Consumer Behavior

We consider a general infinite horizon inventory control model which combines demand and supply risks and the firm's ability to mitigate the supply risks by diversifying its procurement orders among a set of N potential suppliers. Supply risks arise because only a random percentage of any given replenishment order is delivered as useable units. The suppliers are characterized by the price they charge and the distribution of their yield factor.

The new challenges that the 21st century brings to the field of marketing competition inspired the International Journal of Research in Marketing (IJRM) to sponsor a special section on the topic. This special section was preceded by a conference at the University of Mainz, co-sponsored by IJRM, MSI, SMU (Singapore) and the University of Mainz.

Five marked evolutions around the turn of the century present new challenges in marketing competition, which may lead to particularly fruitful streams of research.

Identity movements rely on a shared "we-feeling" amongst a community of participants. In turn, such shared identities are possible when movement participants can self-categorize themselves as belonging to one group. We address a debate as to whether community diversity enhances or impedes such protests, and investigate the role of racial diversity since it is a simple, accessible, and visible basis of community diversity and social categorization.

Identifying the right business model for addressing global customers and formalizing that model into a global customer management program is a key task for any firm with global aspirations. The key success factor is embedding the program firmly within the firm's corporate strategy. Simply leveraging domestic or regional account management into such a program will not deliver the desired results. Based on extensive research with a global company database, this article presents a framework for successfully introducing a global customer management program.

Wal-Mart has increasingly become the target of protests over its scale, manifested as contention over specific expansions. Often, the protests are local and led by local organizations, and as a result, chains face uncertainty whether local activists will organize a protest. We suggest that chain stores respond to this uncertainty through a "test for protest" approach. They use low-cost probes that take the form of proposals to open a store.

Climate change, as a slow and gradual modification of average climate conditions, is a difficult phenomenon to detect and track accurately based on personal experience. Insufficient concern and trust also complicate the transfer of scientific descriptions of climate change and climate variability from scientists to the public, politicians, and policy makers, which is not a simple transmission of facts.