Investigating the uncertainty of new international ventures via micro marketing discourse research : a case of mixed e-commerce and physical channels

In this article we demonstrate the value of studying organisational contexts, which are characterised by uncertainty, via the micro discourse approach to research. By adopting the approach, we study a business to business case of internationalisation via the mixed channels of a physical office in the new territory supported by the parent company’s domestic website. We describe and problematise some of the foundational theories that have been applied through survey research in the macro level study of such phenomena. We then show how the micro discourse approach can help to develop rich insights into specific situated contexts where local uncertainty impinges on management decisions. The findings, which are grounded in a period of ethnography at the firm in question and developed through a thematic analysis, show how management dilemmas might develop in local contexts. The value of the work lies in the thick description of a firm’s culture which might inform practice and further study.