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The role of marketing as a business function is rapidly changing in China. Consequently, their views on marketing orientation – whether it is accepted, rejected, modified or reframed – have been seriously impacted. This paper aims to report on the results of a survey among Chinese small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers and their perceptions of the market-orientation philosophy. In particular, emphasis was placed on three dimensions of market orientation: intelligence generation, intelligence dissemination and responsiveness. The effect of market orientation on business performance was also examined.

The authors collected data from 214 managers from SMEs. These businesses were located in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. The commonly used market orientation (MARKOR) measure was used to test the hypotheses.

Consistent with the extant literature, the findings provided empirical support for the three dimensions of market orientation among Chinese SME. The authors also found that a positive relationship existed between Chinese SME market orientation and firm performance.

This study provides major insights into the market orientation measurement and practices of SME in China. From a measurement perspective, the empirical support for MARKOR across a non-Western context is noteworthy. From a practitioner perspective, the implications relating to understanding Chinese SME and how these companies can best market their products and services to their respective markets are critical. Some of the limitations of our study relates to the sample size, convenience sampling and geographic concentration of the respondents.

This study addresses the gaps in the literature by exploring market orientation in non-large scale businesses as well as the adaptation of the concept in a non-Western cultural setting. The findings extend the conceptualization and application of market orientation to Chinese SME.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the robustness of the three (Bowersox and Daugherty, 1987) dimensions (process, market and information strategies) of logistics strategy in a Chinese manufacturing environment. In addition, the impact of the three dimensions, coordination and customer service on the organizational competitiveness of Chinese manufacturers firms is explored.

The authors conducted an online survey hosted at Sojump.com and disseminated to members of a manufacturing trade association. A total of 513 completed responses were generated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation model (SEM) were used to test the hypothesized relationships in the conceptual model.

The findings suggest that the three dimensions of the Bowersox and Daugherty (1987) were relevant to the Chinese manufacturing environment. The authors also found that the overall logistics strategy measured by the three dimensions as well as coordination and customer service effectiveness positively influenced Chinese manufacturing firms’ competiveness.

Further research into logistics and supply chain management may benefit from expanding the understanding to include antecedents and moderating factors (e.g. competition, market turbulence and differences in business environment) into the model. Future studies on cross-cultural logistics/supply chain management logistics may benefit from the application of strategy-structure-process (SSP) approaches similar to those discussed in this manuscript.

This study attempted to provide a robust conceptual framework to increase the understanding of the role of logistics/supply chain management strategy and provide insights to managers seeking to improve firm competitiveness. An essential implication of the conceptual model presented in this manuscript is the dynamics of logistics strategy as a competitive tool.

The findings provide an understanding of how business and manufacturing are operating in various locations in China with opportunities for employment and socio-economic gain among the population of these geographic locations. Having employment can provide a better quality of life and assist the community in developing its opportunities for other groups.

As the current Chinese administration seeks to achieve its goal of generating higher value-added production through its “Made in China 2025” initiative, the results the authors represent are quite timely and insightful. Examining manufacturing firms’ logistics strategies (i.e., OLS), coordination and customer service could provide state planners (SOEs) and/or privately owned Chinese manufacturers insights on how to move closer towards their aforementioned goal and achieve global competitiveness.

The interdependence of economies has led many researchers to examine whether US business practices are universal. Various models and scenarios have been investigated in an attempt to further understand foreign business counterparts. This paper utilizes a previously developed US‐based model on the problem‐solving approach in negotiation and tests its applicability among Canadian industrial exporters. The authors found that the sample’s problem‐solving orientation was highly influenced by two sets of factors: individual as well as organizational factors. Consequently, it seems that within the context of the problem‐solving orientation, Canadian exporters share similar patterns of behavior to those of their US counterparts.

The fast pace of business diversification, the “I and me” work ethic, and 1980s entrepreneurship have been superseded by downsizing, teaming, and total quality management. Some managers, who believe that finding the “right” or “strong” culture enhances corporate effectiveness, attempt to conceptualize the culture of organizations. This study examines employees’ perceptions of today’s organizational culture. The assumption here is that organizational culture in the 1990s has changed when compared to the 1980s era of diversification, mergers, and entrepreneurship. This study provides evidence that the emphasis on external stakeholders’ interest has led to so much downsizing that employee loyalty is adversely affected. As a result, organizations are not meeting the increased need for teamwork and problem‐solving.

Describes an investigation into the individual, organization, and demographic‐related ante‐cedents to industrial negotiation encounters in two culturally diverse countries. Focuses in particular on antecedent factors that influence sellers’ co‐operative orientation. Two con‐current surveys were conducted among Philippine and American industrial exporters. Our results suggest that the antecedents leading to co‐operative negotiation behaviours differ between Filipino and American sales representatives.

The willingness of negotiating parties to cooperate, communicate, and compromise ‐ prerequisites of the problem‐solving orientation ‐ often lead to successful outcomes. Consequently, problem‐solving oriented strategies are often employed by negotiators in order to achieve mutually acceptable outcomes. The results of a survey conducted among 98 exporters indicate that negotiators’ perceptions of their counterparts’ strategies seem to have the strongest influence on the extent of problem‐solving behaviors observed among negotiators. Prenegotiation experience, inherent conciliatory predisposition, and perceptions of the organization’s flexibility were also found to influence negotiators’ problem‐solving orientation.

This article explores the importance, measurement and use of non‐financial performance measures in the wine industry. Results are compared to a similar study done on US Fortune 500 and Canadian Post 300 companies. Findings indicate that a large percentage of US wineries believe in the importance of non‐financial performance measures, especially in the areas of process/product quality and overall customer satisfaction. On average, less than half the wineries are actually measuring for these factors. Also, while some wineries measure non‐financial performance, they then do not use the results of their findings in making strategic business decisions. The wineries differed from the Fortune 500 and Post 300 companies in that they ranked the measurement of employee involvement much higher in importance and market performance measurement much lower in importance.

Organisations bear a graver responsibility than they regularly realise. This chapter expands the foregoing sentence through a reflection on what the other chapters have said – that marketers' responsibility should go beyond the sale of a product and should include the consciousness of the social and environmental consequences of the product and that responsibility should start with strategy and accompany the product or service from ideation to commercialisation. The messages going out from the company about its sustainability initiatives must also be ethical. The chapter also presents the book chapters' practical value for teaching, research and consultancy as well as for business application and policy making or policy advocacy. Finally, the chapter calls for generally acceptable standards to measure product greenness and for more self-regulation especially in less regulated regions. The overall message is that, through the marketing function, managers can and must orient the firm's internal dynamics towards embracing both business goals and the common good by taking all stakeholders into consideration and creating value to be shared by all.

Maintains that women in the USA have much more leadership chances, less harassment and more respect from subordinates than Japanese women (who live in a male‐dominated world), who are reluctant to make decisions or take risks without consultations. Observes that women from Taiwan seem to have a much more transactional leadership style – taking risks and making rapid decisions. Discusses, in great detail, using extensive research via a multiple‐item scale to measure each item and lays out the results using figures and tables with great detail. Concludes with full results of the study and what they mean.