Trina Larsen

Consumer Ethnocentrism Offline and Online: The Mediating Role of Marketing Efforts and Personality Traits in the United States, South Korea, and India:

Consumer ethnocentrism is an important concept that is used to understand international marketing phenomena. In this article, the authors conduct two empirical studies. Using consumer data from the United States, South Korea, and India (three diverse cultural and economic environments), they explore six hypotheses. In Stage 1, the results suggest that across all three countries, consumer ethnocentrism provokes negative attitudes toward both foreign advertisements and foreign products. The authors identify a set of consumer variables (i.e., consumers’ global mind-set) that may mediate consumers’ unfavorable attitudes toward foreign advertisements and products derived by consumer ethnocentrism. In Stage 2, the authors find that consumer ethnocentrism dampens consumers’ online consumption activities on a foreign Web site. Finally, the authors find that marketers’ e-mail communications to foreign consumers mediate consumer ethnocentrism in online environments.

Communication in international business-to-business marketing channels: Does culture matter?

Abstract As business-to-business marketing channels become more international in scope, communication in channels occurs among a more diverse set of channel participants from different national cultures. Do such cultural variations influence channel communications and if so, how? This study examines these questions in international business-to-business marketing channels comprised of channel members representing different cultural contexts. The findings show that there is a relationship between culture and channel communication in international channels. This influence stemming from “cultural distance” may have significant implications as business moves into the E-commerce era of Internet-based B2B international channels of distribution.

The influence of leadership style on co‐operation in channels of distribution

The manufacturer depends on channel members for the performance of marketing functions. Therefore, the channel participants need to co‐operate with one another while simultaneously pursuing independent as well as systemic goals. Examines how co‐operation among distribution channel members can be fostered through the use of participative, supportive and directive leadership styles foster channel member co‐operation and assesses the relationship between co‐operation and channel member performance. Develops a conceptual model and empirically tests the linkages among the variables on data drawn from a survey of key informants in a sample of automobile dealerships. Shows that participative, supportive and directive leadership styles are directly related to channel member co‐operation, which, in turn, is positively associated with channel member performance.

Leadership and cooperation in marketing channels: A comparative empirical analysis of the USA, Finland and Poland

Marketing channels exist in an increasingly competitive international and global environment. Consequently, many firms have reengineered their marketing channels systems by placing greater emphasis on fostering higher levels of cooperation among international channel participants. However, there are relatively few studies that explore cross‐cultural issues in marketing channels. Thus, investigating whether cultural differences influence how channel participants react to a firm’s channel strategies is an important issue that needs to be addressed. This study comparatively examines channel leadership styles, cooperation, and channel member performance across three divergent national cultures. More specifically, the study seeks to assess whether employing uniform channel strategies produces similar responses from channel members in different countries. Using data drawn from a sample of automobile dealerships in the USA, Finland, and Poland, inconsistent results were found, which suggest that using leadership stylesto foster cooperation among channel members across different national cultures on a standardized basis is not an appropriate channel strategy. Based on the findings, international channel management implications, limitations, and directions for future research are proferred.

Revisiting Normative Influences on Impulsive Buying Behavior and an Extension to Compulsive Buying Behavior

Abstract Social norms and networks are important to understand consumer behavior. Here, we reexamine normative influences on impulsive buying (Rook and Fisher 1995) within a different cultural context, South Korea. Results of Study 1, with a general consumer sample from South Korea, confirms prior findings in the United States that the relationship between buying impulsiveness and impulsive purchase decisions is moderated by subjective norms. Study 2 extends the concept of subjective norms to compulsive buying tendencies in South Korea. Our results show that a positive relationship between compulsive buying tendencies and compulsive buying decisions exists, but does not appear to be moderated by subjective norms.

The Effectiveness of Upstream Influence Attempts in High and Low Context Export Marketing Channels

Abstract International strategic alliances in marketing channels have become increasingly common in recent years. The parties to the alliance often involve exporters and foreign distributors. In the context of this type of alliance, the channel partners view themselves as equals or colleagues rather than channel captain and follower. Therefore, influence rather than power becomes the relevant construct, especially when communication flows upstream rather than downstream. In this study, we examine such influence attempts as they occur across different cultural contexts to determine whether cultural differences are related to such upstream influence attempts.

Satisfaction with Channel Communication Strategies in High vs. Low Context Cultures

ABSTRACT Todays vertically linked international marketing channel networks require effective cross-cultural communications processes. If the channel partners are to cooperate successfully they need to understand each other in spite of the potential noise that may occur in the channel across cultures. This study examines channel communications between U.S. exporters and their channel partners from countries in high and low context cultures. It was found that culture is related to certain dimensions of channel communication, while for others no relationship was found.

Understanding Cultural Frames in the Multicultural Sales Organization: Prospects and Problems for the Sales Manager

Changes in social demographics, legislation, and wealth distribution have prompted modern sales organizations to recognize the importance of cultural diversity within customer markets and sales forces. Some sales forces have employed multicultural salespersons to aide their pursuit of multicultural target markets. Traditionally, organizations have conceptualized cultural identity as membership in one particular category, or frame, determined by race or nationality. However, modern transnational sales organizations actually include sales managers and sales subordinates who may identify with more than one cultural frame, or meaning system. These cultural frames present important prospects and problems for todays sales managers who interface with sales subordinates having compatible or incompatible cultural frames. Within the context of the sales manager and sales subordinate relationship, we present a 2 × 2 framework explaining the cross-cultural interfaces between individuals having one cultural frame (monocultural) versus two or more culture frames (multicultural).

Global Sales Manager Leadership Styles

Abstract Applying the most effective leadership style (participative, supportive, directive, or achievement-oriented) in specific cultural environments can provide global sales managers with powerful tools for successfully managing their diverse salespeople on a global basis. This conceptualization seeks to advance our current understanding of sales manager leadership by developing research propositions and a leadership style-national culture matrix for future testing to suggest the appropriate leadership style to use in different cultural settings.

Leadership, Cooperation and Performance in International Marketing Channels: An Empirical Investigation of the United States, Finland, and Poland

Marketing channels around the globe exist in an increasingly competitive environment. Consequently, many alternative channel structures and methods of distribution have emerged. Specifically, many firms have re-engineered their international marketing channel systems by forging cross-cultural alliances to respond quickly to new opportunities and threats. These international partnerships place increased emphasis on the fostering of cooperation among channel partners to achieve individual and systemic goals on a global scale. In a marketing channels context, the existence of a channel leader and the channel leader=s ability to effectively manage channel participants have grown increasingly important. In this environment, the question of the transferability of management theories and practices across cultures takes on greater importance. Despite the importance of channel leadership and channel partner cooperation, research on this construct has been limited in scope.