This study extends international market selection (IMS) literature by using institutional theory to develop conceptual links between country level factors of market attractiveness and IMS. More specifically, this study examines the extent to which institutional theory and cross national differences can predict attractive markets for direct selling. The hypotheses were tested over a sample of 51 countries from developed, developing, and emerging economies that comprise 91 percent of the worldwide GDP. The use of a marketing channel, in this case direct selling, is unique to IMS empirical analysis as it represents multiple products and services from multiple industries. The analysis provided initial empirical support for the hypotheses. Managerial implications are discussed.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study extends international market selection (IMS) literature by using institutional theory to develop conceptual links between country level factors of market attractiveness and IMS. More specifically, this study examines the extent to which institutional theory and cross national differences can predict attractive markets for direct selling. The hypotheses were tested over a sample of 51 countries from developed, developing, and emerging economies that comprise 91 percent of the worldwide GDP. The use of a marketing channel, in this case direct selling, is unique to IMS empirical analysis as it represents multiple products and services from multiple industries. The analysis provided initial empirical support for the hypotheses. Managerial implications are discussed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ragland, Charles B."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Marketing","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Scott M. Widmier","Dr. Thomas L. Baker","Dr. Brian Rutherford"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-04-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-04-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:42:45Z","subjects":["marketing","international markets","direct selling","marketing channels"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/500","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Scott M. Widmier","Dr. Thomas L. Baker","Dr. Brian Rutherford"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ragland, Charles B."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-05-03T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Marketing"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["marketing","international markets","direct selling","marketing channels"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/500"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study extends international market selection (IMS) literature by using institutional theory to develop conceptual links between country level factors of market attractiveness and IMS. More specifically, this study examines the extent to which institutional theory and cross national differences can predict attractive markets for direct selling. The hypotheses were tested over a sample of 51 countries from developed, developing, and emerging economies that comprise 91 percent of the worldwide GDP. The use of a marketing channel, in this case direct selling, is unique to IMS empirical analysis as it represents multiple products and services from multiple industries. The analysis provided initial empirical support for the hypotheses. Managerial implications are discussed.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Institutional Theory and Cross-National Differences in International Market Selection for Direct Selling"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Scott M. Widmier","Dr. Thomas L. Baker","Dr. Brian Rutherford"],"dc:creator":["Ragland, Charles B."],"dc:date.available":["2012-05-03T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study extends international market selection (IMS) literature by using institutional theory to develop conceptual links between country level factors of market attractiveness and IMS. More specifically, this study examines the extent to which institutional theory and cross national differences can predict attractive markets for direct selling. The hypotheses were tested over a sample of 51 countries from developed, developing, and emerging economies that comprise 91 percent of the worldwide GDP. The use of a marketing channel, in this case direct selling, is unique to IMS empirical analysis as it represents multiple products and services from multiple industries. The analysis provided initial empirical support for the hypotheses. Managerial implications are discussed.
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