This thesis applies a standardization/adaptation framework (SA) to explore the strategies of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firms in the Greek market. This market is transformed into an 'international' one during the tourist season due to an influx of 15 millions of tourists from several, primarily European, countries. Extant research has not addressed how FMCG firms may respond to this market transformation; whether they standardize their offering across the 'native' and tourist population (and within the tourist population from different countries) or they adapt their offerings. Despite the growing importance of international tourism and despite tourism being a major driver of globalisation, there is no empirical evidence showcasing how a beer, an ice cream or a shampoo seller market their products to the plethora of nationalities visiting their country of operation. The purpose of this research, therefore, is to gain, for the first time, a deeper understanding on how FMCG firms -both MNE subsidiaries and local entities- serve the needs of mobile consumers of FMCGs in a tourism estimation. Greece is chosen as the field of study since in this country, the contextual idiosyncrasies of such polyethnic markets are clearly evident. The research adopts the interpretive paradigm, a realist orientation and case studies as the most fitting methodology for the research questions. Multiple sources of evidence were utilized, focusing primarily on personal interviews with key managers in 14 organizations. Findings suggest that the impact of tourism is two-fold and that there is a mixture of SA strategies implemented by firms. These strategies are driven by such factors as organizational features of each firm, internationalizing outlook of firms or perceived tourists' quest for experimentation/familiarity. The contingency approach is supported indicating that deployed strategies along the SA continuum rest upon oftenneglected idiosyncrasies ofthe market and upon firm-specific considerations. The contribution of the research to international business/marketing and tourism literatures is explicitly stressed and it is pinpointed that implications for FMCG firms and public authorities in such environments are worth-noting. The study concludes with highlighting the limitations of the study and the avenues that call for closer scrutiny and greater illumination as a result ofthe findings of this study
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:492071 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Poulis, Konstantinos |
| Publisher | University of Manchester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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