Contenu du sommaire : Spécial marketing

Intercultural management in Europe The influence of the cultural environments on international strategies is a new research area. All over the world, in the different countries, different studies revealed distinctive features in the adaptation of the north American model which remains the common reference. They are dealing with the European management through alternative forms (France, North Europe, East Countries...), the Asian management (Japan, South Korea, China)... and the African management which is in the early stage. In this paper, we will discuss some aspects related to French, north European and east European styles of management.

A model of asymmetric markets'structure based on « hesitation » concept : A conceptual analysis The hesitation is a concept which is linked with procrastination trait of personality. More precisely, it is an asymmetric concept which can be used in the case of functional hesitation, to explain asymmetric competition between brands. This relation is represented by a graph theory. The hesitation for one or several brands is concluded by a purchase within the same using situation. Our asymmetric model is based on the measure of an asymmetric aggregate competition mark of a global market. It is adapted to “market reality” as well as to “consumer reality”.

The effects of the introduction of the Euro on price determination : an analysis of the automobile industry This article attempts to evaluate the effects of the Euro on international pricing decisions. The authors show that the single currency influences the price-demand relationship and the determination of prices. The analysis of the evolution of pricing policies in the automobile industry reveals that most firms tend to harmonise their pricing policy, but maintain certain price differences.

Nine-ending price and consumer behavior : An evaluation in a door-to-door buying context The effect of nine-ending prices on consumer's behavior has not been studied a lot whereas its practice is largely used. Only one experimental research showed that it did not contribute to increase the number of purchasers but leads to increase the average basket of the purchaser. Having presented a review of research on this topic and its theoretical state, we propose a new experiment were salesmen, in a door-to-door context, sold pastry makings for the profit of a human organisation. The prices, given verbally, were either with a 9-ending” termination (1,99 € an half-dozen of crepes) or with a “full” termination (2,00 € the crepe half-dozen). The results show a positive effect of the “9-ending” prices on the rate of purchasers but not on the average basket. These contradictions are discussed according to a contextual approach.

Analysis of multicriterion decision, application to the selling price choice Why is it often so “painful” to make a choice ? Because most decisions are multicriterion and the individual (having a limited rationality and “data processing capacity”) must only content himself with satisfactory solutions whereas he would like to find the optimal solution. The purpose of this paper is precisely to find this solution (applied to the choice of a selling price) which makes it possible to maximize several objective-functions sometimes contradictory and submitted to various constraints. An original combination of multi-objectives analysis methods leads to this result and opens a large field of investigations concerning the decision-making processes.

The ecological consumer behavior : modeling the relations and determining This article proposes a definition of the environnement concern according to three dimensions (the knowledge of the problems linked to environnement, sensitiveness and the ecological behavior) and focuses on study of relations between them. Through an investigation conducted by questionnaire with 187 Tunisian adult consumers, we were able to verify the existence of a significant link between the knowledge of environnement, sensitiveness and the ecological behavior. What's more, we have proven than the determining ecological consumer behavior are linked to a number of social demographic and psychographic variables. From all these results, the recommendations and the implications marketing were presented.

Family Communication and Adolescent Contribution. Reliability analysis and Pattern of Agreement and Disagreement of Adolescents and Theirs Mothers Perceptions This research objective is to verify reliability level of two constructs : “family communication” and “adolescent contribution” in family purchase decision making ; and to analyze pattern of agreement and disagreement of adolescents and theirs mothers perceptions relative of those constructs by MTMM matrix. The analysis of pattern of agreement and disagreement of adolescents and theirs mothers perceptions by MTMM matrix, revel a satisfactory degree of convergence. We have confirmed that it has been a degree of agreement in adolescents and theirs mothers perceptions relative to the construct of “family communication” and “adolescent contribution” in family purchase decision making.

Learning by commercial failure ? Analysing and interpreting failure : a necessary condition not always satisfied Failure of a new product is sometimes thought as a learning tool. In this article, we give a complementary explanation to this question by focusing on a major step of the learning process : the analysis and the interpretation of failure by the people involved. This research mainly addresses one question : what are the factors which may explain that commercial failure can be ignored – the cause of it not being really investigated – and so wrongly understood ? A qualitative empirical research based on several interviews is used to answer that question. It shows the importance of affect, context and cognitive bias in the process of analysis and interpretation.

Internet and inter-firm relational bonds : Perspective from an Australian service sector The Internet's impact on inter-firm relationships has received little attention in the academic literature. This research develops a conceptual framework about relationship constructs in an Internet environment. Results showed that internet use does not hinder long-term relationships, nor does it have a dehumanising effect on the interaction between firms. On the contrary, effective Internet use may enhance exchange relationships in the long run. Indeed, desirable relationship outcomes are indirectly associated with the higher levels of trading efficiency facilitated by B2B internet use. The findings of this research add to the body of marketing knowledge and provide guidelines for managers seeking to use the Internet more effectively in managing their relationships with other businesses.

e-grocery : the assets of small unaffiliated stores Managers and researchers in management are interested by e-grocery. The objectives consist in finding the success tools of this new and difficult trade form, in particular on logistical way. In this paper, the wish is to reveal, through a foresight approach, logistical assets of small and specialized independent food stores.

The specificities of the internet user from developing countries : Facts and recommendations for companies The aim of this research is to explore and better understand the patterns in the use of the internet in developing countries. Through two studies carried out in two African capitals (Dakar and Douala), this study made it possible to highlight the main demographic, socio-cultural and economic specificities of internet user in developing countries. The suggested directions are meant to guide internet service providers in defining policies for their expansion in Africa.

Bank Web sites a tool of communication and sales at the service of the clients The aim of this article is to show the increasing part played by the Net in the banks'marketing strategy. The Customer-Bank relationship evolves as the customer moves gradually from a passive to a more interactive behaviour. This evolution corresponds to the open and deliberate policy of most banks. Indeed, the idea is to forge close links with the clientele so as to know it better, offer it high value - added products and ensure its loyalty, thus improving competitiveness on the banking market. The web site becomes a strategic tool whose profitability is still uncertain.

Implementing a logistical and marketing co-operation between manufacturers and large retailers, or the necessary step-by-step policy The academic literature devoted to exchange relationships between manufacturers and large retailers evokes the implementation of co-operative strategies in the logistics and marketing fields more and more systematically. Many researches notably study the adoption of new management tools (VMI and CPFR), which permit a “co-ordinated” monitoring of flows, from store shelves to factories. Based on this, some observers think that the emergence of co-operation in the marketing channel seems to be inevitable in the next few years. This paper contradicts this evolutionary vision by underlining the existence of three steps clearly identified in the co-operative process, following the work of Dornier and Fender (2001). We conclude with different hindrances that the implementation of the last step called “logistical and marketing co-operation” will most likely meet.