{"title":"The role of newly emergent wholesalers in the food and drink industry in Japan, c.1880 to 1940: Focusing on the case of Kokubu","authors":"Kazuo Usui","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658013","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article explores the historical development of Japanese wholesalers in the food and drink industry in modern Japan. Despite many criticisms of Japanese wholesalers as being “multi-layered,” “old-fashioned,” and “outmoded,” there were historical reasons for the existence of wholesalers. While the traditional wholesalers remained even after the Meiji Restoration, the new wholesalers emerged by dealing with new products that appeared for the first time in modern Japan. Utilizing the historical conditions of both producers and retailers, the newcomers such as Kokubu boosted their development by innovative activities and gradually superseded the traditional wholesale market, firmly establishing their position as general wholesalers before the Second World War.","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658013","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42639000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Issues of employment portfolios in Japanese retail businesses","authors":"Mitsutoshi Hirano","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658018","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The employment portfolio of Japanese retail businesses is composed of regular employees and part-time workers. Even though part-time workers are assigned to significant jobs, their wages tend to be lower than those of regular employees. However, the job satisfaction and motivation of part-time workers are not low. This article aims to consider why part-time workers have a positive attitude toward their jobs. Data were collected from part-time workers of retail businesses (n = 1133). The specific focus is on two groups: part-time workers compared to regular employees and part-time workers compared to other part-time workers. Results showed that the group compared to part-time workers had more positive job attitude than others. From the point of view of social comparison, the job attitude of part-time workers may differ depending on the choice of who they compare themselves against. The implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658018","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41944284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What determines firms’ intention to postpone product differentiation?","authors":"A. Ono, T. Kubo","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658012","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In present-day Japan, more firms are beginning to apply postponed product differentiation in favor of providing mass-customized products. Mass customization can lead to competitive advantages in satisfying consumers’ individual needs. We propose a causal model to describe why and how Japanese distributors decide to postpone product differentiation and supply mass-customized products. The model was empirically tested by structural equation modeling with a dataset from Japanese automobile dealers, who have employed highly advanced mass customization systems and are world leaders in this practice. The results show that two environmental factors, uncertainty and innovation, affect firms’ expectations of their customers’ intentions to purchase mass-customized products and, in turn, firms’ decisions regarding postponing product differentiation in favor of mass customization. Mass customization has a high potential for growth in the future due to increasing levels of uncertainty and evolving forms of innovation.","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47834242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Special issue on evolution of marketing channels in Japan","authors":"Chieko Minami","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658009","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658009","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47573145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sales management: Learning and innovation in Japan","authors":"M. Matsuo","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658014","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine ways to promote learning, based on four empirical studies of salespeople and sales departments in Japan. First, analyses of survey data of 192 real estate salespeople indicated that customer- and goal achievement-oriented sales beliefs enhanced experiential learning at work. Second, analyses of data of 193 sales departments indicated that customer orientation in sales departments promotes innovation by facilitating task conflict and preventing process conflict. Third, analyses of survey research of 199 sales departments indicated that behavior-based and knowledge-based management control systems are effective at promoting learning and innovation. Finally, a case study of Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim (NBI) revealed several ways to facilitate learning using a behavior-based sales management control system. Theoretical implications for sales management systems were examined.","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658014","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48360248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Integrated consumer shopping decision model: A Japanese online supermarket context","authors":"Emi Moriuchi, I. Takahashi","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658010","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Online shopping is not a new marketing channel but has been growing tremendously throughout Japan. The rapid growth of Internet technology has enabled the Japanese to break away from their conservative culture and embark on different shopping experiences by shopping online. With the growing importance of online reviews to promote one’s business, Japanese online supermarkets are looking for ways to increase consumer-generated content. The purpose of this study is to investigate Japanese repeat online consumers and the antecedents that encourage them to review their shopping experiences, including the supermarket website they used and product availability in the online supermarket. It was found that online supermarkets must focus on establishing confidence with their repeat online consumers if they desire to increase the electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) of their online supermarket. Implications are discussed in relation to online supermarkets and repeat consumers’ intentions to review their online shopping experiences.","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658010","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47332047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Retail corporate groups: Challenges of omnichannel management in Japan","authors":"Kimihiko Kondo","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658016","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The omnichannel varies across countries due to different retail environments and retailers’ growth strategies. The Japanese big retailers’ omnichannel can be characterized by having multiple retail formats, such as department stores, general merchandise stores, convenience stores, specialty stores, Internet stores, and so on. They have grown by multiplying retail formats to appeal to different customer segments, and they have unique challenges in managing an omnichannel with many retail formats. These are (1) extremely wide variety of merchandise, (2) enormous quantity of data from transaction, inventory, logistics, and customers, (3) different organization structures and management, and (4) unique organizational capabilities in each retail format. From these challenges, we could propose further research issues as follows: (1) theoretical consideration of boundary-spanning functions among retail formats, (2) international comparative analysis reflecting the different conditions in each country, and (3) clarifying the characteristics of the omnichannel shopper in the Japanese omnichannel environment.","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658016","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42038854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The impact of retail buyer innovativeness on suppliers’ adaptive selling in Japanese buyer–supplier relationships","authors":"Changju Kim, Katsuyoshi Takashima","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658011","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We investigate the critical role of retail buyer innovativeness in Japanese buyer–supplier relationships and explore its link to suppliers’ adaptive selling, cooperative relationships, and retail competitiveness. Further, we examine how process conflict between merchandizing and store divisions moderates the relationship between retail buyer innovativeness and suppliers’ adaptive selling. This study employs a structural equation model using survey data from 246 heads of merchandizing divisions at Japanese retail companies. Our findings highlight the importance of both mitigating process conflict and facilitating suppliers’ adaptive selling in order to improve Japanese retailers’ competitiveness, especially when buyers are highly innovative.","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1658011","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42849860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Work–family conflict in the sales force redux: A compendium of influencers","authors":"Alan J. Dubinsky, Cindy B. Rippé","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1647909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1647909","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Selling is a primary function of channels of distribution with sales managers and salespeople markedly influencing channel success. Recently, salesperson work–family conflict has become a major concern, owing to its potential for adversely affecting sales force performance and thus impairing associated channel success. It has been extensively investigated in industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology, but sales scholars’ interest in it remains in the incipient stage. Whether findings from non-sales contexts are portable to a selling milieu remains an empirical question. This article presents an array of organizational- and managerial-related, individual job-related, individual person-related, technology-related, and contemporary selling environment-related factors that have been found to be or are logically associated with salesperson work–family conflict. The article thus seeks to facilitate sales researchers’ and practitioners’ efforts in undertaking empirical work and assisting salespeople to manage such conflict. To date, no previously published work has engaged in this charge.","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1647909","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45659025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Social franchising: A systematic review","authors":"Denise M. Cumberland, Benjamin C. Litalien","doi":"10.1080/1046669X.2019.1657757","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1657757","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Social franchising is starting to garner more interest among researchers and practitioners as a replication approach used to help address a growing array of societal issues in both developed countries and emerging economies. While there has been a proliferation of experimentation with social franchising that is occurring on the global stage, the knowledge base remains fragmented. A comprehensive review of the empirical and practitioner literature has not been done. This article fills the void by reviewing the past decade of literature and will be of interest to governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), philanthropists, social impact investors, corporations devoted to social goals, and other key players who support the scaling up or replication of ventures that strive to address societal ills by creating pathways to health and prosperity.","PeriodicalId":45360,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Marketing Channels","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2018-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/1046669X.2019.1657757","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41691177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}