Focusing on Chinese indigenous exporters, this research investigates the antecedents of the product differentiation strategy (PDS), and its impacts on export performance with the moderating role of export target markets. Drawing from the contingency theory and strategy management framework, the authors adopt structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the survey data collected from 195 Chinese indigenous exporters. The empirical results suggest that the PDS positively affects Chinese exporters' performance. Firms are more likely to adopt the PDS when innovation and marketing capabilities are high and when they export to turbulent markets. The positive impact of the PDS on export performance is stronger when firms export to developed (vs. other emerging) markets. With the unique perspective from emerging markets, the authors theoretically discuss and empirically examine the antecedents-PDS-performance link. This research suggests that Chinese export firms rationally adopt the PDS and actively cultivate technology and innovation capability and international marketing competence on export businesses.

Variety seeking is one of the most common psychological heuristics when consumers make decisions. The literature posits that understanding the mechanism of variety seeking is critical to explain consumers' decision-making process. Yet little is known about the effects of information, which also significantly influences consumers' choice behavior. Drawing on established theories of psychology and economics, the author develops a synergetic framework investigating the impact of information adequacy on degree of variety seeking. Results from three studies show that information scarcity significantly stimulates the degree of variety seeking (Study 1). In addition, consumers' preference stability, which represents consumers' inherent information, also inhibits the degree of variety seeking (Study 2). Finally, consumers' expertise level, which represents information acquired by learning and experience, shows a moderating effect on variety seeking-information link. Specifically, novice consumers are more likely to prefer variety than expert consumers when information is limited (Study 3).

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This paper systematically summarizes Beijing’s new energy vehicle (NEV) policies (including lottery policy and driving-restriction policy) and investigates their impacts on traffic congestion. We propose that although the current NEV policies might alleviate air pollution by reducing exhaust emission, they could worsen Beijing’s traffic condition by increasing congestion probability. We suggest that the lottery policy increases the proportion of NEVs in the total number of newly-added vehicles. Moreover, as the NEVs are not subjected to driving-restriction policy, the number of vehicles travelling on the road will increase and the average velocity will decrease. Hence, traffic congestion is more likely to happen. By adopting general traffic flow model and TTI congestion probability model, empirical findings based on Beijing’s traffic data show that the higher the proportion of newly added NEV is, the larger the congestion probability will be, which support our proposition. In addition, we also simulate NEV policies with different settings (% of NEVs and the degree of driving restrictions). Finally, policy implications and future research directions are also discussed.

This paper investigates the effects of brand portfolio and product line strategy of cellphone brands' market share in China. Based on the 15-month data of Chinese cellphone markets, the authors conducted the empirical analysis using a two-way fixed effect model. The results show that foreign cellphone brands and Chinese local cellphone brands market share response differently to price level, product line level, and geographic level variables. Increasing segment coverage and widening product line enhances both foreign and local brands' market share. However, price-level factors have opposite influence on foreign and local brands in that price negatively relates to foreign brands' market share but positively relates to local brands' market share. Similarly, price concentration shows a negative impact on foreign brands but positive impact on local brands' market share. Finally, longer brand history positively relates to foreign brands' market share but negatively relates to local brands' market share. This research provides useful guidelines and managerial implications in the context of Chinese market.