Marketing Commons^™

Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage Through Customer Centricity: Evidence From Fmcg Firms In Indonesia, Oskar Fajar Damanik, Elliot Simangunsong, Fathony Rahman, Eka Ardianto

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study aims to develop a comprehensive model that leverages customer-centric strategies to build sustainable competitive advantage within the dynamic and complex context of changing consumer behaviour.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Data were obtained from 235 sales and marketing managers across 63 Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firms using a convenience sampling method. A structured questionnaire employing Likert-scale items was distributed via Google Forms. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 3 and further validated through semi-structured interviews with top management practitioners.

Research Findings: The findings of the study indicate that a customer-centric strategy …

Unveiling Ai Deployment And Social Support On Customer Value Co-Creation And Stickiness In Social Commerce: A Pls-Sem And Nca Approach, Zandro M. Catacutan, Christian Edwin M. Perlado

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study examines AI deployment and social support in fostering customer value co-creation and customer stickiness towards S-commerce applications in online shopping.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This study employed a cross-sectional survey design, incorporating purposive and snowball sampling, and a sample size of 625 participants. PLS-SEM and NCA were utilised to test the hypotheses of this study.

Research Findings: The study results showed that AI deployment and social support were significant determinants and essential factors in facilitating customer value co-creation for S-commerce. However, it is not a prerequisite for maintaining customer stickiness in S-commerce. Customer value co-creation was found to have …

The Path To Impulse: A Cognitive-Affective-Conative Model Of Live E-Commerce Behaviour Across Southeast Asia, Any Urwatul Wusko, Aminullah Aminullah

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study investigates how cognitive and affective mechanisms jointly shape impulse buying intentions in live e-commerce environments, using the Cognitive-Affective-Conative (CAC) model, with a focus on Southeast Asian consumers.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 430 respondents from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Data were gathered from participants with recent live-shopping experience on platforms such as TikTok Shop and Shopee Live. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using SmartPLS was employed to test the proposed relationships.

Research Findings: Perceived authenticity and interactivity significantly influence emotional arousal and fear of missing out, which in turn predicted impulse …

Personal Tendencies And Traveler Preferences: A Study On Personality-Driven Travel Marketing, Evelyn Filleman

Honors Theses

This study examines the influence of personality typing (as outlined by the International Personality Item Pool test structure) on travel decision-making as it relates to marketing matrix strategies. Understanding the relationship between personality type and travel is crucial, as individuals will have different need hierarchies and place decision-making factors on different levels of priority. This study uses the theoretical frameworks of Clifford Geertz and Michael Pacanowsky (Cultural Approach to Organizational Communication) and Judee Burgoon (Expectancy Violations Theory) to inform, direct, and explain the results of the completed research. A total of 261 participants were asked to take a survey outlining …

Bill Brand Interview By Alex Morris, April 6, 2026, Bill Brand, Alexander Morris

HIST 4798/5798: Recording Memory: Methods and Uses of Oral History

In this 2026 interview, Bill Brand, a former corporate executive and, since 2023, a trustee on the Ohio University Foundation Board, discusses his lifelong connections to Ohio University (OU) and Athens, Ohio. An OU alum, Brand earned a Bachelor of Science from the Scripps College of Communication in 1987. He discusses what about OU—from when he first visited in the early 80s up until now—has continued to entice him into involvement with the university. In particular, he touches on the strong sense of community within both the university and Athens as a whole, which he asserts serves as a safe …

Horizontal Collaboration Practices And Operational Performance Of Smallholder Farmer Groups In Horticultural Supply Chain, Herieth J. Rogath, Juma James Masele, Gerald Magova

Business Management Review

Collaboration has increasingly been recognized as a strategic approach for enhancing performance. However, limited attention has been given to the relationship between horizontal collaboration practices and the operational performance of horticultural smallholder farmer groups in downstream supply chains. This study examined this relationship through the lens of Social Exchange Theory. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from 195 smallholder horticultural farmer groups across the southern highlands of Tanzania, including Mbeya, Iringa, Njombe, and Songwe regions. Analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings reveal that all collaboration practices improve operational performance; resource …

A Forgotten Tool? Intellectual Property Rights And The Competitive Potential Of Micro, Small, And Medium-Sized Enterprises In Tanzania, Saudin J. Mwakaje

Business Management Review

This article offers a hybrid assessment of law and its impact on business by examining how intellectual property rights (IPR) promote business competitiveness by granting enterprises exclusive statutory rights over their innovations and creative ideas. The article situates the discussion in the Tanzanian context and focuses on Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs). Using a qualitative approach, the discourse examines ongoing national and continental reforms and the evolving business and market environment that are driving MSMEs to adopt innovation to achieve market control and sustainability. Recent continental and regional regulatory developments, including the adoption of the Agreement on African Continental …

From Awareness To Action: Exploring The Behavioral Gap In Green Computing Among Surveyed University Students In Tanzania, Victor G. Wilson

Business Management Review

As digital technologies become increasingly embedded in higher education, promoting environmentally responsible computing practices has become an important sustainability and management concern. This study applies the Norm Activation Model (NAM) to examine green computing behavior among university students in Tanzania. Drawing on responses from 868 students across science, education, and business programs, the study investigates how Awareness of Consequences, Ascription of Responsibility, and Personal Norms influence green computing behaviors. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to assess both the explanatory power of the NAM variables and the selective moderating roles of gender and academic program. Findings reveal that both awareness and …

The Role Of Board Effectiveness In Shaping The Influence Of Esg Disclosures On Financial Performance: The Case Of Tanzanian Listed Companies, Emmanuel Christopher

Business Management Review

This study examines the moderating role of board effectiveness in the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures and the financial performance of firms listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) in Tanzania. Drawing on stakeholder and agency theory perspectives, the study posits that ESG disclosures create value for stakeholders while effective boards enhance oversight and ensure that sustainability initiatives translate into firm performance. Using secondary data from firms’ annual reports for 2016–2024 (198 firm–year observations), the study applies random effects panel regression guided by the Hausman test. Robustness checks were performed using an alternative financial performance …

Factors Affecting Purchase Intention Toward Second Hand Clothes, Soumaya Mounir Kaakour, Fouad Saad

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

Although the purchase of second-hand clothing remains a debated research topic, it is widely acknowledged that second-hand clothing (SHC) benefits society by reducing the waste of natural resources and promoting sustainability, however, it is yet to be determined whether the motivation behind buying second-hand clothing is driven by concerns for self, community, and nature.

This research aimed to investigate the impact of the five following factors frugality, perceived environmental knowledge, attitude, environmental concern, and mindful consumption on the purchase intention of second-hand clothing. A quantitative approach was used, and data was gathered online using Google Forms, where 308 responses were …

Barks And Beans: A Place To Enjoy Two Things You Love, Erika Davis

Honors Projects

This project explores the necessary steps that need to be taken in order to have a successful and impactful pet cafe. "Barks and Beans" is a pet cafe created to enhance the community and benefit societies mental health and social wellbeing while operating as a successful business. This project is guided by the research questions "How does integrating dogs into a coffee shop environment influence factors such as customer attraction, retention, and overall brand identity?” and “What impact do dogs in a coffee shop have on a customer's emotional/mental well-being, satisfaction of experience, and likelihood of returning?”. Given the research …

Judging A Book By Its Cover: Exploring Ethical Solutions For Marketing & Labeling Romance Novels With Illustrated Cover Art, Tricia Filbrun

Honors Projects

As social media platforms and subcommunities have driven massive sales for romance titles in the publishing industry, there has been an intense debate among literary communities, parents, and school administrators about whether the illustrated cover art style is appropriate. Some readers feel that these books are intentionally marketed towards a younger audience, and the sexually explicit nature of the content was not made clear, or labeled at all, before they read the book. This paper explores four likely marketing and labeling solutions that could be implemented to resolve this issue, and whether they are ethical by marketing and advertising standards, …

Platform Affordances, Produsage, And The Attention Economy: From Red (Taylor’S Version) To The Life Of A Showgirl, Angela Rose Asuncion

The Manuscript: Journal of Taylor Swift Studies

Social media platforms increasingly operate as infrastructures of visibility, shaping the conditions under which cultural content is produced, circulated, and recognised (van Dijck et al.; Nieborg and Poell). This article examines Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) and The Life of a Showgirl as two distinct visibility configurations emerging from the affordances and algorithmic logics of TikTok and Instagram. Drawing on platform studies (Abidin), celebrity theory (Dyer; Marshall; Marwick), and participatory culture and produsage (Jenkins; Bruns), the study employs a QCA-inspired configurational approach (Ragin) to analyse how clusters of affective cues, aesthetic strategies, parasocial signals, and circulation patterns generate contrasting visibility …

Latine Financial Wellness Content Creators: Rhetorical Strategies And Approaches, Ariana Bribiesca

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

The following paper explores Latine popular culture through the lens of Latine Instagram content creators who focus on financial literacy and wellness. First, “Viv” from Overcoming Generational Poverty provides a free budget template and money resources. She is the first in her family to build generational wealth while simultaneously supporting her family financially. Second, Giovanna González, a financial educator and award-winning author of Cultura & Cash: Lessons from the First Gen Mentor for Managing Finances & Cultural Expectations, explores the intersection of culture and finances. Finally, Hip Latina’s “Finances Section” explores content with financial resources as part of their larger …

Your Money, Your Message, Ella Rosebrook

Honors Projects

The Your Money, Your Message pamphlet offers a basic overview of personal finance and personal branding to act as a guide for young adults looking to further their knowledge in these areas. It gives beginner-level guidance in budgeting, tracking spending and saving habits, filing taxes with a CPA, a brief description of common payroll taxes, and personal branding. It is important for individuals entering the workforce to be knowledgeable in these areas no matter what their major is, as these skills will bring about a positive impact for anyone. Developing healthy personal finance habits and a strong personal brand is …

Library Programming And Marketing Best Practices For Gen Z Audiences, Maria Atilano

Library Faculty Presentations & Publications

A lot has changed in marketing and outreach in the last decade, but this question remains the same: how do we reach audiences we wish to serve? The Gen Z audience (those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s) are unlike other generations that came before them. These digital natives who have never been without the internet would seemingly be easy to reach with social media content and advertisements, but that’s not always the case. Join Maria Atilano, Student Engagement Librarian at the University of North Florida, for an enlightening webinar that explores how best to reach and engage …

Creepy Or Customized? Understanding The Ethical Boundaries Of Ai-Powered Personalization, Hope Schultz

Honors Projects

Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm, and its presence in our lives only continues to grow. Not only has it changed the way we live and interact with technology, but it has also fundamentally changed how businesses reach customers, particularly in marketing. It now powers the algorithms, predictions, and personalized experiences that shape nearly every digital interaction we have as consumers, including the videos we see on TikTok, the products that are recommended to us on Amazon, and the weirdly accurate ads that pop up across different platforms. These AI-powered systems are constantly learning from tiny behaviors we …

Examination Of Celebrity And Influencer Endorsements, Mackenzie Molnar

Honors Projects

This study examines the effects of celebrity and influencer endorsements on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. A digital survey was distributed through Prolific to 210 U.S. participants ages 18–24. Participants viewed fictional advertisements featuring either a celebrity or an influencer endorsing a product and then rated each endorsement on familiarity, relatability, authenticity, believability, and likelihood of purchase. Results showed that endorsement type alone did not significantly affect believability, indicating that celebrities and influencers can be similarly effective in marketing. However, gender, media usage, and relatability significantly influenced consumer responses. Female participants responded more positively to influencer endorsements, while higher relatability …

Navigating Study Abroad: Improving Western Michigan University Students' Understanding Of University-Approved Provider Programs Through A Website Redesign, Gillian Gold

Honors Theses

Study abroad is a valuable opportunity for students' personal and professional development and is offered in various study abroad models and frameworks, including university-run or externally-run. Western Michigan University offers various options, including Faculty-Led Programs, WMU Exchange Programs, Partner Study Abroad Programs, University-Approved Provider Programs, International Internships, and Independent Study Abroad Opportunities. The University-Approved Provider Programs option at WMU allows students to study abroad through a provider that could more directly meet their interests and goals due to the personalized options available. Despite the benefits of the University-Approved Provider Programs, participation in these programs is low. The information about this …

Ai Readiness, Skill Gaps, And The Future Of Marketing, Trey Thomas, Angela Galaviz, Amanda Evert, Mihaela Roxana Ifrim

Student Research

This presentation explores how artificial intelligence is changing workforce readiness in marketing. It focuses on the growing gap between employer expectations and student preparation, showing how AI driven marketing now requires stronger analytical thinking, practical digital skills, and ethical decision making. The research also examines how learner feedback can help evaluate AI supported education and how responsible AI use affects trust, privacy, and long term marketing success. Overall, the project argues that future marketing readiness depends on practical, inclusive, and ethically grounded AI skill development.