Preliminary Stages of the Research Process

Chapters 1 and 2 discussed the differences among different cultures and nationalities that make international marketing research complex and challenging. Chapter 3 discussed the process of international marketing research. This chapter focuses on the preliminary stages of the research process. Research is an integral part of any company wanting to go global. Even before the decision to enter foreign markets is made, research helps determine if internationalization is a viable option for the company. Research also helps decide which markets to enter and when and how to enter these markets. Most companies base their product launching and pricing decisions on market research. Each of these aspects of research is dealt with in detail in this chapter.