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In order to operate effectively in an environment of borderless markets, standard products and globalization marketing global multinational corporations have to function under a corporate philosophy which can sustain such concepts. In support of globalization theory, suggests that a holistic corporate philosophy approach is capable of maintaining congruence within the global multinational organization. Derives the basis of this approach from two major theoretical assertions: American and Japanese corporations are based on historically different conceptual foundations of business – American companies tend to be analytical, while Japanese companies are holistic. Views a holistic philosophy as a more effective corporate philosophy for the global multinational corporation.

A limited number of tests have been made on the potential of global products and fewer still on cross‐cultural comparisons. The present study empirically tested consumer perception of a non‐durable product in two markets: Israel and Australia. The study does not support several aspects of globalization theory, but does consider the possibility of a global product. The results indicate there are considerable differences in international consumer perceptions.

Globalization has fostered greater interest in all aspects of standardization theory including the 4Ps of the marketing mix or program and process marketing. The purpose of this paper is to probe the question: “Is there a benefit to the firm's strategy of marketing standardization that correlates positively to the firm's profit?”.

Multinational firms from Australia, Japan and the USA operating in a global environment were studied in order to correlate marketing standardization to profit performance. Several methods of analysis were used including regression and analysis of variance measures.

The results indicate there is increasing support for a strategy of standardizing marketing mix components and contributing to a firm's profit performance.

The paper adds to the current literature by providing further empirical research correlating marketing mix standardization to profit.

Utilizes a survey of 272 Australian ISO 9002 quality certified companies to examine two issues: first, the relationship between a company’s initial motivation for seeking certification (QCert) and its perception of the benefits it has received; and, second, the impact of time on perceptions of benefits received. Companies which sought QCert because of an externally‐imposed perception of the necessity to “obtain a certificate” were found to experience fewer beneficial outcomes of QCert, in comparison with companies which sought QCert because of an internally‐driven desire to improve organizational performance. Additionally, no evidence was found that longer‐certified companies experience more benefits than recently‐certified companies, regardless of the initial motivation for seeking QCert. Cautions against the drive towards “forcing” companies to seek QCert as a result of a perception of an external threat. Such a process appears to be counterproductive.

Uses a questionnaire survey sent to CEOs of US and Japanese subsidiaries located in North America to assess the amount of influence exerted on such companies by corporate headquarters and the effect of this influence on leadership styles of subsidiary management. US subsidiaries are found to be insignificantly influenced by their parent companies and to practise a professional style of leadership. However, Japanese subsidiaries are found to be significantly influenced by overseas parent companies and to practise a corporate style of leadership (when the CEO is Japan‐educated) and a professional style of leadership (when the CEO is US‐educated). These findings reinforce the perceived link between leadership style and cultural upbringing and education.

Direct selling as a type of non‐store retailing continues to increase internationally and in Australia in its use and popularity. One non‐store retailing method, multilevel marketing or network marketing, has recently incurred a degree of consumer suspicion and negative perceptions. A study was developed to investigate consumer perceptions and concerns in New South Wales and Victoria. Consumers were surveyed to determine their perception of direct selling and its relationship to consumer purchasing decisions. Responses indicate consumers had a negative perception towards network marketing, while holding a low positive view of direct selling. There appears to be no influence of network marketing on consumer purchase decisions.

This issue is a selected bibliography covering the subject of leadership.

This paper aims to analyze the evolution of direct selling – a retail channel that successfully sold products ranging from cosmetics to radios to automobiles – to multilevel marketing (MLM), an industry now apparently heavily reliant on selling to itself. As the courts have found some MLM companies to be pyramid schemes, the analysis includes the overlap between the legal MLM model and an illegal pyramid scheme.

The development of direct selling in the USA was examined, followed by the factors contributing to the design and growth of the MLM model and its non-commission-based compensation structure. Then, the key legal decisions regarding illegal pyramid schemes operating under the guise of MLM, the relative stagnation of direct selling and the state of the MLM industry were examined.

As the MLM model operates on the dual premise of retailing through a network of distributors and recruiting new distributors to do the same, it was found that federal regulators and the courts consistently focus on the “retail question” – the existence and extent of sales to consumers external to the distributor network. The authors argue that without a significant external customer base, internal consumption by an ever-churning base of participants resembles neither employee purchases nor a buying club.

As the MLM model facilitated the growth of pyramid scheme fraud, creating victims rather than customers, this research highlights successful efforts to regulate this type of consumer fraud.

Few papers have been written on MLM and pyramids schemes, and none thus far has taken an historical perspective.

The ISO 14001 is already a global meta‐standard for implementing Environmental Management Systems. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of the sources of motivation that lead companies to adopt this global standard for its perceived benefits.

An extensive review of the academic literature published on ISO 14001, motivations, and benefits has been carried out in order to establish the working hypotheses that are analyzed based on the information obtained from 214 Spanish companies that participated in a survey.

The internal drivers to implement and certify the ISO 14001 standard have a degree of influence on the benefits that is significantly higher than external ones, irrespective of the size of the company and the sector of activity.

The findings help to characterize ISO 14001 certified firms and anticipate benefits of the implementation and certification of the standard.

The article sheds light on the relationship among the motivational factors and the benefits of the process of implementing and certifying ISO 14001 in the country in the world that has experienced the greatest intensity of certification. A typology of integration level from Boiral and Boiral and Roy is empirically analyzed for ISO 14001 for the first time in the literature.