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Call for papers – International Marketing Review
International Market Selection and Segmentation

Guest Editors:

Nicolas Papadopoulos, Eric Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Canada
Oscar M. Martin, Department of Business Administration, Public University of Navarre, Spain

As noted by scholars including Franklin Root, Jan-Benedict Steenkamp, Tamer Cavusgil, and many others, the process leading to the identification of promising foreign market targets, commonly referred to as international market selection and/or segmentation (IMS), is a critical success factor in international market expansion – both in itself and because of its close relationship with the firm’s internationalization process, mode of entry (MOE) choices, and performance internationally and overall. The field has a long research tradition but is also characterized, among others, by (a) a relative dearth of empirical primary research; (b) a lack of integration between its two main streams, which tend to focus separately on “selecting” country markets versus “segmenting” potential targets cross-nationally; and (c) further fragmentation across several substreams that are often seen as distinct – such as, for example, market screening, international opportunity identification, market potential measurement, and market risk assessment. This has left the core issue – evaluating foreign market targets for international marketing decisions – relatively under-researched and not as well understood as it needs to be considering its importance.

The objective of this special issue is to address this core issue both integratively and through studies addressing its various parts. Potential topics that would be suitable for this special issue include, but are not limited to:

• Differentiating between the go/no-go, IMS, and MOE decisions
• Selecting international markets for export vs. other MOEs (e.g., foreign direct investment)
• Approaches to IMS at different stages of internationalization
• Perceived vs. objective assessment of international market attractiveness
• Geographic, cultural, psychological, and other factors influencing IMS decision making
• Empirical studies on IMS and empirical or conceptual IMS models
• The relationship between IMS and performance (export/international-only and/or overall)
• Approaches to international opportunity identification, market potential measurement, risk assessment, and market screening
• Conceptual or case studies on building effective and integrated IMS strategies
• Cross national/cultural segmentation and effects of sub national/cultural differences
• Methods for assessing markets based on secondary data, primary research, or a combination
• Measurement issues in assessing market attractiveness or risk
• Relevance of IMS in the context of mergers and acquisitions (assessing alternative “M&A target companies” vs. “country markets” for expansion)
• Effects of IMS decisions on global branding (global, national, and sub- or cross-national segments)
• IMS in small vs. large firms, B2C vs. B2B markets, and/or products vs. services
• The role of government-sponsored internationalization programs in IMS decisions
• Perspectives on the theory, concepts, and practice of IMS and related decisions
• Integrating the various facets of international market selection and segmentation

As this tentative list suggests, this special issue will comprise a mix of empirical and conceptual papers that may focus on the entire IMS process or any of its parts and concepts. The purpose of the special issue is to showcase cutting-edge, insightful research that will contribute substantively to the academic discourse and serve to stimulate further research in this field. In this light, we encourage submission of papers of all types, including empirical studies, literature reviews, rigorous conceptual advances, and case studies, using a wide range of methodologies.

Submissions welcome from: February 1, 2009

Closing date for submission: August 31, 2009

Proposed publication date: Vol. 27, No 4 (September 2010)

All papers will be subjected to double-blind peer review. Submissions must comply with the International Marketing Review style guide, available at the journal’s home page (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/imr.htm), and must be made using the ScholarOne Manuscript Central system at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/imrev

For any questions concerning the potential suitability of topics, Guest Editors’ expectations, or additional requirements about this special issue, please contact the Guest Editors by email:

Nicolas Papadopoulos: npapadop@carleton.ca Oscar M. Martin: oscar.martin@si.unavarra.es

Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Registered Office: Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, BD16 1WA United Kingdom. Registered in England No. 3080506, VAT No. GB 665 3593 06

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