Marketing Decisions and Strategies: An International Perspective

The marketing literature generally assumes that managers and customers always make rational (reasonable and logical) decisions. In real life, however, decision making process is hardly rational and straightforward. Managers and customers normally make decisions “in-action” – i.e. as they grapple with critical problems on daily basis. As such, they tend to combine experience-based knowledge with intuition and analysis to inform their decisions. Their decision making processes become even more complex when their companies operate within international contexts.

It is therefore appropriate to teach students a variety of decision making skills as they prepare themselves to work in international companies. This is the task initiated in this book. It discusses how managers combine both rational and non-rational approaches and tools in their decision making processes, especially in international business contexts.

Issues discussed include the following:

• The marketing strategy concept
• Rational and non-rational approaches to decision making
• Market-driving and market-driven strategies
• Internal marketing strategies
• Relational theories and strategies in marketing
• Organizational buying behaviour and strategies
• Online advertising decisions and strategies
• Assessment of export opportunities
• Marketing in the emerging economies
• Societal and ethical considerations in marketing decisions

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John Kuada is Professor of International Management at Aalborg University, Department of Business and Management, Denmark. He holds two doctorate degrees – PhD from Copenhagen Business School, and Dr. Merc. from Aalborg University. He has extensive experience as a business consultant and training advisor in areas of management, marketing and cross-border inter-firm relations in Europe and Africa.