field of business history. The variables-based research helps to detect general trends, but the statistical analysis alone only provides a limited understanding of the factors that drive the trends. By analysing selected case studies, we provide a context within which the statistical results are better understood. The second purpose is to understand trends in the internationalisation strategies of banks from different regions, and during different time periods. Contrasting with prior research, we find that Japanese and US banks have exhibited different internationalisation pattern as opposed to the European banks. Also, the determinants of bank internationalisation differ in importance over time. Using case studies, we show the importance of the changing regulatory environment.     

What Sparks Ethical Decision Making? The Interplay Between Moral Intuition and Moral Reasoning: Lessons from the Scholastic Doctrine

There has been limited coverage of the corporate responsibility (CR) practices of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the mainstream CR literature. Furthermore, there has been no systematic analysis of the responsibilities of the high value jewellery industry and jewellery SMEs in particular. This study explores the potential for harm and value creation by individual stakeholders in fine jewellery production. Using the harm chain and institutional theory to frame our investigation, we seek to understand how small businesses within the fine jewellery industry respond to the economic, social and environmental challenges associated with responsible jewellery production, and to investigate how they perceive and negotiate the tensions between responsibility and the resistance derived from the operational norms of secrecy and autonomy within the industry. Our exploratory research provides illustrative examples of how complex harm networks operate within and across the fine jewellery industry, and demonstrates the inter-relationships that exist across the different stages of the fine jewellery harm chain. Findings suggest that institutional forces are coalescing towards a more responsible agenda for the fine jewellery industry. Moreover, while CR is a tool to disrupt harmful institutional norms and practices within such an industry, it requires the co-creation of new transformative business models and multi-stakeholder involvement including firms (SMEs and MNEs), trade associations, non-governmental organisations and consumers. Solutions include national and international legislation, price adjusted certification routes for small firms, harmonisation of industry CR standards to reduce overlap in certification and regulation and gem and precious metal “track and trace” schemes.     

Amending China’s Notion of a “Consumer”: Lessons from Comparative Analysis of the PRC Consumer Protection Law

Who does the law treat as a “consumer” and why does it matter? How should China’s notion of a “consumer” best be articulated within the law and applied in practice? This article will attempt to answer these intriguing questions by first focusing on the approach taken to define a “consumer” in China’s Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests before examining the legal notion of a “consumer” in comparative perspective, in order to further understand the competing rationales behind the consumer protection law. This article will explore this Chinese definition of a “consumer” to propose how China’s vague and unworkable statutory definition of a ‘consumer’ should be amended in future.

     

Failure to learn from failure: The 2008 mortgage crisis as a déjà vu of the mortgage meltdown of 1994

This article traces the developments in the market for residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS) during the period 1970–2008. Drawing on an analysis of trade publications, business press, and interviews with practitioners, it shows that an MBS market meltdown in 1994 provided clear signals of problems with MBS. The market participants did not re-evaluate their use of risk management tools or adjust security design in response to the 1994 crisis, suggesting a lack of understanding of the implications of the crisis. The 1994 meltdown showed that MBS were vulnerable to systematic risks and that these risks could precipitate an MBS market crash. Furthermore, the 1994 meltdown demonstrated that large-scale investment in MBS could affect the primary mortgage market, thereby rendering the MBS risks unpredictable. After 1994, MBS investment shifted to MBS backed by mortgages with default risk – a development that led to the crash of 2008. By drawing parallels between the 1994 and 2008 crises, this article shows how the MBS market failed to self-correct. The results suggest that financial market participants do not always incorporate relevant information in their decision-making and that market participants have difficulties in both foreseeing the effect of financial innovations on markets and interpreting these effects.     

“Should I stay or should I go?”—Why the future of global work may be less binary: Lessons on approaches to global crises from the experiences of expatriates during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has significantly impacted expatriates, affecting their ability to work effectively and their personal and family lives. This study explores their experiences in different phases of the pandemic, and their perspectives on the future of international living in light of such global disruption. Involving over 600 expatriates in 48 countries, the research shows shifts in motivation and priorities as a result of the crisis and reveals how family (extended and immediate) topped expatriates' concerns. The study examines if and how support systems worked and looks at coping mechanisms, skills, traits, previous experience, and attitudes which participants found useful. A common theme was “falling between two stools”—where expatriates were ineligible for support in either their home country or in their host country. Others described being “pulled in different directions” or “torn by a dilemma” with pros and cons in either choice. The study contributes to the questions about the future of global work with results of the survey revealing changing norms for expatriation and global mobility raising the possibility of more nuanced approaches to global projects and less binary options for global professionals and their families.     

Chinese Consumers’ Perceptions of Functional Foods: A Netnography Study of Foods that Help the Immune System Recover from Air Pollution

In China, persistent and severe episodes of poor air quality have raised the population’s awareness of the deleterious impact that air pollution can have on their health and lead many people to explore physical means to limit their exposure to air pollution and therapies to help their immune system cope with this stress. Using a netnographic approach we explored Chinese consumers’ understandings of the impacts on their health caused by air pollution, and the key attributes (expected benefits, forms, and patterns of consumption) they expect of functional foods designed to help them recover from the pollution-driven impact. Relevant Chinese consumers’ discussions were selected from two Community Question Answering websites, “Zhihu” and “Baidu Knows”. The impact of pollution on the respiratory system was considered to be of the most concern and homemade TCM therapies and diet adjustment were the main forms of remedies discussed online. Results from this study will support the commercial success of functional food products designed to help Chinese consumers recover from the impact of air pollution on their health.     

The role of consumers' attitude towards economic climate in their reaction to ‘PL-only’ assortments: Evidence from the United States and Spain

Retailers’ assortment rationalisation strategies have found an “ally” in the current global economic crisis. Indeed, retail boycotts of individual brands in economic recession contexts are not uncommon in the CPG industry. In fact, many of the consumers who began buying PLs during the economic recession are continuing their PL behaviour post-recession. So, what is the role of the economic climate in consumers’ reaction– in terms of store loyalty – to retailers’ NB delisting decisions? Is it so relevant? This paper examines how consumers’ attitude towards the economic climate influences his/her reaction to retailers’ strategy of offering ‘PL-only’ assortments in the context of an economic slump (Spain) compared to a context of economic recovery (U.S.). To do so, we have designed a controlled online experiment for two large consumer panels in the Spanish and the U.S. markets. Our results suggest that consumers’ acceptance of ‘PL-only’ assortments is a separate phenomenon rather than merely being a “consequence” of the current economic situation. Nevertheless, in an economic recovery, such ‘PL-only’ assortments do not appear to be the best strategy.     

The Hidden Persuader: The Role of the Advisor in Negotiations and Group Decision Making—Perspectives from the European Union

Theoretical models of negotiation and group decision making often overlook or at least do not fully account for the important role played by persons who advise negotiators and participants in group decision making. Sight unseen, advisors are often “hidden persuaders,” important but unrecognized sources of influence on the negotiation dynamic. This article explores the roles and methods of advisors in the negotiation process, drawing on survey research conducted in 2013 among approximately seventy advisors at the European Union Council of Ministers. Defining advice as “\(\ldots \)a communication from one person (the advisor) to another (the client) for the purpose of helping that second person determine a course of action for solving a particular problem\(\ldots \)”, the author considers the nature of advice and the range of relationships that may exist between advisors and their clients. He argues that advising is much more than the mere transmittal of information from advisor to negotiator and that for advice to be effective a relationship must exist between the two parties. The author identifies three models of the advisor–negotiator relationship. Model I is the advisor as director, wherein the advisor tends to take control of the negotiating process, directing the negotiator in actions that the negotiator should take to achieve success at the negotiation. Model II is the advisor as servant in which the advisor merely responds to the demands of the client for help and guidance in the negotiation. Model III is the advisor as partner, wherein advisor and negotiator jointly manage the advising process and together take co-ownership of the problem to be solved. The author then explores the factors that lead advisors and negotiators to adopt each of these three models, the various advising styles that advisors adopt, and the differing effects on the negotiation process that these elements may have, drawing on historical examples as well as survey data from the EU Council of Ministers. He concludes by offering advice about advising to three important professional groups—scholars, negotiators, and advisors—on ways to carry out their respective functions more effectively.     

‘The price is different depending on whether you want a receipt or not’: examining the purchasing of goods and services from the informal economy in South-East Europe

ABSTRACT

Research on the informal economy has largely focussed on supply-side issues, addressing questions like what motivates individuals to work in the informal economy and how can governments tackle this phenomenon. To date, much less attention has been given to demand-side aspects, examining issues around who purchases goods and services from the informal economy, why, and to what extent there are variations according to demographic, socio-economic and geographic dimensions. This paper addresses this imbalance by examining the purchasing of goods and services from the informal economy in South-East Europe. Firstly, this paper identifies the prevalence of such informal purchasing in South-East Europe as well as who undertakes such purchasing. Next, it examines the relative significance of cost factors, social factors and failures in the formal economy, in motivating such purchasing. Finally, it explores variability in the significance of these motivators based on individual-level factors, within and across three South-East European countries.     

China's National Economic Development and Priority Fields Attracting Foreign Investments In 1990s—Excerpts from a report by Vice-Minister Gan Ziyu of the State Planning Commission at a Conference on foreign economic and technological cooperation of Chin

Development Highlights of China's National Economy in 1990s Since the beginning of the 1990s, our national economy has sustained favourable growth. In 1991, Gross National product (GNP) maintained an increase of 7.3% although our country encountered disastrous floods. After Deng Xiaoping's important speech made during his Southern China inspection in early 1992, and the proposal explicitly