This book is an analysis of the developments associated with the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) five years after Xi Jinping announced both the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the 21st Maritime Silk Road (21MSR). Together, these two dimensions constitute the B&RI, providing the so-called Chinese 'project of the century' with regional, inter-regional and global reach. This book aims at assessing the impact of the B&RI in all these dimensions and levels of influence. This is a current and promising theme, not only in the short and medium terms, but also within a broader timescale, reflecting Chinese strategic thinking itself, since Chinese philosophy and culture are oriented towards long-term and inter-generational perspectives. Likewise, both the title of this publication and the way it has been organized result from the empirical perception that China asserts a conservative attitude towards foreign affairs, redesigned in multiple dimensions, to create a perception of domestic unity and global prestige. In this vein of thought, the B&RI is already influencing and will continue to influence, directly or indirectly, the current economic and political order.

This portrait of contemporary tourists proposes that these travelers create consumption audio-portraits and self-explanations (identity constructions) through their purchases and use of travel-related services. Their configurations of destinations, accommodations, travel modes, in-route and destination activities, meal choices, sites/attractions visited, and their travel companions inform others and themselves about who they are. These understandings of self through travel are statements of being-where I've been and what I've done tells me and others who I am. Also, one's definition of self (being) affects tourists' future configurations of travel-related buying and consumption. Thus, tourism-related behavior and being represent virtuous and sometimes vicious consumption systems. Consequently, most tourists are identifiable by who they are and what they know about where they have been and what they have done via their summaries of their trips. The chapters in this volume provide tools and evidence useful for deep understanding of tourists' buying, consumption, and being through examinations of consumers' self-descriptions of personal markers of their trip configurations. This volume's core tenet is that thick descriptions and case-based models are essential steps for highly useful research and deep understanding of tourism behavior.

This proceedings volume presents new methods and applications in applied economics with special interest in advanced cross-section data estimation methodology. Featuring select contributions from the 2019 International Conference on Applied Economics (ICOAE 2019) held in Milan, Italy, this book explores areas such as applied macroeconomics, applied microeconomics, applied financial economics, applied international economics, applied agricultural economics, applied marketing and applied managerial economics. International Conference on Applied Economics (ICOAE) is an annual conference that started in 2008, designed to bring together economists from different fields of applied economic research, in order to share methods and ideas. Applied economics is a rapidly growing field of economics that combines economic theory with econometrics, to analyze economic problems of the real world, usually with economic policy interest. In addition, there is growing interest in the field of applied economics for cross-section data estimation methods, tests and techniques. This volume makes a contribution in the field of applied economic research by presenting the most current research. Featuring country specific studies, this book is of interest to academics, students, researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in applied economics, econometrics and economic policy.

Brand Fusion: Purpose-driven brand strategy presents a compelling case for what consumers, customers, employees, and wider society are now demanding from companies - the development of brands that deliver profit with purpose, are sustainable, and create mutually beneficial meaning. It fuses theory-practice-application to purpose-driven brand strategies in order to develop a unique approach that has comprehensive theoretical underpinning as well as practical and thought-provoking lessons from industry. Data-driven case studies from a broad range of brands and contexts show the application of this learning-from micro-brands to corporates; charities to technology companies; retirement villages to aspiring high-growth start-ups. Brand Fusion: Purpose-driven brand strategy is an in-depth analysis of the philosophy and practice behind creating a purposeful brand.

In a noisy, fast-paced marketing world, customer insight holds the key to creating memorable, purpose-driven marketing. This book shows precisely how customer insights can be used to build a marketing mission with purpose. Customer Insight Strategies outlines the critical role of customer insight and provides techniques and strategies that will help marketers identify trends, nurture leads and understand consumers - ultimately, empowering them to grow profits. The strategies are explained in a straightforward, jargon-free manner, and can be applied to a huge range of marketing challenges, regardless of time, budget or organizational size. Customer Insight Strategies discusses many of the core methods through which customer insight can be gleaned, providing easy-to-follow guidelines for applying them to everyday marketing practice. Covering topics such as customer segments, marketing to personas and lead generation, it contains global case studies from organizations including Cisco, NTT, Refinitiv and The Co-op as well as interviews with leading business professionals sharing their thoughts on using customer insights to grow profits. Written by a highly respected thought-leader and industry influencer, this book will help any professional create truly powerful marketing.

Analysing developments in digital technologies and institutional changes, this book provides an overview of the current frenetic state of transformation within the global automobile industry. An ongoing transition brought about by the relocation of marketing, design and production centres to emerging economies, and experimentation with new mobility systems such as electrical, autonomous vehicles, this process poses the question as to how original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and newcomers can remain competitive and ensure sustainability. With contributions from specialists in the automobile sector, this collection examines the shifts in power and geographical location occurring in the industry, and outlines the key role that public policy has in generating innovation in entrepreneurial states. Offering useful insights into the challenges facing emerging economies in their attempts to grow within the automobile industry, this book will provide valuable reading for those researching internationalization and emerging markets, business strategy and more specifically, the automotive industry.

This book critically examines the evolution of marketing scholarship over generations from Marketing 1.0 to 4.0. It argues that most firms look to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace by driving tactical moves, inculcating small cost-effective changes in marketing approaches. Often, strategic choices of companies lean towards developing competitive differentiations that enable consumers to realize the value of money, causing loyalty shifts in the competitive marketplace. The book focuses on the consumer as the pivot of marketing and argues that the consumer serves as a bidirectional channel during pre-and post-purchase period. It explains how consumer affections sentimentally and emotionally help in growing the brands and companies over generations. This book significantly contributes to the existing literature and serves as a learning post and a think tank for students, researchers, and business managers.

Capturing the ecommerce edge in customer growth and retention has been a decades-long battle between eRetail startups and large traditional retailers. The two face different sets of challenges and those challenges are constantly evolving in our digital world. Goliath Strikes Back: How Traditional Retailers Are Winning Back Customers from Ecommerce Startups expands on this current industry shift in one of the most accessible, intriguing business books in recent times. Each chapter covers a different industry, as diverse and eclectic as consumer electronics, newspapers, groceries, logistics, and more. By looking at how traditional retailers are facing off against internet startups, you can gauge the landscape and form your own strategies. Author Peter S. Cohan expertly guides you from one case study to the next and makes topics enthralling even for the non-industry layperson. Goliath Strikes Back helps executives create an effective strategy in the modern ecommerce realm. Business professionals and outside enthusiasts alike are in for fascinating insights from Cohan about the mindsets and strategies of successful companies and their leaders. Changing strategies on a dime has always been essential in commerce, and never more so than in ecommerce's industry overhaul. Don't get left behind. What You Will Learn What to emulate and what to avoid by studying the mindsets and strategies of the successful and unsuccessful companies How companies can identify, attract, hire and motivate executives who embody the strategic mindset needed to remain successful An insight into six key industries, including consumer electronics and grocery, to understand why companies are failing or succeeding Who This Book Is For Executives, business professionals, business students, and curious laypeople

How do firms from emerging economies strive for the internationalization of their business? This comprehensive two-volume collection tackles this question by taking a closer look at underexplored issues, including bottom of the pyramid (BoP) business models, value creation and co-creation, employee commitment and the 'born global' concept. Volume II examines internationalization from the perspective of European and African firms. It covers an array of pressing issues within Europe including responsible business practices between SMEs from developed and emerging countries, and the impact of psychic distance, while coverage of African firms places a spotlight on under-researched countries such as Tanzania, Zambia and Nigeria. Providing further examination of emerging markets and internationalization processes, this second volume offers a comprehensive guide for all researchers of international business.

This book takes a unique approach to the topic of poverty reduction, primarily employing an international business framework as opposed to the usual economic or political lens. Some of the key ideas explored in the book include: poverty is primarily the lack of choices, not the lack of material possessions; attacking inequality of opportunity might be a more effective means to reduce poverty than attaching inequality of wealth; political systems matter, but individuals and for-profit firms also have a vital and indispensable role in helping to create the wealth needed to reduce poverty; and an effective corporate social responsibility strategy to help reduce poverty may include finding innovative and creative ways to operate profitably in areas of the world where poverty is currently robbing too many people of the opportunity to live their version of the good life. Building on such ideas, the book advocates for private companies to expand operations into the least developed regions of the world as part of their corporate social responsibility programs and to reframe the debates away from ones focused on exploitation and economic nationalism to one of creating opportunities across political borders.

This book transfers the newest service research concepts, such as value co-creation, to family forestry context. The book is aimed at as learning material for higher-education students in Western economies, and as a handbook for forest scientists worldwide. It has a strong theoretical base, but also a practical orientation with examples of novel forest services from different regions and contexts. The five parts of the book are: I Conceptualization of Service Approaches in Family Forestry; II Market and Policy Environment; III Public Service and Business Innovations; IV Communication, Cooperation, and Organizations for Services; and V Transitions Governance. Each part begins with a chapter that is more conceptual and thus sets the stage for the subsequent chapters, which then focus on a regional perspective or some more specific theme under the part's coverage.

This open access book focuses on the issue of sustainability standards from the perspective of both global governance frameworks and emerging economies. It stems from the recognition that the accelerated pace of economic globalization has generated production and consumption patterns that are generating sustainability concerns. Sustainability standards (and regulations) are increasingly being used in a bid to make global consumption and production more sustainable. Given the dense inter-connectedness of economic affairs globally, the use of sustainability standards has become a concern of global governance, who face the challenge of achieving a balance between the use of standards for genuine sustainability objectives, and not allowing them to turn into instruments of protectionism or coercion.The emerging economies, given their increasing engagement with the global economy, are most impacted by the use of sustainability standards. The emphasis of 'emerging economies' in this book is retained both by using case studies from these economies and by collating perceptions and assessments of those located in these economies. The case studies included span sectors such as palm oil, forestry, food quality, vehicular emissions and water standards, and address the problems unique to the emerging economies, including capacity building for compliance with standards, adapting international standards in domestic contexts and addressing the exclusion of small and medium enterprises etc. Complex interfaces and dynamics of a global nature are not limited to the thematic of this book but also extend to the process through which it was written. This book brings together insights from developed as well as emerging economies (Germany, India, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan, Mexico and China). It also brings together scholars and practitioners to jointly ponder upon the conceptual aspects of the global frameworks for sustainability standards. This book is a very useful resource for researchers and practitioners alike, and provides valuable insights for policy makers as well.

Capturing the overall development of the Chinese economy, this comprehensive book offers an introduction to one of the most astonishing economic growth stories of the last three decades. The authors identify the key stages and unique features of China's development, exploring its geopolitical impact on the world economy, and in particular, on the European Union. Analysing factors such as education, urbanisation and innovation, this book highlights the reasons behind China's success in the international market, and places a special focus on the country's energy policy. By providing insights into such an important case of expansion and growth in international business, this innovative book will be of interest to those researching Asian business, internationalisation and the Chinese economy.

This open access book brings together narratives of inbound and outbound expatriate entrepreneurship in Japan to provide a comprehensive overview of international entrepreneurship in the region. Through in-depth interviews with expatriate entrepreneurs, policymakers, and additional stakeholders it provides the reader with a solid understanding of the current landscape of international entrepreneurship as it relates to Japan and the challenges for policymakers. The topics addressed in this book include definitions of expatriate entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship policy development and implementation, concepts of mindset, cultural brokerage, community, and identity as they relate to Japanese self-initiated expatriate entrepreneurs working in South East Asia and to non-Japanese self-initiated expatriate entrepreneurs working in Japan. Additionally, the book provides an overview of issues connected to regional development and economic growth in Asia. Illustrated through carefully chosen cases from Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia and developed by connecting these cases to policy and interdisciplinary studies, this book is highly recommended to scholars, policymakers and practitioners who seek an in-depth and up-to-date integrated overview of the field of expatriate entrepreneurship in Asia.

This book focuses on the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure development project intended to connect Asia with Europe, the Middle East and Africa. By introducing a new analytical approach to the study of economic corridors, it gauges the anticipated economic and geopolitical impacts on the region and discusses whether the CPEC will serve as a pioneer project for future regional cooperation between and integration of sub-national regions such as Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Further, it explores the interests, expectations and policy approaches of both Chinese and Pakistani local and central governments with regard to the CPEC's implementation. Given its scope, the book will appeal to regional and spatial sciences scholars, as well as social scientists interested in the regional impacts of economic corridors. It also offers valuable information for policymakers in countries participating in the Belt-and-Road Initiative or other Chinese-supported development projects.

How do firms from emerging economies strive for the internationalization of their business? This comprehensive two-volume collection tackles this question by taking a closer look at underexplored issues, including bottom of the pyramid (BoP) business models, value creation and co-creation, employee commitment and the 'born global' concept. Taking both a geographic and thematic approach to the topic, the first volume addresses universal challenges such as inclusive innovation, the ethics of corporate leadership, and knowledge management, and also places a special emphasis on China. Providing an overview of the strategies and operations involved in internationalizing Chinese firms, this book is an essential read for those researching emerging markets and globalization in general, as well as Asian Business more specifically.

Due to industrialization, globalization, and digitalization food-related life is becoming increasingly complex. The abundance of (unhealthy) food, in particular, is causing an unprecedented over-consumption that endangers people's health, quality of life, productivity, and life expectancy. Against this backdrop, Florentine Frentz deals with the food well-being of modern consumers and how it can be strengthened. To this end, she refines the concept of food well-being and creates an overarching model, which she applies to various studies and various phenomena. Based on her results, she expounds implications for researchers, retailers, manufacturers, marketers, public policy makers, and consumers. Overall, the results show that the paradigm shift that has already begun must be vigorously pursued, and that every stakeholder can and should contribute. About the Author: Florentine Frentz did her dissertation at the Chair of Marketing and Retailing at the University of Siegen, Germany.

Marketing theory is often developed in isolation not collaboration; theoretical perspectives sometimes are ignorant of the diversity of marketing practice. In "The roots and uses of marketing knowledge: a critical inquiry into the theory and practice of marketing", the author engages with the vital conversation about how marketing knowledge is created, disseminated and consumed, looking beyond the traditional reification of practice in theory and verification of theory in practice. The ontology of this work is anchored in subjective individual meaning; the epistemological stance assumes that this meaning is socially constructed. Consequently, rich empirical data, grounded in the context of experiential evidence, is extracted from a comprehensive range of marketing constituencies: academics, practitioners, managers, consultants, authors, lecturers and students. In its examination of the polarities, hybridity and iterative flow of marketing knowledge creation and consumption, this text posits a cohesive argument for a theory/practice bipartite fusion not dichotomy, adding valuable insights into the textual, contextual and pedagogical representations of marketing knowledge. The history and future of marketing knowledge is examined with the aid of instructive illustrations and insightful first-hand experience. Drawing on extensive qualitative research from a broad range of influential producers and vital consumers, Dr. Smith presents a relevant, exciting marketing knowledge framework which will be a vital resource for academics, students and practitioners.

For any company, defining the most efficient marketing concept to create a competitive customer experience (CX) is vital for sustained development. The focus of this research is the creation of a comprehensible practical approach to the development of client experience: the ustomer Experience Model (CXM). The practical application of the CX model will allow companies to create value for their customers and key stakeholders, thus generating the necessary profit and building conditions for further development. Balancing academic research and real-world applications, The Customer Experience Model provides a framework that readers can understand and utilize to implement improvements in a company. In this work the readers also will learn about application in customer experience formation of such concepts as "systems thinking", "learning organization", "Lewinian Experiential learning cycle". The role of a leader in the formation of an effective customer experience will be shown as well. Also the readers will get an obvious idea of how to plan customer experience and measure its effectiveness. The Customer Experience Model shows the latest state of knowledge on the topic and will be of interest both to students of business schools and universities at an advanced level, academics and reflective practitioners in the fields of leadership, organizational studies, marketing, and strategic management and consulting.

In Sticky Marketing Grant Leboff argued that the old marketing system of shouting messages at people was finished, replaced by providing value around your product or service: brands needed to become sticky. This new edition of Sticky Marketing, Stickier Marketing, remains a complete guide to producing effective marketing communications in a world of consumers empowered by new digital technology who do not want to be shouted at but engaged with. It shows readers how providing return on engagement, rather than return on investment, and a customer engagement point, rather than a unique selling point, is what will make the difference in today's cluttered marketing place. Updated throughout, this new edition also includes brand new chapters on content marketing, discovery and mobile marketing.

What does it take to successfully launch and scale a startup in Asia? While much of modern business literature covers Silicon Valley and its founders, building a company in Asia-a world center of technology and innovation-is a vastly different journey, and not nearly as widely covered. This book aims to change that. Asian Founders at Work is an essential compilation of in-depth, incisive interviews with over 20 top technopreneurs from the region. Authors Ezra Ferraz and Gracy Fernandez have gathered their exclusive conversations with business leaders: Min-Liang Tan (Razer), Maria Ressa (Rappler), Chatri Sityodtong (ONE Championship), Patrick Grove (iflix), and Khailee Ng (500 Startups) are just a few. Questions about early difficulties, fundraising, business pivots, strategic partnerships, exits via acquisition or IPO, and more are answered in great detail to shine a light on the founders' unique experiences. Learn directly from game-changers in their own voice. By documenting these stories, the authors have created the largest and most comprehensive record of successes to date. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur yourself, a business student wanting to become well-versed in international practices, or an owner looking to expand to the area, this book provides a thorough guide to the startup culture in Asia from the most knowledgeable sources possible. What You Will Learn Gain business knowledge of practices that are localized to Asia Become familiar with essential startup topics, including product development, user acquisition, recruiting, and fundraising Study individual companies and founders, and an overview of startup culture Who This Book Is For Those in the tech ecosystem in East, Southeast, and South Asia, including aspiring founders or current founders who have started their entrepreneurial journey. This book is also for people outside of Asia who have an interest in the region. Entrepreneurs or businesspeople can refer to this book as they consider expansion into the area. Researchers and readers can pick up this book if they are curious about the business landscape of Asia and want to hear directly from game-changing founders.

This book describes the strategies and processes of a multi-national US corporation applied in entering emerging markets around the globe. It details the structured approach, innovative ways and concerted efforts involved. Executives learned how to gain footholds in unknown territory and how to deal with complexity and diversity. This process was strongly supported by sharing of learning and resources within the company, and with the local partners, thus creating mutual added value.