Back translation is the technique most commonly used to check the accuracy of translation in survey research. Although it results in a direct or literal translation, it does not address issues of conceptual equivalence. Furthermore, if it is not combined with pretesting, it does not address issues of comprehension and meaning to the respondent. This article discusses some of the problems of relying exclusively on back translation in isolation. It suggests the use of a collaborative, iterative approach for translating questionnaires for international marketing research.

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A new methodological approach for examining the impact of country of origin on product evaluations is proposed. It takes the form of a multiattribute attitudinal model analyzed by means of a system of simultaneous equations. This approach makes possible examination of the impact of other attributes as well as country of origin on evaluations, and takes into consideration the effect of familiarity and knowledge about the product class. Differences between respondents of two different national origins are also investigated because previous research indicates differences in country stereotyping by nationality.

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International marketing research plays a vital role as firms expand globally. Yet limited attention has been paid to the conceptual underpinnings of research needed to guide expansion. This article focuses on these issues and specifically examines the conceptual framework that guides research, the geographic units of analysis, and the constructs. The authors suggest two alternative approaches to organizing cross-cultural research: the adapted etic and the linked emic.

As advances in communications technology shrink the impact of geographic distance, consumers are likely to become more aware of and familiar with products and services in other parts of the world, as well as global social and ethical issues. Retailers have responded to these trends (termed here “consumer world-mindedness” and “consumer social-mindedness”) by adapting their positioning and product assortment. The authors develop measures of consumer world-mindedness and social-mindedness and examine their relationship to exposure to other cultures and store image using a survey of 191 consumers in the Netherlands. The authors examine images of three types of stores: the Body Shop, fair-trade stores, and a grocery store with an imported food products section. The results confirm that consumers’ exposure to foreign cultures increases consumer world-mindedness and social-mindedness and that both have a significant impact on store image. The authors conclude with a discussion of implications for retail and international marketing management.

Brands play a critical role in establishing a firm's visibility and position in international markets. Building a coherent international brand architecture is a key component of the firm's overall international marketing strategy, because it provides a structure to leverage strong brands into other markets, assimilate acquired brands, and integrate strategy across markets. The authors examine the way firms have developed international brand architecture and the drivers that shape the architecture. The authors discuss implications for the design and management of the firm's international brand architecture.

Achieving a sustainable competitive advantage in global markets depends on the geographic scope and diversity of the firm's operations and their interlinkage, as well as on the extent of market integration and interdependence. The spatial configuration of the firm's assets, capabilities, and resources and the ability to manage and use these resources effectively are crucial elements of the firm's global strategy. The authors examine the nature of a firm's configural advantage in global markets in terms of its key components, capabilities, and management issues.