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The main purpose is to provide an in‐depth understanding of market orientation in retailing and to identify the specific activities that have to be understood and managed in order for a retail firm to become market oriented.

Qualitative studies of six firms in Sweden, Italy and the UK were carried out, including in‐depth interviews with retail managers and manufacturers.

Three market orientation processes on different operational levels are identified, including critical activities that support each process. Linkages between retail market orientation and different background characteristics are also identified.

The qualitative, in‐depth approach using a limited number of respondents means that the results are not generalizable. The findings can serve as a basis for future operationalizations of retail market orientation in order to measure the degree of retail market orientation as well as its character with regards to the emphasis a certain retailer puts on each of the processes.

The identified three processes and the corresponding activities can assist retailer managers in developing a more systematic market orientation approach.

The paper is a first attempt to develop a framework for market orientation in retailing based on the specific nature of retail marketing and management. It also shows that the quality and relevance of the market data in relation to the specific strategic activity that it is expected to support should be given much more consideration.

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are increasingly compelled to consider the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). These goals are complex and may cause internal goal conflicts for companies. To stay the course, MNEs will benefit from an ethical compass enabling them to take on leading roles in driving change towards a better future. We argue that ethical leadership in this new business landscape is bolstered by virtue ethics. MNEs with genuine ethical groundings will be equipped to make decisions in complex situations where the needs of a variety of stakeholders must be considered. The purpose of this chapter is to conceptually and empirically explore an MNE’s implementation of a particular SDG, through an ethical leadership lens. We contribute to international management and international business literature by offering a framework to analyse MNEs’ pursuit of SDGs.

The increasing pressure for social responsibility and sustainability that multinational enterprises (MNEs) are facing in their global operations represents one important emerging phenomenon within the international business field. In this book chapter, we present an in-depth case study on how a global fashion MNE develops and implements sustainability practices in their operations in an emerging market context. The case study focusses on the MNE’s work related to energy efficiency and renewable energy in the production market of Bangladesh. The purpose of this chapter is to advance the understanding about particular practices pertinent to a proactive approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR). The chapter contributes to ongoing discussions within the international business field on the role of MNEs in driving and implementing sustainability practices. We add an in-depth understanding of the proactive CSR practices undertaken by an MNE, in an emerging market context.

This chapter aims to shed light on the role that a sustainable orientation plays in strengthening the relationships between global consumers and online brands. Despite many previous studies about the importance of sustainability considerations for national consumers’ brand commitments and purchase intentions, there is a lack of empirical studies focussing on this relationship from a global consumer perspective. A pre-study (consisting of focus group discussions) and a widely distributed international survey with responses from 74 countries show mixed results. Whereas the results from the focus groups imply that a sustainable orientation influences both global consumers’ purchase intentions and brand commitments towards online brands, the survey results imply that global consumers’ sustainable orientations do not affect purchase intentions directly, even though they influence brand commitments. An implication of these results is that an international online brand’s possibility to portray a sustainable orientation plays an important role in strengthening the relationship with global consumers, especially regarding brand commitment.

A proactive stakeholder approach by a multinational firm is explored as regards to the ways to choose and influence key political, social and business actors in a market. The stakeholders are assessed in terms of their power, legitimacy and urgency of action as well as degree of their support of the firm's market entry. The study is based on the case study of IKEA entering Russia and China, composed of 44 in-depth interviews with managers and suppliers. The results suggest that during its market entry, a firm chooses those local stakeholders that can provide it with the most support and activates them with participative roles. This approach allows it to successfully alter the market context and create the win-win situation for itself and local actors. The study suggests a novel stakeholder classification into reactive (resistant), passive, reactive (supportive) and proactive types, contributing to stakeholder and marketing strategy research.

The purpose is to investigate how a retailer identifies critical network actors and gains their support when entering an emerging market. and to examine the role of a firm's relationships with different types of actors on the new market.

The study is of an exploratory nature, and based on an inductive and qualitative research method. A case study of IKEA's entry into Russia and China was conducted.

It is argued that IKEA's entry into China and Russia was successful because of its dynamic utilization of matching and networking capabilities. The study explains how the support of relationships with, for example, political actors, interest groups and media supported the entry and the development of a positive consumer image.

This is a qualitative, in depth study and future research is needed in order to test the generalizability of the proposed framework and models.

The paper shows how retail managers can generate the support of different types of actors and relationships when entering new markets.

Traditionally consumer product firms' entry to new markets is regarded as a function of dealing with environmental, cultural and legal differences, and adapting products and strategies accordingly. This paper extends understanding by showing that matching and networking capabilities to mobilize resources, actors and activities on global, macro and micro levels are also critical components. It also relates the firm's business relationships with relationships to socio‐political actors on the new market.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a retailer’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and image influence consumer perceptions regarding the firm’s social responsibility, and how CSR aspects influence consumers buying decisions in store for a specific product.

A qualitative case study method is used, including interviews, document studies and observations. The CSR approach of a Swedish retailer is investigated at corporate level and in the store, and how this interacts with the views of consumers as they make decisions regarding the purchase of a disposable product.

The authors propose the concept CSR identity to capture the internal efforts and positioning that a retailer attempts to achieve. Store activities and external independent stakeholders will have a main influence on whether the identity is regarded as credible by consumers. Furthermore, factors such as self-image and influences from the social network will influence whether a consumer will be committed to prioritize CSR aspects in the store.

Gaps between the retailer and the consumer perspective on CSR, particularly relevant for disposable, low-involvement products are identified. It is critical for retailers to be aware of and address these gaps.

The study captures corporate level, store level and consumer behaviour for a single retailer and is able to reflect upon how specific activities from the retailer interact with consumer attitudes and activities in the store. The authors connect various streams of research on CSR and retailing into one consistent framework.

The dramatic developments in political, economic and commercial environments in the last two decades have had a significant impact on all aspects of our life. These developments include the emergence of developing countries as formidable partners in the global commercial scene and interdependence between most countries leading to increased cross-border business activities. Other than bringing countries closer, these developments also brought political, social and commercial sectors closer to each other.