A study of strategic marketing decision-making in multinational companies operating in the European Complex

The objective of this study is to analyse the way in which multinational companies identify and select markets in Europe; to do so by comparing actual practices with a simple heuristic model which systemises some aspects of the problem of identifying markets; and finally to develop a fuller understanding of this particular decision area by examining the marketing objectives and constraints which affect the identification and selection of marketing opportunities in the European market. This introduction will outline the major themes of the study. We shall begin by examining the background to the study. By tracing the precedents within decision theory relevant to the research problem, we may identify the relationship between organizational decision-making, and the identification and selection of market opportunities by the multinational firm. The research problem belongs to the strategic decision area. The objectives of the study are therefore concerned to examine two problems in this area relative to the marketing function: how may the multinational company identify and select market opportunities and how do they presently do so?