Business Commons^™

Shame And Guilt: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, Raika Sadeghein

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the past few decades, we have witnessed a growing body of literature on emotions in the consumer behavior domain. Emotions are defined as “mental states of readiness that arise from appraisals of events or one’s own thoughts” (Bagozzi, Gopinath, & Nyer, 1999, p. 184). Marketers have examined the role of emotions as stimuli, mediators, moderators, and responses to the environment. The broad topic of emotions includes subtopics such as impact of emotions on consumption, attitudes, and behavioral intentions, emotional responses to market stimuli, and the impact of emotions on cognition. However, although the study of emotions is pivotal to …

Student’S Attitudes Toward Academic Dishonesty: An Exploration, David J. Burns, Randy S. Stuart, Anne Heineman Batory, Stephen S. Batory

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Academic dishonesty in college/university classrooms is widely recognized as a serious problem (Offstein and Chory 2017). Studies indicate that academic dishonesty is pervasive. Klein, Levenburg, McKendall, and Mothersell (2007), report 40-80 percent of college students are involved in academic dishonesty, whereas McCabe, Butterfield, and Treviňo (2012), report 65-87 percent involvement. Studies also report that cheating activity is increasing (Forsha 2017; Pérez-Peňa 2012), facilitated by increasing levels of tolerance (where instances of academic dishonesty are overlooked by classroom instructors (Coren 2011)), and advances in technology (Best and Shirley 2018). Consequently, academic dishonesty has become an increasingly important area of concern and, …

Retailers’ Use Of Partially Comparative Pricing In A Usage Category Context: An Exploratory Study, Ellen Campos Sousa

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Partially comparative price (PCP) happens when some products have a comparison price and other products have only the featured retailer’s price (Barone et al., 2004). It is common retailers promote advertisements with products from different product categories, but within the same usage category (e.g., products for Christmas, Mother’s Day, and a barbecue party). However, it is still unexplored how consumers evaluate the non-comparatively priced (NCP) products that belong to the same usage category as a CP product in an advertisement.

This research aims to fill this gap, proposing that items that are not naturally within the same product category may …

Service Print Advertisements: The Impact Of Brand Personality Perceptions, Attitudes, And Consumption Intentions, Lisa M. Sciulli

AMTP Proceedings 2019

The purpose of this research is to examine respondents’ perceptions regarding service print advertisements. Brand personality characteristics, attitudes towards the service, the ad itself, and subsequent consumption intentions for these services will be explored. Statistical positioning tools provide analytical evidence whereby identified attribute ratings may yield desired service offerings. Results will be further tested with multiple regression to reveal predictive capabilities of the findings with consumption intentions. An advertising framework for positioning strategies for service organizations is provided with theoretical and managerial implications.

Previous research suggests that before a service is purchased consumers look for cues to make assessments of …

Market Orientation Across Firm Performance Levels; Manager, Salesperson, And Customer Viewpoints, Thomas L. Powers, Dawn B. Valentine

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Market orientation and its impact on firm performance has been a topic of research interest for many years, yet research is still needed to extend this stream of literature in two important areas. Previous research has largely examined a company management perspective of market orientation, excluding the perspective of front line personnel, and that of customers. In addition, performance has been primarily assessed using subjective perceptions as opposed to objective measures. This study is intended to extend the literature beyond these traditional perspectives by examining market orientation from three different viewpoints including managers, salespeople, and customers as it relates to …

Use Of Social Media By Sales Students For First Post-Graduation Job-Search: An Exploratory Study, Linda G. Mullen, Randy S. Stuart, Michael L. Thomas

AMTP Proceedings 2019

As students who studied/majored in professional sales approach graduation and start looking for their first post-graduation/entry-level positions, what avenues are used to pursue these opportunities? One might suspect that with the explosion of social media and the millennial generation’s prolific use of said media this would be their preferred choice for job hunting. Are sales students engaging social media and other online activities to land entry-level career positions or are they still using traditional methods (i.e. College/University Career Fairs, College/University Career Services, Internships, etc.) to find these positons? This paper looks at the avenues millennial students who studied/majored in professional …

Exploring Self-Efficacy With An Emphasis On Direct Selling, Robert A. Peterson, Gerald Albaum, Victoria L. Crittenden

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Self-efficacy, the confidence that one has in his or her capabilities to achieve a goal, is one of the most widely studied constructs in personal selling and sales management research. With few exceptions, self-efficacy has been studied as antecedent to sales performance. The present study differs from prior marketing-related studies of self-efficacy in that it explores whether a direct selling experience can enhance business/professional self-efficacy and personal life self-efficacy. In other words, in the present study self-efficacy is treated as consequent to a direct selling experience. An online survey was conducted in which a nationally representative sample of 495 current …

Perceptions Of Service Profession-Status Stereotyping: Comparisons Of Turkish And American Millennials, Musa Pinar, Coleen Wilder, Tulay Girard, Sinan Nardali

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Employment opportunities in the service industry have created jobs for both genders and raises the question about how these jobs are influenced and evaluated regarding occupational stereotyping based on prestige and gender (Gottfredson, 1981). For example, Oswald (2003) found that high prestige male occupations were rated significantly higher than high prestige female occupations. Likewise, low prestige male occupations were rated significantly higher than low prestige female occupations, which is indicative of occupational status stereotyping. A relatively small number of studies have been carried out after new service occupations were created from advancements in technology and demographic changes (Belt et al., …

Use Of Ethnic/Culturally Based Incongruent Cues In Informational Versus Transformational Advertising, Neleen Leslie

AMTP Proceedings 2019

This study compares the relative effectiveness in the use of culturally incongruent cues in informational and transformational advertising. A case study was done to explore the extent to which ethnic/ culturally incongruent cues are used in advertising in informational and transformational advertising and to compare the effectiveness of these ads between the two advertising forms. The study sought to address two questions: (1) To what extent are ethnic/culturally incongruent cues used in informational or transformational advertising? and (2): Is the use of culturally incongruent cues more effective for informational or transformational ads?

A content analysis approach was used to extract …

Global Awareness Of Marketing Students, Michael Latta

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Undergraduate and MBA Marketing programs typically include education goals such as:

“To prepare students for a changing domestic and global business environment characterized by organizational and cultural values, diversity, opportunity, and growth.”

They also include learning objectives such as:

“Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to think strategically about the global business environment.”

Presumably this approach to educating undergraduate and MBA students will prepare them to become ‘global citizens.’ The question may be asked about what undergraduate and MBA marketing students know about changes in global extreme poverty, education access for women around the world, and number of …

The Impact Of Brand Love, Brand Attachment, And Electronic Shopping Experience Satisfaction (Eses) On Consumer Willingness To Write Reviews, Michelle Le, Joanne T. Cao, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong

AMTP Proceedings 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the willingness of a consumer to write an online review in relation to their love for a brand, their attachment to a brand, and their satisfaction with shopping online for that brand. There are limited empirical studies that investigate the impact of Brand Love, Brand Attachment, and Electronic Shopping Experience Satisfaction (eSES) on online reviews. Brand Love is the extent of emotional attachment that a content consumer feels for a certain brand or trade name whereas Brand Attachment measures the degree or strength to which consumers connects themselves with a brand. Lastly, …

The Relationship Between Retail Store Types And Consumer Price Expectations, Sua Jeon

AMTP Proceedings 2019

As consumers hold distinct belief about competing retailers, there has been considerable development in the way brands are managed in the field of retailing and firms are making significant efforts to create ever richer and more differentiated store identities (Beristain and Zorrilla 2011). Given the abundant choices of retail formats and diverse product categories and brands available to consumers, retailers use every means available to survive and compete (Kumar et al. 2017).

This study provides useful managerial insights into the roles of price expectations in consumer purchase decisions in different product categories along with both national or store brands. With …

Dynamics Of Business Decision Making: Understanding The Role Of Emotions, Nikolina Koporcic, Miika Nietola

AMTP Proceedings 2019

In recent years, there has been a need for deeper understanding of the cumulating knowledge in different science disciplines about human emotions in decision making. Indeed, many traditional economic theories operate with the preconception of utility maximization, which partly contradicts with the recent findings in behavioral economics and neurosciences. In other words, science has shown that we can make suboptimal business decisions under the influence of changing emotional states. Moreover, traditional economic literature has often highlighted the strict division between rational decision making and the effective dimensions of the human mind. This conceptual article therefore challenges these conceptions by exploring …

Social Media Listening: Revealing The Indirect Effects Of User Generated Content (Ugc) On Product Adoption, Nga Ho-Dac, Ian Clark Sinapuelas

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Industry studies suggest social media listening espouses several advantages. Evidence from academic research however is lacking and the need to investigate its impact especially in the context of product development is needed. This research explores how UGC influences market outcomes indirectly via its impact on product development. Building on current findings from empowerment-product demand and new product adoption research, we propose that product improvements building on consumer social media conversations are more likely to succeed. Using a system of equations modeling in the open source software context, we verify that increasing forum posts lead to a greater number of codes …

The Social Media Magnet: A New Paradigm In Inbound Marketing Instruction, Kyle A. Huggins, J. Elliot Cunningham

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Social media has changed the marketing environment in ways that traditional marketers could have never imagined just a decade ago. It has rapidly provided a mechanism to communicate on a one-to-one level, allowing marketers to tailor specific messages and content towards a fine-tuned segment of customers. Multiple philosophies on best practices in this digital landscape have provided various methodologies for targeting these customers. During this time of change, these practices have led to the refinement of digital services, including behavioral advertising, search engine optimization, pay per click, content marketing, social media marketing, and organic inbound marketing, among specialized others. In …

I Will Like Your Product, But First Let Me Take A Selfie, Patrick A. Barbro

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Through the proliferation of smartphones, social media, photo sharing, and selfies, the way consumers have become used to seeing themselves has changed. This paper aims to examine the influence of image type and consumer selfie taking on image and product evaluation. More specifically, this research seeks to address the question: how does a consumer’s exposure to their own image influence their evaluation of products and self-images? The selfie phenomenon and its effect on how consumers evaluate images likely play a key role.

Through three experiments, this research examines the influence of image type and consumer selfie taking on image and …

Firms Beware! Your Response Matters, Nicole Dilg Beachum

AMTP Proceedings 2019

On April 9, 2017, security personnel dragged a doctor off United Airlines Flight #3411 when he refused to give up his seat on an overbooked flight. Another passenger videotaped the entire incident, sharing it on social media. The video went viral on Twitter with over 87,000 shares and more than 6.8 million views in less than 24 hours. The following day, the CEO of the company responded to the public’s criticism in a statement and internal email to the company (that later went public). His remarks included an apology, but he also attempted to justify how the encounter was handled, …

The Effectiveness Of Celebrity Endorsement On Purchase Behavior: Do Celebrities Raise The Bar?, Delancy Bennett, Yana Andonova, Nwamaka A. Anaza

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Research on the interplay between celebrity endorsers, high-low pricing, and quality has not been examined in the literature. This raises the question of whether celebrity endorsement can compensate for the effect of low prices on consumer quality perceptions. Across two studies, one using archival data and one using an experiment, we find evidence that the presence of celebrity endorsers can offset the effect that a low price has on consumer quality perceptions. Further, willingness to purchase is higher for a low-priced product endorsed by a celebrity. These findings have implications for marketing theory and practice.

Message Strategies Of North American For-Profit Colleges And Universities: A Qualitative Analysis, Michael J. Clayton, Matthew Hettche, Robert Hashbrouck

AMTP Proceedings 2019

A decade ago For-Profit Colleges and Universities (FPCUs) were experiencing booming enrollments and were well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented through online learning platforms. Due to regulatory changes and heightened awareness of the low retention and graduation rates of these institutions, enrollment has plummeted and several major firms, including Sanford Brown and ITT have closed. Competition for students has intensified with a greater proportion of revenue being allocated toward marketing. In fact, for some FPCU marketing spending now exceeds the amount of money spent on their core service, teaching. This paper examines the message strategies of North American …

The Fall Of Sears From Within: How Customer Sentiments Refuted Retail Capital And Authority, Michael D. Harris, Ismet Anitsal, Melek Meral Anitsal

AMTP Proceedings 2019

This research aims to understand the relationship between Sears Holdings Corporation and its customers, while exploiting feedback from customers to identify reasons for Sears’ decline. The problem statement is dependent on identifying aspects that affect consumer behavior most and linking a connection to the increased number of dissatisfied Sears’ customers. In order to analyze this phenomenon, customer attitudes were compiled over the key four years of Sears history using a customer sentiment analysis. This empirical method of research was chosen because of the large impact that consumer sentiments have on spending, allowing the development of both internal and external views …

Student Satisfaction And Learning In Online Classes: The Case Of A Us Midwestern University, Samit Chakravorti

AMTP Proceedings 2019

This paper explores the factors impacting business undergraduate student’s perceptions of learning and satisfaction in a US midwestern public university. Data collected through a survey was statistically analyzed. Results show that satisfaction and learning are impacted by different factors with some overlap. These factors lie in the areas of course content, compatibility of technology with learning style, preference for online classes over face to face classes and degree of comfort in approaching instructors for help and advice. The paper also showed that there are distinct differences between students who said they have learned a lot and are satisfied with online …

The Role Of Brand Personality In Setting Expectations For Engagement On Social Media, Joanne T. Cao, Jamye Foster, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong

AMTP Proceedings 2019

In recent years, business has leapt on to the social media marketing bandwagon. However, many have learned that social media marketing is not equally beneficial for all brands, and that there is a difference between aiming for more followers versus aiming for more engagement and deeper relationships. Recently, the shift has been toward engagement as the ultimate social media goal, rather than mere followers. But just as all brands do not need to be on social media, do all brands have to aim toward high engagement? This study attempts to answer this question by considering communication based on brand personality …

The Twelve Beneficiaries Of Legalized Sports Betting: An Exploratory Assessment, Sam Fullerton, Michael Mccall, Ronald Dick

AMTP Proceedings 2019

The 2018 ruling by the United States Supreme Court essentially legalized sports betting across the nation. Prior to that ruling, sports books were restricted by virtue of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). But with that landmark 6-3 decision, the opportunity door for sports betting has been opened for all 50 states. This paper focuses on two considerations regarding the opening of that door. Who are the potential beneficiaries and what benefits might they derive? A review of the literature identified twelve beneficiaries; among these beneficiaries are the teams, organizations, fans, sponsors, bettors, and society-in-general. The majority of …

Exploratory Insights Into Cross-Cultural On-Line Shopping Differences Between U.S. And French Millennials And Generation Zs, Steven M. Cox, Bradley W. Brooks

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Online retail sales have shown double-digit growth in the U.S. for the last decade lead by millennials and more recently generation Z. While extensive research has been done exploring U.S. online shopping behaviors of these generations, little cross-cultural work has been done. This paper explores the differences between the U.S. and French millennial and gen z online shoppers. The research focused on four questions; was there a difference in the number of times per week that individuals shopped online, the percentage of shopping funds spent online versus in store, the types of products purchased online, and the percentage of low …

Join The Club: The Relationship Between Professional Organization Membership And Academic Performance Among Undergraduate Marketing Students, Gary Daniel Futerell

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Professional student organizations (PSOs) are often regarded as valuable learning opportunities for students and a source of distinction for students entering the job market. In addition to allowing students the opportunity to integrate classroom concepts (Hall 2012; Peltier, Schibrowsky, and Kleimenhagen 1995); active participation in PSOs has been shown to increase informal student-faculty interaction (Hall 2012), develop member’s professional attitude (Bent 1957), and aid in the acquisition and practice of leadership skills (Hall 2012).

PSOs allow students the opportunity to connect with those active in their field of study and allows them to dress the part of a professional (Munoz, …

Framework For The National Culture And User Engagement In Social Media, Ilia Gugenishvili

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Even though social media engagement provides numerous benefits, companies’ efforts to engage users are often unsuccessful. Despite the growing interest of scholars and practitioners, studies on engagement have been predominantly exploratory in nature. Addressing this identified literature gap this conceptual article proposes a framework, which connects the national culture to social media engagement. It synthesizes the theory of culture; reception, motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA); social identity; self-concept; and social impact theory. User attitudes act as a mediator, while individual, group and motivational variables might work as cultural amplifiers or attenuators. Situational characteristics can cause a change in the relevance of the variables …

The Dual-Mediation Effect Of Perceived Accuracy And Perceived Connectedness On Consumer Attitude Toward Social Network Advertising, Tao-Sheng Chiu, Kai-Yu Wang, Wen-Hai Chih, Jaime Ortiz, Ying-Ching Lin

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Despite the importance of social media advertising, few studies have investigated the factors that influence its effectiveness (Jung, Shim, Jin, and Khang 2016). Because advertising on social media is a relatively new phenomenon (Okazaki and Taylor 2013), several studies are exploratory in nature and lack a solid theoretical framework (e.g., Campbell, Pitt, Parent, and Berthon 2011; Pehlivan, Sarican, and Berthon 2011; Sashittal, Sriramachandramurthy, and Hodis 2012; Waters and Jones 2011). For this reason, the present study examines the factors affecting consumers’ attitudes toward advertisements they view on social media.

This paper draws on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model to investigate the …

Hedonic And Social Drivers Of Millennials’ Engagement With And Donation To Nonprofits: A Cross-Cultural Comparison, Bela Florenthal

AMTP Proceedings 2019

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) have been increasingly utilizing social media outlets to target Millennials for donations of time and money. These organizations, however, do not always take advantage of the hedonic, social, and normative factors that can influence engagement with and monetary donation to these organizations.

Because monetary donation on SMSs is a relatively new field of investigation, there is only a handful of studies that provide insight into how social, hedonic, and normative motives predict engagement with and donation to nonprofits.

To address this gap, the first aim of the present study is to propose an integrated approach to monetary …

Are Customer Reward Programs Really Rewarding?, Michael Mccall, Dave Mcmahon

AMTP Proceedings 2019

The concept of a customer loyalty program can be traced back over 300 years when merchants would give customers wooden coins in return for their patronage. Two points are clear: Customer reward loyalty programs are prevalent and costly aspects of most hospitality firms’ marketing strategy. From an academic viewpoint our understanding of the theoretical drivers of these programs is muddled and confused. That is, despite many years of existence there is scant research suggesting the underlying theoretical logic of a program. In this paper, we briefly review the current reward program landscape suggesting that the overwhelming presence of reward programs …

The For-Profit Prison As Social Enterprise: Problems With Classification And Ethical Assessment, Karen Barbee, Stephen A. Lemay

AMTP Proceedings 2019

This article explores the problems presented to taxonomies and definitions of social enterprise by a specific kind of organization, for-profit prisons. While these organizations are often and rightly criticized for their performance, they are fundamentally social enterprises by many of the definitions and taxonomies offered in the literature. This analysis uses a naïve matrix for classifying social enterprise to outline the problems created by these ethically and socially challenged organizations.