European Business and Marketing: Strategic Issues Book

This text has been researched and written specifically for students on advanced undergraduate and postgraduate courses, who need to understand modern European marketing, the European Union and the distinct features that are emerging in the world’s largest market-place. Many texts covering marketing, strategy and international business tend to have too narrow a view and use old models heavily influenced by early US business school theory, which is now out of date. This text addresses these gaps by looking at Europe holistically and builds on sound theoretical concepts to look at the present state of business in Europe and at future trends. Through five core chapters, the reader is introduced to the issues that are emerging within the EU and its relations to the wider Europe and to the rest of the world. The book introduces five significant themes: the importance of small to medium-sized business, regionalism and networks within Europe; the history and origins of the development of the EU and how it operates; the EU and its business and political relationship with the rest of the world; marketing and how it is developing across Europe; and the growth and importance of joint ventures and alliances to European business. The five core chapters are backed-up by sixteen integrated case studies of European business and marketing. These provide an opportunity for analysis and discussion of the changes happening and the unique features of the European business environment. The case studies include material from the industrial and service sectors and cover both joint venture, multinational, state-controlled and small to medium-sized companies. Thus the book looks at a number of types of companies and investigates the strategic, organizational, marketing and operational features that they adopt in meeting the needs and challenges of operating in the world's largest trading block.Read More