Shane W. Mathews

'From garage to global': the internet and international market growth, an SME perspective

The Internet has the capability to generate international market expansion and future growth for firms, a concept known as Internetalisation. However, it is yet to be determined how much or to what extent the Internet influences internationalisation, and thus international market growth. Both international market penetration (capitalising on existing country markets) and international market development (capitalising on new country markets) are achievable goals for the Internet-enlightened SME. The aim of this research is to explore the influence of the Internet on international market penetration and development for SMEs in Australia. The Internet has given SMEs the capabilities to become rapidly or even instantly international. That is, the acceleration of internationalisation due to the Internet has changed the once slow and cumbersome process of international market expansion. Specifically, an evolved version of accelerated internationalisation that incorporates the enhanced virtual network capability for SMEs is a more precise theoretical explanation.

The Internetalisation of information, knowledge, and interaction components of the firm's internationalisation process

Abstract Transcending traditional national borders, the Internet is an evolving technology that has opened up many new international market opportunities. However, ambiguity remains, with limited research and understanding of how the Internet influences the firms internationalisation-process components. As a consequence, there has been a call for further investigation of the phenomenon. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the Internets impact on internationalisation-process components, specifically, information availability, information usage, and interactive communication, with international market growth. Analysis was undertaken using structural equation modelling. Findings highlight the positive mediating impact of the Internet on information availability and usage, with the international market growth of the firm.

What Advertisers Need to Know about the iYGeneration: An Australian Perspective

A great challenge exists today: how to reach youth (a.k.a. the iYGeneration) who consume multiple media concurrently, who can access information on demand, and who have intertwined virtual social media networks in their lives. Our research finds that Australian youth multi-task and rarely use traditional media, although significant differences between males and females, as well as late tweens and 20-somethings, exist. Technology convergence facilitates two-way dialogue, allowing growing social interactions to occur in their technological environments. Our findings show that in order for marketing communication professionals to effectively communicate with this market, it is crucial to know exactly how the iYGeneration use media, which media they use, and when they use it.

Developing a Second Life Virtual Field Trip for University Students: An Action Research Approach

Background: Integrating 3D virtual world technologies into educational subjects continues to draw the attention of educators and researchers alike. The focus of this study is the use of a virtual world, Second Life, in higher education teaching. In particular, it explores the potential of using a virtual world experience as a learning component situated within a curriculum delivered predominantly through face-to-face teaching methods. Purpose: This paper reports on a research study into the development of a virtual world learning experience designed for marketing students taking a Digital Promotions course. The experience was a field trip into Second Life to allow students to investigate how business branding practices were used for product promotion in this virtual world environment. The paper discusses the issues involved in developing and refining the virtual course component over four semesters. Methods: The study used a pedagogical action research approach, with iterative cycles of development, intervention and evaluation over four semesters. The data analysed were quantitative and qualitative student feedback collected after each field trip as well as lecturer reflections on each cycle. Sample: Small-scale convenience samples of second- and third-year students studying in a Bachelor of Business degree, majoring in marketing, taking the Digital Promotions subject at a metropolitan university in Queensland, Australia participated in the study. The samples included students who had and had not experienced the field trip. The numbers of students taking part in the field trip ranged from 22 to 48 across the four semesters. Findings and Implications: The findings from the four iterations of the action research plan helped identify key considerations for incorporating technologies into learning environments. Feedback and reflections from the students and lecturer suggested that an innovative learning opportunity had been developed. However, pedagogical potential was limited, in part, by technological difficulties and by student perceptions of relevance.

SME international performance in Latin America

Purpose Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from emerging markets in Latin America are increasingly engaging in internationalization. Nevertheless, there is limited research into how these firms achieve international performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine managerial and technology-related capabilities and their impact on international performance of SMEs. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on data from 233 Chilean SMEs, a model is developed and tested using structural equation modeling. Specifically, the model considers the role of international entrepreneurial orientation and internet technology capabilities on SME international performance, taking into account the mediating effect of international entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and technology-related international networks. Findings Results show that international entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and international networks mediate the relationship between international entrepreneurial orientation and internet technology capabilities on SME international performance. Research limitations/implications The context for the study is Chile. However, this is an important emerging market in Latin America with a strong focus on SME internationalization. The research design is cross-sectional and so does not allow for any causal claims to be made. Originality/value This research contributes to the relatively scant but increasing number of empirical studies which investigate the link between internationalization strategy and SME performance in emerging market contexts.

An investigation of problem-solving support and relaxation motivations on e-WOM

As a consequence of greater computer-mediated consumer-to-consumer communication within the firms marketing communications, there has been a growing need to understand these digital interactions more explicitly. That is, we still know little about the exact extrinsic and intrinsic motivations that drive electronic word-of-mouth. The purpose of the paper is to better understand why members within community-based websites develop a need to exchange and/or develop a social bond within the community. Questionnaire data were gathered from 147 members of an online beauty forum in Australia. The findings highlight that those members seeking problem-solving support in combination with elements of relaxation will be more inclined to exchange with other community members and develop a social bond within that community. Marketing managers can capitalise these findings by strengthening problem-solving support systems and creating environments where community members can also relax and unwind to increase the exchange between members and also increase the social bonds within the community.

Experiential Brand Deployment: Improving Tourism Brand Evaluations:

This article examines the use of an experiential branding process to help leisure resort businesses evaluate their brand. We integrate experiential marketing and the quality function development approach in combination to help understand the brand from the perspectives of both the consumer and firm, to help resort service businesses build their experience-oriented competitive brands. The value of this study is that it provides a real-world brand framework, especially those resorts with limited resources. Much is spoken about the influence of the brand and why it is important, but little is known about decisions related to developing a brand, especially for firms that have limited resources such as resort tourism operators. Tourism operators tend to be small-to-medium enterprises that do not necessarily have the capacity to do everything suggested. Therefore, we explore how firms assess the critical elements of their brand by using an integrated approach. For example, the study finds that, first, by using the quality function development method resorts can identify the most critical brand elements, and second, we identify the associated strengths of each brand element and confirm the identified resort’s critical brand elements for investment. Results show the potential strategies to create a more holistic set of experiences.

Risk perceptions in Japanese SMEs: the role of Internet marketing capabilities in firm performance

Abstract Internet plays a very important role for the success of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Many Japanese SMEs are risk-averse in adopting technological innovation such as the Internet. Others, despite these risk-related business norms, recognize the importance of technology and develop and deploy Internet marketing technology to compete in the current competitive environment. Drawing upon these contradicting practices among Japanese SMEs, this study investigates how Japanese SMEs risk perception impacts on the deployment of Internet marketing capabilities, the relationships between perception of risk, international mind-set, business networks, Internet marketing capabilities, and firm performance. This study makes two contributions. Firstly, there has been limited research investigating how Internet-related capabilities impact on firms’ performance. Secondly, there are few Internet-related studies in Japan. Thus, our emphasis on key antecedents and outcomes of Internet marketing capabilities among Japanese SMEs contributes significantly to our understanding of this unique contextual setting. The findings also provide some insights to managers/owners of Japanese SMEs that lower risk perception fosters adoption of the Internet and combined with other resources creates Internet marketing capabilities which results in higher performance.

Internet resources and capabilities: Japanese SME risk-taking, industry and performance

ABSTRACT This study investigates how Internet-related resources and capabilities are influencing performance in Japanese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We use a structural equation modelling approach to test these relationships between Internet readiness, Internet capability, risk-taking perceptions and performance within Japanese SMEs (350 SMEs). Unlike other counterpart countries, such as South Korea, Japanese SMEs have been relatively slow in implementing Internet technologies into business practice. However, the results indicate that if Japanese SMEs allocate appropriate resources and deploy Internet capabilities these firms will benefit with performance gains. Further, we find that both the perception of risk-taking and the industry in which the firm operates are key factors in either inhibiting or enhancing the firm’s ability to leverage Internet-related capabilities for firm performance.

Points for Fitness – How Smart Wearable Technology Transforms Loyalty Programs

Over the last few years, wearable technology such as smartwatches and fitness trackers have gained widespread popularity among consumers. Commercial institutions increasingly try to leverage wearable devices in their business models and value chains, encouraging customer to share their biometric data. This chapter describes examples of new business alliances and service ecosystems between health insurance and other industries to develop synergies and market growth while mitigating privacy concerns of consumers.