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The purpose of this study is to segment Lebanese wine customers based on their level of involvement with wine. It also profiles them on the basis of wine drinking motivations, wine attributes and information sources, wine consumption and purchasing behaviour and socio-demographic characteristics.

The data in the study was collected from the main supermarkets, hypermarkets and special liquor outlets as well as upscale restaurants serving alcohol in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, through a structured questionnaire. Out of 700 people approached, only 498 surveys were collected. After splitting consumers into three different segments: high, moderate and low involvement, the study clearly profiles the groups by employing principal component analysis, ANOVA and chi-square analysis.

After splitting consumers into three different groups based on involvement with wine; high, moderate and low, the study clearly identified the differences between groups regarding wine attributes, information sources, purchasing and consumption and socio-demographic characteristics.

Although there are plenty of studies on the examination of wine consumers in the literature from diverse countries, this is the first study investigating wine consumers based on wine involvement in a Middle Eastern country, Lebanon.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors underlying Lebanese consumers’ food motivations and segment them based on those motivations.

The data in the study were collected from the main shopping districts of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, through a structured questionnaire. Respondents were intercepted by employing simple random sampling. Out of 700 people approached, 411 surveys were collected, giving a response rate of 58.7 per cent. After gathering the food choice motives under main groups by employing exploratory factor analysis, the study used two step cluster analysis.

The food choice motives were grouped under eight dimensions: ecological, sensory, convenience and availability, health, weight, mood, price and religion motives. Based on the food choice motives, the study identified four dissimilar clusters, namely, careless, conscious, hedonic and health and weight conscious. The study clearly indicated that there are significant differences among clusters in terms of the food choice motives, attitudes towards healthy eating, exercising, food quality and natural organic food and socio demographic characteristics.

There are numerous studies on food choice motives in the literature investigating certain countries. This study is the first study investigating the subject in one of the Middle Eastern countries, Lebanon.

The purpose of the study is to group Lebanese wine consumers based on generational cohorts. It also explores the characteristics of the customers in each group based on wine attributes, information sources, wine consumption, purchase behaviour and socio-economic characteristics.

The data in the study were collected from the main supermarkets, hypermarkets and special liquor outlets, as well as upscale restaurants serving alcohol in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, through a structured questionnaire. Respondents were intercepted by using convenience sampling. Out of 700 people approached, 444 surveys were collected.

After splitting consumers into four different generational groups, namely, baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z, the study clearly identified the differences between generations regarding wine attributes, information sources, purchasing and consumption and socio-demographic characteristics.

Although there are numerous studies on the investigation of wine consumers in the literature from various countries, this is the first study looking at wine consumers in one of the Middle Eastern countries, Lebanon.

The purpose of the study is to examine the personal, situational and socio‐demographic factors influencing consumer information search strategies whilst Christmas shopping in a religiously‐diverse Middle Eastern country: Lebanon.

A structured questionnaire (adopted from Laroche, Saad, Browne, Cleveland, and Kim) was employed as the data collection procedure. Respondents were chosen by systematic random sampling in malls, department stores and retail outlets in the Lebanese capital, Beirut for over a three‐week period immediately prior to Christmas Day, 25 December 2008. The study sample comprised 400 respondents: 188 female and 212 male.

The study identified the effects of some personal and situational factors on the different consumer information search strategies. Of the personal factors, it was found that the bargain hunters sought general and specific information as well as information from sales staff, whilst the leader type looked for general and specific information. The study also determined that risky and costly gifts, strict budgets and the amount of money spent on gifts were the main situational factors influencing each type of consumer information search.

Most of the literature has focused on Christmas shopping in Western countries, yet this study attempts to investigate it in the Middle East. It is hoped that by enhancing the understanding of the impact of Christmas shopping in non‐Western countries the findings will contribute to the literature on this subject.

The purpose of the research is to identify the companies' export training needs, and also to determine their preferences regarding export training subjects, methods, institutions and trainers.

The face‐to‐face interview with company managers and owners was carried out with the pre‐tested questionnaire.

The companies need training in export marketing subjects as well as the technical and practical dimensions of exporting. More active and practical issues and methods rather than traditional ones are preferable for the companies. The companies mostly prefer İGEME (Export Promotion Center of Turkey) as their export training provider. The companies in the research rank export experts as the most preferable type of trainer.

The primary limitation of the study was that it was carried out on companies operating in Turkey's Aegean Region. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to fit all regions.

The literature contains no studies that fully investigate this subject. This research makes a valuable contribution to the recognition of this knowledge gap, experienced equally by developed and developing countries.

Developing new products for international markets offers great growth opportunities for companies by positively influencing company performance. Specifically, the research purpose is to determine the effects of new product success factors on the measures of company export performance, namely export sales, export growth and export profitability.

The study examines the new product success factors, discriminating successful new products from unsuccessful ones in international markets. A pre-tested structured questionnaire is employed for collecting data from the companies. The population frame consists of exporting manufacturing companies and was determined from the records of the Export Promotion Centre of Turkey (IGEME). Of the 250 questionnaires sent out, 116 were completed and returned yielding a response rate of 46.4 percent. The study analysed data from 202 new product projects.

The research determined that various new product success factors have different levels of effect on company performance in international markets, mainly measured in terms of sales, market share and profitability. Specifically, it identified that pre-development and development activities, a large and fast-growing foreign market with huge demand, order of entry and large and well-executed advertising activities differentiate successful new products from unsuccessful ones. Product characteristics are, on the other hand, not found to be a strong factor differentiating successful new products from unsuccessful ones in international markets.

The main objective of the study is to integrate knowledge from two disciplines and expand new product success factors for international markets. The paper aims to bring together all the factors leading to the success of new products in international markets, and to test the effects of those factors on company performance. It is hoped that the findings will help managers and policy makers.

The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting the consumer preferences and behaviour in the children's clothing market in Turkey, a country where the majority of the population is under 18 years old.

Whilst the study investigated the purchasing preferences and behaviour of parents, such as shopping frequency and period, type of retailer and the effect of reference groups in the children's clothing market, it also explored some children's purchasing characteristics, like shopping decision age.

This study offers some academic results on consumer behaviour and preferences in the children's clothing market: There is no set shopping period; consumers prefer shopping from independent shops; in the selection of retailers, consumers consider payment conditions, pricing, and range of merchandise; in the family the parents mostly make the buying decisions for their children's clothes; the age of children making their own clothing decisions varies between six and ten; the most important factors affecting consumers' decisions towards shopping for children's clothing are the price, quality, convenience, payment conditions, and size of the clothing.

The study concentrated on consumer behaviour and preferences regarding children's clothing in a limited population – Izmir, a city of three million.

There are few studies related to children in the literature. For the first time, this study has attempted to explore the growing children's clothing market in Turkey.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of export problems differentiating high‐performing export manufacturing companies from low‐performing ones in the context of two developing countries: Turkey and Lebanon.

The paper focuses on the above objectives and aims at shedding light on them by testing some hypotheses. A structured questionnaire was applied to 144 Turkish companies and 71 Lebanese companies through the mail. The response rate was 20 percent for the Turkish sample and 23 percent for the Lebanese.

Some differences were identified between high‐ and low‐performing Turkish and Lebanese manufacturing companies regarding the perception of export problems. The differences were grouped and discussed under internal and external export problems. Highlighted effects of such internal export problems were insufficient production capacity, packaging, and exporting being difficult and costly; and external problems were the imposition of high‐tariff/non‐tariff barriers by foreign countries.

Whilst some of the literature has focused on company export barriers, there is a lack of studies investigating the effects of those problems on export performance, especially in developing countries. It is hoped that the paper's findings will help managers and policy makers to improve company and, thereby, country performance.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the export competitive advantage differences between high‐ and low‐performing companies in Turkey. The paper specifically and separately analyzes the companies' export resources, export skills, and export competitive advantages in order to identify the discrimination effects of each variable.

A structured questionnaire was sent to 98 Turkish exporting companies through the mail. The response rate was 28 percent.

The brand image, product quality, and cost of goods sold in the export markets are found to be the most important competitive advantage factors leading to success in the export markets, whilst the ability to understand consumers' needs and wants, and developing strong relationships with consumers in the marketplace are found to be important skills associated with success in the export markets. The paper also reveals that the export managers' knowledge is the key resource that differentiates successful export companies from unsuccessful ones.

Although some of the studies in the literature have focused on the competitive advantages, resources, and skills in general, there is a lack of studies specifically investigating the export competitive advantage differences between high‐ and low‐performing companies.

The purpose of this paper is to help exporting companies to increase the performance of their exporting activities through collecting sound export information and using it effectively. Specifically, the research objective is to determine the effects of the export information sources, information types, export research methods and the way the export information is used within the company on the measures of export company performance, namely export sales, export growth and export profitability.

The study focuses on the above objectives and aims at enlightening them by testing some hypotheses. A structured questionnaire was sent to 350 Turkish exporting companies through the mail, and 102 responses were received.

The research determined that companies collect export information from different sources and use it for various purposes in their decision making. The research also clearly indicated that the differences in export information sources and information types employed, and information usage in decision making, have different effects on their export performance, mainly measured in terms of sales, market share and profitability.

Although some of the studies in the literature have focused specifically, and in a piecemeal fashion, on the determination, acquisition and utilization of export information into export information systems, there is a lack of studies integrating all the elements into export marketing information systems and investigating the effects of companies' export marketing information systems on company performance. The paper tries to bring all the elements of the export information system in a model and tests the effects of the export information elements on export performance. It is hoped that, the findings will help managers and policy makers.