1 Ellis, P.D. & A. Pecotich (2002), “Macromarketing and international trade: Comparative advantage versus cosmopolitan considerations” Journal of Macromarketing, 22(1): 32- 56. Macromarketing and International Trade: Comparative Advantage versus Cosmopolitan Considerations Paul Ellis Associate Professor Dept. of Business Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2766 7108; Fax: (852) 2765 0611, Email:
[email protected] Anthony Pecotich Associate Professor Department of Information Management and Marketing, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6907, Tel: (6189) 380 2892; Fax: (6189) 380 1004 Email:
[email protected] September 2001 ABSTRACT Within the context of international trade the case study method is used as an analogue of a natural experiment to contrast the economic concept of “comparative advantage” with the social network “cosmopoliteness” construct. Specifically, a conceptual reconciliation between these macro/micro theories is developed and then rival propositions are derived pertaining to the initiation of new export ventures. These alternative explanations are juxtaposed in an empirical setting and this not only provides an approximation of a “crucial test” but also demonstrates the rather unusual situation (in marketing) of hypothesis testing with the qualitative case study method on macro to micro translations. The findings favored the social exchange cosmopolitan explanation and led to the rejection of the hypothesis derived from comparative advantage. 2 INTRODUCTION In the introduction to their article on “Methodological Issues in Macromarketing” Venkatesh and Dholakia (1986, p.36) state that although macromarketing is now accepted as a “legitimate” field of enquiry and while the debate “as to what constitutes macromarketing” continues, “we can expect a growing discussion on how to deal with methodological and measurement issues.” Yet, as they recognize, the two issues are inexorably linked and one delimits and defines the other.