Role of Capabilities in International Marketing

The central, long-standing, question in the strategy, management, and marketing literatures is why some firms outperform others.  The dynamic capabilities framework is nowadays the dominant theoretical perspective for explaining how firms achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and, thereby, enjoy superior performance.  Dynamic capabilities typically refer to the firm's ability to integrate, build, and reconfigure internal and external competences to address rapidly changing environments.  Thus, the key question should be why and how it is that, over time, some firms become successful in managing their capabilities, while other firms do not.

This question becomes more difficult to answer for firms operating in the global market.  When businesses transcend national boundaries, firms need to create, renew, and orchestrate their resources in a more skillful manner to effectively manage differences in cultural, social, economic, political, technological, and allied factors between the local and foreign markets and timely address the increased levels of uncertainty inherent in international operations.  However, studies on the capabilities of firms operating in the global marketplace have lagged behind those in domestic market settings.

While the nature, origins, evolution and consequences of capabilities have been much discussed in a domestic context, much less attention has been paid to which and how capabilities can help firms cope with the additional ramifications of international marketing.

The aim of the Special Issue is to advance understanding of the leading role that firm capabilities potentially play in international market operations.

How can capabilities help firms move along the internationalization path, formulate and implement effective international marketing strategies, develop close and profitable relationships with foreign customers and business partners, overcome the liability of foreignness, and successfully operate in different institutional environments?  How important are they for firm survival and growth in global markets?  Manuscripts may be conceptual or empirical.  All manuscripts should have clear relevance to international marketing theory and practice. 

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Determinants and outcomes of capabilities in international market operations
• Marketing capabilities and innovation in international market operations
• The interplay between various institutional environments and firm capabilities
• Firm capabilities and the internationalization process of a firm
• Strategic orientations and firm capabilities in global markets
• Case studies of how firms create or acquire capabilities necessary to international business
• Different forms, functions, and levels of firms capabilities in international operations
• The role of firm capabilities in managing dyads, triads, networks, new ventures, and strategic alliances in international operations
• Knowledge capabilities in international operations
• How firm capabilities emerge, develop, adapt and change over time

Journal guidelines can be found here and manuscripts be submitted via the online system at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ama_jim.

Questions should be directed to:

Constantine S. Katsikeas

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of International Marketing Chair of the Marketing Division Associate Dean Arnold Ziff Research Chaired Professor in Marketing and International Management Leeds University Business School Maurice Keyworth Building University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT U.K.

Phone: +44 (0) 113-343-2624

Email: csk@lubs.leeds.ac.uk