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Growing globalization in recent decades has been responsible for the emergence of a new stream of research focusing on international marketing. However, compared to domestic marketing knowledge, this field has received relatively less attention from mainstream marketing journals. The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study that assesses the contribution of leading mainstream marketing journals to the international marketing discipline.

A total of 508 international marketing‐focused articles were identified from the top ten mainstream marketing journals during the period 1975‐2004. Each article was content‐analyzed in terms of six major aspects: article nature, authorship characteristics, research design, scope of research, research methodology, and thematic areas.

The paper revealed that: although there was an increase in the number of articles with an international focus over time, in most journals their share was limited; most of the articles were of an empirical nature, with an increasing trend over time; articles were mainly written by multiple authors, who were in most cases US‐based; research designs of the studies reported were increasingly more formalized and causal, as well as statistical and cross‐sectional; the scope of research provided a balanced coverage of country settings, product groups, and units of analyses; methodological aspects, especially sample sizes, response rates, and analytical methods, improved over time; and a wide array of thematic areas was examined, with issues pertaining to the macro‐environment, marketing mix, and buyer behaviour attracting heightened attention.

Although many insightful attempts have been made in the past to review, assess, and consolidate extant research on international marketing, this paper focuses specifically on the contribution of top mainstream marketing journals to the international marketing field. This can assist in identifying possible gaps in the international marketing literature that have to be filled by future research on the subject. It specifically helps: to reveal the actual involvement of these influential journals as outlets for publishing research that focuses on international dimensions of marketing; to identify the characteristics of scholars publishing international marketing articles in such journals; to evaluate the methodological content of these international marketing‐related articles; and to establish trends regarding the evolution of the international marketing field from the standpoint of leading mainstream journals.

This study seeks to identify, synthesize, and evaluate extant research on environmental marketing and management, with the ultimate aim of unveiling trends in this field. Specifically, it aims to focus on: the characteristics of authors and manuscripts written on the subject; the methodological aspects of empirical studies, in terms of design, scope and methodology; and the thematic areas tackled, as well as the specific issues raised within each area.

Relevant articles were identified using both electronic and manual bibliographic search methods. Altogether, 530 articles were identified in 119 academic journals published during the period 1969‐2008. Each article was content‐analyzed along six major dimensions, namely authorship profile, manuscript characteristics, research design, scope of research, research methodology, and topical area.

Overall, it was revealed that this body of research has undergone a serious transformation, moving from an early stage of identification and exploration to a more advanced phase characterized by greater maturity and rigour. This is demonstrated by: the tendency for more multi‐authored, cross‐cultural, and inter‐disciplinary collaborative efforts; the increasing length in manuscript size and number of references over time; the growing sophistication of research designs, gradually placing emphasis on formalized and causal structures; the expanded scope of research, covering a wide range of countries, industries, and products, as well as firms of different status, size, and geographic focus; the tendency to use probability sampling designs, obtain high response rates, secure large sample sizes, and apply advanced statistical analysis; and the great diversity and in‐depth coverage of the topics examined.

Although a meta‐analytical or bibliometric assessment could yield more quantitative insights, the fragmented nature of this type of research made the adoption of a bibliographic analysis a more appropriate approach. Various conceptual, methodological, and empirical implications are extracted from the study findings, while certain streams of research requiring further attention in the future were identified.

Although research on environmental marketing/management has experienced an exponential growth in the last decades, as a result of intensifying government, public, and company concern, it has been criticised for being too fragmented, widely diverse, and non‐programmatic to yield an all‐round picture of trends in the subject. This study provides one of the few attempts to identify, consolidate, and evaluate extant knowledge on the subject in a systematic and integrative manner. In doing so, it would provide a reference point that could stimulate and guide future research on the subject, helping in this way the discipline's theoretical advancement and practical development.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model that focuses on the cultural drivers and trust outcomes of consumer perceptions on issues pertaining to the unethical marketing behavior of firms. It specifically investigates: the role of cultural orientation in forming consumer ethical ideology; the link between the consumer's ethical ideology and his/her perceptions regarding the unethical marketing behavior of firms; the effect of perceived unethical marketing behavior on trust in firms; and the moderating role of gender, age, and education of the consumer.

The article is based on a quantitative survey conducted among 387 Cypriot consumers aged 18 and above, using stratified random sampling procedures. The items comprising the constructs used were derived from multiple literature sources and these were measured on a seven‐point Likert scale. Data were gathered through personal, face‐to‐face interviews conducted at central locations in all major towns of Cyprus. To test the hypothesized relationships among the constructs of the model, structural equation modeling was employed.

The study confirmed that both power distance and uncertainty avoidance are important in forming idealistic attitudes, while both individualism and masculinity lead to an egoistic attitude. Idealism was observed to have a positive association with perceived marketing unethicality, while egoism was found to negatively affect consumer perceptions of unethical marketing behavior by firms. It was also revealed that perceived unethical marketing behavior decreases consumer trust. The study also revealed that the link between idealism and perceived marketing unethicality is stronger among male and older individuals, while consumer's level of education had no moderating impact on this link. Finally, none of the consumer demographics examined (i.e. gender, age, and education) moderated the association between egoism and perceived unethical marketing behavior.

The originality of the study lies in the fact that: it puts together in a single model both antecedents and outcomes of the marketing unethicality of firms, as this is perceived by the individual consumer; concurrently examines the role of cultural orientation and ethical ideology of the consumer in forming ethical attitudes and responses; focuses on the instrumental role of cultural characteristics on consumer ethical perceptions from the perspective of the individual, rather than the society as a whole; places emphasis on unethical issues taking place across all elements of the marketing mix; and provides useful examination of the effects of unethical marketing practices on consumer trust.

Focuses on the issue of product standardization versus adaptation, with special reference to the practices of Japanese multinational companies (MNCs) operating in the Middle East. Reveals that the degree of adaptation of Japanese goods is generally moderate, with labelling, packaging and internal features attracting most alterations. Product adaptations were more profound among firms producing consumer goods, as well as those having a long presence in the Arab market. Also suggests that the impact of factors affecting the standardization/ adaptation decision differed according to the specific product aspect, with demographic and political‐legal forces being the most influential overall. With respect to future product strategy, participant firms stated that they would proceed more or less as at present, the only exception being some additional adaptations as regards external characteristics of the product.

Reports the findings of a study conducted among 135 Bulgarian consumers, examining their perceptions of products from five Asian Pacific countries. The most common source of information for evaluating these products was experiential knowledge, coupled with opinions from friends. Among the country origins investigated, products made in Japan appeared to be liked most, while Indian products received the most negative comments. Japanese products were also ranked first in terms of overall assessment, followed by products from Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, and India. In general, consumer demographics did not play a serious differentiating role in the evaluation of products from these countries. With respect to specific product dimensions, Japanese goods were also rated more highly than those of other countries, the only exception being on price and credit facilities. Finally, in assessing particular categories of products made in Asia Pacific, Japan again received the highest ratings. Some conclusions are drawn from the study findings, as well as managerial implications.

Provides an overview of the special issue of the European Journal of Marketing on “Export marketing”. Five basic questions to be answered in the export marketing area are identified. The articles in this special issue should provide a significant stimulus to further conceptual thinking addressed at these export decisions. Discusses policy implications. Developments in policy models await parallel developments in models of export decisions and processes.

Provides an empirical assessment of non‐exporters′ perceptions on the factors that hinder the initiation of export activities. The research investigation, which was conducted among a representative random sample of 112 Cypriot manufacturing concerns, revealed that the increasing competitive pressures in the world market constituted the most severe impediment to the export initiation process. A number of organizational determinants exhibited a discriminating effect on certain export barriers. Specifically, there was a tendency by firms with no prior export experience, of small size and with relatively few years in business, to overstress some of the export barriers addressed. However, the type of goods manufactured did not exhibit any differentiating impact. An attempted classification of the export barriers according to internal/external and domestic/foreign typologies revealed no significant differences in the inhibiting impact of the resulting groups.

Investigates empirically the perceptions of non‐exporters regarding factors stimulating export initiation. Draws on research based on a representative sample of 112 Cyprus‐based manufacturers. Reveals that stimuli relating to the fulfilment of the firm′s traditional objectives exhibited the highest motivating impact, followed by factors aiming at minimizing domestic market‐related risks. These findings generally contrast with the results of previous research on export stimulation. Analysis of perceptions on stimulating factors according to certain organizational determinants showed the firm′s size to have the greatest discriminating effect, followed by the type of goods produced and exposure to export activities; the age of the firm had no differentiating role whatsoever. Finally, classification of the stimuli according to internal/external and proactive/reactive taxonomies demonstrated that factors of an internal and proactive nature provided the strongest stimulating impact, denoting a positive predisposition towards exporting.

Despite the critical role of the industrial buying situation in shaping buyer behavior and seller response, little research has been conducted to augment extant knowledge on the subject. To fill this gap, this article focuses on influence strategies that industrial buyers exert on their suppliers in different buying situations.

The study received information from 122 Greek producers of industrial goods through a mail survey based on a semi‐structured questionnaire. This incorporated 24 influence strategies equally divided into six groups (legalistic, coercive, reward, expert, referent, and informational), and respondents were asked to specify their degree of agreement or disagreement, whether these are used by their customers in three buying situations (straight re‐buy, modified re‐buy, and new task).

The study revealed that: industrial customers use a wide array of influence strategies, with those based on referent, expert, or legalistic sources being more widely employed; influence strategies vary in degree of application according to buying situation, and are least used by new‐task buyers; and straight re‐buyers tend to make greater use of expert, referent, and, to some extent, legalistic influence strategies, while modified re‐buyers employ more coercive and, to a lesser extent, information‐based influence strategies. Overall, influence strategies play an important role in industrial buying behavior, requiring sellers to treat customers differently in each buying situation.

Several suggestions for future research are provided, such as replicating the study in different geographic contexts, monitoring changes of influence strategies as a buyer moves from one buying situation to another, and investigating the countervailing actions taken by suppliers.