Standardization and adaptation as a coconstituted process: the pursuit of relational fit in international markets

Article


Poulis, K. 2024. Standardization and adaptation as a coconstituted process: the pursuit of relational fit in international markets. Journal of International Marketing. 32 (2), pp. 12-32. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X231212414
TypeArticle
TitleStandardization and adaptation as a coconstituted process: the pursuit of relational fit in international markets
AuthorsPoulis, K.
Abstract

Marketing products/services internationally entails a bold decision that has high-cost implications and significant performance consequences: Should the firm standardize or adapt its marketing strategy across borders? The dilemma is a seminal issue, and perhaps the most enduring in international marketing scholarship. However, despite the voluminous work on the topic, an ontological assumption induces inconclusive conceptualizations and impedes theoretical advancement. The author contends that a self-contained, atomistic representation of the standardization/adaptation decision is such an impediment. This work problematizes a portrayal of the decision as if it is taken following a detached, own judgment of broad environmental contingencies. In turn, the study builds on fit literature and promotes an alternative perspective that acknowledges relational imperatives for requisite theorizing. Hence, standardization/adaptation is framed as a coconstituted process toward relational fit, with international marketing strategies being contingent on the role of significant “others.”

Keywordsstandardization; adaptation; relationships; fit; contingency; process
Sustainable Development Goals4 Quality education
Middlesex University ThemeSustainability
PublisherSAGE Publications
JournalJournal of International Marketing
ISSN1069-031X
Electronic1547-7215
Publication dates
Online23 Oct 2023
PrintJun 2024
Publication process dates
Accepted20 Oct 2023
Deposited21 May 2024
Output statusPublished
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Copyright Statement

© The Author(s) 2024.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X231212414
Web of Science identifierWOS:001157721800001
LanguageEnglish
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