The Marketing Fraternity's Shortfall.

The article focuses on marketing issues. Japan, Germany and even some of the developing nations are selling circles around the U.S. not only in world markets but also right in U.S.'s own back yard. One wonders why this is not a matter of dire concern to American marketers. One would never know from reading the Journal of Marketing that people are living in times of emerging crises. Researchers do not even seem to be particularly concerned with domestic issues where marketers could make major contributions. Relevancy in a professional journal is not pandering to reader parochialism. Relevance is relating the discipline to societal goals. A specific reference can put the difference between parochialism and societal responsibility into focus. Another indication of how foreign marketers have woven societal responsibility into the fabric of their profession is that European consumers generally know that the term "export quality" means "superior to that produced for the home market." Most Japanese consumers know and as good citizens accept the fact that many of their superior exports products are not available in Japan.