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Dive into the research topics where Brent McKenzie is active.

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Featured researches published by Brent McKenzie.


Baltic Journal of Management | 2006

Retail service quality success factors in Estonia: a qualitative approach

Brent McKenzie

Purpose – To present the empirical findings of two qualitative studies of Estonian consumers and how they interpret and perceive retail service quality.Design/methodology/approach – The two qualitative techniques were critical incident technique (CIT) and focus groups. For the CIT study, an e‐mail survey was administered. Respondents of both good and bad examples of retail service were collected. For the focus group studies, six sessions were held, three in Tallinn and three in Tartu. All findings were compiled and analysed within the framework of retail service drivers.Findings – Retail service quality is a relevant construct for examination in Estonia. There is an expectation by consumers to exert their own sense of shopping capabilities. There is an expectation that selling staff need to be authoritative, and to show consideration to the consumer through acts of politeness and courtesy. Also there is an expectation that policies exist to make things right when a problem occurs.Research limitations/impl...


Journal of East-west Business | 2008

Cross-Cultural Research in Transition Economies—A Marketing Perspective: From Theory to Practice

Brent McKenzie; Bill Merrilees

ABSTRACT Transition economy research has emerged during the last two decades as a new lens for the examination of marketing and business phenomena. This study examines major theoretical and practical issues that must be addressed when conducting marketing research in transition economies. The paper is both conceptual in terms of integrating different streams of cultural research for transition economy study, and prescriptive in terms of recommendations for conducting marketing studies. Three inter-related fields of study, individualism/collectivism; value types; and World Values Surveys; serve as frameworks for developing a marketing research agenda in markets in transition. The existence of non-trivial differences between people, and therefore consumers, within transition versus developed economies is also reviewed. The relevance of such research is considered from the perspective of both academic and practitioner applications.


Journal of East-west Business | 2001

Cross-Cultural Retailing Research: A Comparison of Shopping Experiences in Estonia and Canada

Bill Merrilees; Dale Miller; Brent McKenzie

Abstract Relatively little is known about consumer perceptions of retailers in Central and Eastern Europe. What store attributes do consumers in these markets emphasize? Do these attributes reflect the culture of the region? These questions are addressed in the case of Estonia. However our main objective is to contrast the Estonian situation with that of a typical Western country, Canada. Two key shopping experience constructs are selected, namely merchandise selection and the interactivity between the store and the consumer. To make the comparison meaningful we have chosen a single retail category, namely discount or low-price department stores. In both countries there were two stores that dominated their respective market, so this facilitates the collection of consumer perceptions. Structural equation modeling using AMOS software has been used to test the equivalence of the constructs across cultures. Our main findings are that (1) both merchandise selection and store-customer interaction are valid constructs across both countries, (2) that the factor patterns have configural invariance or equivalence for each construct across the two cultures and (3) that the factor patterns do not have weak factor invariance across the cultures. In short, we conclude that there are major differences in consumers discount store shopping experiences across the two cultures.


Management Decision | 2000

Strategic issue classification in transition economies

Brent McKenzie

The classification of strategic issue terms, as used by managers and management teams in decision making, has previously been shown to have an impact on organizational performance. The question of the extension of such research to include managers in transition economies is less known. In order to address this research gap, a replication of an empirical study was conducted. It was found that managers in a transition economy (the Baltic country, and former Soviet republic, of Estonia) differed in the number of strategic issue terms that were classified as being indicative of a strategic “threat” or “opportunity” when compared to their western counterparts. These findings contribute to the continued need for questioning the applicability and validity of management classification strategies and frameworks, based on western managers’ and firms’ actions, for use in transition economies.


Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies | 2011

Marketing of the dark: “Memento Park” in Budapest

Brent McKenzie

Subject area Marketing strategy; services marketing; tourism. Study level/applicability Upper year undergraduate business/management, MBA, marketing/international business. Case overview Memento Park is a large open air museum on the outskirts of Budapest, that houses statues, and related ephemera related to the communist period in Hungary. The park opened in 1993, four years after Hungary had shaken off its yolk of communism as part of the Iron Curtain, in 1989. This case presents a classic example of a business enterprise that sprang from a concept and access to inexpensive materials directly resulting form a changing external environment. The case presents the issues involved in making Memento Park a sustainable part of the Budapest tourist experience. Expected learning outcomes This case challenges students to decide how best to determine a sustainable advantage. Arguably the value proposition that is being offered by Memento Park has a number of identifiable benefits to the target consumer. It is not replicable (at least in Hungary), has a truly unique content, and does not have large fixed or variable costs in terms of operations. The question is how to best develop a plan of attack for such a firm? Supplementary materials Teaching notes.


Archive | 2018

‘Death as a Commodity’: The Retailing of Dark Tourism

Brent McKenzie

A plush ‘RMS Titanic Crew Bear’ toy from the ‘Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition’ in Ireland, a can of ‘The Last Breath of Communism’ from ‘Memento Park’ in Budapest, and a copy of the book Chained on the Rock: Slavery in Bermuda from the ‘Bermuda Maritime Museum’. These are all souvenirs or mementos that represent the breadth of items that can be purchased at visitor attractions related to dark tourism. Consequently, the fundamental question is whether these types of product items should be offered for sale and should you purchase them?


Archive | 2016

When The Subsidiary Leads Expansion: From Russia to Belarus and Beyond

Brent McKenzie; Igor Dukeov; Vadim Iliunin

Abstract Purpose This case study presents the challenges and opportunities faced by a Russian-based firm in terms of expansion to neighboring emerging markets. The case reviews the efforts of a large Russian-based business-to-business firm, which is the leader in the field of fire production gear and equipment, both in manufacturing and sales, and has recently expanded their operations into the neighboring country of Belarus. Methodology/approach The case examines the initial decision to expand to Belarus and what types of risks were assessed prior to entry. Included in the case is a review of the background of the company under consideration, including their history in Russia and how the company addressed the managerial problem of: Why should the company decide to penetrate a foreign market? Findings The study documents and highlights those variables and critical decisions that needed to be made prior to entry, and which items proved to be the most straightforward; those that resulted in the greatest challenge; and those that were highly unexpected. Practical implications The case demonstrates that the form of penetration strategy selected by a firm operating in this region must balance the breadth of stakeholder interests. The two theoretical frameworks; international expansion strategy; stakeholder balance strategy illustrate how a firm can benefit from the proper integration of these theories within the existing resources of the firm. Additionally, the case provides a potential prescription in terms of how to best select a future country for expansion. Originality/value By analyzing a firm that has successfully operated in Russia, and has expanded internationally to another emerging market, Belarus, contributes to the limited existing literature that has applied international strategic theories to actual international practice.


International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets | 2008

Service entry strategies into a transition economy: an Estonian case study

Brent McKenzie; Bill Merrilees

As service-based enterprises expand beyond their domestic markets to countries in transition, additional challenges are presented in terms of internationalising existing practices. This study, based on both qualitative and quantitative research, examines how a foreign and domestic retailer, operating in Estonia compare in terms of drivers of retail success. The research findings indicate four major lessons that can benefit future multinational entries to these markets – two major challenges, country of origin effect, and cultural idiosyncrasies in transition economies, and two major facilitators, multinational service industry knowledge and the understanding of local culture and adaptation of drivers of service quality.


Education, Knowledge and Economy | 2007

Teaching marketing in a transition economy: some personal experiences

Brent McKenzie

In addition to the challenges faced when delivering a marketing course to international students in general, the challenges are compounded when the students have little interest in the subject and the students are located in a country in transition. This study examines the experiences of the author in teaching marketing theory to first-year students at the Stockholm School of Economics, Riga, in the former Soviet Republic of Latvia. Although the political and economic systems in which the students were raised may have changed, the pre-transition period continues to have an influence on how marketing should be taught. Recommendations for international instructors wishing to teach in a transition economy are also discussed.


Journal of Business Research | 2007

Culture and marketing strategy in discount retailing

Bill Merrilees; Brent McKenzie; Dale Miller

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