This review summarizes experimental evidence from advertising and related disciplines on the effects of physically attractive communicators and models on opinion change, product evaluation, source perception, and recall, among other dependent measures. The evidence indicates that attractive (vs. unattractive) communicators consistently are liked more, are perceived in more favorable terms, and have a positive impact on the products with which they are associated. Source attractiveness is also related positively to agreement although the effects appear to be less consistent, especially when the communicator is female. The review includes a critical assessment of previous studies and presents specific directions for future research.

This article reports initial work in developing an improved consumer involvement measure that can be applied across a number of product categories. The intent was to develop a short, easy‐to‐use scale that practitioners could use in a variety of consumer research settings, especially field designs. Factor analysis was used to reduce a list of 22 items to a final list of 6 items. The preliminary evidence on reliability and validity is encouraging, and suggestions are made for further testing of this new scale.

Purpose -The dramatic growth and international scope of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) are evident in emerging markets such as China and India. Nations, like firms, seek to capitalize on their available resources and capabilities (e.g. people, technology, skills) in order to build and maintain core competencies in certain industry sectors. This paper has the following objectives: to discuss the classification of KIBS, to marshal conceptual and statistical evidence on KIBS in major emerging markets, to compare and contrast selected major emerging markets in regard to their KIBS activities, and to discuss policy implications. Design/methodology/approach -In this conceptual paper, extant literature is reviewed and discussed pertaining to the KIBS sectors. Several existing data sources are used to assess the comparative performance of major emerging markets in the KIBS sectors. Findings -The emphasis is on finding comparative longitudinal statistics that are useful for comparison and contrast among major emerging markets. The analysis indicates that while the major emerging markets are building competitive advantage by focusing on knowledge-intensive business services, their progress differs sharply. For example, China shows the lead, followed by India, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Turkey, and Indonesia. Smaller nations lag behind these in most indicators. It is evident that leading major emerging nations have not reached parity with highly industrialized countries.Research limitations/implications -The results show ranking and contribution of various major nations in the global knowledge economy, but additional time series and analysis are needed to assess comparative rankings. However, the classification and the indicators illustrated here offer a panoramic, comparative picture over the past decade. Using international business theories, research can develop statistical models to explain foreign market entry strategies of knowledge-intensive service firms. Practical implications -The paper is of value to managers considering entry and/or expansion into major emerging markets in various sub-sectors of knowledge-intensive sectors. The specific industry and function pursued by a firm need to be identified and matched up with host nation characteristics (e.g. more software design and pharmaceutical research in India v. more manufacturing design and R&D facility in China). The paper also provides guidelines to policy makers to sustain their country's competitive advantage in the KIBS sectors. Originality/value -The paper looks at knowledge-intensive business services in major emerging markets. It offers both conceptual contributions and statistical evidence that key nations differ in their activities in regard to such high-level and complex service offerings.

Due to the increased domination of industrial sales channels by distributors, suppliers must develop strong relationships with industrial distributors in order to succeed in new markets. Initiating partnering relationships with distributors in new markets, however, entails significant risks and commitments with the prospect of substantial long‐term rewards. To help suppliers assess and select distributor partners, this study focuses on the starting‐point of the relationship by exploring industrial distributors' expectations of benefits. A nationwide survey of US industrial distributors showed that distributors expect financial and competitive differentiation benefits with greater differentiation benefits inferred to lead to fewer financial benefits. Several observable distributor characteristics can be used by suppliers to conduct preliminary assessments of distributor expectations and thereby prepare for a healthy future relationship.

Purpose -Knowledge-based services range from accounting, engineering, and management consulting to educational services. This paper seeks to explore the nature of management education services and to discuss how business schools can employ cross-cultural product-market strategies to enter and serve foreign markets with programs that match the needs of the targeted markets. Design/methodology/approach -A framework is presented for delivering management education services across borders. Hofstede's cultural dimensions are integrated in recognizing the cultural characteristics of a target country and differing learning styles of students in making market entry decisions and the pedagogical styles that might apply to specific target markets. Findings -In seeking new globally diverse markets, providers of knowledge-intensive services such as management education must craft marketing strategies that recognize consumer demand and consumption characteristics as well as service design and delivery options that fit market needs. Research limitations/implications -Global expansion of management education services and the strategic and tactical considerations that are introduced in the framework can provide a fertile field for empirical research. Practical implications -The paper develops cross-cultural "product-market" strategies that business schools can consider in serving international markets, with product defined as the curriculum, instructional style, and all of the ancillary services that constitute the educational service experience. Generalizability of the findings to other knowledge-based services is also discussed. Originality/value -The conceptual framework recognizes a dominant theme in international business, suggesting that internationalization potential depends on service industry characteristics and on specific host country internationalization drivers.