Business Commons^™

Three Essays On Digital Marketing, Xia Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is primarily interested in finding out how marketing can play a more strategic role in helping firms to improve performance in the Digital Age. It contains three essays on digital marketing. The unifying theme is figuring out how the marketing department can benefit from the informational value of (big) data and advanced analytics and thus improve customer and business performance. The first essay develops a scale for measuring marketing information capability. The scale has passed rigorous tests standards. The second essay empirically examines the antecedents, moderators and consequences of marketing information capability. The antecedents include cross-functional coopetition between …

Establishing, Growing, And Running A Sales Program: An Analysis Of Certified University Sales Centers, Lukas P. Forbes, Terry W. Loe, Robert M. Patterson, Robert C. Erffmeyer

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Shareholder Engagement And Chevron’S Policy 520 On Human Rights: The Role Played By The United States Jesuit Conference’S “National Jesuit Committee On Investment Responsibility”, Nicholas J. C. Santos, John Sealey, Austin G. C. Onuoha

Marketing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

To demonstrate how the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in the United States through the “National Jesuit Committee on Investment Responsibility” played a significant role as a socially conscious institutional and religious investor in influencing Chevron’s Human Rights Policy 520 and to analyze the factors that contributed to a successful shareholder engagement with the company.

Methodology/approach

Case study based on firsthand information.

Findings

1. Our conclusion offers support for Allen et al.’s (2012) conclusion of legitimacy (credibility) being the dominant force in a successful engagement.

2. We found that coalition-building is a significant moderating variable in increasing shareholder salience. This finding contradicts …

   ---

   Go to article

Marketing Planning For Social Entrepreneurial Organizations In The Context Of Subsistence Marketplaces: A Pedagogical Reflection For Marketing Education In Jesuit Business Schools, Nicholas J. C. Santos, Tina M. Facca-Miess

Marketing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Receptivity Of Young Chinese To American And Global Brands: Psychological Underpinnings, Steven Lysonski

Marketing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to examine psychological variables of young Chinese to determine their impact on identification with global consumer culture, attitudes toward global and USA brands and intention to buy USA brands. The independent or psychological variables examined were self-monitoring, life satisfaction, brand relevance, social demonstration effect, change-seeking behavior and reference groups (interacted and non-interacted). The goal was to understand what forces drive global and USA brand preferences.

Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected in Guangzhou, China, in 2013 through a survey administered to 152 young Chinese respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability coefficients verified the …

Privacy Concern And Online Transactions: The Impact Of Internet Self-Efficacy And Internet Involvement, Syed H. Akhter

Marketing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose – This study aims to examine the effects of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement on privacy concern and the effect of privacy concern on the frequency of online transactions. The study also seeks to examine the direct effect of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement on the frequency of online transactions.

Design/methodology/approach – A structural equation model was developed to test the hypotheses. The model was tested using the LISREL 8.8 software and both structural and measurement parameters were estimated.

Findings – Findings suggest that internet self-efficacy and internet involvement affect privacy concern negatively; and privacy concern, in turn, affects …

Review Of Psychological Foundations Of Marketing By Allan J. Kimmel, Alexander Milovic

Marketing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Do We Have Zero Privacy In Transportation? An Exploratory Study Of Video Surveillance Systems, Michael Latta

AMTP Proceedings 2014

The extent of and ethics of video surveillance has moved the conversation about privacy and surveillance from the internet to the camera, from home to transportation systems, and from static to real time marketing analytics. The issue of privacy and surveillance is international in scope for transportation surveillance, since, like the internet, transportation knows no borders and there are no limits on transportation types where surveillance of the public can be done routinely. The extent of surveillance systems worldwide is not well documented. This exploratory study seeks to document the extent of surveillance video camera systems around the world used …

A Student Inventory Simulation Evaluating Changing Demand Variation And Customer Service, Craig G. Harms

AMTP Proceedings 2014

This paper presents the pedagogy of an Excel student simulation that allows the user to change various costs and demand variation and experiment with the effects of those changes on a set of customer service levels. Unlike merely reading about inventory control and the importance of customer service, students can actually experience the results of experimenting with a variety of service levels and the effects on shortages. Track: Marketing Education

Adjuncts And Institutional And College Mission: Maintaining Distinctives In An Era Of Part-Time Faculty, David J. Burns, Yvonne Smith, Keith Starcher

AMTP Proceedings 2014

In 1969, roughly 78 percent of the instructional faculty at colleges and universities were full time and tenured or on tenure track. By 2009, that percentage had declined to 33 percent. Given their part-time status, adjunct faculty members are commonly viewed as a supplementary workforce. Evidence suggests that this looser connection extends to the mission of the university. Today, institutional mission is becoming increasingly important to colleges and universities as higher education has become much more competitive. The competitive environment is forcing colleges and universities to focus more attention on segmentation and differentiating their missions from those of the competition. …

Business Faculty Perceptions: Exploring The Underlying Factors Of Ethics As A Core Institutional Value, Anne H. Batory, Stephen S. Batory, Grace Xiao

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Institutions of higher education continue to be challenged by the complexity of academic integrity. In this study, faculty from over 50 different U.S. universities shared their perceptions toward academic integrity issues such as student, administration and faculty behavior. At universities where ethics is considered a core value, the faculty perceives the academic environment as one that values honesty, where dishonest behaviors receive adequate punishment, and where students are held responsible for their behaviors. The study contributes to the body of research as perceived by business faculty on the academic integrity environment underlying the education of future business practitioners. Implications for …

Student Perceptions Of Internships: What Are The Perceived Benefits For The Interested Parties?, Sam Fullerton, Tammy Mccullough, Robert Twells, Carol L. Bruneau

AMTP Proceedings 2014

A sample of 259 marketing students from two universities provided their perceptions of the benefits associated with marketing internships. They agree that an array of benefits accrue to the student interns, the organizations for which the students serve in internship positions, the university, and the general student population at their own university. Among the benefits that are strongly acknowledged by the students are that an internship helps the student interns learn more about their chosen career path, that organizations benefit from the enthusiasm of an eager subset of workers, that successful internships help their university develop strong partnerships with the …

Building An Innovation Strategy, Elizabeth Cruickshank, Perry Haan

AMTP Proceedings 2014

This non-empirical paper describes the innovation strategy for Aetna, Inc. This company is a national managed care organization, and although it is already large in scope, it operates more like a government agency rather than an innovative organization (Schack, 2000). This paper will highlight the theories, or ingredients, of innovation strategy, followed by an explanation of how the theories support and help in the creation and application of the recommended innovation strategy for Aetna. This paper also describes the organizational design model that drives innovation, the processes that enable innovation, and the success factors necessary for people to develop and …

Brand Equity Perceptual Mapping: Competitive Landscapes And Consumer Segments In Brand Equity Space, Brian T. Parker

AMTP Proceedings 2014

This study put forward a theoretically based set of brand equity perceptual maps that depict competitive brand sets and consumer segments in four-dimension brand equity space. Survey research collected brand equity ratings for two sets of competitive brands (Nike, Converse, Reebok and Toyota, Nissan, Pontiac), used to construct a pair of two-dimensional maps that illustrate the brands’ position on brand equity dimensions relative to competitors and demographic-based segments. Paired brand equity indicators resulted in eight map quadrant areas that characterize a brand positioned in that space. The mapping techniques facilitate the strategic application of multidimensional brand equity constructs and their …

Investigating Consumer Perceptions Of Purchase Shares For Private-Label Brands And Demographics: A Study Of The Great Value Brand, Musa Pinar, Paul Trapp, Tulay Girard

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Over the past several decades, private-label brands have emerged to have a strong presence on retailer shelves around the world, being especially prevalent in Europe (Queck 2009) and also becoming increasingly common in the United States (Gerlock 2013). For both retailers and consumers, the reasons behind the success of private-label brands are quite compelling. For retailers, private-label brands offer better margins than national manufacturer brands, greater negotiating power with manufacturer brands, and higher customer loyalty for the retailer (Ailawadi, Pauwels, & Steenkamp 2008). For consumers, these brands offer high quality at very competitive pricing relative to national manufacturer brands. The …

What Can Business Leaders Learn From Medical Misdiagnoses?, Mary F. Mobley, Micheal C. Mobley, James Grayson, Peter Basciano

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Mistakes of diagnoses are often topics in medical schools, hospitals and medical practices. These errors can range from the minor and inexpensive to the harmful and costly. According to Johns Hopkins University researchers, devastating errors can lead to permanent damage or death for as many as 160,000 patients yearly. Diagnostic errors, however, may be becoming more preventable as many health-care providers are turning to a number of innovative strategies that are addressing the complicated web of errors, biases, and oversights. Included in innovative changes in medicine are the methods of managing patients’ records through electronic means. These modernizations are often …

Attribute Categorization And Layering Effects On Product Design Evaluations, Timucin Ozcan

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Although convergence of attributes has been frequently applied as a product development strategy, its effects on consumers’ perceptions of product capabilities (PC) and usability (PU), product attitudes (PA) and purchase intentions (PI) have not been sufficiently studied. In this study, I examine how usage of attribute categorization and layering in product design affects consumer attitudes, purchase intentions and perceived product usability and capability in the absence or presence of attribute descriptions. Additionally, this research examines cross-cultural differences of these perceptions by conducting the same study in the USA and Turkey. This research operationalizes attribute categorization as a screened versus nonscreened …

Threatening Products And Threats To The Social Contract In Consumer Review Forums, Lindsay Larson, Luther T. Denton

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Suspicion regarding dishonest electronic word-of-mouth is a growing concern for online consumers. Individual consumers are occasionally seen acting as product review forum ‘watchdogs’ within the websites they visit; posting vigilante comments against reviews they perceive to be fraudulent. This study investigates consumer ‘watchdog comments,’ and the way in which ego-threatening product categories themselves may actually induce a prosecutorial mindset, leading to greater levels of suspicion towards positive online product reviews and the impulse to prosecute potential fraudsters. A content analysis of actual Amazon.com reviews and consumer commentary indicates that the occurrence of ‘watchdog comments’’ is more common within ego-threatening product …

A Survey Of Employer Needs And Expectations From Business Programs At Higher Education Institutions, Tulay Girard, Krissa Weyant

AMTP Proceedings 2014

The recent economic slowdown and changing nature of business environments have made it increasingly challenging and competitive for recent graduates to qualify for higher level positions. Higher education institutions continuously ask what employers are looking for in a newly graduated candidate. However, most do not exactly know the answers. Understanding the changing needs and expectations of employers has become a priority for higher education institutions to remain competitive in their markets. Academics also have to respond to these changes by understanding whether they prepare their students to meet the needs and expectations of employers. This exploratory study aims to understand …

Tech Readiness Optimism: Examining Its Significance In The Behavioral Intent To Use Ssts, Jon M. Martin

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Extant research indicates a significant relationship between the optimism (OPT) of consumer technology readiness (TR) and the behavioral intent to adopt self-service technology (SST). Independent determinant regressions of the basic Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) indicate that tech optimism (OPT) combines with the consumer trait of age (AG) and the situational factors of wait time (WT) and crowding (CR) to explain 33% of the variance of the behavioral intention (BI) to adopt or use SST. When regressed independently with behavioral intention, tech optimism (OPT) (alone) explains over 20% of BI’s variance (Martin, 2012). This study further examines optimism (OPT) in an …

Consumer Alienation: Relationships With Marketplace Interaction Styles, David J. Burns

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Within today’s shopping environment where discretionary purchases are the norm, individuals’ purchasing activities are affected by the degree to which they interact with the marketplace. One factor which appears to affect the degree of interaction consumers have with the marketplace is the degree of consumer alienation experienced. When attempting to better understand consumer alienation, marketplace interaction styles (e.g., assertiveness and aggressiveness) appear to be an area of particular interest. Individuals with stronger feelings of alienation can logically be expected to possess marketplace interaction styles which differ from those of individuals who are less alienated from the marketplace. These relationships were …

Exploring The Use Of Managerial Intuition In Retail Site Selection Decisions, Kendra Fowler

AMTP Proceedings 2014

This study empirically investigates the process by which retailers make site selection decisions. As Craig, Ghosh, and McLafferty (1984) note in a special edition of the Journal of Retailing devoted to locational analysis, “the choice of a store’s location is perhaps the single most important decision a retailer has to make… even slight differences in location can have a significant impact on market share and profitability” (pg. 5). Recent changes in the retail landscape make the continued study of retailer site selection a worthwhile pursuit (Mejia and Benjamin 2002, Wood and Reynolds 2013). Among the many variables included in contemporary …

Is Environmental Concern In Advertising Related To The State Of The Economy? An Exploratory Study From The Wall Street Journal 2007-2011, Lindsay Larson, Luther T. Denton, Anni Rainio

AMTP Proceedings 2014

This study is an attempt to determine the relationship between the prevalence of environmental cues in advertisements and the state of the U.S. economy. Advertisements sampled from the Wall Street Journal, a preeminent daily business news publication in the United States, were examined during the years 2007, 2009, and 2011 to determine this relationship. While few direct environmental appeals were found within the sample of advertisements, a variety of indirect environmental cues were utilized for analysis. The results show that there is a quadratic relationship between advertisers’ use of indirect environmental cues and the state of the economy, such that …

Personal Selling: A Humanist Perspective, William R. Gruver, Timothy W. Sweeney

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2014,

The Transformation Of The Supply Chain Manager, Dave Mcmahon, Stephen A. Lemay, Jeffery A. Periatt

AMTP Proceedings 2014

This research examines the transformation of the job of supply chain manager. This involves an analysis of the activities of this position, the competencies needed, what the job requires, and the training that is needed. Suggestions on how to develop and provide training are discussed. This research was funded by CSCMP.

Understanding The Competitive Environment Of Nonprofit Organizations: A Resource-Advantage Theory Approach, Omer Topaloglu, Robert E. Mcdonald

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Competition in the nonprofit sector has dramatically intensified in the past two decades as a result of the increased number of nonprofit organizations (NPOs), decreased and diffused governmental support, and entry of for-profit companies into markets that are traditionally the domain of nonprofits. In an attempt to enhance the understanding of the nonprofit competition, the authors adapt a general theory of competition to commercial nonprofits, those that generate external benefits by commercial activities. Applying resource-advantage (R-A) theory, a dynamic theory of competition adapted from the business literature, we discuss how these entities can leverage their various resources in order to …

Exploring Impact Philanthropy, Altruistic, Hedonic, And Egoistic Motivations To Support Animal Causes, Clinton Amos, Gary R. Holmes, Anthony T. Allred

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Due to unpredictable economic turbulence, it is imperative that nonprofit organizations understand and implement segmentation practices to better target donors to maintain continual growth in donations. While such strategies are well implemented in for-profit arenas, non-profit organizations still lag behind in the implementation of segmentation and targeting practices. The targeting of donors by nonprofit organizations tends to be unfocused and sporadic at best. Early research on the practice of segmenting potential donors suggest that nonprofit firms should resist profiling their existing donors based upon demographic characteristics alone and should rely on examining demographic variables in relation to meaningful motivational forces. …

Moderating Effects Of Service Guarantee, Service Relationship, And Perceived-Risk On Customer Satisfaction, Kungpo Tao

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Customer satisfaction has been one of the most frequently used terms in marketing. With the benefits of customer satisfaction, service providers can save more costs doing customer retention and advertising. Premium pricing, for example, is also the benefit derived from the service’s buffering effect. In service industry, service guarantee and building up service relationship with customers are very common and useful strategies to gain customer satisfaction. Due to the growing competitive industry, marketers have made efforts building the customer-service relationship in order to attract new customers and secure existing relationships with customers. After experienced a service delivery or consumption, customers …

Online Service Benefits’ Impact On Relationship Strength, Quality, & Continuation Intention, Kendra Fowler, Eileen Bridges

AMTP Proceedings 2014

Many service providers now use social media, both as a way to interact efficiently with their customers, and as a means of gathering customer data needed to better manage customer relationships. Thus, social media can both provide service and assist in developing better future service. In the present research, we examine in detail whether and how social media perform the first of these tasks by examining its use as a tool for online service benefit provision. Then, we consider how benefits customers receive from maintaining relationships with service providers via social media impact outcomes, including reported relationship strength, customer loyalty, …

Influence Of Relationship Marketing Underpinnings On Egyptian Hotel Customer's Satisfaction And Loyalty, Ahmed I. Ghoneim, Amira S. Ahmed

AMTP Proceedings 2014

This study seeks to examine relationship marketing as influenced by service provider's attributes and resulting in customer's satisfaction and loyalty within the Egyptian hotel industry. A conceptual model linking service provider's attributes to relationship marketing underpinnings and the latter to relational outcomes defined as customer's satisfaction and loyalty, was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a sample of 279 hotel customers in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The results showed that service provider's competency significantly influences relationship marketing underpinnings. On the other hand, the influence of service provider's appearance on customer's perception of commitment and conflict is not supported. Further, relationship …