Eastern European marketing systems and Western marketing research voids: A research agenda
Abstract Starting with detente, there has been a marked improvement in North American trade with the U.S.S.R. and other Eastern European countries. This trend is predicted to continue at an accelerating rate in the years ahead. Despite this, trading and business systems of these countries are not likely to alter much. In most cases, planned purchases are going to continue, although the intensity may vary. Public policy makers in these countries decide well in advance what type of products or services they are going to purchase, because their purchases must conform with the goals of the annual foreign trade plan and the allocations of foreign exchange available for that particular purchase. Most aspects of Eastern European markets and marketing practices are not well known by North American company managers dealing with these countries. In most cases, lack of information about these markets often leads to misunderstanding and, hence, lost opportunity. The purpose of this article is to determine the critical research voids in an effort to facilitate the expansion of North American-Eastern European trade. To this end, a four-step procedure is proposed to pinpoint areas of research for immediate attention.
Brand Name and Country of Origin Effects in the Emerging Market Economies of Russia, Poland and Hungary
The economic reforms sweeping Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union point to a critical need for consumer‐based market research in the region. In this study, conjoint analysis was used to analyse Russian ( n=88), Polish (n=77), and Hungarian (n=113) consumers′ decision behaviour in a single product category, colour televisions. Of particular interest were the separate and joint roles played by brand name and country of origin in the decision processes of former Socialist consumers. The results show that Russian and Polish consumers place considerable emphasis on the product′s place of manufacture, while the Hungarians were more “functional” in their decision strategy, focusing on the product′s intrinsic properties. Contrary to expectations, brand name was less important than other attributes in the decision making of all three groups. Each group also showed minimal concern with the interaction between brand name and country of origin. Discusses implications for Western firms which are seeking market ...
Ethics and the Treatment of the Mentally Ill, Homeless Person: a Perspective on Psychiatry Resident Training
ObjectiveThe authors outline the unique ethical challenges that psychiatry residents face in working with individuals who are homeless and mentally ill. The authors also propose steps to develop effective teaching methods with residents working with these patients.MethodsThe authors reviewed literature relevant to the training of psychiatry residents in ethics and treating individuals who are homeless and mentally ill.ResultsThe authors summarize current literature and, with the use of case examples, provide guidelines for effective teaching.ConclusionsTeaching psychiatry residents who are working in the community with individuals who are mentally ill and homeless needs to address a number of unique ethical conflicts that arise in this area. The authors outline approaches to this teaching.