Mark Speece

Continuous learning process in new product development in the Thai food-processing industry.

New product development (NPD) in food‐processing industries is often one element which determines whether companies are able to remain competitive in rapidly changing consumer markets. Current research suggests that well‐managed NPD should be organized as a continuous learning process. It should have strong information linkage across functions and outside the company to suppliers and customers. We examine NPD in Thailand’s food‐processing industry to determine how much it conforms (or not) to current thinking. Generally, only some multinationals and a few larger Thai companies make some attempt to integrate information from a wide knowledge base into their NPD. Even the ones that do it well by Thai standards still have some problems. Existing models of NPD are not very explicit on how information flows should be structured. From our examination of NPD in Thailand, we propose a model based on the continuous learning process in NPD. It suggests how to accumulate and integrate learning (about customers, technology, and NPD itself) across key internal functions (marketing, R&D and manufacturing).

Strategies of Japanese Supermarkets in Hong Kong

Argues that, by the early 1990s, an estimated half of all non‐restaurant food sales in Hong Kong went through supermarkets. Local independents and small local chains cater to the lower end of the market. Two large local chains focus on Hong Kong′s broad middle class and control over half of packaged food sales. Some Japanese supermarkets also target the local Chinese middle class. They define the two major local chains as their main competition, and make little attempt to maintain their Japanese identities. Other Japanese supermarkets are niche marketers. They maintain their Japanese identities more strongly, and give more weight to Japanese products. These stores are located in major shopping districts rather than in the main residential districts. They target expatriates, who may account for 30 to 40 per cent of customers. Finally, one Japanese store has positioned itself as the top quality supplier for the upper end of the market, and presents an international, not Japanese, image.

The Evolving Investment Climate in Vietnam and Subsequent Challenges to Foreign Investors

Vietnams evolving reform process is gaining momentum. Vietnams Communist Party, however, continues to maintain strong control over economic affairs. Foreign companies with commercial expectations typically are forced into partnership with State instruments responsible for implementation of economic policy. Conflict is inevitable and many difficulties between the partners can be traced to fundamental differences in motivation between foreign investors and Vietnamese authorities. The authors analyze official policy statements and historical trends, examine some Joint Ventures to provide insights into the nature and source of these conflicts, and conclude with a discussion and implications for managers and foreign investors.

Social presence and customer brand engagement on Facebook brand pages

Purpose Business use of social media is increasing rapidly as marketers aim to increase customer brand engagement (CBE) in brand communities to enhance the brand experience. However, use of social media for marketing communications is not well understood. This study aims to examine manager and user views of CBE and effects of perceived social presence (PSP) on CBE in a corporate Facebook environment. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative in-depth interviews are conducted with 18 users of corporate Facebook – i.e. those who visit corporate Facebook regularly – and four marketing managers whose companies operate Facebook pages. The industry is smart-information technology devices, and the cultural context is Thailand. Findings Corporate Facebook sites with high SP functions foster customer engagement on cognitive, emotional and behavioral levels. PSP enhances product knowledge and encourages return page visits. Thus, CBE and PSP build brand trust and loyalty. However, managers may need to focus more on the nature of the brand community beyond the corporate Facebook page. Practical implications Companies that enrich their corporate Facebook with SP features can encourage CBE. Consumers feel more informed about the brand and therefore feel more positively about it, which enhances the brand experience and brand trust. This holds even for lurkers who do not behaviorally engage on the Facebook page much, but who are active in the broader brand community. Originality/value This paper studies the relationship between PSP and CBE in a corporate Facebook environment, providing insights into how PSP influences CBE, which can enhance the customer’s brand experience and contribute to brand perceptions.

Sources of sustainable competitive advantage: the case of rice-milling firms in Thailand

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the effect of several valuable resources (organizational reputation, human resource management (HRM) practices, networks, and vertical integration in production) in explaining the performance of rice-milling firms in Thailand. Design/methodology/approach – Resource-based view (RBV) theory was used to explain that the particular bundle of firm resources can become the source of sustainable competitive advantage and thereby improve the businesss performance. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and questionnaire were used to collect data from Thailand rice exporters. Then regression technique was employed for data analysis. Findings – Results from a survey of rice mills involved in international export showed that organizational reputation, some HRM practices, and networks were significantly related to firms performance, but vertical integration was not. Originality/value – This study supports the basic assertion of RBV theory that a set of firm specific resources c...

Service Expectations and Consumer Ethnocentrism

Abstract This paper proposes that the concept of consumer ethnocentrism can be examined by looking at departures from the strong price/quality relationship perceived by consumers in many countries. To illustrate the argument, we examine service expectations toward life insurance and university international programs in Thailand. In evaluating country-of-origin for brand, design, and nationality of service contact personnel, consumers rated Thai services well above Thailands objective place in the country-of-origin hierarchy, which is a common way of detecting ethnocentrism. This in itself, however, is not necessarily evidence of ethnocentrism, as consumers may believe that home country services are higher quality. Then, if they also believe that price relates strongly to quality, they should expect to pay prices consistent with the higher quality. However, Thai services depart from an otherwise strong perceived price/perceived quality relationship. Consumers do not expect prices for Thai services which are consistent with their expected quality.

Imported Beer in the Hong Kong Market

Argues that successful exporting to East Asian markets requires a good understanding of local conditions. One important issue is how consumers decide on products and how they view products from various countries. Hong Kong is representative of newly affluent markets which are growing throughout East Asia. In the beer market, Hong Kong consumers choose brands based on quality characteristics, especially taste. Other important aspects include the beer′s image and the country‐of‐origin. Brand loyalty is strong. Price is relatively unimportant to most consumers. Many beer drinkers believe that German beer is the best, though they may not always buy beer from Germany.

Satisfaction with interpersonal and internet interactions in Thai corporate banking: an exploratory study

This research explores bank and corporate customer views on customer satisfaction with interpersonal and internet channels in Thailand, and examines the concept of integration to blend the two channels rather than operating them as separate alternatives. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with top management of five leading commercial banks, which have implemented internet banking, and with financial officers of 14 large corporate customers of these banks. Corporate customers still prefer personal contact most of the time, although they find the internet channel useful for some things. Sources of satisfaction with interpersonal service interactions are broad. Satisfaction drivers on the internet are relatively narrow, but sources of dissatisfaction on the internet are quite extensive. Integrating interpersonal and internet channels more strongly would be a quite attractive new option to suit their businesses. Thai banks, however, do not seem to be aware of customer views favouring integration.

Advertising, Brand Image, and Brand Choice in a Niche Market in Vietnam

Intercept interviews of 200 middle class residents of Ho Chi Minn City examined consumer perceptions about brand of engine lubricants, which are still largely a consumer product in Vietnam (i.e., consumers buy it and put it in their motorcycle or car engines themselves). A wide range of foreign brands are available, and middle class consumers prefer them, reasoning that a reputable brand better protects their investment in their motorcycles and cars. Results showed a strong correlation between knowledge of the brand from TV, radio, and print, and perceived knowledge about the brand. Furthermore, the advertising and perceived knowledge correlated strongly with perception of brand image on various attributes and on ‘overall brand image’. The strong correlation also extended to ‘mean purchase frequency’.

The ‘People’ Aspect of Destination Attachment in International Tourism

ABSTRACT The majority of research on place attachment has been conducted within a domestic context where local culture is fairly familiar to the visitor. International tourism research has begun to address destination attachment, but has not yet fully explored the concept where the people and the culture are substantially different. This research used in-depth qualitative interviews with international visitors to Thailand to examine the role of local people in destination attachment. Results show that one of the main attributes of international visitors’ attachment is the Thai people. A follow-on survey confirmed that “people attachment” is an integral part of the measurement of destination attachment.