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Nitish Singh

St. Louis University, Business, Faculty Member

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Dr. Singh is Associate Professor of International Business at the Boeing Institute of International Business at Saint Louis University. He serves as co-organizer for Brand2Global Conference in Global Marketing and Digital Media. Dr. Singh holds a Scholar member position at the Center for Sustainability Saint Louis University. Dr. Singh is also the Founder and Consultant at IntegTree LLC,a consulting company. Previously he was a Professor at California State University Chico where he headed the localization certification program. He holds Ph.D. in Marketing and International Business from Saint Louis University; MA University of South Wales, UK; and MBA Pune University India.
His educational efforts have been supported by the US Department of Education, Qatar Foundation, CSU, Google, HP, IBM, Microsoft, and other companies. He serves as grant reviewer and has done grant audits for the US Dept. of Education Business International Education grants.
He has published more than 60 academic refereed papers, including several in top academic journals. He is also author/co-author of 4 books

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Papers by Nitish Singh

Collaborative consumption, social distance and the extended self

Journal of Consumer Marketing, 2020

Purpose This paper aims to look at the exchange context of peer-to-peer (P2P) collaborative consu... more Purpose This paper aims to look at the exchange context of peer-to-peer (P2P) collaborative consumption (e.g. Uber and Airbnb). Specifically, the paper examines the effect that the sharing of a personal possession, such as a car or apartment, may have on the consumer. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were conducted via online surveys. The surveys used vignettes that asked participants to imagine service experiences in either a P2P or a business-to-consumer (B2C) context. The participants then answered questions, including their perceptions of social closeness to the service provider, as well as willingness to pay (Study 1) and expectations of satisfaction (Study 2). The analysis used bootstrapping regression models to examine the relationships. Findings In both studies, the participants in the P2P conditions reported significantly greater perceived social closeness to the service provider than did those in the B2C condition. The P2P condition also resulted in significant indi...

E-Commerce Corporations (ECCs) Internationalization: A Case Exploration: An Abstract

Boundary Blurred: A Seamless Customer Experience in Virtual and Real Spaces, 2018

The growth of global e-commerce present significant opportunities for global expansion. Yet, it h... more The growth of global e-commerce present significant opportunities for global expansion. Yet, it has not leveled the playing field between emerging markets e-commerce corporations (EM-ECCs) and advanced markets ECCs (AM-ECCs). While AM-ECCs have been expanding overseas with considerable success, EM-ECCs have been less disposed to internationalize and content to serve and defend their home turfs against foreign rivals wielding monopolistic advantages. Leveraging the Network, Ownership, Location and Internalization (N-OLI) framework, this paper examines the variables affecting the internationalization of AM-ECCs and EM-ECCs. We use an exploratory multiple case study approach to gain new insight into the internationalization of EM-ECCs while comparing it with the internationalization of AM-ECCs. This includes detailed analysis of two ECCs representing emerging markets and advanced markets. The findings suggest that AM ECCs, in comparison to EM ECCs, are endowed with favorable network-based advantages, firm-specific advantages, and institutional ownership advantages that make them more capable of pursuing internationalization aggressively. However, EM ECCs are induced to pursue regionally focused internationalization due, in large extent, to capital scarcity and ownership advantages emanating from knowledge of the home region.

Editorial introduction: Advances in theory and practice of digital marketing

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2019

This special issue of the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services aims to bring together a var... more This special issue of the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services aims to bring together a variety of disciplines and a scholarly community for the advancement of knowledge regarding practice and research related to digital and social media marketing. Accordingly, the special issue includes papers using a variety of theories, research methods, contexts, and conceptualizations to enrich our understanding of digital and social media marketing from consumer and practitioner perspectives. The thirteen articles accepted for inclusion in this special issue are summarised in this editorial introduction.

How Advertisers Can Target Arab E-Consumers More Effectively

Journal of Advertising Research, 2019

INTRODuCTION Research has established that web and digital media are important advertising channe... more INTRODuCTION Research has established that web and digital media are important advertising channels (e.g., Berthon, Pitt, and Watson, 1996), and the industry has recognized the potential of digital media. Despite the significance of digital advertising, however, many companies have yet to exploit it in the Arabic online world. Adweek cited a Middle East Media report showing that a disproportionately high number of Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and YouTube channels are in Arabic, yet there is a dearth of websites in Arabic (Cohen, 2016). Research also shows that in 2015 the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region accounted only for 0.3 percent of global digital-advertising spending, and digital advertisements represented only 10 percent of the total advertising revenues (Dennis, Martin, and Wood, 2016). These statistics are stunning given that Arabic is the fourth most common language on the web, the fourth most important language for business, and the fifth most common primary language

Internationalization of e-commerce corporations (ECCs)

Multinational Business Review, 2018

PurposeThe growth of global e-commerce presents significant opportunities for global expansion. Y... more PurposeThe growth of global e-commerce presents significant opportunities for global expansion. Yet it has not leveled the playing field between emerging markets e-commerce corporations (EM-ECCs) and advanced markets ECCs (AM-ECCs). While AM-ECCs have been expanding overseas with considerable success, EM-ECCs have been less disposed to internationalize and have been content to serve and defend their home turfs against foreign rivals who wield monopolistic advantages. Leveraging the network, ownership, location and internalization (N-OLI) theoretical framework, this paper aims to examine the variables affecting the internationalization of AM-ECCs and EM-ECCs.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopted an exploratory research method using multiple corporate cases to focus on understanding the dynamics present within single settings, capture corporate context and allow comparison between cases.FindingsThe findings suggest that AM-ECCs, in comparison to EM-ECCs, are endowed with favor...

Cultural Customization: An Analysis Of Chinese And Spanish B2C Web Sites

International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER), 2011

The following paper analyzes the trends in e-commerce, the variations among global e-consumers, a... more The following paper analyzes the trends in e-commerce, the variations among global e-consumers, and in turn, the imperative for cultural customization of business-to-consumer web sites. A literature review delves into past research done in the field of cultural customization as well as the dimensions and values that distinguish cultures from one another. Furthermore, ten (10) Chinese and ten (10) Spanish B2C web sites from the service, retail and manufacturing sectors are analyzed to view the extent of their cultural customization. The findings conclude that none of the B2C web sites viewed were truly culturally customized, but that there exist advantages for businesses to take the initiative and put forth resources into achieving said status for their respective web sites.

Optimizing environmental expenditures for maximizing economic performance

Management Decision, 2016

Purpose Corporate environmental expenditure has been a growing concern in recent years, yet mixed... more Purpose Corporate environmental expenditure has been a growing concern in recent years, yet mixed findings exist regarding its economic impact. The purpose of this paper is to explain the mixed relationship between environmental expenditure and economic performance from the natural-resource-based view. Design/methodology/approach Using Global Reporting Initiative survey data from 120 firms in 30 countries, this study uses PROCESS, a path-based analysis software, to test the moderation and mediation hypotheses in an integrated analytical model. Findings The findings show that environmental expenditure has a negative impact on economic performance through pollution prevention capability. In contrast, environmental expenditure has a positive impact on economic performance through product stewardship capability. Both effects are significantly strengthened when the firm is located in an environmentally munificent country. Practical implications This study intends to inform firm managers,...

Commentary: what’s behind the price tag: understanding cost transparency?

European Journal of Marketing, 2015

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to understand “Why Should Companies Embrace Cost Transpare... more Purpose – The purpose of this study is to understand “Why Should Companies Embrace Cost Transparency”. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a thought piece in response to the paper by Simintiras et al. (2015), “Should Consumer’s Request Cost Transparency?” Findings – Arguments based on past research and company practices show that companies practicing cost transparency can increase their customer following, brand loyalty, differentiation and ultimately the profits. Practical implications – The paper showcases examples of how companies have implemented cost transparency to differentiate their customer offerings. The paper also shows that conscious consumers are now demanding more cost transparency, and companies have already started to heed this call. Originality/value – The paper specifically outlines arguments and recent examples to show why companies should embrace cost transparency.

The human experience of ethics: a review of a decade of qualitative ethical decision-making research

Business Ethics: A European Review, 2016

Qualitative studies are an important component of business ethics research. This large amount of ... more Qualitative studies are an important component of business ethics research. This large amount of research covers a wide array of factors and influences on ethical decision making published between 2004 and 2014. Following the methodology of past critical reviews, this work provides a synopsis of the diverse array of qualitative studies in ethical decision making within the business ethics literature. We highlight the distinct and investigative nature of qualitative research, synthesize and summarize findings, and suggest opportunities for future research. We conclude with a recommendation for developing qualitative studies in business ethics and a call for an increased openness when considering this valuable and underrepresented strategy of inquiry.

Gulf Arab E-Business Environment: Localization Strategy Insights

Thunderbird International Business Review, 2015

Why should global marketers consider the region in future expansion plans? The Digital Opportunit... more Why should global marketers consider the region in future expansion plans? The Digital Opportunity Index (DOI), which tracks countries' progress in bridging the digital divide and adopting new technologies, such as broadband and mobile Internet, placed Bahrain, UAE, and Qatar in top spots in their rankings. Bahrain comes in at the 35th spot in the DOI rankings, while the UAE and Qatar follow closely behind in the 37th and 38th places, respectively (World Information Society Report, 2007). Rankings by the World Economic Forum's Global Information Technology Report (Bilbao-Osorio, Dutta, & Lanvin, 2014) place Qatar as 23rd, UAE as 25th, and Bahrain as 29th in the rankings of the most networked nation in the world (see Table 1 and Figure 1). The 2013 report also shows that Qatar, UAE, and Bahrain performed well across several dimensions of network readiness (or preparedness to leverage the benefits of information and communication technologies and region is flourishing, and the growth potential is among the highest in the world (Bitar, 2015; Davis and Quinn-Cane, 2014).

Localizing to Arabic consumers: Insights from print advertising

Journal of Marketing Communications, 2015

This study argues that understanding the nature and influence of cultural differences in print ad... more This study argues that understanding the nature and influence of cultural differences in print advertising is important for an effective international marketing strategy. Previous studies have investigated cross-cultural differences in advertising, but have not focused on advertising from the Arab world. There is also a shortage of studies providing specific recommendations about localizing advertising for Arab consumers. This study therefore conducts a comparative analysis of Arab and US print advertisements in magazines, to identify cross-cultural differences in advertising and make recommendations on localizing advertising to Arab consumers, and in particular, those in the Persian Gulf states.

Introduction to E-Commerce

E-Commerce for Global Adoption, Resistance, and Cultural Evolution

The growth, integration, and sophistication of ICT are changing our society and economy. The emer... more The growth, integration, and sophistication of ICT are changing our society and economy. The emergence of the Internet as a general communication channel has opened the opportunity for E-Commerce (EC) to expand worldwide. EC is now viewed by researchers and practitioners as providing the future direction in which organizations must move. Diffusion of the Internet has led to significant shifts in the methodology of operating business globally. Therefore, it is both an interesting and challenging issue to address, explore, and conceptualize proliferation of EC and also adoption and cultural resistance and evolution for global consumers.

A Comparative Analysis of Arab and U.S. Cultural Values on the Web

Journal of Global Marketing, 2015

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the depiction of cultural values on global websites. There ex... more ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the depiction of cultural values on global websites. There exists a research gap in terms of better understanding cross-cultural differences in web communications between the Arab and Western worlds. Thus, we conducted content analysis to examine the cultural values on websites from Arab countries and the U.S. The results suggest that local websites of Arab countries and the United States tend to differ significantly from each other on cultural contents. The proposed cultural findings can serve as a guide for creating culturally congruent international websites.

Nihonmachi: The Consumption of Japantown, San Francisco

Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2014

Studying geographical ethnic market places like China towns, Little Italy, or Japan town can give... more Studying geographical ethnic market places like China towns, Little Italy, or Japan town can give us unique insight into material artifacts, cultural symbols, popular culture, and cultural context within which such retail setting thrive. Such an analysis can provide us an understanding of how ethnic groups maintain their cultural identity within the majority culture. The present study uses ethnography to thickly describe’ (Geertz, 1973), the cultural context unique to the retail settings of Japantown in San Francisco. We hope this investigation into ethnic Japanese culture as manifested in the retail settings of Japan town will help marketers create a framework in which businesses would have a greater understanding of their ethnic customers and, even, in some ways, preserve the culture and traditions of that ethnic group.

Effect of Personality Traits on Global and National Identification and Attitude Toward the Ad

A framework to localize international business to business web sites

ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 2012

The main purpose of this study is to propose and apply an analytical framework to help B2B market... more The main purpose of this study is to propose and apply an analytical framework to help B2B marketers assess and develop web sites that are localized not only for the B2B marketplace but also for international markets. This study deals with an area that has not received much attention in academic research as previous studies have mainly focused on B2C web sites. The study focuses on B2B web sites and provides a framework to assess web site localization. A content analysis of American and Korean web sites was conducted to analyze the proposed framework. The overall results show that U.S. companies have not accomplished a high degree of localization for B2B markets. The study results indicate that most U.S. companies focus primarily on the translation of web content from English to Korean to create web sites.While it is true that globalization has brought us closer than ever to Mcluhan's (1964) idea of a global village, major differences across countries and regions exist and play ...

Proliferation of the Internet Economy

A Collection of 13 Scholarly Titles The World Wide Web has proven to be an important medium for t... more A Collection of 13 Scholarly Titles The World Wide Web has proven to be an important medium for tourism and e-commerce in today's society. The Online Tourism and Digital Economies collection is a specialized reference compilation that supports research in the field of global and economic technologies. This valuable set of titles includes 13 scholarly texts focusing on hospitality, travel and tourism management, consumer management, e-commerce, and the digital divide and developing countries. These titles represent IGI Global's unique coverage of the impact and effective use of electronic commerce technologies in modern organizations.

Internationalization and performance of Indian pharmaceutical firms

Thunderbird International Business Review, 2008

... in no way undermines the contribution that the re-search stream as a ... Indian companies suc... more ... in no way undermines the contribution that the re-search stream as a ... Indian companies such as Ranbaxy, Dr. Reddy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;s Lab, Sun, Cipla, Cadila, and Wockhardt ... Marketing Review, Multinational Business Review, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Journal of Consumer ...

To Localize or to Standardize on the Web: Empirical Evidence from Italy, India, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland

Multinational Business Review, 2004

With the growth of worldwide e‐commerce, companies are increasingly targeting foreign online cons... more With the growth of worldwide e‐commerce, companies are increasingly targeting foreign online consumers. However, there is a dearth of evidence as to whether global consumers prefer to browse and buy from standardized global web sites or web sites adapted to their local cultures. This study provides evidence from five different countries as to whether global consumers prefer local web content or standardized web content. The study also measures how the degree of cultural adaptation on the web affects consumer perception of site effectiveness.

Cultural Adaptation on the Web

Journal of Global Information Management, 2003

In the academic literature and the business press, there seems to be a lack of guidance and lack ... more In the academic literature and the business press, there seems to be a lack of guidance and lack of cross-cultural models to support companies localization strategies on the Web. To address this deficit in literature and to provide marketers and Web designers with insights into website localization, this paper conducted a comparative analysis of the U.S. based international companies’ domestic websites and their Chinese websites. A framework to measure cultural adaptation on the Web is presented. Forty U.S.-based Fortune 500 companies are surveyed to investigate the cultural adaptation of their Chinese websites. Content analysis of the 80 U.S. domestic and Chinese websites reveals that the web is not a culturally neutral medium, but it is full of cultural markers that give country-specific websites a look and feel unique to the local culture.

Collaborative consumption, social distance and the extended self

Journal of Consumer Marketing, 2020

Purpose This paper aims to look at the exchange context of peer-to-peer (P2P) collaborative consu... more Purpose This paper aims to look at the exchange context of peer-to-peer (P2P) collaborative consumption (e.g. Uber and Airbnb). Specifically, the paper examines the effect that the sharing of a personal possession, such as a car or apartment, may have on the consumer. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were conducted via online surveys. The surveys used vignettes that asked participants to imagine service experiences in either a P2P or a business-to-consumer (B2C) context. The participants then answered questions, including their perceptions of social closeness to the service provider, as well as willingness to pay (Study 1) and expectations of satisfaction (Study 2). The analysis used bootstrapping regression models to examine the relationships. Findings In both studies, the participants in the P2P conditions reported significantly greater perceived social closeness to the service provider than did those in the B2C condition. The P2P condition also resulted in significant indi...

E-Commerce Corporations (ECCs) Internationalization: A Case Exploration: An Abstract

Boundary Blurred: A Seamless Customer Experience in Virtual and Real Spaces, 2018

The growth of global e-commerce present significant opportunities for global expansion. Yet, it h... more The growth of global e-commerce present significant opportunities for global expansion. Yet, it has not leveled the playing field between emerging markets e-commerce corporations (EM-ECCs) and advanced markets ECCs (AM-ECCs). While AM-ECCs have been expanding overseas with considerable success, EM-ECCs have been less disposed to internationalize and content to serve and defend their home turfs against foreign rivals wielding monopolistic advantages. Leveraging the Network, Ownership, Location and Internalization (N-OLI) framework, this paper examines the variables affecting the internationalization of AM-ECCs and EM-ECCs. We use an exploratory multiple case study approach to gain new insight into the internationalization of EM-ECCs while comparing it with the internationalization of AM-ECCs. This includes detailed analysis of two ECCs representing emerging markets and advanced markets. The findings suggest that AM ECCs, in comparison to EM ECCs, are endowed with favorable network-based advantages, firm-specific advantages, and institutional ownership advantages that make them more capable of pursuing internationalization aggressively. However, EM ECCs are induced to pursue regionally focused internationalization due, in large extent, to capital scarcity and ownership advantages emanating from knowledge of the home region.

Editorial introduction: Advances in theory and practice of digital marketing

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2019

This special issue of the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services aims to bring together a var... more This special issue of the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services aims to bring together a variety of disciplines and a scholarly community for the advancement of knowledge regarding practice and research related to digital and social media marketing. Accordingly, the special issue includes papers using a variety of theories, research methods, contexts, and conceptualizations to enrich our understanding of digital and social media marketing from consumer and practitioner perspectives. The thirteen articles accepted for inclusion in this special issue are summarised in this editorial introduction.

How Advertisers Can Target Arab E-Consumers More Effectively

Journal of Advertising Research, 2019

INTRODuCTION Research has established that web and digital media are important advertising channe... more INTRODuCTION Research has established that web and digital media are important advertising channels (e.g., Berthon, Pitt, and Watson, 1996), and the industry has recognized the potential of digital media. Despite the significance of digital advertising, however, many companies have yet to exploit it in the Arabic online world. Adweek cited a Middle East Media report showing that a disproportionately high number of Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and YouTube channels are in Arabic, yet there is a dearth of websites in Arabic (Cohen, 2016). Research also shows that in 2015 the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region accounted only for 0.3 percent of global digital-advertising spending, and digital advertisements represented only 10 percent of the total advertising revenues (Dennis, Martin, and Wood, 2016). These statistics are stunning given that Arabic is the fourth most common language on the web, the fourth most important language for business, and the fifth most common primary language

Internationalization of e-commerce corporations (ECCs)

Multinational Business Review, 2018

PurposeThe growth of global e-commerce presents significant opportunities for global expansion. Y... more PurposeThe growth of global e-commerce presents significant opportunities for global expansion. Yet it has not leveled the playing field between emerging markets e-commerce corporations (EM-ECCs) and advanced markets ECCs (AM-ECCs). While AM-ECCs have been expanding overseas with considerable success, EM-ECCs have been less disposed to internationalize and have been content to serve and defend their home turfs against foreign rivals who wield monopolistic advantages. Leveraging the network, ownership, location and internalization (N-OLI) theoretical framework, this paper aims to examine the variables affecting the internationalization of AM-ECCs and EM-ECCs.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopted an exploratory research method using multiple corporate cases to focus on understanding the dynamics present within single settings, capture corporate context and allow comparison between cases.FindingsThe findings suggest that AM-ECCs, in comparison to EM-ECCs, are endowed with favor...

Cultural Customization: An Analysis Of Chinese And Spanish B2C Web Sites

International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER), 2011

The following paper analyzes the trends in e-commerce, the variations among global e-consumers, a... more The following paper analyzes the trends in e-commerce, the variations among global e-consumers, and in turn, the imperative for cultural customization of business-to-consumer web sites. A literature review delves into past research done in the field of cultural customization as well as the dimensions and values that distinguish cultures from one another. Furthermore, ten (10) Chinese and ten (10) Spanish B2C web sites from the service, retail and manufacturing sectors are analyzed to view the extent of their cultural customization. The findings conclude that none of the B2C web sites viewed were truly culturally customized, but that there exist advantages for businesses to take the initiative and put forth resources into achieving said status for their respective web sites.

Optimizing environmental expenditures for maximizing economic performance

Management Decision, 2016

Purpose Corporate environmental expenditure has been a growing concern in recent years, yet mixed... more Purpose Corporate environmental expenditure has been a growing concern in recent years, yet mixed findings exist regarding its economic impact. The purpose of this paper is to explain the mixed relationship between environmental expenditure and economic performance from the natural-resource-based view. Design/methodology/approach Using Global Reporting Initiative survey data from 120 firms in 30 countries, this study uses PROCESS, a path-based analysis software, to test the moderation and mediation hypotheses in an integrated analytical model. Findings The findings show that environmental expenditure has a negative impact on economic performance through pollution prevention capability. In contrast, environmental expenditure has a positive impact on economic performance through product stewardship capability. Both effects are significantly strengthened when the firm is located in an environmentally munificent country. Practical implications This study intends to inform firm managers,...

Commentary: what’s behind the price tag: understanding cost transparency?

European Journal of Marketing, 2015

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to understand “Why Should Companies Embrace Cost Transpare... more Purpose – The purpose of this study is to understand “Why Should Companies Embrace Cost Transparency”. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a thought piece in response to the paper by Simintiras et al. (2015), “Should Consumer’s Request Cost Transparency?” Findings – Arguments based on past research and company practices show that companies practicing cost transparency can increase their customer following, brand loyalty, differentiation and ultimately the profits. Practical implications – The paper showcases examples of how companies have implemented cost transparency to differentiate their customer offerings. The paper also shows that conscious consumers are now demanding more cost transparency, and companies have already started to heed this call. Originality/value – The paper specifically outlines arguments and recent examples to show why companies should embrace cost transparency.

The human experience of ethics: a review of a decade of qualitative ethical decision-making research

Business Ethics: A European Review, 2016

Qualitative studies are an important component of business ethics research. This large amount of ... more Qualitative studies are an important component of business ethics research. This large amount of research covers a wide array of factors and influences on ethical decision making published between 2004 and 2014. Following the methodology of past critical reviews, this work provides a synopsis of the diverse array of qualitative studies in ethical decision making within the business ethics literature. We highlight the distinct and investigative nature of qualitative research, synthesize and summarize findings, and suggest opportunities for future research. We conclude with a recommendation for developing qualitative studies in business ethics and a call for an increased openness when considering this valuable and underrepresented strategy of inquiry.

Gulf Arab E-Business Environment: Localization Strategy Insights

Thunderbird International Business Review, 2015

Why should global marketers consider the region in future expansion plans? The Digital Opportunit... more Why should global marketers consider the region in future expansion plans? The Digital Opportunity Index (DOI), which tracks countries' progress in bridging the digital divide and adopting new technologies, such as broadband and mobile Internet, placed Bahrain, UAE, and Qatar in top spots in their rankings. Bahrain comes in at the 35th spot in the DOI rankings, while the UAE and Qatar follow closely behind in the 37th and 38th places, respectively (World Information Society Report, 2007). Rankings by the World Economic Forum's Global Information Technology Report (Bilbao-Osorio, Dutta, & Lanvin, 2014) place Qatar as 23rd, UAE as 25th, and Bahrain as 29th in the rankings of the most networked nation in the world (see Table 1 and Figure 1). The 2013 report also shows that Qatar, UAE, and Bahrain performed well across several dimensions of network readiness (or preparedness to leverage the benefits of information and communication technologies and region is flourishing, and the growth potential is among the highest in the world (Bitar, 2015; Davis and Quinn-Cane, 2014).

Localizing to Arabic consumers: Insights from print advertising

Journal of Marketing Communications, 2015

This study argues that understanding the nature and influence of cultural differences in print ad... more This study argues that understanding the nature and influence of cultural differences in print advertising is important for an effective international marketing strategy. Previous studies have investigated cross-cultural differences in advertising, but have not focused on advertising from the Arab world. There is also a shortage of studies providing specific recommendations about localizing advertising for Arab consumers. This study therefore conducts a comparative analysis of Arab and US print advertisements in magazines, to identify cross-cultural differences in advertising and make recommendations on localizing advertising to Arab consumers, and in particular, those in the Persian Gulf states.

Introduction to E-Commerce

E-Commerce for Global Adoption, Resistance, and Cultural Evolution

The growth, integration, and sophistication of ICT are changing our society and economy. The emer... more The growth, integration, and sophistication of ICT are changing our society and economy. The emergence of the Internet as a general communication channel has opened the opportunity for E-Commerce (EC) to expand worldwide. EC is now viewed by researchers and practitioners as providing the future direction in which organizations must move. Diffusion of the Internet has led to significant shifts in the methodology of operating business globally. Therefore, it is both an interesting and challenging issue to address, explore, and conceptualize proliferation of EC and also adoption and cultural resistance and evolution for global consumers.

A Comparative Analysis of Arab and U.S. Cultural Values on the Web

Journal of Global Marketing, 2015

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the depiction of cultural values on global websites. There ex... more ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the depiction of cultural values on global websites. There exists a research gap in terms of better understanding cross-cultural differences in web communications between the Arab and Western worlds. Thus, we conducted content analysis to examine the cultural values on websites from Arab countries and the U.S. The results suggest that local websites of Arab countries and the United States tend to differ significantly from each other on cultural contents. The proposed cultural findings can serve as a guide for creating culturally congruent international websites.

Nihonmachi: The Consumption of Japantown, San Francisco

Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2014

Studying geographical ethnic market places like China towns, Little Italy, or Japan town can give... more Studying geographical ethnic market places like China towns, Little Italy, or Japan town can give us unique insight into material artifacts, cultural symbols, popular culture, and cultural context within which such retail setting thrive. Such an analysis can provide us an understanding of how ethnic groups maintain their cultural identity within the majority culture. The present study uses ethnography to thickly describe’ (Geertz, 1973), the cultural context unique to the retail settings of Japantown in San Francisco. We hope this investigation into ethnic Japanese culture as manifested in the retail settings of Japan town will help marketers create a framework in which businesses would have a greater understanding of their ethnic customers and, even, in some ways, preserve the culture and traditions of that ethnic group.

Effect of Personality Traits on Global and National Identification and Attitude Toward the Ad

A framework to localize international business to business web sites

ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 2012

The main purpose of this study is to propose and apply an analytical framework to help B2B market... more The main purpose of this study is to propose and apply an analytical framework to help B2B marketers assess and develop web sites that are localized not only for the B2B marketplace but also for international markets. This study deals with an area that has not received much attention in academic research as previous studies have mainly focused on B2C web sites. The study focuses on B2B web sites and provides a framework to assess web site localization. A content analysis of American and Korean web sites was conducted to analyze the proposed framework. The overall results show that U.S. companies have not accomplished a high degree of localization for B2B markets. The study results indicate that most U.S. companies focus primarily on the translation of web content from English to Korean to create web sites.While it is true that globalization has brought us closer than ever to Mcluhan's (1964) idea of a global village, major differences across countries and regions exist and play ...

Proliferation of the Internet Economy

A Collection of 13 Scholarly Titles The World Wide Web has proven to be an important medium for t... more A Collection of 13 Scholarly Titles The World Wide Web has proven to be an important medium for tourism and e-commerce in today's society. The Online Tourism and Digital Economies collection is a specialized reference compilation that supports research in the field of global and economic technologies. This valuable set of titles includes 13 scholarly texts focusing on hospitality, travel and tourism management, consumer management, e-commerce, and the digital divide and developing countries. These titles represent IGI Global's unique coverage of the impact and effective use of electronic commerce technologies in modern organizations.

Internationalization and performance of Indian pharmaceutical firms

Thunderbird International Business Review, 2008

... in no way undermines the contribution that the re-search stream as a ... Indian companies suc... more ... in no way undermines the contribution that the re-search stream as a ... Indian companies such as Ranbaxy, Dr. Reddy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;s Lab, Sun, Cipla, Cadila, and Wockhardt ... Marketing Review, Multinational Business Review, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Journal of Consumer ...

To Localize or to Standardize on the Web: Empirical Evidence from Italy, India, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland

Multinational Business Review, 2004

With the growth of worldwide e‐commerce, companies are increasingly targeting foreign online cons... more With the growth of worldwide e‐commerce, companies are increasingly targeting foreign online consumers. However, there is a dearth of evidence as to whether global consumers prefer to browse and buy from standardized global web sites or web sites adapted to their local cultures. This study provides evidence from five different countries as to whether global consumers prefer local web content or standardized web content. The study also measures how the degree of cultural adaptation on the web affects consumer perception of site effectiveness.

Cultural Adaptation on the Web

Journal of Global Information Management, 2003

In the academic literature and the business press, there seems to be a lack of guidance and lack ... more In the academic literature and the business press, there seems to be a lack of guidance and lack of cross-cultural models to support companies localization strategies on the Web. To address this deficit in literature and to provide marketers and Web designers with insights into website localization, this paper conducted a comparative analysis of the U.S. based international companies’ domestic websites and their Chinese websites. A framework to measure cultural adaptation on the Web is presented. Forty U.S.-based Fortune 500 companies are surveyed to investigate the cultural adaptation of their Chinese websites. Content analysis of the 80 U.S. domestic and Chinese websites reveals that the web is not a culturally neutral medium, but it is full of cultural markers that give country-specific websites a look and feel unique to the local culture.