MARKETING DECISIONS AND STRATEGIES

The marketing literature generally assumes that managers and customers always make rational (reasonable and logical) decisions. In real life, however, decision making process is hardly rational and straightforward. Managers and customers normally make decisions 'in-action' - i.e. as they grapple with critical problems on daily basis. As such, they tend to combine experience-based knowledge with intuition and analysis to inform their decisions. Their decision making processes become even more complex when their companies operate within international contexts. It is therefore appropriate to teach students a variety of decision making skills as they prepare themselves to work in international companies. This is the task initiated in this book. It discusses how managers combine both rational and non-rational approaches and tools in their decision making processes, especially in international business contexts.Issues discussed include the following:A* The marketing strategy conceptA* Rational and non-rational approaches to decision makingA* Market-driving and market-driven strategiesA* Internal marketing strategiesA* Relational theories and strategies in marketingA* Organizational buying behaviour and strategiesA* Online advertising decisions and strategiesA* Assessment of export opportunitiesA* Marketing in the emerging economiesA* Societal and ethical considerations in marketing decisions