Article: Brand orientation in a culturally-diverse context: entrepreneurial insights gained from a structurationist perspective Journal: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing (IJEV) 2016 Vol.8 No.4 pp.355 - 377 Abstract: Despite an increase of contributions towards brand orientation, contemporary theory widely lacks answers as to the 'extent' and 'the ways' in which organisational structure and geographical culture influence this process. In this paper, the perspective that individuals, organisations and societies have particular histories and cultures that affect the process of developing brand orientation is reinforced. We provide a conceptual discussion of structuration theory, applied to the brand orientation process in a culturally-diverse context. The structurationist perspective is supported, illustrated and elaborated by a case analysis, using the qualitative research approach of action learning/action research. We show that facilitating a brand orientation process in a culturally-diverse environment is a highly entrepreneurial activity: leaders of a company have to weave connections between company-external markets and their actors, between company-internal brand structures, processes as well as artefacts and employees through social interaction in an ongoing co-evolution. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Brand orientation in a culturally-diverse context: entrepreneurial insights gained from a structurationist perspective

Authors: Christine Vallaster; Michael Czinkota

Addresses: Institute for Entrepreneurship, University of Liechtenstein, Vaduz, Liechtenstein ' McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University 37th and O Streets, N.W., Washington D.C., USA

Abstract: Despite an increase of contributions towards brand orientation, contemporary theory widely lacks answers as to the 'extent' and 'the ways' in which organisational structure and geographical culture influence this process. In this paper, the perspective that individuals, organisations and societies have particular histories and cultures that affect the process of developing brand orientation is reinforced. We provide a conceptual discussion of structuration theory, applied to the brand orientation process in a culturally-diverse context. The structurationist perspective is supported, illustrated and elaborated by a case analysis, using the qualitative research approach of action learning/action research. We show that facilitating a brand orientation process in a culturally-diverse environment is a highly entrepreneurial activity: leaders of a company have to weave connections between company-external markets and their actors, between company-internal brand structures, processes as well as artefacts and employees through social interaction in an ongoing co-evolution.

Keywords: brand orientation; internationalisation; market entry; expansion; geographical culture; structuration theory; action learning; action research; ALAR; SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; entrepreneurship; organisational structure; culturally diverse environments; entrepreneurial activities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2016.082219

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, 2016 Vol.8 No.4, pp.355 - 377

Received: 26 Nov 2014
Accepted: 20 Feb 2015
Published online: 13 Feb 2017 *

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Title: Brand orientation in a culturally-diverse context: entrepreneurial insights gained from a structurationist perspective

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