The relative efficacy of a global marketing strategy vis-à-vis a tailored marketing strategy remains one of the hotly debated issues of international marketing. As is the case in any debate, polarizing arguments for (or against) each abound. Proponents of a global strategy point to the increasing homogenization of customer tastes and preferences and suggest that significant economies of scale can be attained by standardized products marketing world wide (Levitt 1983). Critics, on the other hand, dismiss the potential of a global strategy and underscore economic, environmental and other cultural differences among nations as impediments to its implementation. They argue that reflect adaptation strategy to market-country differences will generate improved response (Kotler 1986).

Often overlooked in this fierce debate is a middle ground approach that takes into account not only differences or similarities among both markets but. As Quelch and Hoff (1986) point out, the real issue is not whether to standardize but rather how to tailor the global marketing strategy. Indeed, reliance on a global strategy can result in missing out on important target markets and positioning inappropriate. Likewise customizing marketing strategy to individual countries implies loss of potential economies of scale as well as exploitation opportunities for product ideas on a scale against (White Lock and Chung 1989).

The writings of recent genre suggest that comprehensive and tailored strategies are not necessarily mutually exclusive and that they can be used in tandem to reap the maximum benefits. In this vein, Jain (1989) and Kale and Sudharshan (1987) offers interactivity Market segmentation approach to world markets and point to the feasibility of identifying homogeneous segments which transcend national boundaries. Once identified these so-called strategic segments equivalent (Kale and Sudharshan 1987) can be reached via global marketing strategies aimed at different cross-national segments (Verhagen, Dahringer and Cundiff 1989). The idea of reconciling the different viewpoints of global marketing strategies and tailored intuitively appealing and is certainly represents a significant forward link in the design of multinational marketing strategies. However, the empirical support to middle ground viability of this approach is evidence to scanty and its Effect comes mainly in the form of anecdotes (Ohmae 1985, White Lock, 1987).

The study reported here is intended to partially fill in this void. Specifically, consumers in six countries including the United States, Mexico, The Netherlands, Turkey, Thai and Saudi Arabia were studied for InterBase Market segmentation on the basis of two criteria, perceived risk and brand loyalty (Kreutzer 1988). Consumers were questioned about their degree of perceived risk and loyalty for two brand products, bath soap and toothpaste. These products were chosen since they are widely available in different brands and are purchased on a frequent basis by the consumers in these countries. It was maintained that the consumers in these countries are not sufficiently similar regarding the effects of risk perception on brand loyalty, the underlying rationale for a single global marketing strategy at least within the context of products here would disappear under consideration. On the contrary, such a circumstance would render the middle ground approach feasible.

NOW that the IIMs have more or less ruled out a legal recourse against the HRD Ministry’s directive to impose a fee cut in their PGP (Post-Graduate Programmes) courses, the country’s premier business schools are busy considering various options to make up for this revenue loss.

“One of the options before us is to increase the number of Management Development Programmes (MDPs),” said Prof Prakash G. Apte, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

In an exclusive interview with Business Line today, he said that the board of governors would meet in the next four days. “IIM-Bangalore will work out its finances then. We have not yet received the break-up for the planned and non-planned grants.”

But would increasing the number of management development programmes not impose a huge load on the already over-burdened professors who are handling various PG courses, executive education programmes and consultancy assignments?

(IIM-Bangalore, for instance, has about 70 professors for 700 students (400 in the PGP, 300 in the PGP in Software Management and 40 PhD students) and this year, the institute has conducted about 45 MDPs.)

Prof Apte said that they might even consider reducing the number of offerings for the students so that more staff time is available for corporate training programmes.

On whether the institute would recruit more teachers, he said: “Yes, that would be one option,” but expressed doubt about finding the right kind of talent in the industry.

But this too would require Government permission. And what about additional funds for the salaries? With the cut in allocation in this year’s Interim Budget - from Rs 79.73 crore last year to Rs 45 crore in 2004-05 - the IIMs would have to tread this path carefully.

Meanwhile, the Government is also insisting that the IIMs increase intake of students.

This might be one way of boosting their revenues, but Prof Apte said: “We can take about 40 more students, provided we have the right infrastructure like hostel rooms, mess, etc.”

If the IBM-Board meets Tuesday, the key decision will face as deeply to cut this period. And the result would be to say much about how fast and powerful, as the company’s new chief executive, Louis V. Gerstner Jr., wants its mark on the troubled computer giant, he joined in April.

Most of Wall Street and industry analysts expect that the sources of board to take a cargo of large profits for the second quarter against the closure of factories and equipment balances, since the company streamline its activities. The fee for the cutting of production capacity - which could be enriched by $ 1 billion to over U.S. $ 4 billion, said one analyst - would, in addition to $ 2 billion of depreciation announced earlier this month as provided for greater reduction of staff. The operating loss expected

The International Business Machines Corporation is also expected to announce its second quarter results after the committee meeting. In addition to a special levy for the reductions, analysts predict that the report is an IBM operating loss in the area of $ 140 million to $ 180 million.

Most analysts believe that the board decides Tuesday on the slice of IBM dividend for the second time this year, given that the company cash to recover the fighting. The quarterly distribution is 54 cents and analysts predict that this is more than half, or 25 cents.

The computer industry are also noted, if the name of IBM or compensation for its two onboard. Three out of directors recently decided to bottom, and Tuesday of the meeting are also the last of Jack D. Kuehler, a vice-president of IBM, retired. A clean, bold stroke

If you are a second quarter enormous fees is that it works to the advantage of Mr. Gerstner - and IBM - for financial housecleaning necessary for a stroke and bold move with the reconstruction process. That must stop IBM, analysts say, is its recent history, the costs quarter after quarter, year after year, react to market changes, rather than control.

“Death by a thousand cuts is exactly what IBM has done for years,” said David Yoffie, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. “Gerstner has helped to reduce as much as possible, as quickly as possible, that behind him.

Mr. Gerstner, provides Dan Mandresh, an analyst for Merrill Lynch & Company, is in favour of a “clear the decks” approach.