No abstract

This study examines the impact of specific firm characteristics, environmental characteristics and marketing mix strategy on export marketing performance. Data were gathered via a mail survey of firms exporting from Queensland, Australia. The results indicate that firm characteristics and environmental characteristics impact significantly on both overall performance and marketing mix strategy adaptation by exporting firms. However, the decision to adapt or standardise the marketing mix strategy did not significantly impact marketing performance, implying that either standardisation or adaptation is appropriate and yields comparable performance.

This study identifies the statistically significant predictors of export marketing performance for Thai export firms. The export performance scale developed by Cavusgil and Zou (1994) is refined and tested in Thailand. A set of potential determinants of export marketing performance is considered and the unit of analysis is the individual product-market export venture. The data for this study were collected from a mail questionnaire survey of 1,000 Thai export firms in Thailand. The sample consisted of 151 small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The results support the contention that competition, commitment, export market characteristics and product characteristics are the statistically significant predictors of export marketing performance for Thai export firms.2

This study examines the impact that various barriers to export have on the export marketing performance of Queensland export market ventures. This study considers a comprehensive set of potential barriers to export identified from the literature. The unit of analysis was firms engaged in exporting to foreign markets. Data were gathered via a self-administered mail survey directed to the Managing Director of 689Queensland firms identified by a Queensland State Government department as being involved in exporting. The firms comprising the sample were manufacturing firms.The findings indicate that export venture management characteristics and adapting to foreign market needs as barriers to export were the significant predictors of export marketing performance.

Examines the role and importance of customer‐contact personnel in the marketing of a bank′s financial services and the importance of customer service in retail banking. Customer‐contact personnel from suburban branches of an Australian retail bank identified their level of agreement with statements dealing with customer purchase perceptions, customer purchase behaviour, the personal selling of services and their role and importance in the marketing of the bank′s financial services. The results were interesting in that they indicated several key factors that affected service purchase encounters. These factors included the organization′s reputation, the role of the customer‐contact personnel in the service encounter, level of reward given to the customer‐contact personnel for their contribution, the significance of an official sales training programme, word‐of‐mouth communication and the relationship between the salesperson and the customer.