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This study explains how retailers can use the knowledge function of attitudinal theories to understand how millennials in a collectivist emerging market, trade-off between a satisfactory customer service experience versus price when repurchasing a smartphone.

356 usable questionnaires (86% response rate) were collected and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM), AMOS.

Millennials in Vietnam tend to adopt an individualistic approach when repurchasing a smartphone and utilise their knowledge of the product. However, they value personalised customer service that is specific to their needs, especially interactions with sales staff that raises their confidence and self-esteem. The unique interaction allows authorised retailers to distinguish themselves from unauthorised retailers. Repurchase behaviour is encouraged by low uncertainty avoidance in conjunction with price sensitivity; and the desire to be seen as achieving a high social status.

The data for the study was collected in Hanoi, the main city of Vietnam and is representative only of urban-based millennials.

Retailers considering entering an collectivist emerging market need to understand that millennials are price sensitive and may repurchase from unauthorised retailers. Accurate information and sales promotions can be used to stimulate demand for a high involvement product.

Functional theories of attitudes is used to link the concept of customer service with knowledge function utilisation in order to establish how customers in a collectivist emerging market process information and share knowledge through socialisation.

This paper aims to explore how senior business to business (B2B) marketing managers within a collectivist culture, contribute to knowledge development by interacting with staff in customer organizations to produce a co-owned marketing strategy.

A qualitative research strategy incorporating an open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data from 15 senior B2B marketing managers in three Korean companies that deployed the customer-centred approach. The grounded theory technique (Strauss and Corbin, 1998) and the mind map method (Burgess-Allen and Owen-Smith, 2010) were used to show how senior Korean marketing managers’ thoughts are processed and knowledge transfer occurs.

The findings show that a governance mechanism is instrumental in guiding interactive communication that results in knowledge being used that benefits the members of a partnership arrangement. The knowledge development process is enhanced by mutual trust and emotional bonds that are established through socialization. Cyclical interaction through socialization and frequent (in)formal meetings facilitates the process of turning explicit knowledge into tacit knowledge and vice versa, and encourages new knowledge to be developed. Socialization also helps to reduce learning myopia and contributes to the innovatory processes that result in customer needs being met.

The paper provides insights into the importance of boundary setting that facilitates cooperative marketing action, which results in a B2B integrated marketing intelligence and planning process.

This article highlights the role that marketing intelligence officers need to fulfill if they are to assist marketing strategists in a broad range of duties. The marketing literature incorporates several bodies of knowledge, and reference is made to corporate security and the work of organized criminal syndicates. The topics covered will be relevant to both academic researchers and practising managers.

The work is based on a review of a wide literature and various established and futuristic concerns have been highlighted. The paper can be viewed as a critical appreciation.

Marketing intelligence officers need to be given a wider role in order that they engage more fully in the analysis and interpretation of data and information. Marketing intelligence officers need to develop their skill and knowledge base, and adopt a proactive stance to strategy formulation and implementation. By raising their profile, marketing intelligence officers will be able to seek out future management challenges. Senior managers need to put in place an effective corporate security system.

There is a need to establish how facilitating technology such as the internet is going to transform the working environment for marketing staff. Marketing intelligence officers need to undertake research in order to establish how consumer groups and associations exercise their power.

Senior marketing managers need to ensure that more attention is given to management development programs for marketing intelligence officers. The customer service management process needs to match more closely customer expectations with customer satisfaction levels.

A company’s vulnerability is highlighted and corporate security is linked to marketing. The usefulness of marketing intelligence systems and processes are made public, and so too is the strategic marketing concept.

The purpose of this paper is to make clear how managers in Western organizations can understand the Japanese and Korean cultural value system and interpret the strategic decision‐making process that exists within organizations exhibiting a collectivist culture.

A literature review was undertaken and several studies, either jointly or separately undertaken by the authors, were drawn upon in order to provide depth to the analysis and interpretation.

Although there are similarities between Japanese and Korean people, there are a number of distinct differences between them. These differences have come about as a result of Buddhism and Confucianism being adopted at different points in each country's history, and the fact that these countries have developed their own unique cultural value system. The differences manifest in organizational characteristics, which provide Japanese and Korean organizations with a specific identity, management model and way of doing business. What is evident, however, is that managers in both Japanese and Korean organizations are familiar with the relationship marketing concept and actively embrace the strategic marketing approach.

Undertaking research into national cultural value systems and organizational cultural value systems is complex and requires an interdisciplinary approach. It can also be suggested that more emphasis needs to be placed on undertaking research of this kind in both Japan and Korea. Furthermore, it is advocated that a longitudinal study is undertaken in order to provide both evidence of how organizational cultural value systems within a collectivist culture change through time, and how cultural traits influence the decision‐making process.

Managers in Western organizations will be able to relate to the value systems of Japanese and Korean organizations and as a consequence, will understand how long‐term trustworthy relationships are developed. This should facilitate the negotiation of business deals and result in business partnerships being developed that are based on mutuality.

The interdisciplinary approach adopted allowed the authors to view culture from several perspectives and to link more firmly national cultural value systems with organizational cultural value systems, and with organizational identity. By adopting this research strategy, the authors were able to explain how organizational identity is influenced by and reinforced by the concept of strategic marketing.

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the retailing industry in Japan, in order that marketing managers employed by overseas companies contemplating entering the Japanese market are able to devise successful market entry strategies.

A literature review, and an analysis and interpretation of several interlinked bodies of knowledge was conducted.

The retailing sector in Japan is both complex and well established. Managers in Japanese companies understand the necessity to market innovatory products, relate to customer expectations, and establish sustainable business relationships based on trust. The multi‐layered distribution system in Japan dictates the role of each member of the marketing channel and in order to succeed, an overseas company will need to exhibit a high degree of specialization. New market opportunities are evolving and those that enter the market will need to work closely with all their channel partner members and various government representatives.

Managers based in overseas companies will need to undertake research into how Japanese companies produce innovatory products; how they research specific industry sectors; how they organize their marketing intelligence activities; and how they engage in information sharing and exchange.

Managers based in overseas companies will need to develop long‐term mutually oriented, sustainable business relationships with their counterparts in Japanese companies, and this may require a change in organizational culture and the adoption of new business practices.

The paper provides a number of insights into retailing practices in Japan and an overview of the electronics industry.

The aim of the paper is to make explicit how qualitative research can enable senior marketers to formulate an internationally focused synthesised marketing strategy. A number of marketing research issues are highlighted including the need to track customer expectations; identify what customer value represents; and explain how scenario analysis and planning can be embraced in order to produce marketing initiatives that facilitate company‐customer interaction.

This paper is based on a review of the literature and can be considered a critical appraisal and appreciation. The internationally focused synthesised marketing strategy represents an extension of the marketing body of knowledge.

A number of trends have been identified in the business environment that will refocus the attention of senior marketers in the years ahead. It is envisaged that marketing researchers will work more closely with marketing intelligence officers and marketing strategists in order to actively harness the benefits associated with the internet; engage more fully in regional, national and international research projects; and provide assistance to those responsible for developing and deploying customer relationship management models and concepts.

Practising marketers and marketing academics need to undertake joint qualitative research projects in order to establish how electronic business is transforming buyer‐supplier relations through time. Qualitative research can be undertaken in order to identify customer expectations and these can be matched with the level of customer service provided. Qualitative research can also be undertaken to establish how concerns regarding an individual's privacy can be maintained when purchasing online.

Marketing practitioners need to adopt a pro‐active approach to qualitative research and engage in more future oriented research. This may require an investment in raising the skill base of marketing researchers and the development of new organizational structures.

This paper will be of interest to marketing academics, marketing researchers and senior marketing managers, as it links the marketing research process with marketing intelligence and decision‐making. Several aspects of the marketing body of knowledge have been extended and a link established with aspects of general management.

The paper sets out to explain how vertically integrated organisational marketing systems can integrate the marketing decision‐making process of suppliers, manufacturers, and marketing channel members and also to make clear why it is necessary for marketers to use marketing intelligence and why they need to pay attention to security issues.

The work is based on a literature review and is an extension of earlier work relating to the cultural similarities and differences of Japanese and Korean people. A number of marketing frameworks are made explicit and this represents a critical appreciation and extension of the body of knowledge.

Vertically integrated organisational marketing systems facilitate the relationship marketing approach and ensure that a customer service policy is implemented. Practising managers can adopt a customer service approach that embraces the concept of organisational learning. By viewing mutuality as the main objective, business relationships can be developed that are based on trust and are sustainable. Should a number of marketing skill gaps be identified, action can be taken to rectify the situation.

Future research should establish how organisational learning can transform an organisation's marketing culture; how the internet can enhance network arrangements; and how marketers can devise a customer service policy and produce marketing contingency plans.

Marketers can establish how a customer relationship management‐monitoring system ensures that the marketing decision‐making process in partner organisations promotes the use of joint project teams and facilitating technology.

Marketers can devise a marketing governance mechanism that embraces the concepts of customer service and organisational learning.

The purpose of this paper is to outline how a three phase marketing planning process model can assist marketing managers based in overseas companies to formulate a strategy for entering the South Korean market.

A review of relevant literature and the development of a conceptual marketing planning process model.

South Korea has undergone rapid transformation in the past twenty years and South Korean electronics companies have established themselves as global companies. Overseas companies can operate in the South Korean market provided that they form partnership arrangements with domestic companies. Prior to attempting to enter the South Korean market, managers in overseas companies should study how South Korean companies implement their global marketing strategy(ies). This should provide them with an understanding of the Korean organizational value system and prepare them to enter into partnership arrangements based on mutuality.

Managers based in overseas companies need to understand how facilitating technology such as the internet is helping to transform the retailing sector in South Korea.

There are a number of problems associated with the retail distribution system in South Korea and senior managers based in overseas companies need to have an appreciation of how South Korean companies compete and how they respond to government initiatives/pressure.

The model outlined in the paper should allow marketing managers in overseas companies to implement the strategic marketing approach and select the most appropriate partner organization to do business with.

The purpose of this paper is to make clear the role that marketing plays in the strategic decision‐making process; it highlights the influence that marketers have in the development of sustainable partnership arrangements; and outlines the link between organizational learning and strategy implementation.

A review of relevant literature and critical insights into various management theories are provided. A conceptual sustainable partnership development (SPD) model is outlined and placed in context.

In order to be successful, a partnership arrangement needs to be well resourced and effectively managed. Senior managers need to pay particular attention to the role that organizational learning plays and how strategic management knowledge is developed. They also need to understand the link between organizational learning and customer relationship management. The transformational leadership model can be embraced as it facilitates cultural change, promotes the collectivist decision‐making approach, and places product innovation within the context of a multi‐dimensional R&D strategy.

Areas of management interest that need further attention include ways in which to assess an organization's level of vulnerability; the development and application of hybrid organizational models; and how marketing decisions influence R&D programmes. Industry specific corporate social responsibility models are of interest and can be researched also.

Hybrid organizational cultures are evident in partnership arrangements and give rise to various types of communication problems. Senior managers need to be fully aware of how a partnership arrangement is to be managed in the long term in order that it can be viewed as sustainable. Attention also needs to be paid to the technical knowledge and skills required at each stage of development of a partnership arrangement.

The work integrates a diverse range of management knowledge and provides insights into what makes a partnership arrangement sustainable. The SPD model highlights the link between marketing and strategic management, and the body of marketing knowledge is interpreted from a management perspective.

This paper seeks to explain how negotiation simulation exercises can be used to develop management insights and theory in the areas of business continuity and international security.

An extended multi‐cultural communication model for disaster and emergency management simulation exercises and a nine‐stage international security negotiation simulation exercise are outlined.

The critical friendship group approach and the case study research approach can be used to provide insights into business continuity planning. Complex simulation exercises, underpinned by scenario planning, are useful with respect to providing training and educational support vis‐à‐vis crisis/disaster/emergency planning. A more focused approach to teaching the subject of negotiation, which takes into account the business‐international relations dimension and security in particular, will enable business and management students to link more firmly real world events with company‐government relations. This will contribute to the development of management theory and ensure that business continuity managers, employed by private sector and public sector organisations, utilise more fully simulation exercises than is the case at present.

Research needs to be undertaken into how academics and practitioners can work together in order to develop management simulation models that are methodologically different from those that exist at present, and which facilitate the theory building process.

By working closely with simulation designers, academics will be able to produce interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary crisis/disaster/emergency simulation exercises.

A nine‐stage negotiation simulation exercise is outlined which will allow management/business studies students to place business continuity planning within an international security context.