Veronika Tarnovskaya

The Role of Networks and Matching in Market Entry to Emerging Retail Markets

Purpose – The purpose is to investigate how a retailer identifies critical network actors and gains their support when entering an emerging market. and to examine the role of a firms relationships with different types of actors on the new market.Design/methodology/approach – The study is of an exploratory nature, and based on an inductive and qualitative research method. A case study of IKEAs entry into Russia and China was conducted.Findings – It is argued that IKEAs entry into China and Russia was successful because of its dynamic utilization of matching and networking capabilities. The study explains how the support of relationships with, for example, political actors, interest groups and media supported the entry and the development of a positive consumer image.Research limitations/implications – This is a qualitative, in depth study and future research is needed in order to test the generalizability of the proposed framework and models.Practical implications – The paper shows how retail managers c...

Market driving multinationals and their global sourcing network

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how a global supplier network can support and contribute to a market driving strategy. Theoretically, the paper contributes by integrating the market driving strategy and the network approach. IKEA is considered one of the leading market driving firms. The paper studies its activities in establishing supplier networks in Russia and Poland.Design/methodology/approach – This is an exploratory study of four suppliers of IKEA in Poland and Russia. Data are collected through 11 in‐depth interviews with IKEAs corporate and middle level managers and with managers and technicians from its suppliers in Russia and Poland. Results are drawn through matrix coding techniques and pattern matching.Findings – Findings confirm IKEAs market driving strategy and how it has been able to restructure the market and successfully develop an efficient supplier network as a part of its market driving strategy.Originality/value – Market driving approach has been suggested as a mor...

International growth through cooperation: Brand-driven strategies, leadership, and career development in Sweden

Corporate growth is often viewed as being either internally generated or externally achieved through mergers and acquisitions (M&As). During the last decade, strategic alliances have become an ...

The Role of Corporate Branding in a Market Driving Strategy

The market orientation literature distinguishes between market driven and market driving approaches. Although, most of the companies provided as examples of the latter approach have strong corporate brands, the corporate brand and associated brand values have not previously been considered as a basis for market driving. We argue that the corporate brand provides a further source of the “leap” in customer value required for a market driving approach. Through a case study of Ikea we illustrate how the core values of the brand guide the behaviour and activities of internal stakeholders and relationships with external stakeholders, and explore the interactions between the global brand values and local market level activities.

Developing a market driving strategy for foreign markets: Internal capabilities and external activities

Current research argues that a market-driving strategy leads to a competitive advantage. However, a market-driving strategy tries to change established rules in the marketplace and thus, is difficult to pursue. We argue that a market-driving strategy must be based on distinct capabilities and that firms using this strategy will perform a set of external activities and possess certain critical capabilities that are required to make the strategy successful. We develop a theoretical framework and propositions on the role of the learning, branding, resource configuration, and networking capabilities that support these activities.

Multiple stakeholders and B2B branding in emerging markets

Purpose – The main purpose of this study is to investigate perceptions about and contributing activities to business-to-business (B2B) brand value by corporate managers and local stakeholders in th ...

Corporate rebranding failure and brand meanings in the digital environment

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamic process of brand meaning creation by multiple stakeholders during corporate rebranding in the digital environment.Design/methodolog ...

Corporate brand as a contract with stakeholders – theology or pragmatism?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of brand contract in B2B from two perspectives: the theological and pragmatic. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the branding literature challenges the dominant notion of the brand covenant as a firm driven, unilateral promise, referred to as a theological contract. The study adds to this the pragmatic perspective of a social contract, as deployed by the social sciences and IMP literatures. A tentative framework of a dialectical contract is developed through drawing on three cases of Chinese suppliers for the focal firm, IKEA. Findings – First, both types of contract are identified in the firm’s practices. Second, the specific goals and roles of managers and suppliers in each contract are defined. The theological contract is used by managers to strengthen suppliers’ beliefs in the company’s vision and mission, while the pragmatic one is employed by both parties for the implementation of the brand’s norms and brand equity. Third, a new fr...