Marketing Commons^™

The Impact Of Irrational Beliefs On Dysfunctional Decision-Making In B2b Salespeople, Barron W. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

The complexity of the contemporary business-to-business (B2B) sales landscape requires salespeople to respond faster, be more knowledgeable, and add more value to buyer interactions than ever before. As such, B2B salespeople must carefully consider the impact of their decisions since they have the potential to directly impact organizational revenue and bottom-line outcomes. The present research utilizes rational-emotive behavior theory to examine judgment and decision-making in B2B salespeople. Research questions are presented and tested with a sample of 306 B2B salespeople using structural equation modeling. The results of the analysis reveal that irrational beliefs lead to dysfunctional emotions, and in turn, …

Cool Brands And Their Grateful Fans: A Multi-Method Exploration Of Brand Coolness And Consumer Gratitude, Melanie Moore Koskie

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the course of three essays, this dissertation explores brand coolness, gratitude, and the relationship between the two. In the first essay, cool brands and their marketing outcomes are viewed through the lens of standing out and fitting in—two paradoxical motivations held together in the concept of cool. Utilizing structural equation modeling, I examine the relevant relationships between consumer’s motivations to stand out and fit in, the corresponding brand coolness attributes of subcultural and popular, the consumer emotional response of gratitude, and a consumer’s willingness to pay more for cool brands. Importantly, this essay finds that the consumer emotion of …

Keeping Social Media Influencers Influential: Preserving Perceptions Of Authenticity While Brand Dropping, Cassandra Miriam Ditt

Doctoral Dissertations

Marketers’ use of social media influencers (SMIs)—individuals who use various social media channels to discuss a particular topic (e.g., fashion, health) or offer entertainment (e.g., comedy) and, in doing so, attract followers—to promote products, known as “influencer marketing,” is a widely employed and effective strategic tool (Linqia 2018). In fact, SMIs, who can be conceptualized as human brands (Thompson 2006), have a greater audience reach and dialogue generation compared to that of celebrities (Crimson Hexagon 2015). Further, consumers perceive SMIs’ content as trustworthy (Scott 2015), which is likely due to them being perceived as highly authentic. According to Audrezet, de …

I See What You Say: Influential Nonverbal Signals Of Frontline Employees On Customer Outcomes, Shuang Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

This research aims to investigate the influential nonverbal signals of frontline employees on customer outcomes. Frontline employees play a vital role in initiating and maintaining customer relationships. The interactions between customers and employees influence not only the immediate reactions, including both affective and cognitive responses, but also customer outcomes, like purchase intention, satisfaction, perceived service quality, and positive word-of-mouth. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies are employed in this dissertation.

Previous studies examined the effects of employee nonverbal signals on customers’ cognitive responses, but limited research has been done on the affective responses of customers. Affect-based trust, positive affect, negative affect, …

Understanding The Role Of Social Media On A Student's College Choice Process And The Implications On A University's Enrollment And Marketing Strategies, Kimberly C. Thornton

Doctoral Dissertations

With decreasing state funds, a sluggish economy, and increased competition, universities are finding new ways to recruit prospective students to their institutions (Campbell, 2013; Sandlin & Pena, 2014). One way to create relationships and recruit prospective students to a university is through the use of social media platforms (Han, 2014; Joly, 2016). The purpose of this study, using the theoretical framework of Perna's (2006) Conceptual College Choice model, was to understand how social media impacted student college choice process by analyzing how universities used social media sites to market their universities to prospective students using the qualitative method of content …

The Influence Of Consumer Freeloading Behavior On An Observer's And Perpetrator's Affective Commitment, Mohamad A. Darrat

Doctoral Dissertations

The dissertation explores the relationship between customer affective commitment and freeloading behavior. Consumer freeloading results when a consumer takes advantage of a system or market procedures in a way that allows him or her to obtain benefits from a value proposition with no or reduced monetary costs. Thus, the freeloading consumer works the value equation in his/her favor at the expense of the marketer and/or other consumers. In addition to examining the point of view of the consumer performing the unethical behavior, the dissertation also examines the impact of such behavior on a third party observer. How do loyal consumers …

Examining Consumers' Cognitive And Behavioral Responses To Belief Disconfirmation, Aadel A. Darrat

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores possible reasons for why consumers persist in their beliefs despite being exposed to substantial disconfirming evidence. The theory of cognitive dissonance (Festinger 1957) provides an important foundation for the pervasiveness of the confirmation bias and belief perseverance. Four main research paradigms of cognitive dissonance theory are discussed: free choice, induced or forced compliance, belief disconfirmation, and hypocrisy. Confirmation bias and belief perseverance are positioned in the belief disconfirmation paradigm.

Confirmation bias refers to the general tendency to readily accept evidence that supports one's beliefs and to reject or avoid evidence that goes against such beliefs. Belief perseverance, …

Enough Is Enough! Understanding Environmentally Driven Multisensory Experiences, Nina Lisa Theresa Eileen Krey

Doctoral Dissertations

The importance of sensory perception and sensory stimulation in creating pleasant consumption experiences has received increasing attention within recent years. Yet, while numerous studies investigate antecedents and consequences of sensory perception specific to a certain sense (vision, touch, audition, smell, and taste), limited research addresses sensation from a broader perspective by examining what constitutes "sensing" in sensations. Multiple studies are employed to investigate the totality of sensation rather than any sense specific sensation, by framing sensational experiences within the long tradition of atmospherics research. Here, the construct of need for sensation is conceptualized to reflect the notion of totality of …

Effects Of Psychological Contract Breaches On Mergers And Acquisitions, Kristine M. Murphy

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates breaches in the psychological employment contract during mergers and acquisitions. An employee's contract is incomplete in regards to mergers and acquisitions (M&A). In its place, psychological contracts are formed. Common psychological contracts breached in the M&A process include raises, bonuses, promotions, job responsibilities, job security, and career development. Employees who have experienced an M&A were surveyed to test the severity of various psychological contract breaches and their effect on employee performance, organizational citizenship behavior, job satisfaction, organizational deviance, and turnover using t-tests, Structural Equation Modeling, and ANOVA. The mediating effect of feelings of violation was also tested. …

The Effects Of Advertised Exclusivity On Consumer Behavior, Danny Clyde Upshaw Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

Retailers routinely counter price competition by matching or beating competitors' prices. However, in addition to offering price-matching guarantees many retailers are increasingly adopting a differentiation or product assortment strategy of using "advertised retailer exclusive products" (AREPs) that are not directly comparable to competitor offerings. Such goods may offer added utilitarian and hedonic benefits to the consumer. With this tactic, products are advertised and labeled as "exclusive," but the nature of the exclusivity may range no further than an exclusive label to more pronounced differences, such as unique or additional features. However, the effectiveness of such tactics at: (1) decreasing search …

May I Help You? How Stereotypes And Innuendoes Influence Service Encounters, Lauren Michelle Brewer

Doctoral Dissertations

"You only get one chance to make a good first impression." The dissertation focuses on marketing agents; among the most visible is the "service provider." Previous research establishes the important role of cognitive social schemata in determining the way consumers react to different types of marketing agents, including service providers. In the literature review, a classification schema is developed for service provider stereotypes derived from theory using social stereotypes. The development of the Service Provider Perception Framework (SPPF) creates a classification for the individual service provider along two main dimensions: competence and affect.

In services design (particularly situations involving a …

Sales Performance And Intuition – The Role Of Gut Feelings, David Locander

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation extends the dual theory of salesperson information processing by examining the relationship between salespersons' emotional intelligence (EI) and their preference for and use of decision-making styles (intuition and/or deliberation) in the selling process. This dissertation contains two studies, Study 1 employs a descriptive research design and Study 2 uses experimental manipulations to investigate the role that intuition and deliberation play within the sales process. Data for both studies come from a sample derived from a national online panel of business to business salespeople.

Study 1, using a survey approach, assesses two competing models and one post hoc model …

The Functional Approach To Creating The Self, Obinna O. Obilo

Doctoral Dissertations

Studying consumers is at the heart of the sub-discipline of consumer behavior; to truly understand the core of said consumers however, the marketing literature has focused on studying the self. The extant literature has discussed the self from several conceptual view points. As such, this study provides a rich theoretical review reaching back into the 19th century literature and extending into more recent developments related to cognitive social psychology. James' (1890) global tripartite model of the self is adopted, and the various avenues by which consumers create their `selves' are then explored, with particular focus on James' material self (bodily …

The Impact Of Narcissism On Value Evaluations Resulting From Virtual Good Purchases, Nathan Mcdougle

Doctoral Dissertations

Social network sites and virtual worlds have become an intriguing area of study within Marketing. The uncertainty of the effects of marketing efforts within these worlds, especially with add-on purchasable items, has received some research attention, but research has not delved deeply into the factors that affect a consumer's intention to purchase these items online. In order to better understand these actions, the present study attempts to empirically examine the effects of several of these variables—specifically narcissism—on purchase intentions, value, and quality of life. Two competing theories are proposed to explain these relationships—a theory of experiential consumption and a theory …

Retailer Television Advertising: Consumers' Skepticism Of Informational Vs. Emotional Ads, Janna Michelle Parker

Doctoral Dissertations

The bombardment with ads that consumers face daily has led to increased Skepticism toward Advertising. This increased advertising costs billions of dollars, yet, the research has shown conflicting results (Stafford and Day 1995) (Obermiller and Spangenberg 1998) (Obermiller, Spangenberg and MacLachlan 2005) regarding which strategies work best for reducing the negative influence of Skepticism toward Advertising.

For over a decade, retailers have ranked #2 in television advertising spending (Advertising Age 2002-2012). Television advertising research has focused on advertising by manufacturers. These findings should not be generalized to retailers because retailers and manufacturers have different goals, use different promotional tools, and …

Escapist Environments, Restorative Experiences, And Consumer Self-Regulation, G. David Shows

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of atmospherics recognizes shoppers engage in consumption for more than its utilitarian function. The concept of the recreational shopper recognizes the value-producing process of the consumption experience. This research furthers the understanding of consumption by delving into the value-enhancing process of escaping during the experience, as well as measuring the mediating effects of fascination and authenticity. In this study, a test of an individual's self-regulating behavior and the moderating effects on the consumption experience help determine if predetermination affects an escape experience.

Pictured scenes of restaurants were pretested for their ability to produce fascination and represent and authentic …

Valuing Value: Value-In-Use And Marketing Performance, Kevin William James

Doctoral Dissertations

A unified subject matter defines every scientific discipline. Marketing then, like other disciplines, consists of a finite set of core concepts. This dissertation focuses specifically on the core concept of "value" as being among the most central of concepts and more specifically elaborates theoretically on the concept of value-in-use. Historically, marketing's received view suggests customer satisfaction is a key contributor to firm success. However, the extant literature reports a weak relation between customer satisfaction and a firm's organizational performance (Woodruff, 1997). This dissertation makes a theoretical case for value as among the most telling metrics in all of marketing and …

Response Rate And Response Error In Marketing Research, M. Yasemin Ocal Atinc

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I investigate the perspectives of marketing researchers views about the two important concepts of survey research, response rate and response bias. I specifically aimed to answer the following questions: Research Question #1: Do marketing researchers separate the concepts of response rate from response bias? Research Question #2: How exactly should data quality be measured? Is it about sample representativeness, minimizing non- response bias or just solely Increasing the response rate? Research Question #3: What are researchers doing to assess and minimize response bias? Research Question #4: Do additional efforts put forth by survey researchers, such as reminder …

The Antecedents And Consequences Of Salesperson Deviance: A Question Of Fit, Mahmoud Darrat

Doctoral Dissertations

The linkages between salesperson-organization fit and salesperson deviance behaviors have not received adequate attention in the marketing literature. Salespeople can be viewed as either a tremendous asset for the realization of an organization's long term goals or as a potential threat to its overall success. This research addresses the importance of managing salesperson-organization fit in mitigating subsequent anti-normative behaviors. The study employs a conceptual model of sales-specific organizational congruence factors (work/nonwork demands fit, compensation structure fit, and values congruence) which drive salesperson deviance behaviors. The study examines how deviant behaviors are employed as a coping mechanism by salespeople who do …

Balancing Customer And Marketing Inputs To Maximize The Value Experience, Weiling Zhuang

Doctoral Dissertations

Customer co-creation has been recognized in the marketing literature as a beneficial activity for both firms and customers, however, further research is needed to more fully understand how firms and customers work together to maximize the value creations. In order to extend this area, the present study conducts two studies to empirically test how customer participation interacts with other factors to influence customer shopping experience and behavior responses.

In the experiment study, an updated typology of service context was developed to examine how customer input and service provider input along other factors to influence value co-creation outcomes. A computer stimulated …

An Examination Of The Interfaces Between Operations And Advertising Strategies, Abdullahel Bari

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of three journals examining the interfaces between the marketing variable of advertising and various aspects of the operations function of the enterprise, namely, (1) production cost [Chapter 2], (2) inventory control [Chapter 3], and (3) service cost learning [Chapter 4]. The first journal identified the optimum advertising allocation policy over time in the presence of a quadratic convex/concave production cost function when the advertising response function is concave using a modified Vidale-Wolfe model. Through analytical proofs and numerical simulations, the results indicated the potential superiority of a pulsation policy in the presence of concavity in the …

When Corporate Policies And Consumer Values Collide: Examining The Relationship Between Religion And Controversial Business Decisions, Krist R. G. Swimberghe

Doctoral Dissertations

Religion appears to play a very important role in people's lives in the United States. Some companies, however, continue to make business decisions which appear to be contrary to the value systems of a majority of consumers in the United States. Although past descriptive research has confirmed that religiousness influences consumers' and marketing managers' ethical judgments of their own behavior, this research has not explored the influence of religion in the buyer-seller dyad. To fill this gap in the consumer behavior literature, this study uses the Hunt-Vitell theory of ethics to help explain how consumers' religiosity influences their ethical judgments …

Optimal Lot-Sizing, Pricing, And Product Intergenerational Lifestyle Decisions For The Case Of Disruptive Innovations In Fashion, Ryan Samuel Sale

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to determine production schedules, production quantities, selling prices, and new product introduction timing to fulfill deterministic price-dependent demand for a series of products in such a way as to maximize profit per period.

In order to accomplish the above task, some main assumptions are made. First, it is assumed that the series of products being considered are associated with sequential non-disruptive innovations in technology as well as disruptive innovations in fashion. That is to say, the products represent subsequent generations in the same family of products in an industry that experiences repeated minor technological …

The Sales Managers' Implicit Personality Theory And Leadership Variables, Gordon Gunn Mosley

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of sales managers' implicit personality theory and various leadership variables provided to salespeople by their sales managers. Several bodies of literature were reviewed for this study from the educational psychology, management, leadership, and marketing/sales disciplines. More specifically, this study addressed the following research questions: (1) What effect does sales managers' implicit personality theory have on the nature of the feedback they provide to their salespeople? (2) What effect does sales managers' implicit personality theory have of the transformational leadership they provide to their salespeople? (3) What effect does sales managers' …

Factors Influencing Faculty Computer Literacy And Use In Jordan: A Multivariate Analysis, Iman Akour

Doctoral Dissertations

This study broadens the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) proposed by Davis (1989) by incorporating multiple dimensions of cultural attributes into the model. The study also specifies and expands on the factors that may influence faculty members' computer literacy and computer usage in a developing country, namely Jordan.

To operationalize the constructs of the introduced conceptual model, eight instruments were used. They are Igbaria, Zinatelli, Cragg, and Cavaye's (1997) scales of organizational support; Hofsted's (1988) scale of cultural attributes; Igbaria and Parasuraman's (1989) scale of attitudes toward computers; Thatcher and Perrewe's (2002) scale of computer anxiety; Compeau and Higgins's (1995) scale …

Individual, Managerial, And Organizational Antecedents And A Performance-Based Consequence Of Salesperson Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Barbara Janet Allison

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to extend the nomological network of the construct organizational citizenship behavior within a sales setting.

Statistical analyzes indicated that, contrary to the results hypothesized, trait competitiveness was significantly and positively related to organizational citizenship behavior and two of its dimensions. However, the relationships among trait competitiveness and the global measure of organizational citizenship behavior and the dimensions of namely helping behavior and civic virtue were found to be significant and positive.

No significant relationships were found between outcome-based control systems and organizational citizenship behavior and its dimensions. One significant relationship was observed between activity …

An Empirical Investigation Of A Model Of Environmentally Concerned Consumer Behavior And Its Determinants: The Moderating Role Of Market Mavenship And Product Involvement, Kishwar A. Joonas

Doctoral Dissertations

Extant literature offers incomplete explanations of environmentally concerned consumer behavior (ECCB), based on subsets of determinants. In this study, I have presented an integrated model of ECCB, and examined the main effects of three key psychological determinants (environmentally concerned beliefs and attitudes, personal norm, and perceived consumer effectiveness) and two key socio-cultural determinants (injunctive norm and collectivist orientation), on four dimensions of ECCB, namely purchase behavior, search for information, conserving behavior, and supporting intent. The study also examined the interactional effects of market mavenship and involvement on these direct linkages.

I conducted a national online survey among members of environmental …

The Effect Of Conflict Management Strategies On Manifest Conflict And Relationship Quality In A Buyer /Seller Environment, Lisa Toms

Doctoral Dissertations

In the free market theory established by Adam Smith in his Wealth of Nations, humans were assumed to automatically seek their own best economic interest. This assumption placed every buyer and seller in conflict with each other. Given the ever-increasing competitiveness of the business environment, it is imperative that salespeople seek to improve relationships with their customers. The purpose of this study is to propose and test a model of conflict management strategies, manifest conflict, relationship quality, and their associations during a particular conflict incident. The first objective is to determine if there is an association between the conflict …

The Moderating Roles Of National Culture And The Country Institutional Profiles On The Effect Of Market Orientation And Entrepreneurial Orientation On The Performance Of Banks In Jordan: An Empirical Investigation, Musa A. Dwairi

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of the study was to extend Jaworski and Kohli's (1993) market orientation (MO) model in the banking industry of Jordan. Specifically, the study (1) added entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as a second mediating variable with market orientation, (2) incorporated national culture and country institutional profile as moderators on the performance effects of MO and EO, and (3) replicated other relationships in the market orientation model of Jaworski and Kohli in the banking industry of Jordan. These moderating variables explained some of the discrepancies in the direct performance effects of MO and EO observed in international contexts.

To accomplish …

Antecedents Of Salesperson Effectiveness And Efficiency Performance: A Data Envelopment Analysis, Xueming Luo

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to (1) measure salesperson efficiency; (2) investigate both personal and organizational factors that determine salesperson efficiency; and (3) investigate both personal and organizational factors that determine salesperson effectiveness. Salesperson efficiency was assessed by data envelopment analysis (DEA). Two different DEA models were employed in order to increase the reliability of the efficiency results. Antecedents of salesperson efficiency and effectiveness were tested using Tobit regression analysis and ordinary least square regression analysis, respectively. These antecedents include not only personal level variables such as working smart, working hard, learning goal orientation, and performance goal orientation, but …