Business Commons^™

Sophisticated Vs. Rugged: Examining Gendered Brand Communication Styles And Social Media Engagement, Joanne T. Cao, Jamye Foster, Gallayanee S. Yaoyuneyong, Lacey K. Wallace

Faculty Publications

Advertising and marketing managers understand that not all brands need to be on social media, but what is not clearly understood is consumers’ engagement expectations for brands that are on social media. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of brand personality, specifically sophisticated and rugged brands, and gendered communication styles on consumers’ expectations of social media engagement. A scenario-based experiment is performed to test the hypotheses using a mock brand. The main study consisted of a Qualtrics consumer panel, and a MANOVA was utilized to examine three components of social media engagement (consumption, contribution, and creation) on the two brand …

A Survey Of Retail Trade Patterns In South Dakota: 2013-2022, Rand E. Wergin

Faculty Publications

This paper provides an analysis of retail sales and retail trade in the state of South Dakota for the ten years 2013 to 2022. This analysis will provide information to community leaders in the cities and towns of South Dakota. Retail pull is an economic indicator that provides a measure of community’s economic health and its ability to attract shoppers, both shoppers from its own community and from other communities. A community that has a healthy retail economy is generally able to attract shoppers from its own community as well as surrounding communities.

A Survey Of Retail Trade Patterns In South Dakota: 2012-2021, Rand E. Wergin

Faculty Publications

This paper provides an analysis of retail sales and retail trade in the state of South Dakota for the years 2012 to 2021. This analysis will provide valuable information to community leaders in the cities and towns of South Dakota. Along with measures such as unemployment and inflation, Retail Pull (RP) provides a measure of community’s economic health. For example, retail is often the largest employer in a city, particularly the smaller communities of South Dakota, and a robust retail sector provides a tax base to support community services. Thus, the economic health of the community depends on the viability …

Moving Beyond Traditional Sponsorships: Understanding The Structure And Dynamics Of Minority Equity Sponsorship Agreements, Furkan Amil Gur, Adrien Bouchet, Brian Walkup, Jonathan A. Jesen

Faculty Publications

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to understand the structure and dynamics of minority equity sponsorship agreements and the motivations for organizations to go beyond traditional sponsorships by acquiring minority equity in the sponsored organization.

Design/methodology approach - This paper adopts a qualitative methodology and presents interview data from key actors involved in minority equity sponsorship agreements. Findings - The findings of the paper include major characteristics of minority equity sponsorship agreements including the motivations, dynamics, and resources exchanged by sponsoring firms and clubs in these relationships, based on the experiences of key actors from firms, clubs, and …

Beverage Bottle Capacity, Packaging Efficiency, And The Potential For Plastic Waste Reduction, Rafael Becerril Arreola, R. E. Bucklin

Faculty Publications

Plastic pollution is a pressing issue because authorities struggle to contain and process the enormous amount of waste produced. We study the potential for reducing plastic waste by examining the efficiency with which different polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles deliver beverages. We find that 80% of the variation in bottle weight is explained by bottle capacity, 16% by product category, and 1% by brand. Bottle weight is quadratic and convex function of capacity, which implies that medium capacity bottles are most efficient at delivering consumable product. Local data on PET bottle sales and municipal waste recovery validate the findings. A 20% …

Joint Innovation Investment And Pricing Decisions In Retail Supply Chains With Customer Value, Jiali Qu, Benyong Hu, Chao Meng

Faculty Publications

In the retail industry, customer value has become the key to maintaining competitive advantages. In the era of new retail, customer value is not only affected by the product price, but it is also closely related to innovations, such as value‐added services and unique business models. In this paper, we study the joint innovation investment and pricing decisions in a retailer–supplier supply chain based on revenue sharing contracts and customer value. We first find that, in the non-cooperative game, equilibrium only exists in the supplier Stackelberg game. However, revenue sharing contracts cannot coordinate the supply chain in the non‐cooperative game. …

To Share Or Not To Share: The Optimal Advertising Effort With Asymmetric Advertising Effectiveness, Qingying Li, Hao Ding, Tianqin Shi, Yanli Tang

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we study a two-stage model in which a manufacturer expands to a new market through a local retailer and has private information on the advertising effectiveness. The manufacturer chooses the information sharing format with the retailer, either no information sharing or mandatory information sharing. Under no information sharing format, the manufacturer and the retailer play a signaling game. We derive both separating and pooling equilibria and conduct equilibrium refinements for the signaling game. Under mandatory information sharing format, the manufacturer simply informs the retailer the advertising effectiveness. We also establish the stylized model and derive the optimal …

Distribution Channel Choice And Divisional Conflict In Remanufacturing Operations, Tianqin Shi, Dilip Chhajed, Zhixi Wan, Yunchuan Liu

Faculty Publications

We consider a firm consisting of two divisions, one responsible for designing and manufacturing new products and the other responsible for remanufacturing operations. The firm will sell these new and remanufactured products either directly to the consumer (direct selling) or through an independent retailer (indirect selling). Our study demonstrates that a firm’s organizational structure can affect its marketing decisions. Specifically, a decentralized firm with separate manufacturing and remanufacturing divisions can benefit from indirect selling with higher firm profit, supply chain profit, and total consumer demand than direct selling. Moreover, this structure also induces a remanufacturable product design. In contrast, a …

Antecedents And Consequences Of Self-Congruity: Replication And Extension, Eugene Cheng-Xi Aw, Leisa Reinecke Flynn, Han Xi Chong

Faculty Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose and empirically test a framework encompassing self-congruity with its antecedents and consequences. This study also aims to test the mediating role of perceived value and its dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire-based survey was conducted using a purposive sampling technique. In total, 310 useable responses were collected and data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling.

Findings

A majority of hypotheses were supported. Avoidance of similarity and status consumption positively influenced self-congruity, replicating an earlier study. Self-congruity positively influenced overall perceived value and its dimensions, as well as revisit intention. Overall …

Gone With The Wind: The Evolving Influence Of Social Movements And Counter Movements On Entrepreneurial Activity In The U.S. Wind Industry, W. Chad Carlos, Wesley D. Sine, Brandon H. Lee, Heather A. Haveman

Faculty Publications

Social movements can disrupt existing industries and inspire the emergence of new markets by drawing attention to problems with the status quo and promoting alternatives. We examine how the influence of social movements on entrepreneurial activity evolves as the markets they foster mature. Theoretically, we argue that the success of social movements in furthering market expansion leads to three related outcomes. First, the movement-encouraged development of market infrastructure reduces the need for continued social movement support. Second, social movements’ efforts on behalf of new markets increase the importance of resource availability for market entry. Third, market growth motivates countermovements that …

Introductory Information Systems Course Redesign: Better Preparing Business Students, Gina Harden, Robert M. Crocker, Kelly Noe

Faculty Publications

Aim/Purpose The dynamic nature of the information systems (IS) field presents educators with the perpetual challenge of keeping course offerings current and relevant. This paper describes the process at a College of Business (COB) to redesign the introductory IS course to better prepare students for advanced business classes and equip them with interdisciplinary knowledge and skills demanded in today’s workplace.

Background The course was previously in the Computer Science (CSC) Department, itself within the COB. However, an administrative restructuring resulted in the CSC department’s removal from the COB and left the core course in limbo.

Methodology This paper presents a …

A Mixed-Method Multiple Case Study Of Three Business Models For Local Healthy Food Delivery Systems In Underprivileged Urban Areas, Gretchen Elizabeth Krivak, Garth B. Woodruff, S. Forrest, Hannah Mbungu, Kechler Orcel, Soraya Fish, Sherine R. Brown-Fraser

Faculty Publications

Define a USDA food desert Analyze the three business models for benefits and deficiencies Identify methods for starting a sustainable mobile farmers market program. Over 40% of Berrien County Michigan land use is agricultural. Many products are fruits and vegetables. Yet, the county has six identified USDA defined Food Deserts. Past research, based on a mobile farmers market, confirmed local trends and deficits. The purpose for this research is to define a sustainable business model that delivers healthy local food options to USDA Food Deserts combating food inequity. A mixed method multiple case study was created to test three business …

Plastic Fantastic: The Fiberglass Boatbuilding Industry In Holland, Michigan, Geoffrey D. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Plastic Fantastic: The Fiberglass Boatbuilding Industry in Holland, Michigan is a chapter concerning the use of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) to build boats starting in the 1940s. In the 1950s boat builders discovered that fiberglass would allow them to design boats that would lead to new boat sales and increased profit margins for years to come. This technology steadily spread throughout American boat manufacturing plants, including Holland, Michigan, placing the town among the leaders in the industry.

From Woods To Water: Reviving A G-W Invader, Geoffrey D. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

From Woods to Water: Reviving a G-W Invader is an article concerning the full restoration of a 1972 G-W Invader 10.3' Rally fiberglass boat by high school students Peter Reynolds, Gurjinder Sandhu, and instructor Geoffrey Reynolds, during May and June 2016.

Webinar 1: Marketing And Branding: Asserting Your Value, Michele Villagran

Faculty Publications

Promoting and Enhancing the Advancement of Rural Libraries (PEARL) project: Rural & Small Libraries 4-part Webinar Series with Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran.

Managerial Segmentation Of Service Offerings In Work Commuting, Steven D. Silver

Faculty Publications

This study reports an implementation of procedures that multivariate methodology make available to assess the relative importance of attributes of service offerings to work commuters. Adaptive choice conjoint analysis was used to derive the importance weights of attributes in available service offering to a commuter sample. A clustering procedure was then used to define homogeneous sub-groups of the sample and the combination of demographic differences that discriminate clusters. Results of this assessment are used to indicate how a market in workcommuting can be segmented on the basis of user indications of the importance of attributes of service offerings.

Being Good For Goodness Sake: The Influence Of Family Involvement On Motivations To Engage In Small Business Social Responsibility, Whitney O. Peake, Philip E. Davis, Marcus Z. Cox

Faculty Publications

Small family and nonfamily firms are acknowledged to serve as important facilitators of social responsibility within their communities; however, both have received relatively little attention in the literature for these efforts or their motivation for undertaking them. Grounded in Enlightened Self-Interest (ESI) and intentions, we explore motivations for participation in socially responsible behaviors and the moderating effect of family involvement. We develop measures for small business social responsibility (SBSR), ESI, and SBSR intentions. Our analyses indicate positive direct effects exist for both SBSR intentions and ESI on engagement in SBSR. We find that family involvement strengthens the relationship between ESI …

Required Donations: An Empirical Test Of Prospect Theory & Framing Of Per-Seat Contributions In Intercollegiate Athletics, Jason D. Reese, Brandon Brown, Gregg Bennett

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine how per-seat contributions are framed, and attempt to understand the effects of different price frames on consumer perceptions and behavior. In doing so, we apply prospect theory to explain how framing an outcome can change preferences and ultimately purchase behavior. The current study used an experimental design to determine which price frame most influences repurchase intentions, when considering three price tiers (e.g. low, moderate, high) determined in a pretest. Our results indicate the best way to increase purchase intentions when implementing per-seat contributions campaigns is to use the Combination price frame (i.e. …

The Power Of Brand Love, Marc Fetscherin, Ryan Barker, Jeffery Peacock

Faculty Publications

In this article we would like to respond to Romaniuk’s (2013) Viewpoint article "What’s (brand) love got to do with it?" and provide our point of view regarding brand love. While we agree with some of the limitations she points out in Batra et al.’s (2012) article, and acknowledge them, we disagree with her statement that there is ‘no evidence that building brand love leads to higher market share, sales or profitability’ (Romaniuk 2013, p. 185). It is conceivable that there was no evidence when she wrote the article in 2013. However, as this article illustrates, we have since 2013 …

The Medical Tourism Index: Scale Development And Validation, Marc Fetscherin, Renee-Marie Stephano

Faculty Publications

Medical tourism is an estimated $100 billion dollar industry. Despite the increasing number of people, companies and countries involved in medical tourism, we know very little about the key drivers and how countries are perceived as medical tourism destinations. The purpose of this paper is to present the Medical Tourism Index, a new type of country-based performance measure to assess the attractiveness of a country as a medical tourist destination. We followed a rigorous multi-steps scale development procedure by using four empirical studies based on 4995 respondents. The MTI is a multidimensional construct with 4 dimensions (country, tourism, medical costs, …

Consumer Brand Relationships Landscape, Marc Fetscherin, Daniel Heinrich

Faculty Publications

This article sheds light on the current state of research on consumer brand relationships (CBR) and presents two distinct taxonomies, respectively, theoretical frameworks that help to classify CBR research. First, the 'brand connection matrix' that classifies brand relationships into functional-based (low versus high) and emotional-based (low versus high) connections to brands. This framework leads us with a 2 × 2 matrix consisting of four quadrants, each of which are discussed. Second, the 'brand feeling matrix' classifies consumer's relationships with brands by grouping them into the strengths of relationships (weak versus strong) and the consumers' feeling toward the brand (positive versus …

Quality Signals And Franchising Growth, Laura Lucia-Palacios, Victoria Bordonaba-Juste, Melih Madanoglu, Ilan Alon

Faculty Publications

The goal of this article is to demonstrate how signaling support services and contractual arrangements that create value for incumbent franchisees can help to create value for the whole network by attracting prospective franchisees.

Fixing Advising: A Model For Faculty Advising, Robert M. Crocker, Marlene Kahla, Charlotte Allen

Faculty Publications

This paper addresses mandates to fix the advising process with a focus on faculty advising systems. Measures of student success and satisfaction, administrative issues, and faculty concerns are among the many factors discussed. Regression analysis is used to explore long-voiced faculty complaints that students do not follow advice. A case study is used to illustrate changes in one department’s advising process and measures of student satisfaction are reported. A model of advising components is offered to illustrate practices suggested to realize the full potential of the advising process.

Utilization Of Social Media In Marketing Classes, Charlotte Allen

Faculty Publications

The goal of this paper is to highlight how instructors may integrate the different social media into various marketing classes. The paper will address the major social networks, and then follow with discussions of microblogging, media sites, and social gaming. Given that there is a great deal of research highlighting the effectiveness of utilizing social media in academic classes, this paper focuses on providing practical guidance as to how social media could be integrated into the classroom, homework, and project experience.

A Comparative Study Of Prospective Natural Gas For Vehicle (Ngv) Buyers' Behavior Intention In Thailand, Howard W. Combs, N. Likitsuwannakool, S. Chaipoopirutana

Faculty Publications

This study examines the prospects of how Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) could gain more popularity, and more consumers, throughout Thailand. A survey of 500 potential consumers, comprising l00 respondents in each of the five separate regions, identified relevant geographic locations, demographic factors and their impact on behavior intention. The results of the study suggest that consumer’s behavioral intentions toward NGV are affected by factors pertaining to social influences and NGV attributes. Each group contains several sub-variables and is used in verifying its individual impact on consumer’s behavioral intention, while the differences in vehicle factors did not strongly affect the behavior …

Advertising Budget And Sales Paths Under The Dynamics Of The Student Work Control Problem And Regularity Requirements, Aharon Hibshoosh

Faculty Publications

Consider a firm promoting a product in a fast expanding industry by using advertising as its single promotional tool. The firm's objective is to minimize the overall cost of advertising necessary for reaching certain target sales of the product by the end of a given planning period. We adopt the Student Work Control problem (SWC) framework for modeling this marketing context, in general, and the advertising-sales response function, in particular. We compare the SWC's optimal control budgeting principle with the solutions of equally effective, alternative advertising budgeting principles, which require strong regularity conditions on the path of either the advertising …

A Study Of Visual Puffery In Fragrance Advertising: Is The Message Sent Stronger Than The Actual Scent?, Mark Toncar, Marc Fetscherin

Faculty Publications

Purpose - This paper investigates visual exaggerations of fragrance advertisements by comparing subjects’ expectations resulting from print ads to their subsequent product evaluations. It then considers whether the actual scents fall short, meet or exceed these expectations.

Design/methodology/approach - By means of a semiotic analysis we capture the corresponding literary attributes of the ads to develop adjective pairs describing the meaning of the ads. Interviews are conducted to assess the meaning that consumers draw from the fragrance ads and we supplement these findings by performing a blind olfactory product evaluation of the fragrances. Paired sample t-tests are used to compare …

The Importance Of The Historical Tang Dynasty In Place Branding Contemporary Xi'an, Norman Harry Rothschild, Ilan Alon, Marc Fetscherin

Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the opportunity of utilizing Tang dynasty history, heritage, buildings and names in the effort to place brand the contemporary city Xi'an.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a conceptual framework for place branding cities consisting of two main dimensions. The first describes the continuum of functional versus emotional values within a city; the second measures the degree to which the image of a place is historical or contemporary. The paper then employs historical analysis to examine the meaning and construction of a Tang dynasty brand for place branding twenty-first century Xi'an. …

Science Diplomacy With Swissnex China: A Swiss Nation Brand Initiative, Flavia Schlegel, Olivier Jacot, Marc Fetscherin

Faculty Publications

Switzerland has a long tradition of expertise in the fields of science, research and education, with “science diplomacy” (SD) now assuming an important role for innovation economies. Past experience shows that international scientific cooperation can have valuable outcomes for the involved countries and complements traditional foreign policy and diplomacy. In Switzerland, a worldwide network of science and technology outposts under the auspices of the Swiss State Secretariat for Education and Research (SER) in cooperation with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) was established in 2000. The very swissnex network around the world defines one of those established science diplomacy …

Firm-Specific Assets, Multinationality, And Financial Performance: A Meta-Analytic Review And Theoretical Integration, Ahmet H. Kirca, G. Tomas M. Hult, Kendall Roth, S. Tamer Cavusgill, Morys Z. Perryy, M. Billure Akdeniz, Seyda Z. Deligonul, Jeannette A. Mena, Wesley A. Pollitte, Jessica J. Hoppner, Joseph C. Miller, Ryan C. White

Faculty Publications

Through a meta-analysis of 120 independent samples reported in 111 studies, we test the predictions of internalization theory in the context of the multinationality-performance relationship. Findings indicate that multinationality provides an efficient organizational form that enables firms to transfer their firm-specific assets to generate higher returns in international markets. In addition, the results delineate the conditions under which firm-specific assets have the strongest impact on the multinationality-performance relationship. Meta-analytic evidence also suggests that multinationality has intrinsic value above and beyond the intangible assets that firms possess, given analyses controlling for firms' international experience, age, size, and product diversification.