xxi Preface be globally aware and have a frame of reference that goes beyond a country, or even a region, and encompasses the world. What global awareness means and how it is acquired is discussed early in the text; it is at the foundation of global marketing. Chapter 2 focuses on the dynamic environment of international trade and the competi-tive challenges and opportunities confronting today’s international marketer. The impor-tance of the creation of the World Trade Organization, the successor to GATT, is fully explored. The growing importance of cell phones and the Internet in conducting inter-national business is considered, creating a foundation on which specific applications in subsequent chapters are presented. The five chapters in Part 2 deal with the cultural environment of global marketing. A global orientation requires the recognition of cultural differences and the critical decision of whether it is necessary to accommodate them. Geography and history (Chapter 3) are included as important dimensions in understanding cultural and market differences among countries. New emphasis is placed on the concern for the deterioration of the global ecological environment and the multinational company’s criti-cal responsibility to protect it. Chapter 4 presents a broad review of culture and its impact on human behavior as it relates to international marketing. Specific attention is paid to Geert Hofstede’s study of cultural values and behavior. The elements of culture reviewed in Chapter 4 set the stage for the in-depth analyses in Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of business customs and the political and legal environ-ments. Ethics and social responsibility are presented in the context of the dilemma that often confronts the international manager, that is, balancing corporate profits against the social and ethical consequences of his or her decisions. We have organized Part 3 of the book into four chapters on assessing global market opportunities. As markets expand, segments grow within markets; as market segments across country markets evolve, marketers are forced to understand market behavior within and across different cultural contexts. Multicultural research, qualitative and quantitative research, and the Internet as a tool in the research task are explored in Chapter 8. Separate chapters on economic development and the Americas (Chapter 9); Europe, Africa, and the Middle East (Chapter 10); and the Asia Pacific Region (Chapter 11) reflect the evolving marketing organizations of many multinational companies in response to the costs of travel and communications across time zones, as well as the steady creation and growth of regional market groups in all three regions. The discussions in all three chapters include details about both established and emerging markets present in each region. The strategic implications of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the emergence of new independent republics, the shift from socialist-based to market-based economies in Eastern Europe, and the return of South Africa, Cuba, and Vietnam to international com-merce are examined. Attention is also given to the efforts of the governments of China and India and many Latin American countries to reduce or eliminate barriers to trade, open their countries to foreign investment, and privatize state-owned enterprises. These political, social, and economic changes that are sweeping the world are creating new markets and opportunities, making some markets more accessible while creating the potential for greater protectionism in others. In Part 4, Developing Global Marketing Strategies, planning and organizing for global marketing is the subject of Chapter 12. The discussion of collaborative relationships, including strategic alliances, recognizes the importance of relational collaborations among firms, suppliers, and customers in the success of the global marketer. Many multinational companies realize that to fully capitalize on opportunities offered by global markets, they must have strengths that often exceed their capabilities. Collaborative relationships can provide technology, innovations, productivity, capital, and market access that strengthen a company’s competitive position. Chapters 13 and 14 focus on product and services management, reflecting the differ-ences in strategies between consumer and industrial offerings and the growing importance
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