Browsing by Author "Kastner, A.N.A."
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Item Consumer xenocentrism and foreign goods purchase intention in an emerging economy(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2021) Mahmoud, M.A.; Iddrisu, M.; Kastner, A.N.A.Purpose – The purpose of this study is to test consumer xenocentric tendencies on foreign goods purchase intention and to examine the mediating role of cultural openness on the relationship. Design/methodology/approach – A total number of 204 respondents participated in the study. Web-based sampling technique was employed to select a cross-section of consumers. Structural equation modelling technique of AMOS 21 version was used to test the nature of relationships in the research hypotheses. Findings –The results suggest that except country image and interpersonal influence, all other constructs had a positive significant relationship with the intention to purchase. Country of origin, self-confidence and self esteem had impact on consumer intention to purchase foreign products, though exposure of consumers to other cultures did not endear them to the products of those foreign markets. Practical implications – From a managerial perspective, management awareness of xenocentrism tendencies is the surest way to make prudent decisions with respect to stocking and distributing foreign and local products or services. Originality/value – The current study brings newness to the phenomenon as it tests consumer xenocentric (C-XEN) constructs in an emerging economy, and cultural openness as a mediating variable.Item Culture and country choice of international students: evidence from Ghana(JOURNAL OF MARKETING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, 2019-11-08) Mahmoud, M.A.; Oppong, E.; Twimasie, D.; Husseini, M.M.; Kastner, A.N.A.; Oppong, M.This study seeks to examine the influence of the cultural elements on international students’ country choice. It also examines whether individual values moderate the influence of cultural elements on the country choice of international students. Drawing upon a sample size of 223, the data was analysed using structural equation modelling technique. Among the five cultural elements, education, language and social institutions were found to have a positive significant influence on the international student’s country choice. When moderated by individual values education was found to be the only key significant value to international students when selecting a country to further their education. The cultural elements should be given much attention by marketers, government and managers of academic institutions. An improvement in the standards of education in developing countries would attract more students from developed countries.Item Franchising in African markets: Motivations and challenges from a Sub‐Saharan African country perspective(Thunderbird International Business Review, 2019-04) Kastner, A.N.A.; Mahmoud, M.A.; Buame, S.C.K.; Gabrah, A.Y.B.The purpose of this article is to explore and understand the motivations and challenges of franchising in an African economy. While interest in franchising is increasing in African markets, there is a paucity of research on franchising from the perspective of local African firms participating in these international relationships. The motivations and challenges of franchising from the perspective of African businesses have not been largely investigated so far. Using in‐depth interviews, we allow motivations and challenges at play to emerge. Convenient and snowball sampling techniques were used for choosing the unit of analysis, which resulted in four respondent firms. A thematic approach was adopted for analyzing the data from the field. Support services, brand name, and franchisor's experience are identified to be the motivations for franchising. Financial assistance from the franchisor, demand, and competition also play a key role in an African firm's decision to franchise. Legal constraints and infrastructure constraints were the key challenges faced by franchisees in Ghana. The findings of this study may hold for franchisees in other African markets. However, contextual differences may be considered in the application of these findings.Item Internet-Based Relationship Marketing: A Sub-Saharan African Perspective(Journal of Relationship Marketing, 2017) Mahmoud, M.A.; Kastner, A.N.A.; Lartey, J.O.Establishing, maintaining, and enhancing relationships over the Internet have progressively gained global attention. Nevertheless, the dawn of this modernization draws many theoretical debates and practical concerns, some of which have received little research attention, especially within the Sub-Saharan region of Africa. On this premise, we explored the contemporary practice, challenges, and benefits of Internet-based relationship marketing (RM) within the Ghanaian telecommunication industry. Expert interviews with 12 employees from four telecommunication firms elicited a wealth of experiential data analyzed thematically to understand the practice, challenges, and emerging benefits of Internet-based RM. Our findings suggest that issues of privacy concerns, erosion of face-to-face communication, and the tendency of unsolicited communication do not necessarily militate Internet-based RM within the Ghanaian telecommunication industry. We also identified emerging benefits, including online “virality,” a discovery environment, and improved firm reputation. We suggest enhancing online personalization through empathy, creating value with analytic information and managerial openness, and supporting enhanced knowledge development within the area. Directions for future studies include the possibility of comparative studies across service industries and examining the role of content marketing in Internet-based relationships. The challenge of exploring Internet-based RM was similar to hitting a moving target, as the use of the Internet for relationship marketing activities is constantly evolving. Additionally, our findings and conclusion are confined to the knowledge contribution of the experts interviewed. As one of the few studies within the Sub-Saharan region, we expand contributions from the Sub-Saharan domain. The findings of this study also bring to light new insights for establishing, maintaining, and enhancing Internet-based relationships. © 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.Item Internet-Based Relationship Marketing: A Sub-Saharan African Perspective(Journal of Relationship Marketing, 2017) Mahmoud, M.A.; Kastner, A.N.A.; Lartey, J.O.Establishing, maintaining, and enhancing relationships over the Internet have progressively gained global attention. Nevertheless, the dawn of this modernization draws many theoretical debates and practical concerns, some of which have received little research attention, especially within the Sub-Saharan region of Africa. On this premise, we explored the contemporary practice, challenges, and benefits of Internet-based relationship marketing (RM) within the Ghanaian telecommunication industry. Expert interviews with 12 employees from four telecommunication firms elicited a wealth of experiential data analyzed thematically to understand the practice, challenges, and emerging benefits of Internet-based RM. Our findings suggest that issues of privacy concerns, erosion of face-to-face communication, and the tendency of unsolicited communication do not necessarily militate Internet-based RM within the Ghanaian telecommunication industry. We also identified emerging benefits, including online “virality,” a discovery environment, and improved firm reputation. We suggest enhancing online personalization through empathy, creating value with analytic information and managerial openness, and supporting enhanced knowledge development within the area. Directions for future studies include the possibility of comparative studies across service industries and examining the role of content marketing in Internet-based relationships. The challenge of exploring Internet-based RM was similar to hitting a moving target, as the use of the Internet for relationship marketing activities is constantly evolving. Additionally, our findings and conclusion are confined to the knowledge contribution of the experts interviewed. As one of the few studies within the Sub-Saharan region, we expand contributions from the Sub-Saharan domain. The findings of this study also bring to light new insights for establishing, maintaining, and enhancing Internet-based relationships. © 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.Item Market orientation as a competitive tool: Empirical evidence from 'quartile one' banks in Ghana(Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 2011-12) Mahmoud, M.A.; Kastner, A.N.A.; Akyea, K.S.The positive impact of market orientation has been agreed upon generally, yet few studies have focused explicitly on its implications for banks. Based upon a case study involving the top four banks in Ghana (that is, 'quartile one' banks), this article examines the incidence of market orientation in banks. Research evidence was obtained from in-depth face-to-face interviews of eight managers and questionnaires completed by 109 managers. Qualitative data were analysed deductively and the quantitative data were analysed using univariate and multivariate techniques. The interview results highlight that customer orientation seems to dominate the patterns of bank market orientation while the descriptive statistics show strong emphasis on intelligence dissemination. From the regression results, top management emphasis, market-based reward systems and interdepartmental coordination are the essential internal values for developing market orientation in Ghanaian banks. It is found that market orientation is a significant factor for achieving high levels of employees esprit de corps and customer satisfaction, which are particularly viable for banks facing severe competition, technological turbulence and operate in a weak economy. It suggests that without competition, technological turbulence and weak general economy, market orientation is an insignificant factor for business success. Discussions, managerial implications and avenues for further studies are provided. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.Item Social capital and export performance of SMEs in Ghana: the role of firm capabilities(African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 2019-03-15) Easmon, R.B.; Kastner, A.N.A.; Blankson, C; Mahmoud, M.A.Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the direct impact of social capital and the influence of market-based capabilities as intervening variables on the export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaire-based survey was used to collect data from top executives and senior managers of exporting companies in Ghana. Data obtained were analysed using the structural equation modelling. Findings – The findings revealed that social capital of SMEs exert the greatest influence on their export performance. Innovation and marketing capabilities are also key drivers of export performance among SMEs as they fully mediate the social capital–export performance relationship. Notwithstanding, marketing capabilities appear to exert a greater influence than innovation capabilities on the export performance of SMEs. Research limitations/implications – The study used perceptual measures of international performance by managers of SMEs in the Ghanaian exporting sector making it difficult to determine respondent bias. Practical implications – Managers of exporting firms should build stronger relationships with their customers and suppliers who contribute significantly to their export performance. SMEs would also have to hone their innovation and marketing skills as strategic components in enhancing their export performance. Social implications – Market-based resources such as marketing and innovation should not be taken for granted by SMEs in the export business. Originality/value – The study offers some lessons on how small firms can sharpen their marketing and innovation capabilities to derive export performance benefits from social capital. Theoretically, while the findings offer strong evidence reinforcing the DC theory, an exploration of the nexus of the theories brings to the fore the need to reassess the resource-based view and SC theories.Item Social media resources and export performance: the role of trust and commitment(International Marketing Review, 2019-12-14) Mahmoud, M.A.; Adams, M.; Abubakari, A.; Commey, N.O.; Kastner, A.N.A.Purpose – The study sought to examine the influence of social media resources on export performance and the role commitment and trust play in this relationship using an integrated model. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative survey design was employed for this study. Empirical data for this paper were drawn from 210 exporting firms in Ghana, using purposive sampling technique. The hypothesized links were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings – The result of this study reveals that social media resources and marketing capabilities directly influence export performance and indirectly through commitment and trust. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to attempt to use an integrated model (resource-based view and commitment-trust theory) to understand and explain an international marketing phenomenon. By concentrating on Ghana, the study offers new insights regarding the pathway for exporting firms in emerging markets.