The Standardisation Debate in International Marketing

Abstract

Some ten years on from Levitt's seminal contribution to the debate, this article addresses the issue of globalization and attempts to illustrate how far this concept has become a reality. The focus of the discussion is on how far consumer products and brands have become standardised. The role of culture in preventing globalization and of technology in advancing its progress is also looked at. Finally, an examination of economies of scale, an important rationale for the pursuit of globalization, is undertaken. Each of these issues is interrelated, but it is possible to suggest that there is evidence to support the growing trend towards product and brand standardisation. It is also difficult to find evidence that traditional cultural barriers are breaking down; cultural influences on the purchasing process seem to be persistent. The argument in favour of economies of scale seems valid, however, not to reduce prices but to allow more resources to be spent on brand building.     

Using Web Services for Collaborative,Inter-Organizational Computing: A Framework and Implementation

ABSTRACT

Collaborative computing is a powerful approach to facilitate service delivery across organizational boundaries. The major drawback of many of the current approaches of dealing with this issue is the dependence on proprietary solutions that are not based on open standards. Such solutions hinder the smooth exchange among the participating organizations due to their complexity and lack of interoperability. Web Services (WS) offer the promise of streamlining the delivery of e-services across organizational boundaries. What is currently missing is (1) a clear understanding of the important issues in deploying these technologies and (2) a compelling implementation framework for the deployment of these technologies in organizations. In this research we propose a conceptual framework for building systems that utilize Web Services technologies to enable networked organizations to automate collaborative processes. We propose an e-Business Service Chain grid that provides an impetus for addressing some of the gaps that exist in current e-services business and delivery models.     

Pollay's Pertinent and Impertinent Opinions: “Good” versus “Bad” Research

Abstract

The final issue of the Journal of Advertising for 1993 contains a series of editorials about tobacco advertising. The series is keyed by Jean Boddewyn with responses from Lawrence Soley and Richard Pollay. Certainly the issue raised by Boddewyn concerning the appropriate venue for this type of research has been discussed and challenged in that series. However, the response from Pollay goes beyond the issue of where smoking/advertising related research should be published. The Pollay editorial raises additional issues for debate and contains some “facts” which call for correction.     

Gravity,Borders, and Regionalism: A Canada–US Sub-National Analysis

ABSTRACT

This article examines the extent to which trade costs influence the magnitude and direction of both east-west and north-south trade in Canada and the United States. With the aid of an alternative framework which pays attention to key estimation issues in the gravity literature, we garner further evidence in support of a decline, over time, in the home bias syndrome. Our results uphold the Linder hypothesis but refute the Heckscher-Ohlin factor endowment proposition. In light of the recently modernized trilateral trade agreement in North America, we conclude with policy lessons on buffering the Canadian economy from asymmetric trade shocks from its southern neighbor.     

Trademarks in branding: Legal issues and commercial practices

Abstract

The call for a special symposium on ‘The Brand and Its History’ has led to two journal issues that focus on trademarks and brands, respectively. This issue is devoted to trademarks, the more concrete, well-documented, and measurable aspect of brands. This editorial introduces trademark studies; summarises previous contributions from economic, legal, business, and historical literature; provides a short overview of the topics and findings of the seven articles included in this issue; and reflects on further research.     

Political Issue Promotion in the Age of 9–11

SUMMARY

This study presents an exploratory investigation of the effect of political frames applied in advertising communication on audience evaluations of source credibility. Framing is the filtering of reality by any message that leads the audience to a certain conclusion of what and how to think about an issue. However, this process is not automatic since variables like communication source and the credibility attributed to that source can influence the communicator's ability to transfer the salience of issue frames to the audience. The results of this study show that societal issues, such as terrorism, might be more productively sponsored by governmental offices or not-for-profits than by for-profit organizations.     

Using humour to increase effectiveness of shameful health issue advertising: testing the effects of health worry level

ABSTRACT

Communicating shame-inducing health issue information is a challenging task as the feelings of shame might elicit withdrawal and avoidance coping, leading to delay in health screening and treatment. With the cognitive and emotional buffering benefits, using humour as a message strategy might help increase approach coping. Real-world ad campaigns dealing with these health issues have been using humour as an advertising tool, and with the lack of humour effects research in health communication, this is a pending topic to pursue. Given that past studies have found health worry to be a significant contributing factor in health behaviours, the audience factor of the individual's general health worry level is investigated. Three experimental studies provide evidence to humour benefitting low health-worry-level individuals in lower shame contexts and high health-worry-level individuals in higher shame contexts. Theoretical and practical implications provide the significance of the findings.     

Antecedents and Consequences of Social Issue Advertising Believability

ABSTRACT

Television advertising of social issues has become an important element of social marketing. However, little assessment of social advertising believability has been undertaken. This is further compounded by a lack of attention to the antecedents and consequences of how believable the target audience see the advertised message. This study focused on examining social advertising by gathering data on two social issues being advertised. The results indicate that involvement and attention paid to social advertising influenced social advertisement believability, and believability and involvement influenced attitudes toward social issues. Also, attitudes and believability influenced intention to comply with the social issue message.     

Nutritional labelling information: Utilisation of new technologies

Abstract

The increase in food-related diseases in society has led to a variety of public policy and private sector initiatives, such as the use of nutritional labels. Although nutritional labels have been shown to be broadly effective in terms of informing food choice, their influence is moderated by a variety of factors, such as how information is conveyed and processed by consumers. Recent advances in technology might overcome these limitations. Using a choice experiment, this paper examines consumer preferences for alternative technological devices that may aid consumer processing of nutritional information on food packaging. The results show which attributes of the technology consumers prefer, and identifies three distinct segments of consumers (‘information hungry innovators’, ‘active label readers’, and ‘onlookers’), and differences between them in relation to their preferences, demographics, and psychographic characteristics. The identification of segments is a novel aspect of this research, and highlights the importance of finding more customised solutions to the communication of nutritional information – an issue to which technology can contribute.     

Pushing boxes or solving problems? Some marketing issues in the diffusion of computer‐integrated manufacturing innovations∗

This paper reviews some early evidence on the adoption and diffusion of computer‐integrated manufacturing in the UK. It draws particularly on research into experience with partially‐integrated applications of advanced manufacturing technology such as flexible manufacturing systems. Analysis of both supplier and user side issues is followed by a brief discussion arguing the need for closer integration at a number of levels. Within the supply side the various actors need to cooperate or move towards other forms of strategic alliance. On the user side successful implementation of integrated manufacturing technology appears to depend on supporting organisational integration. Finally, the novelty and complexity of the technological systems being sold requires a shift from simply selling automation products towards working closely with users in providing appropriate and often highly specific solutions to their problems.     

Social marketing theory development goals: an agenda to drive change

ABSTRACT

Environmental, health, and social change is complex and frequently is framed as a problem(s) to be solved. This framing focuses effort on delivery of solutions designed to change systemic environmental, health, and social problems. Theory, an organising framework for effort, remains under-utilised in behavioural and social sciences. An individual psychological lens dominates and emphasis is placed on explaining and predicting individual behaviour and not behavioural change. It is time to break free and deliver frameworks that extend focus beyond individuals to all citizens, and apply new evaluation approaches that assess individual and structural changes. Ten Social Marketing Theory Development Goals (goals) categorised in three groups: (i) research design; (ii) building social marketing theory; and (iii) methodological innovation are outlined to assist social marketers to develop new ways of thinking that will deliver the theory and evidence base needed to outline what practitioners and policy makers should do to effect change.     

The Role of Innovation Policies in the Brazilian Health Biotechnology Regime

ABSTRACT

The Brazilian biotechnology health innovation regime can be understood as a phenomenon that results from the co-evolution of scientific, economic, and political factors. In order to analyze this co-evolution process, this article presents empirical evidence regarding the relationship between the public policy rationale devoted to promoting innovation activities and the development of health biotechnology in Brazil. Focusing on the 2002–2010 period, this article analyzes the different roles played by public policy on the development of Brazilian health biotechnology. The article is based on the analysis of two main dimensions: the national research capabilities and the dedicated biotechnology firms in Brazil. In this regard, the main conclusion is that public policies had a significant impact on both dimensions. However, the impact has been erratic and reflects strategic public policy weaknesses.     

Smoke-filled Rooms and Research: A Response to Jean J. Boddewyn's Commentary

Abstract

Professor Boddewyn's discussion raises important issues about the social importance and objectivity of academic research. One major issue concerns the social relevance of the advertising research conducted by academics, which Professor Boddewyn contends is largely neglected by the mass media. This neglect “renders main-line advertising scholars irrelevant.”     

Aid for trade and trade policy in recipient countries

ABSTRACT

This article explores the impact of Aid for Trade (AfT) flows on trade policy in 123 recipient countries over the period of 2002 to 2015. It shows empirical evidence that AfT interventions are conducive to trade policy liberalization. These results apply to both the entire sample and to the sub-sample of least developed countries (LDCs). Additionally, the analysis shows that the lower the development level, the higher the positive impact of AfT inflows on recipient countries’ trade policy liberalization, although above the US$ 4,885.40 threshold of real per capita income, AfT inflows exert no significant impact on trade policy.     

Business ethics: Defining the twilight zone

This paper examines the issue of ethics policy in organizations. While the actions of top management may be the single most important factor in fostering corporate behaviour of a high ethical standard, there should be policy where policy is needed. The perceptions of three managerial groups — top- marketing- and purchasing managers — are compared regarding firstly, whether they see a need for policy on a range of ethically contentious issues, and secondly whether they believe there is policy covering these issues in their own organizations. No significant differences between the three groups of managers were found, either with regard to their perceptions of needs for policy, or as far as the existence thereof is concerned. However, an overall comparison of need for policy and the existence of policy showed a significant difference on the scenarios presented to respondents. Furthermore, the study identifies grey areas of ethics in business where managers believe policy is needed, but is not perceived to exist. The use of an ethics policy matrix in organizations is suggested as a practcial tool for the examination of ethically contentious issues. Deon Nel is Senior Lecturer in Marketing in the School of Business of the University of Pretoria. His BCom (Hons) degree is from the University of Port Elizabeth, and his MCom (in Marketing) from the University of Pretoria. He is currently in the final stages of his doctoral study, and his papers have been published in the European Journal of Marketing, Industrial Marketing and Purchasing. Leyland Pitt is Senior Lecturer in Marketing in the School of Management at the Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia. He holds an MBA and a DCom in marketing from the University of Pretoria. His articles have appeared in journals such as the European Journal of Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, The International Journal of Advertising, and The Journal of Business Ethics. Richard Watson is Head of the Department of Information Systems in the School of Business at the Western Australian College of Advanced Education. He holds a BSc and DipComp from the University of Western Australia, MAdmin from Monash University, and PhD in Management Information Systems from the University of Minnesota. His work has been accepted for MIS Quarterly and Large Scale Systems.     

Ethical Mindsets: An Australian Study

This article investigates the development of research in the field of CSR in China. The justification for this is that (i) there is evidence that CSR is emerging as a management practice and management field internationally; (ii) there is a general interest in the distinctiveness or comparability of management and management research in Asia and China; (iii) there is evidence that CSR is growing as a management issue in China; and (iv) yet, the mainsprings of this are very different from those in Western business systems. This article adopts a methodology used in wider analysis of CSR in management research (Lockett et al., Journal of Management Studies 43, 2006, 115) to bring forth comparisons over the salience, focus and nature of CSR in China research. It finds a rapidly growing salience of CSR in China research, albeit from a low base. It parallels Lockett et al.’s (2006) finding of a ‘thickening’ of CSR research focus from early concerns with Ethical issues only to greater attention to Social, Environmental and Stakeholder concerns. It also generally parallels Lockett et al.’s (2006) findings on the balance of research methodologies deployed. The significance of the findings for future CSR research in China is considered both for the notion of a CSR field of research and for our understanding of the development of CSR in China.     

A Latin American Perspective on Trade Policies

This article looks at the trade policy guidelines that the region should follow in order to achieve dynamic international economic linkages, in the light of the international context, the theoretical debates on this subject, and some lessons that may be learned from the study of successful cases. It is posited that in the countries of the region, trade policy can be an instrument for macroeconomic management, fiscal management, and, at the microeconomic level, resource allocation. Its use as a second-best instrument is justified when there are constraints on the use of the best possible solutions. It is also held that there must be close coordination of the policies applied in the fields of trade, industry, and technology to ensure high levels of investment in the tradeable sectors of the economy, a form of competitiveness based on constant increases in productivity, and an improvement in the region's specialization profile. Finally, emphasis is placed on the need to strengthen the institutions of Latin American states in order to ensure that their interventions in the economy have a suitable level of effectiveness.     

Sexuality and Ethics in Advertising: A Research Agenda and Policy Guideline Perspective

Abstract

Sexuality in advertising is a major area of ethical concern, though surprisingly little is known about its effects or the norms for its use. The author suggests a framing perspective on these two issues that consists of (1) a research agenda concerning the alleged effects and morality of sexual appeals (i.e., teleological vs. deontological considerations) and (2) a set of ethics-based, policy guidelines for addressing these issues (i.e., choice enhancement vs. consumer protection). Applying this framing perspective, the author provides a basis for making ethical choices about the use of sexual appeals in advertising.     

Safety of motorized two-wheeler riders in the formal and informal transport sector

Abstract

Road fatalities are largely preventable problem with large socioeconomic impact. Due to the rapidly increasing population, transport systems and road infrastructure have not met the demand. The use of motorized two-wheeler vehicles has increased, as informal transport. However, evidence on their safety is scarce. The aim of this article is to examine the safety and social equity issues in MTW in the informal transport sector. Factors can be used to explain traffic collisions in MTW in the formal/informal transport sectors: design, rider behavior, road design, enforcement, and regulation of the informal transport sector. Evidence suggests that MTWs could be a common related to pedestrian fatalities. Informal transport drivers are typically poor, uneducated, young men who due to lack of other employment options move into the informal sector. Their vehicles are old, unmaintained and have a lack of protective equipment for themselves and their passengers. Young, male drivers speed, take risks and not use protective equipment. Users of informal transport live in the poorer peripheries of cities, which, have limited, inefficient or unaffordable public transport. The provision of transport has therefore become an often unrecognized, important social equity issue and studies are urgently needed on MTW in the informal transport sector.