Patriya Tansuhaj

Family Members' Perceptions of Adolescents' Influence in Family Decision Making

Influence perceptions of mothers, fathers, and one adolescent child are compared to document structural relationships between parents and children in family decision making. Family triads are found to disagree in their perceptions of adolescent influence on both a broad selection of specific products and general influence in family decision processes. Mothers, fathers, and children, however, all rate children as having some influence in purchase decisions for a variety of products. A “household” measure of perceptions of general adolescent influence in purchase decisions is constructed and the antecedents of agreement or disagreement among family members are explored, yielding propositions for future research.

Organizational Culture, Information Technology Capability, and Performance: The Case of Born Global Firms

The increasing economic importance and the number of born global firms make it worthwhile to study what leads to their success in the international market. To better understand this international business phenomenon, we conducted in‐depth interviews with managers, coupled with public database and Web site searches. Research propositions were developed based on an extensive qualitative method. The relationship between organizational culture, information technology capability, and performance is proposed in the context of born global firms, based on viewing the concept of IT capability from the resource‐based view. We further provide recommendations for managers, theoretical contributions and suggestions for future research.

A Cross‐national Examination of Innovation Resistance

Do consumers in countries that differ widely in cultural values and in economic development also differ in their resistance to innovations? And, if so, why? Addressing these questions will help international marketing managers formulate an appropriate strategy for a successful product introduction in diverse foreign markets. In this five‐country study, the cultural values of fatalism, traditionalism, and religious commitment were found to explain cross‐cultural variation in innovation resistance in Senegal and in the United States, but not in India, South Korea, or Thailand. Even though the results were different for every country, fatalism was generally associated with less willingness to try new non‐technical products and with higher levels of perceived product risk. Differences were found to be related to entertainment and media innovations as opposed to technical or fashion‐oriented innovations. The results do not support the contention that a global, standardised marketing strategy may be appropriate...

Cross‐cultural Business Gift Giving

Offers a parsimonious conceptual framework to provide a more systematic assessment of cross‐cultural business gift practices. Uses the high and low context classification of cultures to compare gift giving and to provide factors explaining possible differences. Then offers research propositions to guide future research and to assist international business managers when making gift‐giving decisions. Also provides a manager′s checklist to guide cross‐cultural gift‐giving decisions.

Entrepreneurial Strategic Posture, International Diversification, and Firm Performance

Building on the entrepreneurship, marketing and strategic management literature, we propose a conceptual model to investigate the effects of entrepreneurial strategic posture (ESP), perceived environmental uncertainty and international diversifi cation strategy on performance. The ESP‐International diversification‐Performance relationship is investigated using a contingency framework. Entrepreneurial strategic posture is postulated to influence the use of international diversifi cation strategy of entrepreneurial fi rms. Moreover, perceived environmental uncertainty is hypothesized to strengthen the relationship between a firm’s entrepreneurial strategic posture and international diversification strategy, which ultimately affect the firm’s performance. Propositions for further empirical studies are provided in addition to managerial and theoretical contributions.

Choice Criteria in Foreign Language Training for International Business

This article discusses the problem of choice of foreign language by students preparing for careers in international business. Although the importance of language choice in the context of international business programs is well recognized and students are concerned about language training and invest a great deal of time in language study, the choice of language is commonly made on the basis of less than objective criteria. A preliminary, more objective approach to language selection is suggested.

International Performance Antecedents in Emerging Market SMEs: Evidence from China

ABSTRACT Emerging market countries are characterized by weaknesses in institutions, infrastructure, and other public resources to support business. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) typically endure limited private resources. Despite such deficiencies, emerging-market SMEs are participating increasingly in international business. The authors examine orientations and strategies that engender superior international performance among SMEs from emerging markets. They develop and test a model using a large dataset of Chinese SMEs to examine the antecedent roles of market culture, international orientation, and international marketing strategy. Findings point to these constructs as significant drivers of international performance. Implications for scholarship and practice are offered.

Lumpkin's Abbreviated Version of Rotter's Locus of Control Scale: How Reliable is it?:

Lumpkin (1985) proposed the use of a six-item scale (derived from Rotters I-E scale), in those instances where the locus of control construct is not the primary focus of the research, but rather, merely an intervening variable. We have used the Lumpkin scale in a series of studies and found its reliability to be considerably less than expected. Consequently, in such instances, we recommend that researchers interested in measuring the locus of control construct use Levensons 1974 scale or its subscales.

The “Mail-Order-Bride” (MOB) Phenomenon in the Cyberworld: An Interpretive Investigation

Information technology (IT) is often an enabler in bringing people together. In the context of this study, IT helps connect matchmaking service providers with those looking for love, particularly when a male seeks to meet and possibly marry a female from another country: a process which results in over 16,500 such ‘mail-order-bride’ (MOB) marriages a year in the United States alone. Past research in business disciplines has been largely silent about the way in which this process unfolds, the perspectives of the participants at different points of time, and the role of IT underlying the MOB matchmaking service. Adopting an interpretivist stance, and utilizing some of the methodological guidelines associated with the Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM), we develop a process model which highlights: a) the key states of the process through which the relationship between the MOB seeker (the man) and the MOB (the woman) unfolds, b) the transitions between states, and c) the triggering conditions for the transitions from one state to another. This study also highlights key motivations of the individuals participating in the MOB process, the effect of power and the role it plays in the dynamics of the relationships, the status of women and how their status evolves during the MOB process, and the unique affordance provided by IT as the relationships evolve.

International human trade: a marketing analysis

International human trade is a dark side of international business that has largely been ignored by international business researchers. With a rapid globalisation, these activities have intensified to become a global phenomenon in the past two decades. The intent of this paper is to raise an awareness of such an important global business phenomenon. We offer a general classification of international human trade as well as describing it more specifically in the marketing context of product, price, place and promotion of humans and human organs. Recommendations for policy makers and suggestions for future research are included.