Marina Vignola

International market selection for small firms: a fuzzy-based decision process

Purpose – This study aims to build and test an International Market Selection (IMS) decision process method that is able to capture, within a small firm’s risk-averse setting, the entrepreneurs experience, reduce cognitive biases, and preserve the flexibility of the decision, by combining the advantages of systematic and behavioural-based international market selection approaches. Design/methodology/approach – The unit of analysis is the IMS decision process of a small firm venturing abroad. We adopt a ranking approach based on three-step screening. We assess the markets through a multi-criteria approach with a wider set of variables aggregated within a tree-shaped model. To obtain the ranking, we use a Fuzzy Expert System (FES) as an evaluative tool. Findings – The results show that the proposed decision method is consistent with the entrepreneur’s strategic orientation and experience, while preserving the flexibility requested for decision-making in small firms. Unlike traditional behavioural IMS appro...

Valuing strategic investments with a fuzzy expert system: an Italian case

The paper makes use of a fuzzy expert system for valuing a strategic investment. In particular, the model proposed aims at replicating the actual decision process accomplished by Florim S.p.a., an Italian ceramic tile firm which recently had the opportunity of buying a firm in the USA. The model is perfectly consistent with the evaluation process conducted by Florims experts and on the basis of the same data available to the experts panel our expert system provides the same investment value and therefore the same solution to the decision process.

The Moderating Effect of Trust on Formal Control Mechanisms in International Alliances

This study aims to shed light on the controversial debate regarding the substitutive or complementary nature of the relationship between inter-organizational trust and formal control as governance mechanisms in affecting international alliance performance. We deepen understanding of the trust–formal control interaction by considering the multidimensional nature of formal control – both output and process control – and examining the role of trust as a moderating variable in the relationship between these two distinct kinds of control and alliance performance. We test the research hypotheses on a sample of 138 international alliances involving Italian firms and foreign partners. First, we find that only output control has a significant positive influence on alliance performance and that trust shows a fully significant positive effect on alliance success. Second, we find that trust moderates the effect of formal control on alliance performance by reducing the relevance of output control and increasing that of process control.

Extending the Retail Brand to Non-traditional Products

This study focuses on retail brand extension from the consumer perspective when non-traditional products—in this case over-the-counter pharmaceuticals—are offered with the private label brand. A model in which attitude towards the extension (ATE) mediates the impact of some antecedents—national brand preference (NBP), trust towards the retailer (T), fit (FIT), private label knowledge (PLK) and consumer innovativeness (INN)—impacting the intention to purchase the extended PL brand (INTB) is proposed and tested. Direct effects regarding NBP and FIT are tested too. 500 questionnaires were collected from a sample of retail customers. Structural equation modeling serves to test the hypotheses. The model shows a good fit and the hypotheses are supported—except for INN.

L'impatto del Country of Origin e della familiarità con il pro- dotto sui retail buyer cinesi

The paper analyses the effect of Country Related Product Image (Crpi) and country product familiarity (Cpf) on retail buying behaviour. Despite the relevance and richness of the country-of-origin (Coo) research, this body of literature is mainly based on investigating purchasing behaviours of consumers rather than professional buyers. Therefore, the effect that this construct exerts on retail buyers requires further understanding. Moreover, the study contributes to the literature by testing the impact of Crpi jointly with Cpf. Two products are considered to verify if these effects on retail buyer purchases intentions change in relation to specific product categories. The research hypotheses are tested by conducting a survey on a sample of 257 Chinese retail buyers and considering two specific Italian product categories: shoes and ceramic tiles. Results show that the Crpi is a multidimensional construct that influences the intention of Chinese retail buyers to buy Italian products. When we consider Cpf, Crpi maintains a significant role, with some differences between the three dimensions. Product-specific effects are observed. Theoretical and managerial implications are derived.