Marketing
Business Horizons (2007) 50, 113–122
www.elsevier.com/locate/bushor
International marketing research: A global project management perspective
Robert B. Young a,⁎, Rajshekhar G. Javalgi b a Business Division, Lorain County Community College, 1005 North Abbe Road, Elyria, OH 44035, USA
Nance College of Business Administration, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland,
OH 44115-2214, USA
b
KEYWORDS
International marketing;
Global marketing strategies; Marketing research;
Competitive advantage
Abstract As organizations continue to pursue more global strategies, the need to be able to understand consumers in far away places is increasing. Marketing research is the primary mechanism through which companies understand their current, as well as potential, customers. As companies contemplate the global marketplace, they must consider how domestic market research differs when conducted in international markets. In an effort to help internal client side marketing research managers design and implement improved international research studies, we briefly discuss the context for international market research and provide a framework for conducting international market research projects. Additionally, we present several factors that should be considered by marketers who engage in global market research studies. These factors represent the variety of challenges that must be addressed in order to conduct research across national borders. Particular attention is paid to the nuances related to primary data collection and questionnaire construction. © 2006 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. All rights reserved.
1. Marketing research goes global
Changes in the global environment are presenting organizations with both new opportunities and challenges. Rapid advances in technology, increasing international trade and investment, growing wealth and affluence across the globe, and a convergence of consumer tastes
www.elsevier.com/locate/bushor
International marketing research: A global project management perspective
Robert B. Young a,⁎, Rajshekhar G. Javalgi b a Business Division, Lorain County Community College, 1005 North Abbe Road, Elyria, OH 44035, USA
Nance College of Business Administration, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland,
OH 44115-2214, USA
b
KEYWORDS
International marketing;
Global marketing strategies; Marketing research;
Competitive advantage
Abstract As organizations continue to pursue more global strategies, the need to be able to understand consumers in far away places is increasing. Marketing research is the primary mechanism through which companies understand their current, as well as potential, customers. As companies contemplate the global marketplace, they must consider how domestic market research differs when conducted in international markets. In an effort to help internal client side marketing research managers design and implement improved international research studies, we briefly discuss the context for international market research and provide a framework for conducting international market research projects. Additionally, we present several factors that should be considered by marketers who engage in global market research studies. These factors represent the variety of challenges that must be addressed in order to conduct research across national borders. Particular attention is paid to the nuances related to primary data collection and questionnaire construction. © 2006 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. All rights reserved.
1. Marketing research goes global
Changes in the global environment are presenting organizations with both new opportunities and challenges. Rapid advances in technology, increasing international trade and investment, growing wealth and affluence across the globe, and a convergence of consumer tastes
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