Page 199 - Bruno Grbac Autoportret_12_3_listbook

interesting, but being exposed to multiple cultures and seeing life in so many different ...
regions was a truly remarkable experience. In between our interviewing adventures,
Bruno made sure I had the opportunity to experience the culture of Croatia. This
included lots of discussions with students from the University of Rijeka, but this also
meant having really good conversations with Bruno over coffee (or wine) and food.
Sometimes this would be at cafes and restaurants, but many times it was on the
veranda at Bruno’s house. Many evenings and many Sunday mornings were spent
on the veranda looking out at the Adriatic and having some amazing conversations, REKLI SU
of course, over coffee (or wine) and food. One set of those conversations resulted
in us designing a research study on how supplier relationships are connected to a
firm’s market orientation. This research ended up being an important catalyst for
many other researchers. Published in Industrial Marketing Management in 2004, the
article has been cited by 372 other authors. Bruno also made sure I was included in
many of Croatia’s cultural events. One of the highlights was when Bruno convinced
me to dress up in a very silly costume for Carnival. It was so much fun.

In total, we published eight articles in journals and an additional eight conference
papers. We also edited a book, wrote five book chapters and held an international
symposium in Croatia on market orientation in transitioning and developing eco-
nomies with scholars from around the world.

Working with Bruno was a wonderful experience. Because of his outstanding scho-
larship and friendship, and yes, the coffee (or wine) and food, my own research and
teaching interests turned toward international issues. I am very grateful that I had
the opportunity to work with him during those years.

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