TY - JOUR AB - For over 40 years academicians and practitioners have debated the standardization versus adaptation of international marketing strategy. Despite the importance of, and tremendous interest in the topic, and the volume of scholarly activity this topic has generated, the debate remains unresolved. Why? Here, it is argued that the last 40 years of scholarly research has advanced without a strong underlying theoretical framework. The historical foundations of the standardization/adaptation perspective are presented, followed by a critical evaluation of the field under the guiding framework of the fundamentals of theoretical construction. Suggestions for developing a stronger theoretical foundation, as well as directions for future research are addressed. VL - 20 IS - 6 SN - 0265-1335 DO - 10.1108/02651330310505204 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/02651330310505204 AU - Ryans John K. AU - Griffith David A. AU - Steven White D. PY - 2003 Y1 - 2003/01/01 TI - Standardization/adaptation of international marketing strategy: Necessary conditions for the advancement of knowledge T2 - International Marketing Review PB - MCB UP Ltd SP - 588 EP - 603 Y2 - 2024/04/25 ER -