Rasa Smaliukiene

International region as a brand origin: Conceptualization and review

The purpose of the paper is to examine the international region‐relation as a brand origin. The results of the theoretical analysis of this study provide a foundation for making suggestions about theoretical relationships between components of the brand origin. According to proposed theoretical model, communication with the consumers spreading from the strong business clusters in the international region creates emotional attitudes towards a brand origin; in addition, the quality of the products of the same clusters creates cognitive attitudes towards a brand origin. Our interest centred on a specific international area ‐ the Baltic Sea region. This region embodies the principles of shared values and common purpose, hence portrays a promising situation for regional branding. Performed empirical research allowed the analysis of both emotional and cognitive components of the brand origin. Therefore, the direct effects of the attributes of local brands on the brand origin were tested on the basis of telecoms and food industries in the Baltic Sea region.

Consumer vulnerability in pharmaceutical market: Case of Baltic countries

Abstract Consumer vulnerability receives attention in search for effective solutions of complex problems in the social welfare system on the international as well as local or regional scale. Pharmaceutical consumer vulnerability takes various forms and therefore it may be analyzed in social, economic, legal, ecological or purely medical terms. The article presents an integrated methodology that was applied to develop an indicator of pharmaceutical consumption and pharmaceutical consumer vulnerability; it also presents findings of the research, which employed this methodology to estimate vulnerability of different consumer groups as well as general consumer vulnerability in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Boundaryless career management: theoretical perspective on individual and institutional agency

Majority of researches have investigated boundaryless career from individuals perspectives. Hence, boundaryless career is perceived as an individual agency. Meanwhile, only limited number of studies adopted different approach towards boundaryless career and brought back organisational perspective. These studies aimed to analyse boundaryless career as an organisational agency and stressed the need for counselling or social support in dynamic labour market. Although both streams of studies have expanded career management perspective, much less attempts were made to combine individual and institutional perspectives. Taking into consideration theoretical approaches, the paper develops research methodology, which aims to answer the main questions: 1) how middle-aged or senior employees adapt to new roles as proactive designers of their own careers; 2) what institutional support do they need from employment service organisations, career consultants, coaches and mentors.

BRAND ORIGIN: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

AbstractThe influence of products brand origin on product evolution mainly has been studied from a country-of-origin perspective whit little consideration for cross-national regions as a place of origin. Article develops broader perception of the brand origin that is more suitable for the business based on cross-national cooperation and international clusters. The theoretical value of the study lies in the synthesis of fragmented knowledge about branding an international regional. It provides theoretical framework for cross-national region-related branding and presents the results on empirical research based on Baltic Sea region as a brand origin. From the practical standpoint the paper provides understanding about the influence of regions image to product evolution in international market.