Examines the relationship between global standardization and performance within the global industry context. For firms competing in global industries that emphasize high‐tech, industrial products, global standardization was found to be positively related to organizational performance. In...

Seeks to identify the dimensions which are relevant in the shaping of strategies for international marketing; it thereby addresses business managers. Considers the extent to which the marketing mix can be standardized in various different configurations of international marketing. Presents seven...

Discusses the globalisation of markets and questions the assumption that economic development would result in the converging needs of consumers and standardisation of marketing and advertising. Claims that consumers’ values are strongly rooted in history and tradition and that with the...

Comments on a previous article published in IMR by Stöttinger and Schlegelmilch. The article examined the explanatory power of the psychic distance concept in terms of export development and organisational performance. Argues that while Stöttinger and Schlegelmilch make several important...

Considers the development of international retail thought and the need for an integrated conceptual approach to the process of retail internationalisation. The paper considers the development of international retail thought within the context of international retail activity and subject...

Franchising is fast becoming one of the most popular entry mode strategies for international retail companies when moving into international markets. Academic research, however, has only recently begun to examine international franchising within the context of retailer internationalisation. A...

Research into firm internationalisation has identified psychic distance as a key factor in explaining variations in both expansion patterns and organisational performance. Despite the substantial growth in research on the internationalisation of retailing, most contributions have been highly...

Sparks, in a case study of the takeover of The Southland Corporation (USA) by Ito‐Yokado and Seven‐Eleven Japan, raised a number of fundamental questions about the nature of retail internationalisation and our understanding of the subject. This paper returns to this subject and, using an...

The purpose of this paper is to assess the long‐term opportunity (or lack thereof) for Wal‐Mart in the UK. Wal‐Mart is the world’s largest retailer and the UK market offers a logical next step following Wal‐Mart’s 1997 entry into the European market via Germany. Retail...