Open Access Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington
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The role of formal and informal institutional pressures in local gatekeepers' responses to international product recalls.

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thesis
posted on 2021-12-07, 08:58 authored by Berry, Ynyr Cadwaladr

Product recalls are omnipresent and unavoidable in the global marketplace. Despite the financial losses, brand equity damage, and the hazard to consumer health they impose there is little multidisciplinary international research on the phenomenon. A growing number of studies are investigating the impacts of product harm crises and the recalls and providing valuable implications, but little has been done to address the determinants of organisational behaviour and decision making during the product recall.  The purpose of this thesis is to conduct an investigation into the role of local New Zealand gatekeepers and their interaction with international brands during an international product recall. I also investigate the institutional environment in which these firms operate in, and the influence it subjects to their product recall strategies and processes. Because of the lack of empirical research on international product recalls in the extant literature, a qualitative interpretative methodology based on semi-structured interviews is employed.  Findings suggest that in the event of a potential product harm crisis leading to product recall in New Zealand, home country regulatory institutions take a collaborative approach with focal firms involved in the recall process. The gatekeeper orientation towards the customer, environmental institutional pressures (coercive and normative), and gatekeeper risk avoidance influence the gatekeeper to initiate preventative recalls. Furthermore, in face of a potential product harm crises, where the local gatekeeper is the dominant organisation, coercive institutional pressure to initiate a preventative recall is exerted towards the partnering international brand. In a severe international product harm crisis leading to product recall, normative institutional pressures encourage the local gatekeeper to initiate preventative product recalls and alongside the international brand, undertake proactive recall strategies. Whereas in ambiguous recall situations, mimetic institutional pressures encourage the local gatekeeper to initiate preventative product recalls and alongside the international brand undertake proactive recall strategies. I propose that in environments of weak formal institutions, informal institutional pressures play a greater role on gatekeeper and international brand recall strategies and processes. Traceability and supply chain knowledge are found to be vital in effective international product recalls.

History

Copyright Date

2018-01-01

Date of Award

2018-01-01

Publisher

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Rights License

Author Retains Copyright

Degree Discipline

International Business

Degree Grantor

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Degree Level

Masters

Degree Name

Master of Commerce

Victoria University of Wellington Unit

University Library

ANZSRC Type Of Activity code

1 PURE BASIC RESEARCH

Victoria University of Wellington Item Type

Awarded Research Masters Thesis

Language

en_NZ

Victoria University of Wellington School

School of Marketing and International Business

Advisors

Gao, Hongzhi