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Perceived consumer risk is explored in relation to online (Internet) purchasing using a cross‐national sample (N=562) from the United States, Canada and U.K. Objectives of the study are to determine if experience in online purchasing reduces perceived risk, if perceived risk varies across product/service categories and if certain types of risk are more important in purchasing certain products/services. Lastly, does national culture affect perceptions of risk? Results are discussed and suggestions are offered to managers on how to reduce perceived risk, thus increasing online purchasing in the three countries examined.

Examines the issue of how variations in language used in advertising affect advertising preference with a sample of bilingual, Korean Americans. Uses past literature to hypothesise that the level of acculturation would moderate ethnic consumers’ preference for advertisements in English versus their native language. Extends previous research in the field of ethnic advertising by considering whether findings from studies conducted with Hispanic American consumers are applicable to Asian Americans. Shows that no significant differences were detected in bilingual Korean American preferences for advertisements in which the message was presented in English as compared with those that used Humgul (Korean language) to communicate with the audience. Concludes with suggestions for further research.

In the globalization age, with worldwide increases in dual income households, decision‐making has become more difficult and even more important than in the past. In this article, a five‐countries cross ‐ cultural comparisons of husband and wife decision‐making roles in the purchase of various goods and services in unlike environments is presented. Despite substantial cultural variation, there are surprisingly high degrees of similarities in family purchasing decision roles among the five countries. This study provides insights for managerial and public policy makers on the implications of cross‐cultural similarities and differences in consumer decision‐making.

At the World Bank we are learning that economic development is more of a process of knowledge accumulation than of capital accumulation, all the more pertinent because the creation and dissemination of knowledge are accelerating rapidly. The stock of understanding of knowledge itself is growing more rapidly as a result of advances in our understanding of scientific principles. In addition, rapid developments in information and communications technologies (in part the results of these advances) are themselves speeding the rate of generating and diffusing knowledge. This is largely being achieved by reducing the cost of codifying and processing information.

The American agricultural economist Marion Clawson advised the Israeli government during 1953–1955. Clawson, a protégé of John D. Black and Mordecai Ezekiel, criticized the government for ignoring economic considerations, and stated that Israel’s national goals – defense, Negev Desert irrigation, immigrant absorption via new agricultural settlements, and economic independence – were mutually contradictory. His major recommendations were to improve the realism of Israel’s agricultural plan; end expensive Negev irrigation; enlarge irrigated farms eightfold; freeze new settlements until the number of semi-developed settlements falls from 300 to 100; and limit new Negev settlements to 10 over 5–7 years. Thus, Clawson ignored political feasibility and made value judgments. Minister of Finance Levi Eshkol and Minister of Agriculture Peretz Naphtali rejected Clawson’s recommendations because they ignored Israel’s national goals. By September 1954, Clawson shifted towards greater pragmatism: He acknowledged that foreign advisors should not question the national goals or make value judgments, and sought common ground with the Ministry of Agriculture. At his initiative, he wrote Israel Agriculture 1953/54 in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. Israel Agriculture was a consensus document: Clawson eschewed recommendations and accepted that the government might prioritize non-economic goals. In proposing Israel Agriculture, Clawson made a pragmatic decision to relinquish some independence for (potentially) greater influence. Ultimately, Clawson was largely unsuccessful as an advisor. Clawson’s failure was part of a general pattern: Over 1950–1985, the Israeli government always rejected foreign advisors’ recommendations unless it was facing a severe crisis.

This paper aims to extend an earlier analysis of the profitability of an individual firm operating in the professional services industry from the perspective of the triple‐entry framework of the momentum accounting theory of Yuji Ijiri.

The paper presents a “common‐size‐format” model of balance‐sheet momentum, an approach typical of financial statements' mathematical analysis.

Common‐size‐format momentum ratios offer an alternative measurement of (the change of) business performance. They model stabilizing phenomena that might develop very differently from ratios like return on total assets or return on equity and thus provide important informational signals to the analyst of financial statements. The common‐size‐format ratio of net wealth momentum herein discussed is proposed as a supplemental measurement for business performance analysis.

The paper discusses a new method for performance measurement and risk analysis.

Migration shapes our societies, values, markets, consumption and even the notion of self. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of migration in the perception-of-self and if differences in the perception-of-self influence the perception of brands from the immigrants’ home country – which immigrants often use as a cultural anchor.

Using Aaker’s (1997) brand personality scale as a measure of brand image, the authors gather data from Mexico City and the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. Respondents to an interviewer-administered questionnaire were asked to evaluate the brand image of two TV media Mexican brands and their perception-of-self based on Aaker’s 42 brand personality traits.

The results of this paper indicate that the perception-of-self is different for Latinos residing in their home country and immigrant Latinos living abroad. Further, these differences in the perception-of-self appear to influence the way immigrants perceive brands from their home country.

Brands from emerging markets making inroads into developed markets, targeting their country’s diasporas as their first target group, should understand whether people’s perception-of-self differs significantly from their home country counterparts, the direction of such a difference and the effect of such differences on the perceptions of brands from their home country.

This paper is a contribution to the brand personality, brand image and self literature and presents an innovative approach to analyzing the possible brand image implications of the expansion of multinational companies and immigration.

To date, most of the commentary on the impact of the Internet on retail marketing has been anecdotal, offering exaggerated speculative forecasts of its future potential. One view contends that the Internet will become a major new retail format, replacing the traditional dominance of fixed location stores. However, little academic research exists to either disprove or support the claims of Internet penetration by retailers. Seeks to redress the balance by presenting a comprehensive and rigorous review of UK retailer Internet activities. A sampling frame of 1,099 UK retail multiples was used, and each Web site individually inspected to categorise the range of marketing functions and services offered. The findings indicated that, despite the hype, the majority of retail organisations surveyed have not yet registered a Web site address. Moreover, of those retail organisations that have developed a Web site, the vast majority are using it primarily as a communication tool to promote corporate or product information to Internet users, rather than to support direct sales. In conclusion, summarises the implications of these current levels of Internet activity for the future of retail marketing.

This paper aims to examine the challenges and opportunities faced by the contemporary marketer looking to the future of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Based on a review of the literature, futures studies and concepts originating from expert opinion, this paper explores futures studies, multiculturalism and international vs local branding in the context of the UAE.

The main challenges of operating in this environment include the cultural diversity and sensitivity of its consumers and short‐termism. Firms most likely to succeed in such a market are those which choose to honour and celebrate differences, thus promoting a form of common, multicultural identity among residents. A consideration of futures scenarios is essential for successful marketers in such a different and new market.

The difficulties of marketing in such a diversified marketplace and service‐scape as the UAE should be addressed. A culture of patience, tolerance and empathy needs to be established. With such a range of highly non‐homogeneous consumers, commonalities need to be embraced through acknowledging and celebrating differences, and a culture of multicultural inclusion practised. By looking at what has happened in a very short space of time and extrapolating forwards, an impression of what is to come in the UAE, and to a certain extent other locations, is envisaged. The need for marketers to build strategic flexibility to adapt to changes in the social, political and cultural environment is highlighted.

It is intended that such collaborative efforts as those reported in the paper and the opinions generated therein will engender deeper understanding and progress for the future of the UAE and the region.

The paper presents a novel and progressive approach to marketing to multicultural populations, bearing in mind a range of possible futures.

The purpose of this paper is to determine which design and operational attributes of e-commerce websites consumers use to assess website quality. Cue utilization theory is used to examine the explanatory power, robustness and relevance of the WebQual model. Results indicate which WebQual dimensions are the most relevant and salient to website users. These dimensions are categorized by their perceived and confidence values. A second study is conducted about how website users evaluate and utilize the WebQual dimensions.

Survey methodology was utilized to provide insight into the nomological validity of the WebQual model by examining it through a cue utilization lens.

The first study categorizes the WebQual dimensions on their ability to provide a diagnostic measure of website quality, and consumer confidence in their ability to use these cues when judging the website's overall quality. The second study presents results of each dimension in relation to the quality evaluation of an actual e-commerce website. Additional analysis also revealed gender differences in cue utilization.

This study provided insight into WebQual-based research and identified original differences in cue utilization across genders. Results suggest that it may be beneficial for brand managers to focus on a subset of quality dimensions, rather than assume that consumers are comfortable using all website attributes to formulate quality judgments. These, results contribute to multiple literatures by providing a model that developers can utilize to focus on the deterministic characteristics of overall website quality. Further, the cue utilization perspective provides additional avenues for fruitful further research into consumer decision-making in the e-commerce context.