ABSTRACT
SUMMARY. Most channels for the marketing of services are very short-delivery is the product. In the corporate travel business, however, travel agent intermediaries are used to source what are often very large purchases of travel services. What is the role of word-of-mouth referrals in the process and how does it vary across national/cultural boundaries, in this case, Japan and the U.S.? With data collected from companies in both countries, social network analysis is applied to examine how companies go about sourcing their business travel services. Results indicate that culture has more impact than location (foreign vs. domestic) in the referral process. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworthpressinc.com <Website: http:llwww.haworthpressinc.com>;]
KEYWORDS. Word-of-mouth referrals, social networks, U.S. and Japanese travel trade
Many leisure travelers choose destinations outside their country of residence, making the study of international travel purchases an important addition to the tourism marketing literature. Within the global travel industry, Japan, the world's second largest economy, is an important market to un-
R. Bruce Money, PhD, is affiliated with the International Business Program Area, University of South Carolina.
