International Standardization Strategies: The Experiences of Australian and New Zealand Firms Operating in the Greater China Markets

Drawing on the findings of previous theoretical and empirical studies, this study proposes two frameworks for examining standardization strategies in home–host and intermarket scenarios. For the first time, internal and external factors, extent of standardization, program and process, performance, and home–host/intermarket scenarios are included in one study. In its examination of the proposed research frameworks, the study relies on the experiences of 146 Australian and New Zealand firms operating in the Greater China markets. Factors identified as significantly related to the selection of standardized marketing strategies in the home–host scenario include product type, consumer behavior, marketing infrastructure, political environment, and firm size. Factors suggested by the multivariate regression analysis as significantly related to standardized strategies in the intermarket scenario are product type, international business experience, competitive environment, political and legal aspects, and firm size. For the first time, it is suggested that the standardization of distribution and product strategies has an effect on firm performance in the intermarket scenario.

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