Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Covid 19 And Geopolitical Tensions On Small To Midsized Enterprises, Nader H. Shooshtari, Tim A. Manuel, Shawn F. Clouse

AMTP Proceedings 2023

The combined effects of COVID 19 pandemic and rising geopolitical tensions are discouraging to SMEs operating in international markets but they can be overcome or in the least mitigated. Some of the obstacles facing SMEs are structural and may be difficult to overcome. Others are psychological and can be addressed with appropriate and targeted assistance measures, both public and private, which combined with SME agility and entrepreneurial ability could pave the way for greater international success.

Impact Of The Digitized Sales Work Environment On Customer Orientation, Julia Rötzmeier-Keuper, Nancy Viola Wünderlich

AMTP Proceedings 2023

Informed by appraisal theory, which highlights personal characteristics and resources as critical to the emergence of stress appraisal and adaptation (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), our study poses the following questions:

• What characterizes the DSWE?
• What is the role of the DSWE in creating salesperson distress and eustress?
• How is a salesperson’s customer orientation/ value-based selling affected by the DSWE?

In our attempt to explore the potential up- and downsides of work environment digitalization and the appraisal of the pervasive use of Information Technology in everyday work, we adopted a qualitative approach. We combined information from qualitative interviews with B2B customer …

Service Failure And Recovery: The Role Of Customer Forgiveness And Perceived Justice In Customers’ Coping Behaviors, Andreawan Honora, Kai-Yu Wang, Wen-Hai Chih

AMTP Proceedings 2023

This research investigated the role of customer forgiveness as the underlying mechanism of the effect of service failure severity on customers’ coping behaviors. It also investigated the moderating role of customers’ justice perceptions in the proposed model. The findings showed that customer forgiveness is essential in mending the relationships and lowering customer avoidance. Customer forgiveness was less negatively affected by service failure severity when customer perceived service providers’ recovery efforts with higher levels of justice. Additionally, this research explored the moderating effects of three dimensions of justice on the relationship between service failure severity and customer forgiveness. The findings demonstrated …

Examining The Product And Service-Centric Website Features And Functions Offered By European Fashion Retailers Following The Covid-19 Pandemic, Richard Heiens, Ravi Narayanaswamy

AMTP Proceedings 2023

Considering the significant pressures faced by fashion-oriented e-commerce retailers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to understand what modifications, if any, these retailers may have made to their online retail stores, and the impact that these changes may have had on their effectiveness during this time frame. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to examine the various product-centric and service-centric features and functions found on the websites of European fashion retailers both before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also examined the conversion rates, the average ticket values and customer demographics for …

Differences In Consumers’ Green Consumption Mindsets And Behavior Across South Africa, South Korea And The United States Based Upon Measures Of Hofstede’S Cultural Dimensions Theory, Sam Fullerton, Estelle Van Tonder, Jungki Lee

AMTP Proceedings 2023

Samples of 513 South African consumers, 292 South Korean consumers, and 938 consumers in the United States were drawn using identical, but appropriately translated, questionnaires. The data collection instrument addressed a number of psychographic considerations germane to consumption – and anti-consumption – decisions. Using the index scores from Hofstede’s Theory of Cultural Dimensions as bases for differentiating among the three countries, meaningful differences related to issues germane to sustainability were identified. The three cultural dimensions used for comparative purposes were individualism (versus collectivism), indulgence (versus restraint) and long-term (versus short-term) orientation. Differences were documented for all eight of the sustainability-related …

A Comparison Of The Green Mindset And An Array Of Green Customer Citizenship Behaviours Of Adult Residents In South Africa And The United States, Christo Bisschoff, Estelle Van Tonder, Sam Fullerton

AMTP Proceedings 2023

Independent samples of 513 South African and 938 American consumers responded to an invitation-only, Internet-based survey that captured behavioural and attitudinal data regarding five constructs germane to customer citizenship. The five constructs were green mindset, anti-consumption behaviour, consumer coaching, green advocacy, and customer helping behaviour. Multi-item scales for all five constructs that had been shown to produce a high degree of reliability in prior research were gleaned from the literature. Results from South Africa and the United States were compared. High degrees of reliability were in evidence for each scale in each country. A comparison of the mean scores documented …

Differences In Eco-Friendly Attitudes And Behaviors Among Consumers In The United States Across An Array Of Demographics, Sam Fullerton, Tammy Mccullough

AMTP Proceedings 2023

A sample of 938 consumers residing in the United States responded, by invitation, to an online survey on anti-consumption attitudes and behaviors. Drawing from one aspect of that survey, the primary focus of this study is sustainability. The relationship between four of the measured sustainability-related variables and five commonly examined demographics was evaluated using a t-test, ANOVA, and the Scheffé Method of Multiple Comparisons. Age was the most common variable to be associated with attitudes and behavior regarding sustainability. The most common dependent variable to be associated with the five demographic variables was the frequency in which the respondent chose …

The Perceived Impact Of The New Rules Regarding Name, Image, And Likeness (Nil) In Intercollegiate Sports, Sam Fullerton, Ron Wade, Ronald Dick, Michael Mccall

AMTP Proceedings 2023

New rules allow college athletes to earn significant income from a multitude of activities common among professional athletes. These activities include allowing athletes to profit from the sale of intellectual properties that bear their name, image, or likeness (NIL); additional opportunities include blogs, social media posts, camps, and autograph sessions. Early perceptions of the impact of these new NIL rules have been far from unanimous. A sample of 404 students from five American universities provided feedback regarding their perceptions of nine NIL-related considerations: the impact that the new NIL rules have had on college sports, if the athletes benefit, whether …

Brand Me: How Linkedin Training Improves Personal Branding By Influencing Self-Esteem And Job Search Self-Efficacy By Generating An All-Star Profile, Christopher Leo, Timothy Halloran, Carlos Valdez, Leslie Connell, Jennifer Morin

AMTP Proceedings 2023

This article considers how LinkedIn training in the form of a workshop can improve a professional's personal brand by influencing self-esteem and job search efficacy by developing a LinkedIn All-Star Profile. Self-esteem and self-efficacy are two of the most highly researched social and vocational psychology aspects. While there has been some research on the impact of non-technological workshops, there needs to be more research on the effects of workshop training in these two variables on employee personal brand on social media.

Personal Brand Equity In Linkedin: Impression Management As An Antecedent And Behaviors As Consequences, Carlos Valdez, Jorge Villegas, David Penn

AMTP Proceedings 2023

This research explores how Personal Brand Equity in professional social media is influenced by impression management and the online behaviors of users of this social media platform. Using a path analysis, the relationship between Impression Management and Personal Brand Equity was, as expected, strong and positive. The paths between brand equity and frequency of behaviors such as use of LinkedIn to network were significant and strong while other behaviors such as frequency of use of LinkedIn to ask for recommendations were not significant. The contribution of this paper is to be the first to analyze this relationship to understand better …

Southern Educator, Georgia Southern University

College of Education: News & Publications (2003-2023)

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference Serves 1,300 Professionals

Faculty and Students Meet with Legislators at the State Capital

Special Ed Major Presents Research at Statewide Event

Faculty and Staff Honored for Outstanding Contributions to the University

COE Supports Special Olympics

K-8 Preservice Teachers’ Statistical Thinking When Determining Best Measure Of Center, Ha Nguyen, Eryn M. Stehr Maher, Gregory Chamblee, Sharon Taylor

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine K-8 preservice teacher (PST) candidates’ statistical thinking when selecting the best center representation for the given data. Forty-four PSTs enrolled in a Statistics and Probability for K-8 Teachers course in a university located in the southeastern region of the United States were asked to complete a 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress test item. All 44 PSTs’ data were qualitatively analyzed for correctness and statistical thinking strategies used. Findings were that most PSTs either incorrectly selected the mean, rather than median, as the best measure of center for the given data or …

Spring Semester 2023, Georgia Southern University

Academic Calendars

November 15, 2022- May 1, 2023

Consumer Decision-Making On Golf Equipment: Impact Of Emerging Strategic Organizational Goals And Supply Chain Intricacies, Faith A. Hopkins, Ismet Anitsal, Melek Meral Anitsal

AMTP Proceedings 2023

The game of golf is incredibly historic and enjoyed by many people from numerous different age groups across many parts of the world. The research involving the game of golf is often limited to the topics of golf club engineering and injury prevention within the game. The consumer decision-making process for golf equipment has been primarily under-researched. This study explores the consumer decision-making process involving golf equipment and provides propositions to achieve strategic organizational goals. Propositions are made concerning supply chain intricacies containing the inclusion of personalization and customization and including women's equipment displayed in marketing activities. There is room …

Effects Of Online Consumer Ratings On Persuasion, Magdoleen Ierlan

AMTP Proceedings 2023

Online product review websites have become very important in the purchase decisions of consumers. Word-of-mouth communication was once limited to the passing of information using verbal means, however, it now extends into text messages and web dialogue, such as online profile pages, blog posts, message board threads, instant messages and emails. The type of review will influence the consumer differently. Also, the need for cognition will impact the way the type of review the consumer requires to decide.

Social Media Influencer Perceived Source Credibility Scale Validation And Consumer Attitudes Toward The Brand: An Exploratory Study In Urban India, James E. Stoddard, Lubna Nafees, Christy M. Cook

AMTP Proceedings 2023

This study explores the relationship between social media influencers (SMIs) perceived source credibility and the formation of brand attitudes of their followers from an urban Indian sample. SMIs have become a channel in shaping consumers’ brand perceptions for products and services across multiple industries worldwide. Using survey data from India, this research delves into the dimensions of SMI perceived source credibility and attitudes towards the brand. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) validated the concept that SMI perceived source credibility is a second order construct that is comprised of SMI perceived expertise, goodwill and trustworthiness. Also, that partial least squares structural …

The Digital Engine Model: Lead Generation Through Applied Dcm Strategies, Kyle A. Huggins, John D. Hansen

AMTP Proceedings 2023

Digital Content Marketing (DCM) has become a primary tool for marketers in driving lead generation in today’s digital marketing world. Leading brands are creating and curating content in order to develop brand equity, connecting content to brand story and narrative. And while strong theoretical models of content marketing have been discussed in the marketing literature, like Hollebeek and Macky (2019), there is a dearth of understanding about the application and direct impact of organic digital content strategies on marketing directives. This paper investigates an applied model, called The Digital Engine, which provides instruction on proper digital content marketing instruction and …

A Guide To Controlling Supply Chain Last Mile And Reverse Last-Mile Logistics: A Study Of U.S. And China Small Business Enterprises, Emmanuel Finnih

AMTP Proceedings 2023

In the United States, the last-mile logistics infrastructure is less developed, with fewer delivery services and less efficient delivery methods. China has adopted more advanced technologies such as drones and robots for last-mile delivery, while the United States has lagged behind in this area (Zhang and Zhang, 2020). Finally, in terms of delivery methods, China has adopted more efficient methods such as same-day delivery and express delivery, while the United States has been relatively slow to adopt these methods, with many retailers still relying on traditional delivery methods like ground shipping. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of …

Measuring Social Influence In Online Social Networks - Focus On Human Behavior Analytics, Shyamala N. Chalakudi, Dildar Hussain, Gnana Bharathy, Murthy Kolluru

AMTP Proceedings 2023

With the advent of online social networks (OSN) and their ever-expanding reach, researchers seek to determine a social media user’s social influence (SI) proficiency. Despite its exploding application across multiple domains, the research confronts unprecedented practical challenges due to a lack of systematic examination of human behavior characteristics that impart social influence. This work aims to give a methodical overview by conducting a targeted literature analysis to appraise the accuracy and usefulness of past publications. The finding suggests that first, it is necessary to incorporate behavior analytics into statistical measurement models. Second, there is a severe imbalance between the abundance …

How Political Ideology Impacts Political Brand Image: Analysis Of The 2016, 2018, And 2020 Elections, Kristina M. Harrison, Shawn Thelen, Boonghee Yoo

AMTP Proceedings 2023

The U.S. presidential elections of 2016 and 2020 have both been characterized as “An Election like No Other” (Goodman 2020; Smith 2016) unparalleled to previous ones. The 2016 election saw an outsider, not an established politician, win the support of a major political party and eventually the presidency. The 2020 election was influenced by a once in a century pandemic that diminished all traditional election issues and greatly affected the nature of campaigning. This research examines whether political ideology played an invariant and stable role in shaping the brand image of the presidential election candidates. Analysis of 2016, 2018, and …

From Academia To Industry: The Educators’ Role In Preparing Marketing Practitioners For America’S Multicultural Reality, Neleen S. Leslie-Piper, Tanzeah Sharpe

AMTP Proceedings 2023

This study examines the state of multicultural marketing education. It looks at current Marketing and IMC programs offered in the United States to ascertain the extent to which their curricula include components aimed at building multicultural competence in future practitioners. Finally, the paper proposes recommendations for making marketing education more responsive to current market needs.

The Relative Importance Of Appearance And Language In Consumers’ Evaluations Of Multicultural Models In Television Commercials, Neleen S. Leslie-Piper

AMTP Proceedings 2023

ABSTRACT

This study aims to expand the literature on source effects by examining the relative importance of appearance and language in consumers’ evaluations of multicultural models in televisions commercials. Specifically, using accommodation theory as a framework, the study explores how multicultural models affect customers’ perceptions of the source’s credibility, attractiveness as well as overall attitudes toward the commercial, the brand and intent to purchase.

Do You Dare To Study Abroad? Examining Cross-Cultural Differences In The Role Of Covid-19 Post-Pandemic Stress On Study Abroad Intentions And Country Image Formation, Helena Allman, Hilmi A. Atadil, Harriette Bettis-Outland

AMTP Proceedings 2023

The purpose of this study is to explore the underlying dimensions of Covid-19 stress to determine the extent to which Covid-19 stress has an effect on students’ intentions to participate in future study abroad programs. The underlying stress factors that this work examines include traumatic stress, contamination fears, fears about economic consequences and past Covid illness experience. The paper addresses the cross-cultural differences in these factors’ effects on studying abroad intentions among young individualistic versus collectivistic consumers. The goal of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of Covid related stress phenomena among global young consumer cohorts. The results …

Heritage Products, National Dishes And Consumer Identity, Monisha Das Dr,

AMTP Proceedings 2023

Food and agriculture is at the heart of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, beginning with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: End poverty, and Sustainable Development goal (SDG) 2: End hunger. In this paper, the researcher explores data from FAO and WHO surveys conducted over ten years. The researcher applies various interdisciplinary approaches and references the theory of planned behavior to explain the resilience, especially of hedonic aspects of food diets in the context of the living heritage of national dishes. The research references Vavilov’s botanical centers of origin and dispersion to capture the biogeographic underpinnings of global cuisine. The findings …

Combating Luxury Brand Counterfeiting: Recommended Action Strategies, Md Shahidul Islam

AMTP Proceedings 2023

In the past few decades, luxury brand counterfeiting has grown significantly worldwide, and this growth caused considerable damage to the knowledge-based globalized economy and the brands. The rapid development of e-commerce business, primarily during the pandemic, has facilitated the counterfeiting trades through small shipments by different modes of transportation. Counterfeit products can be found in many industries, such as common consumer goods, IT goods, agriculture goods, pharmaceutical items, and luxury items (fashion apparel). The measures adopted to combat luxury brand counterfeiting are minimal to what should have been done. This study proposes that social media activism against counterfeiting is critical …

Could Brand Tribes Facilitate Transformation Of Their Members?, Saeed Shobeiri, Jean-Luc Bernard

AMTP Proceedings 2023

This research aims to determine whether brand tribes could provide their members with transformational benefits. It investigates, for one of the first times, the link between two key concepts of brand tribalism and customer-level transformation. By looking closely at the individual-level outcomes of joining brand tribes, this research complements a large body of past research that has mostly emphasized collective nature of tribalism. We conducted a self-administered online targeted survey undergraduate and graduate students of a large North-American university about their preferred brand of smart phone. The results, brand tribalism was found to be a major antecedent of transformational experiences …

The Effect Of Ordering Method On Consumer Return Intentions, Garrett M. Kemp, Laura Boman

AMTP Proceedings 2023

With the rise of Covid-19, mobile ordering has become one of the most popular ways to get food. At its height, Covid-19 caused restaurants to shut down and forced businesses to move to a more mobile and delivery-friendly plan. Now, venues for concerts, large events, and sports have started to offer the option of mobile ordering food to be delivered directly to your seat. Mobile ordering has made the food service industry even more accessible; however, it has also brought to light the issue of tipping. Traditionally, tipping was only done at full-service restaurants. Now, businesses like Starbucks, Mcdonald's, and …

Student Satisfaction With Learning Experience And Its Impact On Likelihood Recommending University: Net Promoter Score Approach, Musa Pinar, Coleen Wilder, Matthew Luth, Tulay Girard

AMTP Proceedings 2023

Universities, just like any business, realized the importance and relevance of student satisfaction as well as getting recommended by their students for their long-term success, survival, and growth. This study intends to examine university students’ satisfaction with various aspects of their college learning experience, recommending a university as measured by Net Promoter Score (NPS), and the influence of factors related to student satisfaction on the likelihood of recommending the university. The results of the survey based on 220 responses from current students identify students’ satisfaction with the factors included in the study, where students had the highest satisfaction with feeling …

Physical And Emotional Impact Of Lighting Conditions In Higher Education Classrooms, Robert P. Mcdonald, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong

AMTP Proceedings 2023

The literature review shows that researchers in different fields have long explored the impact of the physical classroom environments (e.g., lighting, temperature, classroom layout, and furniture) to identify the ideal classroom environments. When the lighting condition is poor (i.e., light levels below standards), it can cause drowsiness, leading to lower concentration and motivation, and elevated student stress. However, most studies focused on K-12 learning environments. Therefore, this study aims to specifically focus on the lighting conditions in educational facilities around a university campus in the Southeastern United States and to explore whether these lighting conditions impact students’ mental well-being, their …

Analysis Of Collegiate Athlete Social Media Engagement On Instagram, Noelle Magann

AMTP Proceedings 2023

Since its founding in 2010, Instagram has developed into one of the world's largest social media platforms. In 2022, $33.3 billion was spent on instagram advertising by companies, firms, etc. Additionally, almost $5 billion was spent on Influencer marketing in 2022, a 27.8% increase from 2021 and a 34.7% increase from 2019. These statistics show the vast importance influencers have on marketing in today's business world and society as a whole. For this project, I looked into the engagement rates of SunBelt Football athletes. I used at least 2 athletes from each university that had over 1,000 followers on instagram, …