Elad Granot

Assessing competitive advantage of emerging markets in knowledge intensive business services

Purpose – The dramatic growth and international scope of knowledge‐intensive business services (KIBS) are evident in emerging markets such as China and India. Nations, like firms, seek to capitalize on their available resources and capabilities (e.g. people, technology, skills) in order to build and maintain core competencies in certain industry sectors. This paper has the following objectives: to discuss the classification of KIBS, to marshal conceptual and statistical evidence on KIBS in major emerging markets, to compare and contrast selected major emerging markets in regard to their KIBS activities, and to discuss policy implications.Design/methodology/approach – In this conceptual paper, extant literature is reviewed and discussed pertaining to the KIBS sectors. Several existing data sources are used to assess the comparative performance of major emerging markets in the KIBS sectors.Findings – The emphasis is on finding comparative longitudinal statistics that are useful for comparison and contrast a...

A structural guide to in‐depth interviewing in business and industrial marketing research

Purpose – The authors aim to present a structural guide for data collection in a participant‐oriented, B2B context.Design/methodology/approach – A three‐stage interview process following the work of Seidman is presented, along with key issues on how to plan, structure, and execute a B2B interview‐based hermenuetic ethnographic study.Research limitations/implications – The framework presented in this paper provides strong theoretical foundation for further theory development in global industrial marketing research and managerial cognition research. However, given the conceptual nature of the research, empirical scrutiny and further conceptual and empirical research are required.Originality/value – There is a serious gap in the literature when addressing the issue of B2B contextual studies, focusing on managers, manufacturers, and various other professional personnel.

Qualitative Methods in International Sales Research: Cross-Cultural Considerations

As the global marketplace continues to change owing to the proliferation of global brands, changing international trade policies, and the rise of consolidated buyer power, the need for cross-cultural sales research continues to increase. International sales research differs from its domestic counterparts because its application to a multitude of cultural environments where comparable, relevant data are oftentimes nonexistent. In a similar vein, the roles, activities, and approaches to sales may vary across markets, which injects bias and confounds the results. Because of this complexity, conducting international sales research requires flexibility and creativity on the part of the researcher. The complexity of the international marketplace, the extreme differences that exist in different countries, and the unfamiliarity of foreign markets demand better information prior to launching costly international marketing and sales strategies. The focus of this paper is to develop a framework and discuss the role of qualitative methods in international sales research. More specifically, the paper focuses on the following key topics: the value of qualitative research, measurement equivalence in cross-cultural sales research, theory testing and building, and cross-cultural issues in conducting international sales research.

Global Virtual Sales Teams (GVSTs ): A Conceptual Framework of the Influence of Intellectual and Social Capital on Effectiveness

International sales opportunities, consolidation of global accounts, and advancements in communication technologies have led to the prevalence of global virtual sales teams (GVSTs). GVSTs enable salespeople from different geographical areas, time zones, and cultural backgrounds to use virtual interfaces and work closely together on interdependent global sales objectives. However, as technology-enabled, culturally diverse, and globally separated teams have not lived up to their potential, researchers have called for furthering our understanding of such teams. Therefore, drawing from literature streams on traditional sales teams, global sales teams, virtual teams, teamwork in organizations, intellectual capital, and social capital, we offer a framework for enhancing the effectiveness of GVSTs. Specifically, we define GVST effectiveness, identify effectiveness enhancing components of the GVST environment, and examine unique dimensions of GVST intellectual and social capital that influence the GVST environment. We conclude with several directions for future research in this promising, yet underresearched, area and implications for practice.

A socio-marketing analysis of the concept of cute and its consumer culture implications:

Cute has become the favored language of (the predominantly female) popular consumer culture. This paper examines the roots of “cute” and its evolution with reference to its relevance to marketers. We follow the cultural appropriation of Japan’s “Kawaii” by the Western “cute”, and introduce a social, marketing-oriented description and analysis of the concept. We present its socio-cultural, experiential, symbolic, and ideological relevance to consumption in general, and to consumer culture theory in particular. This examination steers clear of scientific generalizations prevalent in consumer behavior research and aims, instead, to illuminate the cultural dimensions of the consumption cycle, and allow a better understanding of what it is like to form social attachment and loyalty in the context of cute consumption and consumer culture theory. Especially interesting questions arise regarding the trans-social acculturating elements of cute, as well as the apparent mainstreaming (cultural appropriation) of the cute Asian subculture into the dominant Western consumer and material cultures.

Approaching global industrial marketing from a managerial cognition perspective: a theoretical framework

Purpose – This paper aims to attempt to develop an integrative theoretical framework that approaches global industrial marketing from a managerial cognition perspective.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from the managerial cognition research, business strategy research, and international business research, this paper develops a theoretical framework that is relevant to global industrial marketing.Findings – Global industrial marketing research has much to gain from the managerial cognition literature. The framework developed in this article presents relevant managerial cognition variables, their individual and firm level antecedents, and desirable outcomes.Research limitations/implications – The framework presented in this paper provides strong theoretical foundation for further theory development in global industrial marketing research and managerial cognition research. However, given the conceptual nature of our research, empirical scrutiny and further conceptual and empirical research are required....

Relationship marketing strategy: an operant resource perspective

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to illustrate that the operant resource perspective of the service-dominant (S-D) logic can explicate how operant resources can influence relationship marketing (RM) strategy success. Design/methodology/approach – After a brief discussion of the operant resource perspective of the service-dominant (S-D) logic, the paper reviews relationship marketing literature to identify and explore specific operant resources that can influence relationship marketing success. Findings – This paper identifies several operant resources that have been empirically verified to have positive influence on relationship marketing success and several other operant resources that need further conceptual and empirical investigation. Originality/value – The operant resource perspective of relationship marketing strategy and the operant resources identified in this paper provide the foundation for theory development and managerial practice.

Strategies for sustaining the edge in offshore outsourcing of services: the case of India

Purpose – Offshore outsourcing offers competitive advantages when goods and services are produced economically and with acceptable or superior quality by suppliers located outside a firms home country. The purpose of this paper is to focus on India as a destination for offshore outsourcing of services and the challenges it faces in maintaining its leadership in this area. The paper discusses the growth of services outsourcing and the economic and environmental forces that have contributed to the outsourcing of high-end services, also known as knowledge process outsourcing (KPO). Design/methodology/approach – This article surveys the literature of offshore outsourcing and identifies strategic drivers and options that can help India to grow and consolidate its position as an exporter of services and build long-term competitive advantages in its relationships with global partners. To understand why nations gain competitive advantage in certain industries, Porters “diamond” model is utilized as a broad fram...