International Consumer Research and Consumer-based Strategy

International Consumer Research and Consumer-based Strategy open_in_new

The world economy is increasingly becoming global.  Most organizations no longer define their scope in terms of national economies and national boundaries and marketers must understand consumer behavior patterns in different world markets to effectively serve the special needs of international consumers.  However, despite considerable research efforts, it is not clear whether market globalization leads to the homogenization of consumer behavior or consumer behavior becomes more heterogeneous due to differences across nations, countries, regions or cultures. This issue, which is more important now than ever before, is not well understood and clearly requires further study to allow the development of effective international marketing strategies.

The aim of the Special Issue is to generate insights on international consumer behavior, insights that inform strategy and are relevant to decision makers within organizations, whether these are for-profit firms, non-profits, or governmental agencies.  Manuscripts that draw on and integrate multiple perspectives (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology or consumption economics) are especially encouraged.  The research approach can be qualitative, quantitative or mixed.  Conceptual manuscripts that focus on the strategic possibilities of international consumer insights are also welcome.  All manuscripts should have clear relevance to the international marketing field, share a focus on consumers as the unit of analysis, and translate consumer insights into a strategy discussion. 

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

  •          Similarities and differences in consumer behavior among developed, developing, emerging, and frontier markets
  •          Cross-cultural comparisons in terms of consumer information processing and decision making
  •          Country of origin effects
  •          Consumption experiences and consumer-brand relationships for local and global brands
  •          Consumer ethnocentrism, animosity, national identity, and cosmopolitanism
  •          Consumer satisfaction and complaining behavior across cultures
  •          Global consumer culture and the global teenager
  •          Consumer adoption and diffusion of innovations across cultures
  •          Social media, content, and online marketing across cultures
  •          International market segmentation
  •          Consumers’ perception of CSR across countries
  •          Cultural manifestations (values, heroes, rituals and symbols) and consumer behavior
  •          Global and local consumer culture positioning strategies

Papers targeting the Special Issue should be submitted using the JIM submission system and will also undergo the same review process as regularly submitted papers. The deadline for submission is JUNE 12, 2017.

Questions pertaining to the Special Issue should be directed to:

Constantine S. Katsikeas

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of International Marketing

Arnold Ziff Research Chaired Professor of 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