ABSTRACT
Few articles today have created more unrest among both academicians and practitioners than Levitt's "The Globalization of Markets" (1983). His cry for global markets and standardized consumer products was based on his belief that "Gone are accustomed ifferences in national or regional preference" (p. 92). But marketers have yet to conclusively agree on which method (standardization, adaptation, or customization) is the best, although many researchers have indicated that adaptation strategy has gained increased support (Dunn and Lorimor, 1979; Peebles, Ryans, and Vernon, 1978; Quelch and Hoff, 1986; Meffert and Althans, 1986). What has been agreed upon is that standardized offerings can greatly benefit practi-
tioners by lowering costs and increasing margins (Jain, 1989; Levitt, 1983; Peebles, Ryans, and Vernon, 1978).
