Internationalization Motives and Facilitating Factors: Qualitative Evidence from Smaller Specialist Retailers

Hutchinson, Karise; Alexander, Nicholas; Quinn, Barry; Doherty, Anne Marie

doi:10.1509/jimk.15.3.96

Cited by 103 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…This finding is consistent with other studies into fashion and other small specialist retailing (e.g. Burt and Davies 2010;Fernie et al 1998;Hutchinson et al 2007;McColl and Moore 2011;Moore, Fernie, and Burt 2000). It is clear that the managers within the firm that we interviewed perceived a key strength of the brand identity to be the combination of the business's history of specialisation within one product segment and what they saw as the firm's particular German image.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Studies that focus on the role of brand identity in SME internationalisation identify a range of facilitating factors that influence the development of brand identity and serve to support expansion (Abimbola and Kocak, 2007;Hutchinson et al 2007;Horan, O'Dwyer, and, Tiernan 2011;Mitchell, Hutchinson, and, Quinn 2013;Spence and Essoussi 2010). External facilitating factors include formal networking and partnering in foreign markets, consultancy assistance, along with parent company advantage to provide additional financial and intellectual capital.…”

Section: Innovativeness Proactivity and Risk-takingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, Hutchinson et al (2007) point to the importance of informal networking, as opposed to formal networking, in facilitating the internationalisation process. This stands in contrast to a variety of studies within the broader business literature, which place a greater relevance on formal business networking (e.g.…”

Section: Entrepreneurial Networkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Exploring brand identity and entrepreneurship as drivers of small specialist retailer internationalisation: a German case study

Christmann

Alexander

Wood

2015

The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer R

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While the comparatively sparse literature on small specialist retailing typically supports a proactive interpretation of the drivers of retail internationalisation, a more differentiated picture exists with regard to understanding the role of the brand construct in this process. The wider marketing literature recognises that brand identity, as well as brand image, can inform the process of internationalisation, yet research focusing on small specialist retail internationalisation remains under-developed in this regard. Neither the notion of a multi-faceted brand concept, nor its function as a strategic device in the internationalisation process has been analysed with sufficient depth. Furthermore, a better understanding of how and to what extent brand identity is interdependent upon the characteristics and activities of the entrepreneur is yet to emerge. This paper explores the construct of brand identity and its role within small specialist retail internationalisation, and the related influence of the entrepreneur on the internationalisation process. A case study approach is adopted, examining one German small specialist retailer. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with owner managers and other senior management, an assessment of company documentation as well as participant observation, providing in-depth insights into distinctive internationalisation patterns. The study finds that a simple 'either-or' approach, in terms of characterising the retailer's motivation to internationalisation as being either reactive or proactive is inadequate in understanding this particular case. Whilst initial motivation was characterised as being reactive, the motivations underpinning further planned internationalisation are determined to be more proactive. More particularly, analysis reveals how brand identity is considered to play an important role in the internationalisation of the case study retailer, and highlights the numerous ways in which the characteristics and activities of the entrepreneurial owner-managers impact on the firm's internationalisation. This research contributes to retail and management research concerning SME internationalisation as well as to the retail-branding literature.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Innovativeness Proactivity and Risk-takingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring brand identity and entrepreneurship as drivers of small specialist retailer internationalisation: a German case study

Christmann

Alexander

Wood

2015

The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer R

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“…A differentiation strategy is to create value to customers by providing superior quality, innovative products, brand image, and good services. This will differentiate the product which means the product will be more competitive than others (Hutchinson et al 2007;Frambach et al 2003;Porter, 1980). Cost Leadership tends to be more competitors oriented rather than customer oriented (Frambach, et.…”

Section: Cost Leadership Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

Hybrid Strategy: A New Strategy for Competitive Advantage

Baroto¹,

Abdullah²,

Hooi³

2012

IJBM

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Both strategic management researchers and practitioners have realized the importance of cost and differentiation strategies for effective organizational performance and excellence. Recently many large enterprises/corporations have been applying both strategies simultaneously, rather than applying a single strategy at one period of time. The implementations of the three strategies are commonly used by the big corporations involved in domestic, regional, international and global business. This article has three bases of data analyses; the first is a review of related literature, the second is case analysis and the third is the result of field interviews with a giant home appliance manufacturer in Malaysia. Thus, the principal aim of this article is to provide evidence that the hybrid strategy (both cost leadership and differentiation strategy) has been implemented by companies throughout the world.

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“…To be more specific, Treadgold (1988) identified various "push" and "pull" factors associated with both the macro and micro environments. Among the push factors prevail industry competition, economy, legislation, and domestic saturation, while the pull factors include, for instance, economic and political stability of global markets and profit opportunities in the oversea market (Hutchinson et al, 2007). In the 1990s, pull factors, i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retailers’ Internationalization in Emerging Markets: A Comparative Study of a French and a Local Retailer’s Key Success Factors in Brazil

Diallo¹

2012

IBR

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The internationalization of retail operations in emerging markets is today one of the most important decisions of mass retailers. This phenomenon has been highlighted by past research, at the micro level as well as the macro-environment. In this paper, we will focus on the key success factors of a retail company in an emerging economy (Brazil). In this respect, we used a case study to compare the key success factors of a foreign and a local retailer considering two increasingly interesting theories in strategic marketing: the core competences theory and the organizational culture theory. The results showed that the international retailing success on the Brazilian market can be well explained by these two theories. Factors for this international retailing success that have been underlined are store format and localization, customer relationship, competitive strengths and organizational culture. However, the local retailer's challenge is now to do as well as the foreign retailer, or better, taking into account the two theories mentioned above. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings will be provided.

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Internationalization Motives and Facilitating Factors: Qualitative Evidence from Smaller Specialist Retailers

Cited by 103 publications

References 90 publications

Exploring brand identity and entrepreneurship as drivers of small specialist retailer internationalisation: a German case study

Exploring brand identity and entrepreneurship as drivers of small specialist retailer internationalisation: a German case study

Hybrid Strategy: A New Strategy for Competitive Advantage

Retailers’ Internationalization in Emerging Markets: A Comparative Study of a French and a Local Retailer’s Key Success Factors in Brazil

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