Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Challenges in Conducting International Market Research

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Book cover Handbook of Market Research

Abstract

This chapter explains the need to conduct international market research, identifies the main challenges researchers face when conducting marketing research in more than one country and provides approaches for addressing these challenges. The chapter examines the research process from the conceptual design of the research model to the choice of countries for data collection, the data collection process itself, and the data analysis and interpretation. Challenges identified include differentiating between etic and emic concepts, assembling an adequate research unit, ensuring data collection equivalence, and reducing ethnocentrism of the research team. We draw on the extant literature to determine methods that address these challenges, such as an adapted etic or linked emic approach, to define the concept of the culti-unit, and to identify prominent approaches to cultural dimensions and collaborative and iterative translation and statistical methods for testing equivalence. This chapter provides researchers with the methods and tools necessary to derive meaningful and sound conclusions from research designed to guide international marketing activities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    For the sake of simplicity, we will subsequently refer to nations as the unit of research, acknowledging that other culti-units may be more appropriate as outlined in section “Conceptual Framework (Phase 1)”.

References

  • Adler, N. (2002). International dimensions of organizational behavior. Cincinnati: South-Western College Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Appadurai, A. (1990). Disjuncture and difference in the global cultural economy. Public Culture, 2, 1–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Auh, S., Menguc, B., Spyropoulou, S., Wang, F. (2015). Service employee burnout and engagement: The moderating role of power distance orientation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 1–20. 10.1007/s11747-015-0463-4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R., Yi, Y., & Phillips, L. (1991). Assessing construct validity in organizational research. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36(3), 421–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, T. E. (2005). Potential problems in the statistical control of variables in organizational research: A qualitative analysis with recommendations. Organizational Research Methods, 8(3), 274–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bensaou, M., Coyne, M., & Venkatraman, N. (1999). Testing metric equivalence in cross-national strategy research: An empirical test across the. Strategic Management Journal, 20(7), 671–689.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J. (1980). Introduction to methodology. In H. Triandis & J. Berry (Eds.), Handbook of cross-cultural psychology (pp. 1–28). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J. (1989). Imposed etics-emics-derived etics: The operationalization of a compelling idea. International Journal of Psychology, 24(6), 721–734.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beugelsdijk, S., Maseland, R., & van Hoorn, A. (2015). Are scores on Hofstede’s dimensions of national culture stable over time? A cohort analysis. Global Strategy Journal, 5(3), 223–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun, W., & Warner, M. (2002). The “Culture-Free” versus “Culture-Specific” management debate. In M. Warner & P. Joynt (Eds.), Managing across cultures: Issues and perspectives (pp. 13–25). London: Thomson Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, P., & Venaik, S. (2014). The ecological fallacy in national culture research. Organization Studies, 35(7), 1063–1086.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brislin, R. (1980). Translation and content analysis of oral and written materials. In H. Triandis & J. Berry (Eds.), Handbook of cross-cultural psychology (pp. 389–444). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess, S., & Steenkamp, J.-B. (2006). Marketing renaissance: How research in emerging markets advances marketing science and practice. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 23(4), 337–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cadogan, J. (2010). Comparative, cross-cultural, and cross-national research: A comment on good and bad practice. International Marketing Review, 27(6), 601–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, F. F. (2008). What happens if we compare chopsticks with forks? The impact of making inappropriate comparisons in cross-cultural research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(5), 1005–1018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, G. W., & Chow, I. H.-S. (1999). Subcultures in Greater China: A comparison of managerial values in the People’s Republic of China. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 16(3), 369–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Child, J., & Warner, M. (2003). Culture and management in China. In M. Warner (Ed.), Culture and management in Asia (pp. 24–47). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke III, I. (2001). Extreme response style in cross-cultural research. International Marketing Review, 18(3), 301–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Craig, C. S., & Douglas, S. P. (2005). International marketing research (3rd ed.). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig, C. S., & Douglas, S. P. (2006). Beyond national culture: Implications of cultural dynamics for consumer research. International Marketing Review, 23(3), 322–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demangeot, C., Broderick, A., & Craig, C. S. (2015). Multicultural marketplaces. International Marketing Review, 32(2), 118–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deshpandé, R., & Farley, J. (2004). Organizational culture, market orientation, innovativeness, and firm performance: An international research odyssey. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 21(1), 3–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dheer, R. J. S., Lenartowicz, T., & Peterson, M. F. (2015). Mapping India’s regional subcultures: Implications for international management. Journal of International Business Studies, 46(4), 443–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas, S. P., & Craig, C. S. (1997). The changing dynamic of consumer behavior: Implications for cross-cultural research. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 14(4), 379–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas, S., & Craig, C. (2006). On improving the conceptual foundations of international marketing research. Journal of International Marketing, 14(1), 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas, S. P., & Craig, C. S. (2007). Collaborative and iterative translation: An alternative approach to back translation. Journal of International Marketing, 15(1), 30–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas, S. P., & Craig, C. S. (2011). The role of context in assessing international marketing opportunities. International Marketing Review, 28, 150–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Engelen, A., & Brettel, M. (2011). Assessing cross-cultural marketing theory and research. Journal of Business Research, 64(5), 516–523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Featherstone, M. (1990). Global culture: Nationalism, globalism and modernism. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geyskens, I., Steenkamp, J., & Kumar, N. (2006). Make, buy, or ally: A transaction cost theory meta-analysis. Academy of Management Journal, 49(3), 519–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghauri, P., & Cateora, P. (2010). International marketing (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • von Glinow, M. A., Shapiro, D. L., & Brett, J. M. (2004). Can we talk, and should we? Managing emotional conflict in multicultural teams. Academy of Management Review, 29(4), 578–592.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartog, D. (2004). Assertiveness. In R. House, P. Hanges, M. Javidan, P. Dorfman, & V. Gupta (Eds.), Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies (pp. 395–436). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • He, Y., Merz, M. A., & Alden, D. L. (2008). Diffusion of measurement invariance assessment in cross-national empirical marketing research: perspectives from the literature and a survey of researchers. Journal of International Marketing, 16(2), 64–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G., & Bond, M. (1988). The confucius connection: From cultural roots to economic growth. Organizational Dynamics, 16(4), 5–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G., Hofstede, J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations – software of the mind: Intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival. New York: Mcgraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hohenberg, S., & Homburg, C. (2016). Motivating sales reps for innovation selling in different cultures. Journal of Marketing, 80(2), 101–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., Cannon, J. P., Krohmer, H., & Kiedaisch, I. (2009). Governance of international business relationships: A cross-cultural study on alternative governance modes. Journal of International Marketing, 17(3), 1–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • House, R., Javidan, M., & Dorfman, P. (2001). Project GLOBE: An introduction. Applied Psychology. An International Review, 50(4), 489–505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hult, T., Ketchen, D., Griffith, D., Finnegan, C., Gonzalez-Padron, T., Harmancioglu, N., et al. (2008). Data equivalence in cross-cultural international business research: Assessment and guidelines. Journal of International Business Studies, 39(6), 1027–1044.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Javidan, M., House, R., Dorfman, P., Hanges, P., & Luque, M. d. (2006). Conceptualizing and measuring culture and their consequences: A comparative review of GLOBE’s and Hofstede’s approaches. Journal of International Business Studies, 37, 897–914.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Jong, M. G., Steenkamp, J.-B. E. M., Fox, J.-P., & Baumgartner, H. (2008). Using item response theory to measure extreme response style in marketing research: A global investigation. Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), 45(1), 104–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katsikeas, C. S., Samiee, S., & Theodosiou, M. (2006). Strategy fit and performance consequences of international marketing standardization. Strategic Management Journal, 27(9), 867–890.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkman, B. L., Chen, G., Farh, J.-L., Chen, Z. X., & Lowe, K. B. (2009). Individual power distance orientation and follower reactions to transformational leaders: A cross-level, cross-cultural examination. Academy of Management Journal, 52(4), 744–764.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kluckhohn, C. (1951). The study of culture. In D. Lerner & H. Lasswell (Eds.), The policy standard (pp. 393–404). Stanford: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, G. A., & Cavusgil, S. T. (2004). Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm. Journal of International Business Studies, 35, 124–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenartowicz, T., & Johnson, J. P. (2002). Comparing managerial values in twelve Latin American countries: An exploratory study. Management International Review (MIR), 42(3), 279–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenartowicz, T., Johnson, J. P., & White, C. T. (2003). The neglect of intracountry cultural variation in international management research. Journal of Business Research, 56(12), 999–1008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lytle, A., Brett, J., Barsness, Z., Tinsley, C., & Janssens, M. (1995). A paradigm for confirmatory cross-cultural research in organizational behavior. Research in Organizational Behavior, 17, 167–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, D. (1961). The achieving society. Princeton: Van Nostrand Co.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Minkov, M. (2007). What makes us different and similar: A new interpretation of the world values survey and other cross-cultural data. Sofia: Klasika y Stil Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minkov, M., & Hofstede, G. (2012). Is national culture a meaningful concept? Cultural values delineate homogeneous national clusters of in-country regions. Cross-Cultural Research, 46, 133–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullen, M. (1995). Diagnosing measurement equivalence in cross-national research. Journal of International Business Studies, 26(3), 573–596.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakata, C., & Huang, Y. (2005). Progress and promise: The last decade of international marketing research. Journal of Business Research, 58(5), 611–618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naroll, R. (1970). The culture-bearing unit in cross-cultural surveys. In R. Naroll & R. Cohen (Eds.), A handbook of methods in cultural anthropology (pp. 721–765). New York: Natural History Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petersen, J. A., Kushwaha, T., & Kumar, V. (2015). Marketing communication strategies and consumer financial decision making: The role of national culture. Journal of Marketing, 79(1), 44–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petruzzellis, L., & Craig, C. S. (2016). Separate but together: Mediterranean identity in three countries. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 33(1), 9–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pike, K. (1967). Language in relation to a unified theory of the structure of human behavior. The Hague: Mouton & Co.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, C., Lee, J., & Podsakoff, N. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ralston, D. A., Holt, D. H., Terpstra, R. H., & Yu, K.-C. (1997). The impact of national culture and economic ideology on managerial work values: A study of the United States, Russia, Japan, and China. Journal of International Business Studies, 28(1), 177–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riordan, C. M., & Vandenberg, R. J. (1994). A central question in cross-cultural research: Do employees of different cultures interpret work-related measures in an equivalent manner? Journal of Management, 20(3), 643–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saeed, S., Yousafzai, S. Y., & Engelen, A. (2014). On cultural and macroeconomic contingencies of the entrepreneurial orientation–performance relationship. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 38(2), 255–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samaha, S. A., Beck, J. T., & Palmatier, R. W. (2014). The role of culture in international relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 78(5), 78–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarros, J., & Woodman, D. (1993). Leadership in Australia and its organizational outcomes. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 14, 3–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaffer, B. S., & Riordan, C. M. (2003). A review of cross-cultural methodologies for organizations research: A best-practices approach. Organizational Research Methods, 6(2), 169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. (1994). Beyond individualism/collectivism: New cultural dimensions of values. In U. Kim, H. Triandis, C. Kagitcibasi, S. Choi, & G. Yoon (Eds.), Individualism and collectivism: Theory, methods and applications (pp. 85–119). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheng, S., Zhou, K. Z., & Li, J. J. (2011). The effects of business and political ties on firm performance: Evidence from China. Journal of Marketing, 75(1), 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siew Imm, N., Lee, J. A., & Soutar, G. N. (2007). Are Hofstede’s and Schwartz’s value frameworks congruent? International Marketing Review, 24(2), 164–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sivakumar, K., & Nakata, C. (2001). The stampede toward Hofstede’s framework: Avoiding the sample design pit in cross-cultural research. Journal of International Business Studies, 32(3), 555–574.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soares, A., Farhangmehr, M., & Shoham, A. (2007). Hofstede’s dimensions of culture in international marketing studies. Journal of Business Research, 60, 277–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sondergaard, M. (1994). Research note: Hofstede’s consequences: A study of reviews, citations and replications. Organization Studies, 15(3), 447–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steenkamp, J. (2001). The role of national culture in international marketing research. International Marketing Review, 18(1), 30–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steenkamp, J. (2005). Moving out of the U.S. Silo: A call to arms for conducting international marketing research. Journal of Marketing, 69(4), 6–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steenkamp, J.-B., & Baumgartner, H. (1998). Assessing measurement invariance in cross-national consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 25, 78–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steenkamp, J., Hofstede, F., & Wedel, M. (1999). A cross-national investigation into the individual and national cultural antecedents of consumer innovativeness. Journal of Marketing, 63(2), 55–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan, J. (2002). Culture, nation, and entrepreneurial strategic orientations: Implications for an emerging economy. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 26(4), 95–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taras, V., Steel, P., & Kirkman, B. L. (2012). Improving national cultural indices using a longitudinal meta-analysis of Hofstede’s dimensions. Journal of World Business, 47(3), 329–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tellis, G. J., Prabhu, J. C., & Chandy, R. K. (2009). Radical innovation across nations: The preeminence of corporate culture. Journal of Marketing, 73(1), 3–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H. (1972). The analysis of subjective culture. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H. (1994). Culture and social behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsui, A. S., Nifadkar, S. S., & Ou, A. Y. (2007). Cross-national, cross-cultural organizational behavior research: Advances, gaps, and recommendations. Journal of Management, 33(3), 426–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vida, I., Obadia, C., & Kunz, M. (2007). The effects of background music on consumer responses in a high-end supermarket. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 17(5), 469–482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Vijver, F., & Leung, K. (1997). Methods and data analysis for cross-cultural research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldman, D. A., de Luque, M. S., Washburn, N., House, R. J., Adetoun, B., Barrasa, A., et al. (2006). Cultural and leadership predictors of corporate social responsibility values of top management: A GLOBE study of 15 countries. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(6), 823–837.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong, N., Rindfleisch, A., & Burroughs, J. (2003). Do reverse-worded items confound measures in cross-cultural consumer research?: The case of the material values scale. Journal of Consumer Research, 30(1), 72–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, K. Z., Su, C., & Bao, Y. (2002). A paradox of price-quality and market efficiency: A comparative study of the US and China markets. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 19(4), 349–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany

    Andreas Engelen

  2. TH Köln, Cologne University of Applied Science, Köln, Germany

    Monika Engelen

  3. New York University, Stern School of Business, New York, NY, USA

    C. Samuel Craig

Authors
  1. Andreas Engelen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Monika Engelen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C. Samuel Craig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Engelen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany

    Christian Homburg

  2. Inst. Informations Systems and Marketing Marketing & Sales Research Group, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Martin Klarmann

  3. LS für ABWL und Marketing I, Universität Mannheim, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Arnd Vomberg

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

About this entry

Cite this entry

Engelen, A., Engelen, M., Samuel Craig, C. (2016). Challenges in Conducting International Market Research. In: Homburg, C., Klarmann, M., Vomberg, A. (eds) Handbook of Market Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05542-8_6-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05542-8_6-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-05542-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05542-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Business and ManagementReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation