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This chapter is aimed at developing a conceptual framework for the internationalization process of social business (SB). The study has been conducted by reviewing the literature on social entrepreneurship, SB, and internationalization of small business. The study indicated that the internationalization decision for SB is taken by the motivation to create a social impact in the target foreign location. Based on the analyses and related literature, the entrepreneur-specific, firm-specific, and context-specific factors affecting the internationalization decision of social entrepreneurs are presented. As part of the framework, the chapter explains opportunity identification and the internationalization implementation phases for SBs. One of the key contributions of the chapter is the depiction of an internationalization framework for SB, which is an innovative addition to social entrepreneurship literature. The framework developed here could help social entrepreneurs to take decisions for scaling their businesses internationally.

The purpose of this paper is to examine causal relationships between role stress, customer orientation, selling orientation, and job performance of retail salespeople.

The sample (n=259) was salespeople in eight units of a national department store located in the USA. Participants in the clothing, accessories, shoe, and home furnishings departments completed self‐administered questionnaires. To test the hypotheses, structural equation was employed using AMOS 4.0.

Role stress (i.e. role conflict and role ambiguity) affected customer orientation and also had direct and indirect effects on job performance mediated by customer orientation. The impact of role conflict was negative on customer orientation, but positive on selling orientation and job performance.

Retail managers are instrumental in creating a culture conducive to the practice of customer orientation and the degree to which retail salespeople experience role stress.

This study is notable because it investigated the intuitively plausible question of whether customer‐orientated behavior mediates the effects of role stress on retail salespeople's job performance.

This study sets out to examine the causal relationships among consumers' need for uniqueness, brand perceptions, and purchase intention of a US apparel brand among Japanese Generation Y consumers.

A self‐administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 175 students enrolled at two Japanese metropolitan universities. A structural equation model using correlation matrix with maximum likelihood was estimated using LISREL 8.53.

Japanese consumers' need for uniqueness consisted of avoidance of similarity, unpopular choice and creative choice. The consumers' need for uniqueness was negatively related to the perceived quality, whereas the creative choice was positively related to the emotional value in perceptions of the US apparel brand. The perceived quality decreased purchase intention, while the emotional value increased purchase intention.

This study was limited to students at two Japanese metropolitan universities and to one US apparel brand.

Consumer need for uniqueness may be considered when developing merchandising and marketing strategies for the Generation Y consumer cohort in domestic and international markets. A focus on emotional values can be successful in creating and maintaining a brand relationship with the focal consumer market.

Few, if any, studies exist that investigate Japanese Generation Y consumers' need for uniqueness and its relationship to brand perceptions. This study addresses perception of a foreign brand and purchase intention related to consumers' need for uniqueness.

This paper on Mexican college students aims to examine the effects of general consumer variables (i.e. normative interpersonal influence and brand consciousness) and brand‐specific variables (i.e. perceived quality and emotional value) on purchase intention toward a US apparel brand.

The study is designed to determine the factors influencing Mexican college students' purchase intention toward a US apparel brand. Purchase intention is explained with several variables: normative interpersonal influence, brand consciousness, perceived quality, and emotional value. A total of 256 college students in Mexico participated in the survey.

Using structural equation modeling (SEM), the study finds that Mexican college students' normative interpersonal influence positively affected brand consciousness. Brand consciousness is positively related to emotional value, but not to perceived quality of a US brand. Emotional value positively influences purchase intention toward a US brand, while perceived quality negatively influences purchase intention.

This study provides valuable strategic implications for US retailers who plan to enter the Mexican market. According to the findings of the study, US retailers could focus on the emotional aspects of US brands in order to appeal to Mexican college students, especially those who are brand conscious.

Given that the Mexican market provides growth opportunities for US apparel retailers, there has been a dearth of empirical research on Mexican college students' attitudes and perceptions toward US brands. In this regard, this paper is designed to determine the factors influencing Mexican college students' purchase of US apparel brands.

The purpose of this paper is to understand how consumers in three countries (Mexico, South Korea, and Japan) perceive a US global brand versus domestic brands and their marketing efforts. There has been an increasing number of global brands and corresponding competition among global retailers. At the same time, markets in the world are becoming complex, and consumers in many markets demand localized marketing and branding strategies.

The hypotheses are developed based on the brand analysis framework that consists of brand‐specific associations (emotional value, perceived quality), general brand impressions (brand awareness, brand image), and brand commitment (brand loyalty, purchase intention).

The results revealed significant main effects of country and brand type (global v. domestic) on brand‐specific associations, general brand impressions, and brand commitment. Interactive effects also existed on brand‐specific associations, general brand impressions, and brand commitment (only brand loyalty).

While almost all of the hypotheses are supported, future research should test other global brands to generalized findings of the study. Sample can be extended to consumers in many other countries to provide more comprehensive insights into consumer perceptions and brand behaviors towards global brands.

The findings demonstrate that clear‐cut and unique brand analysis patterns exist among consumers in three different countries for both a US global brand and domestic brands. Based on this, potential strategies for both US global brands and domestic brands are suggested for each country.

This study discovered the effects of country (i.e. Mexico v. South Korea v. Japan) and brand type (i.e. US global v. domestic) on consumer responses to three brand analysis components: brand‐specific associations, general brand impressions, and brand commitment. The results provide significant insights into what global and domestic companies must emphasize to be successful in capturing and sustaining consumers' desire to buy and use their brand.

San Jose State University’s (SJSU’s) Global Leadership Advancement Center (GLAC) was established in 2007 in response to a reported scarcity of global leaders in all sectors. Its mission is to advance, foster, and disseminate knowledge on global leadership and its development. The center created various programs in three focal areas: Knowledge Creation and Dissemination, Development and Training, and the Social Innovation Initiative. We briefly explain the assessment center, the GLLab (Global Leadership Laboratory), used to varying degrees in all development programs and courses. This chapter describes in detail three of GLAC’s innovative global leadership efforts and their theoretical foundations – an undergraduate global leadership course, the GLLab Exchange Program, and the Global Leadership Passport Program. All GLAC programs are based on research and best practices, which are referenced.

The aim of this research is to identify sources of differentiation in the fashion market as well as finding out sources of brand equity to distinguish the offer, enabling a better competitive position to be achieved.

To reach this objective, qualitative research was first carried out with 36 sector executives. Based on the results from the initial stage, 250 surveys were then carried out with potential consumers in order to analyze sources of brand equity.

In the fashion industry, the variables that show great potential for differentiation are excellence in the delivered finished product, brand image and design. In addition, loyalty and brand associations, in which image and design stand out, have been shown to be the most outstanding sources of brand equity.

The allocation of financial resources to the intangible assets of brand image and design should be profitable for the company. The creation of networks of designers and stylists would allow first‐hand information on market evolution. This input would be the basis for identifying new opportunities (e.g. fashionable colours, etc.) and also for anticipating new trends in clothing.

Discovering the sources of equity and their contribution to differentiating and developing high added‐value products for the consumer represents an original contribution in research into fashion markets and brand equity.