According to Kotler, Chandler, Brown and Adam (1994, p. 752), many analysts view the 1990s as the ‘Earth Decade’ in which protection of the natural environment will be the major issue facing people around the world. Environmental issues according to Kotler, et al. (1994) have become so important in our society that there is no turning back to the time when few managers worried about the effects of product and marketing decisions on environmental quality. Kotler, et al. (1994, p.752) claimed that companies have responded with ‘green marketing’ -developing ecologically safer products, recyclable and biodegradable packaging, better pollution controls and more energy efficient. Peattie & Charter (1994, p.692), also claimed that environmental concern has led to the emergence of green marketing - an attempt to balance the pursuit of sales and profit with a concern for the environment and society. For businesses to gain a competitive advantage, new strategies are required so as to win the green consumers, says Ottman (1992). According to Miller (1990) companies that do not address environmental issues could face declining market share.

Strategic marketing planning has received increasing attention over the last decade as a valuable weapon in the battle for long-term success in today’s competitive environment. A review of the literature demonstrates that strategic marketing planning helps firms to identify opportunities, avoid threats and capitalise on the organization’s strengths in order to gain some aspect of differentiation and competitive advantage (Cravens 1994; McDonald 1992). Strategic marketing planning provides many other benefits, allowing firms to: realign objectives and strategies to the changing environmental conditions: obtain an objective viewpoint of management problems; balance corporate resources and marketing opportunities; and, coordinate and integrate organizational members and functions leading to greater control of the total marketing function and company (Cravens 1994; Greenley 1986a, 1986b; McDonald 1989, 1992b). However, the accumulation of literature has mostly covered marketing planning in large organizations in the United Kingdom and United States (McDonald 1992). Little is known about marketing planing pertaining to small businesses, particularly in Western Australia Therefore, this paper will be presenting the findings of a study in Australia that examined whether there are significant differences between high and low level marketing planners in terms of their marketing objectives, strategies, marketing orientation and performance.

Although exporting has received considerable attention in the international marketing literature (e.g. Aaby & Slater 1989; Axinn 1988; Baker 1992; Bijimolt 1993; Bijmolt & Zwart 1994; Bilkey 1978; Buckley et al 1988; Calof 1993, 1995; Cavusgil & Naor 1987; Christensen et al 1987; Crespy et al 1993; Culpan 1989; Crick & Katsikeas 1995, Kaynak 1992; Kaynak and Bredenlow 1987; Kaynak and Wellington 1993; Kedia and Chhokar 1985, 1986; Moini 1995; Sullivan and Banerschmidt 1989), most of the studies dealing with export practices and performance were done in overseas countries, and little is known about the export practices of Australian firms. This paper will be presenting the findings of a study in Australia that seeks to identify differences between various export practices and the level of performance. For example, the study specifically examined whether there are significant differences between organizations with high and low level of export performance in terms of the factors influencing their export interest, firms characteristics, managerial attitudes towards exporting, objectives pursued, marketing strategies used and the problems faced when exporting.

Despite the substantial quantity of work that has been done in the area of export marketing and performance over the last three decades, according to Aaby and Slater (1989), as well as Cavusgil and Kirpalani (1993), there still remain few generalizable conclusions that can help guide firms in their export endeavors. Reviews by Bilkey (1978), and Cavusgil and Nevin (1981), Reid (1983), Madsen (1987), Aaby and Slater (1989), and Da Rocha and Christensen (1994) indicated that the international literature is contradictory with mixed empirical evidence. In the light of the shortcomings of the export marketing literature, Da Rocha and Christensen (1994) called for additional research to examine to what extent export management theories and practices developed in the West are applicable to the developing countries. Styles and Ambler (1994) also called for future research to empirically test a comprehensive list of variables that might influence export performance. This paper will be presenting the results of a study in China that was designed to investigate the relative importance of the key success factors of export marketing put forward by various paradigm (including: management commitment paradigm, firm competence paradigm, strategic management paradigm, industrial organization paradigm, relationship paradigm, etc.). This study surveys three major cities in China namely Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong. Discriminant analysis will be used to identify the relative importance of key success factors differentiating success export ventures from unsuccessful export ventures.

Although for many decades the literature has been repeatedly stressing the importance of adopting the marketing concept philosophy (Allen, 1959; Barksdale et al., 1971; Cravens, 1994; Hise, 1985; Kotler et al. l989, 1994, 1998; Armstrong and Kotler, 2011, 2013; Kotler and Keller 2009; Kotler, Keller, et.al. 2013; Lusch et al., 1976; McCarthy 2010; McColl et al.1994; McNamara, 1972; Ogunmokun and FitzRoy,1995; Perreault, Cannon and McCarthy 2013; Peterson 1989; Pride and Ferrell, 2010, 2012; Vizza et al., 1967), little or no research has been devoted to determining whether any of the exporting organizations in China have adopted this philosophy. Much of the empirical research on the marketing concept has been confined to studies measuring the extent to which it has been adopted by US firms (Barksdale et al., 1971; Hise, 1985; Jaworski, and Kohli, 1990, 1993; Lusch et al., 1976; McNamara, 1972; Peterson, 1989; Vizza et al., 1967) but such studies have generated mixed findings. For example, while the study by Levitt (1960) argues that the marketing concept is not widely used by US firms, others believe that large (Hise, 1985), consumer (McNamara, 1972) and small (Peterson, 1989) US organisations have to a great extent adopted the marketing concept. McNamara (1972), found that companies dealing with consumer goods and large firms in the US have adopted the marketing concept to a greater degree than industrial and small firms. These results are consistent with Barksdale and Darden’s (1971) finding that company presidents and marketing educators believe that the marketing concept has been adopted as an operating philosophy by most business firms in the US.

In spite of the normative appeal of flexibility, the concept has rarely been considered from strategic marketing perspective. Without being market focused, flexibility will not result in superior value creation and sustainable competitive advantage. In the light of the above shortcomings, this study examined a firm's flexibility with reference to a specified export venture market. Based upon the strategic marketing perspective, this study identified three sets of antecedents of market-focused flexibility: marketing capabilities, financing resources and spatial configurations. The empirical evidences showed reasonable support for the proposed model. In addition, this study brought clear evidences demonstrating the powerful effect of market-focused flexibility on competitive advantages and performance in the corresponding markets. As a whole, this study helps scholars and managers to better conceptualise and measure market-focused flexibility, understand how it develops in the firm and how it works together with other important resources and capabilities to affect outcomes.

In spite of the normative appeal of flexibility, the concept has rarely been considered from a strategic marketing perspective. Without being market focused, flexibility will not result in superior value creation and a sustainable competitive advantage. In the light of the above shortcomings, this study examined a firm’s flexibility with reference to specific export venture markets. Based upon the export channel marketing literature, this study identified additional previously unexplored antecedents of flexibility. The empirical evidences of 222 export venture cases showed reasonable support for the proposed model. In addition, this study brought clear evidence demonstrating the positive effect of flexibility on performance in the corresponding export venture markets.

The literature indicates that consumers more likely to trial and adopt Self Service Technologies (SSTs) are younger, more affluent, and better educated. In Australia mature age consumers over the age of 50, the adoption and use of SSTs in the financial services sector has been considerably lower when compared to those below the age of 50. The purpose of this paper is to determine the main variables that discriminate between non-users and low users of SSBTs among the mature age consumers.

According to the literature very few small enterprises survive the long-term. However, despite the continuing interest in the concept of strategic marketing planning, very little research has been done particularly in Singapore to examine whether the level of performance in small to medium sized business organizations is related to the extent to which the components of the strategic marketing planning process are carried out in small to medium sized businesses. This paper aims to present the results of a study that addressed whether there are significant differences in the extent to which small to medium sized business organizations in Singapore with a high level of performance versus those with a low level of performance carried out the various activities of the strategic marketing planning process. Introduction Although strategic marketing planning practitioners and theorists have been writing for many years about the importance of strategic marketing and the benefits to be derived by organizations from the utilization of strategic planning process (Armstrong and Kotier 201 1 ; Bergeron and Rivard 2003; Cravens 2008; Cravens and Piercy 2006; David 2009; Greenley 1986; Johnson et al 2008; Kotler and Keller 2009; McCarthy 2009; Morgan, McGuinness and Thorpe 2000; Paley 2006; Parnell 2000; Perreault et al 2008; Pride and Ferrell 2010; Rajaratnam and Chonko 1995; Stanton, 2008) very little research has been done to examine whether the level of performance of small to medium sized business organizations in Singapore is related to the extent to which the components of the strategic marketing planning process are carried out by the small to medium sized businesses in Singapore. This paper presents the result of a study that was designed to address whether there are significant differences in the extent to which small to medium sized business organizations in Singapore with a high level of performance versus those with a low level of performance carried out the various strategic marketing planning activities. What is a Strategic Marketing Plan? According to Perreault et al (2008), strategic marketing planning means finding attractive opportunities and developing profitable strategies that specifies a target market and related marketing mix. Kotier and Keller (2009) and Armstrong and Kotier (20 11), stressed that a strategic marketing plan involves laying out the target markets and the value proposition that will be offered, based on the analysis of the best market opportunities. The marketing plan is the central instrument for directing and coordinating the marketing effort of an organization and the content of a marketing plan includes laying out current situation, setting objectives, strategies, action program, budgets, implementation and control. The purpose of a strategic plan, according to Johnson et al (2008), is to specify what business an organization is in and the direction it is going. Cravens (2008), emphasized that the environment and all functional areas of a business, such as finance, marketing, personnel are to be taken into consideration during the strategic marketing planning process.. Cravens (2008) views the strategic marketing planning process as consisting of the following key steps: analysing the environment, designing a marketing strategy, formulating a marketing program, and implementing and controlling the marketing program. David (2009) and Cravens (2008) identify environmental analysis, objective setting, strategy design, and implementation and control in the strategic planning process. A review of the major prescriptive literature about the strategic marketing planning process (Armstrong and Kotier 20 1 1 ; Cravens 2008; Cravens and Piercy 2006; Cravens, David 2009; Johnson et al 2009; Kotler and Keller 2009; McCarthy 2009; Paley 2006; Parnell 2000; Perreault et al 2008; Pride and Ferrell 2010; Rogers 2001; Stanton 2008) shows that the process contains either implicitly or explicitly, the following components: Environmental Analysis; Setting Goals and Objectives; Formulating Marketing Strategy; Action Programs; Implementation and Control. …

Although in the current global dynamic environment, organizations looking for sustainable growth in their performance need to be flexible in their operations, very few empirical studies have examined the effect of manufacturing flexibility on export performance. This paper presents the result of a study that was designed to identify if flexibility in manufacturing will be related to export performance of the companies in mainland China.

Cognitive age is an important concept in the study of mature consumers. The present study examines the association between cognitive age and technology readiness and adoption of technologies among mature consumers. Findings suggest that mature consumers perceive themselves to be cognitively younger than their actual age. Cognitively younger mature consumers are more likely to be Explorers holding more positive feelings towards technology readiness. Adoption of self-service banking technologies and other technologies appear to decrease, with an increase in cognitive age. The inclusion of cognitive age in this study has provided an alternative insight into the mature consumer market.

While a number of overseas studies have made substantial contributions to our understanding of the foreign entry mode behaviour of business organisations and have identified some factors that could impact entry mode decisions, most of the studies concentrated either purely on multinational corporations or focused mainly on small-medium sized companies. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study that was designed to identify the factors that determine the entry modes used by big and small-medium sized business organisations in Australia when entering foreign markets. A stepwise discriminant analysis was utilised for the analysis.

Self-service banking technologies have been slow to diffusion into the mature consumer market. The purpose of this paper was to detelmine the main variables that discriminated between non-users and low users of SSBTs. Results from a national survey of Australian mature consumers identified seven variables that differentiated between the two groups, self-efficacy,perceived usefulness, compatibility, perceived ease of use, technology discomfort, personal contact and age. These findings suggest that by improving mature consumers' confidence in their ability to use SSBTs through training and communicating the main benefits of each SSBT, an increase in the rate of diffusion of these technologies could be achieved among non-users.