International

Marketing
Second Edition

Rakesh Mohan Joshi

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reserved.
 Chapter 6
International Marketing Research

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reserved.
 Learning Objectives

• To appreciate the significance of research in

international marketing
• To understand the concept of international marketing
research
• To explain the process of international marketing
research
• To analyze the problems of equivalence in international
marketing research
• To evaluate emic vs. etic dilemma in international
marketing research
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 International Marketing Research

• International marketing research is a study conducted

to assist making marketing decisions in more than one
country.

• It is the function that links an organization to its

markets through information collection and analysis.

• It involves the systematic gathering, recording, and

analyzing of data about problems related to marketing
of goods and services.
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 Objectives of
International Marketing Research
• To carry out country screening and selection
• To evaluate a country’s market potential
• To identify problems that would not require a
country’s listing for further consideration
• To identify aspects of country’s environment that
needs further study
• To evaluate the components of marketing mix for
possible adoption
• To facilitate in developing a strategic marketing plan
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 Process of Marketing Research
• Problem Identification
• Deciding Research Methodology
• Working out Information Requirement
• Identifying sources of information
• Prepare Research Design
• Collect Primary Information
• Analyse Information
• Evaluation and Interpretation
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 Limitations of Secondary Data

• Availability

• Reliability

• Comparability
• Validity

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 Preparing Research Design

• Research design is the specification of methods

and procedures for acquiring the information
needed to structure or solve problems.

• It is the arrangement of conditions for

collection and analysis of data in a manner that
aims to combine relevance of research purpose
with economy in procedures.

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 Types of Research Designs

• Exploratory Research

• Descriptive Research

• Causative Research

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 Collecting Primary Information

• The information collected by the researcher

for the first time is termed primary
information.

• Primary information may be collected by

conducting field surveys, observations or
conducting experiments.

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 Types of Field Surveys

• Telephone Interviews

• Mail Surveys

• Electronic Surveys
• Personal Surveys

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 Major Challenges to Successful International Marketing Research

• Overlooking cross-cultural market behaviour

• Employing standardized research
methodologies across the international markets
• Using English as a standard language for market
communication
• Inappropriate sample selection
• Misinterpretation of cross-country data
• Failure to use locals to conduct field surveys
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 Cross-Cultural Marketing Behaviour
and Research
• A researcher conducting cross-country
research needs to appreciate the variations in
cultural behavior of respondents and
consumers in overseas market.

• These cultural aspects need to be examined

while preparing international marketing
research plan.

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Equivalences in Cross-country Research

Equivalences in cross-country research refer to whether the

particular concept being studied is understood and
interpreted in the same manner by people in different
cultures.
• Functional equivalence
• Conceptual equivalence
• Classification or category equivalence
• Measurement equivalences
• Sampling equivalence
• Construct equivalence

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 Functional Equivalence
• It refers to whether the function or purpose
served or performed by a given concept or
behaviour is the same across the national
markets.

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 Conceptual Equivalence

• The extent of variation in individual interpretation

of objects, stimuli, or behaviour across cultures is
termed as conceptual equivalence.

• This significantly affects interpretation of the

marketing stimuli.

• The contextual background of cultures plays an

important role in understanding such behaviour.
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 Classification or Category Equivalence

• It refers to the category in which the relevant

objects or other stimuli are placed.

• The definition of product class may vary from

country to country.

• The demographic classifications also vary

among nations.
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 Measurement Equivalences

• Measurement equivalences refer to

establishing equivalence in terms of procedures
used to measure concepts or attitudes.

• There are significant differences in measuring

methods or instruments as far as their
applicability and effectiveness from one culture
to another are concerned.

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 Sampling Equivalence

• The sampling methods among various

countries need to be comparable for cross-
country market research.

• A sample should be representative of the

population surveyed.

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 Construct Equivalence
• Construct equivalence refers to whether the
marketing constructs (that is, product
functionality, interpretation of marketing
stimuli and classification schemes) under the
study have same meaning across countries.

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  Emic Vs. Etic Dilemma:
Cultural Uniqueness Vs. Pan-culturalism
Emic and Etic are the approaches that represent two different
streams of thought at polar extremes of cross-country
marketing decision-making and research methodology.

• Emic emphasizes cultural uniqueness

• Etic, pan-culturalism in the behavioural patterns and the
research process

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