JOURNAL ARTICLE

Institutional Distances and International E-Commerce Firms' Standardization of Online Offers and Services.

  • Published In: Journal of International Marketing, 2026, v. 34, n. 1. P. 5 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Schuetz, Adrian; Swoboda, Bernhard 3 of 3

Abstract

The article investigates how institutional distances influence international e-commerce firms’ (ECFs) decisions to standardize or adapt their online offers (e.g., assortment, price) and services (e.g., customer chats, payment options) across host countries. Analyzing 1,921 standardization decisions by 207 leading ECFs in 68 countries, the study finds that added formal institutional distance—the difference in formal rules and regulations between a new host country and the closest previously entered country—is the strongest factor reducing standardization for both online offers and services. General formal institutional distance also negatively affects the standardization of online offers but not services, while informal institutional distances show no significant effect. The findings highlight that online offers are more challenging to adapt than services and that ECFs rely heavily on formal institutional knowledge gained from similar markets when making standardization decisions, providing practical guidance for managers on international market operations.

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of International Marketing. 2026/03, Vol. 34, Issue 1, p5
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Business and Management
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:1069-031X
  • DOI:10.1177/1069031X251358165
  • Accession Number:191177749
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