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Business development across countries and cultures
Edited by Demetris Vrontis and Amir Shoham
1 Introduction
A key dilemma in international marketing is the tension between standardization and adaptation of marketing strategy and mix ([61] Ryans et al. , 2003; [78] Szymanski et al. , 1993; [81] Theodosiou and Leonidou, 2003; [85] Vrontis, 2003; [86] Vrontis and Thrassou, 2007). Proponents of standardization herald cost reduction efficiencies riding the waves of globalisation and market convergence trends, while supporters of adaptation point to a complex reality of lasting variations across country markets requiring the firm's attention and commitments for long-term profitability.
This dilemma is also becoming increasingly relevant in the context of internet-based international commercial activities, where the use of a globally uniform internet technology is constrained by the local embeddedness of commerce, as is recognized in a limited but growing body of literature ([25] Grant and Bakhru, 2004; [19] Elbeltagi, 2007; [54] Okazaki, 2004; [83] Tixier, 2005; [26] Guillén, 2002; [71] Singh et al. , 2004; [69] Singh and Boughton, 2005; [23] Fujimoto et al. , 2007). This dilemma is often associated with the challenge of "Website Localization", which is becoming even more important when one considers that web sites have been suggested to have the potential of both supplementing and replacing physical presence in foreign markets ([64] Shneor and Flåten, 2008; [84] Vila and Küster, 2004; [22] Forsgren and Hagström, 2001; [56] Petersen et al. , 2002), and that web site design which is congruent with national culture will foster consumer online purchasing ([24] Gong, 2009).
Current research into web site localization focuses on identifying localization elements and their impact on user perceptions of web sites ([13] Cyr and Trevor-Smith, 2004; [70], [71] Singh et al. , 2006, 2004; [83] Tixier, 2005; [8] Chakraborty et al. , 2005), identification of cultural depictions in country-specific web sites ([68] Singh and Baack, 2004; [69] Singh and Boughton, 2005; [73] Singh et al. , 2005a; [54] Okazaki, 2004; [76] Sinkovics et al. , 2007), and web site localization measurement ([69] Singh and Boughton, 2005; [74] Singh et al. , 2009).
Conceptually, web site localization was defined as the process of customizing a web site for a specific cultural group so that it seems natural or "local" to members of...