The continuing globalization of marketing activities has given considerable impetus to the study of cosmopolitanism as a consumer construct. Most recent research has focused on the normative activities of cosmopolites, as consumers who seek to broaden their cultural horizons by immersing themselves in a breadth of local cultural experiences. Although this is true of some cosmopolites in some circumstances, it is not a general characteristic. The authors return to the original meaning of cosmopolitanism as presented (independently) by Merton and Gouldner in the late 1950s, examining the concept in light of subsequent research and the social forces that have tended to promote an increasingly cosmopolitan perspective. They then propose several patterns of cosmopolitan behavior, only one of which is a normative search for culturally broadening experiences. Finally, they suggest some managerial implications for marketing practitioners.

Interfirm collaborations have inspired a rich literature in marketing and strategy during the past two decades. Building on this extant work, the authors developed a new construct, alliance orientation, and explored its influence on firms' alliance network performance and market performance. Tl~e authors drew on data collected from 182 U.S. firms with extensive experience informing, developing, and managing strategic alliances in marketing, new product development, distribution, technology, and manufacturing projects. Using structural equations modeling, the authors demonstrate that alliance orientation significantly affects alliance network performance, which in turn enhances market performance. The findings also suggest that market turbulence exerts a significant moderating influence on the relationship between alliance orientation and alliance network perforrnance, whereas the moderating role of technological turbulence on that relationship does not appear to be significant. The study provides evidence that firms' alliance orientations positively affect their performance in strengthening their alliance network relationships and in managing conflicts with their alliance partners.

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