Why Do Makers Make? Examining Designer Motivations On Thingiverse.Com, Courtney H. Shaw

Honors Theses and Capstones

Technological advancements have made a once fictitious dream into a reality. 3D printing has become a popular manufacturing and design technique used all over the world. As this industry becomes more popular, users of these 3D printers are reaching out across the web to share designs, seek help, and build communities of users with similar interests. This study is meant to look at what motivates 3D printing users to participate in online user innovation communities such as Thingiverse.com. This study will explore motivations such as personal needs, financial gains, approval of peers, skill development, and enjoyment. Moreover, it will assess …

Exoskeletons, Entrepreneurs, And Communities: A Process Model Of Opportunity Co-Construction, Stella K. Seyb, Dean A. Shepherd, Trenton Alma Williams

Faculty Publications

Exoskeletons represent a technological breakthrough that presents a diverse range of potential opportunities to overcome human physical limitations. Drawing on data from 16 exoskeleton prototypes, we develop a model of opportunity co-construction that involves mutual adjustment between the actions and beliefs of entrepreneurs and their communities of inquiry. Our study enhances our understanding of potential opportunities as dynamic entities that are (re)constructed as entrepreneurs and community members seek to resolve key tensions throughout the process. Specifically, we identify tensions relating to technological change, shifting power dynamics, and reduced visibility, and explain how actors seek to resolve those tensions through opportunity …

Should Cookie Monster Adopt A Healthy Lifestyle Or Continue To Indulge? Insights Into Brand Icons, Altaf Merchant, Kathryn A. Latour, John B. Ford, Michael S. Latour

Marketing Faculty Publications

Developing a brand icon has been a way for marketers to humanize and forge relationships with consumers. Icon development takes time. During this time, marketers have to face how much they stay true and consistent with their icons and how much they allow their icons to adapt to cultural changes in the marketplace. Little is known about how consumers respond to changing icons, and even less is known about whether there may be certain consumer groups that are more or less receptive to such changes. Four experiments and qualitative interviews were undertaken to gain insights into these issues. People who …

What Do We Know About Celebrity Endorsement In Advertising?, John B. Ford

Marketing Faculty Publications

An introduction is presented in which editor discusses various articles within issue on topics including source-credibility theory and its impact on brand performance for celebrity endorsements, celebrity in advertising can influence consumer perceptions and market value of celebrity endorsement.

Understanding Innovation, Kenneth B. Kahn

Marketing Faculty Publications

While innovation has become a pervasive term, many of today’s organizations still find innovation elusive. One reason may be that much of what is being said about innovation contributes to misunderstanding. To truly manifest innovation and reap its benefits, one must recognize that innovation is three different things: innovation is an outcome, innovation is a process, and innovation is a mindset. Innovation as an outcome emphasizes what output is sought, including product innovation, process innovation, marketing innovation, business model innovation, supply chain innovation, and organizational innovation. Innovation as a process attends to the way in which innovation should be organized …

2018-January-01-Nursing Ranking, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Using The Sales Process As An Instructional Tool To Improve Student Perceptions Of Instructor Responsiveness, Pedagogical Affect, And Likelihood To Enroll: An Abstract, Cindy B. Rippe, Shannon Cummins, Suri Weisfeld-Spolter, Yuliya Yurova

Marketing & Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Determining Millennial Food Buying Preferences: Based On Product Marketing With “Buzzwords”, Victoria N. Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

This research focuses on the importance on the Millennial Generation and their perceptions of food buzzwords. Since the Millennial Generation is the largest group purchasing and preparing their own foods, the food industry is becoming dependent on their buying preferences. A survey reflected the participants’ demographics and their buying preferences based on a series of food buzzwords when they are purchasing foods. Results show the Millennial Generation prefers “local” buzzwords. As the Millennial Generation continues to purchase foods for themselves and their families, it can be expected their choices will encourage others to do the same based on their family …

The Impact Of Childhood Socioeconomic Status On Adult Reactions Toward Quantity Surcharges, Wenjing Li

Theses and Dissertations--Marketing and Supply Chain

Quantity surcharges have been widespread in the marketplace for decades. However, little is known about what kinds of consumers and under what conditions they are more likely to be impacted by this pricing practice. The current research contributes to the existing literature by investigating how a person’s childhood socioeconomic status affects their reaction toward quantity surcharges during adulthood. Across four studies, we find that childhood socioeconomic status has a positive impact on the purchase of a large and surcharged package size. However, when the economic conditions are threatening, the positive effect of childhood socioeconomic status disappears. The current research also …

Venue Managers And Meeting Planners: A Combined Perspective Of Their Roles, Relationships, And Attributes Necessary For Hosting A Successful Meeting, Maame Afua Offeibea Adu

Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management

The purpose of this research was to gain the perspectives of venue managers and meeting planners on their roles in the meetings industry, their relationship with each other and attributes needed to host a successful meeting. An online survey was conducted involving these two stakeholders to define their roles, assess the strength of their relationship and identify attributes based on their experience with working together and hosting meetings. Results showed that venue managers and meeting planners are essential to the hosting of successful meetings. It also indicated that venue managers are willing to build and maintain stronger relationships with meeting …

Incorporating Professionalism Labs Into Marketing Curriculum, Tatia Jacobson Jordan

AMTP Proceedings 2018

This article discusses how to address present challenges in marketing education as a result of evolving student demographics and external conditions that leave students unprepared for the job market. Strategically incorporating professionalism labs, or career classes, into marketing department curriculum allows matriculating marketing students to hone the soft-skills that they need to transition successfully into professional positions.

Real-Time Inbound Marketing: A Use Case For Digital Banking, Alan Megargel, Venky Shankararaman, Srinivas K. Reddy

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Over the years banks have been strategically using digital technologies to help transform various aspects of their business. In recent times, this strategy has evolved into one of digital augmentation of the bank’s processes, products and channels. This allows for reaching out to customers and partners through digital platforms, for example; the addition of mobile apps for customers to access and perform service transactions. Marketing continues to play a major role in supporting the expansion of business and increasing revenue for the bank. Marketing has evolved from mass direct targeting to more personalised, face-to-face and real-time targeting. In the digital …

Strategies For U.S. Manufacturers To Defend Home Markets From International Competition, Gabrielle Chan

Theses and Dissertations

The existing research on ways U.S. manufacturing firms can improve performance is limited to strategies to grow internally with focus on human resource and financial strategies. Therefore, there is little information regarding how the firms can defend themselves from international competition. With the rise of globalization, firms have to compete on an international level while trying to protect their home market. Large firms have more resources such as wealth and capital to conduct international research and strategize to compete with global competition, but small domestic firms have less resources to dedicate to the protection of their business. This research focuses …

Funding Strategies For Small- To Mid-Sized Enterprises, Dr. Emmanuel Ekop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small firms struggle to survive competition with limited resources, and about 50% of start-up organizations fail after 5 years. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies some beauty salon owners in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States use to access financial resources to support growth for longer than 5 years. The conceptual framework for the study was the resource-based view theory of the firm. Data were collected from 6 beauty salon owners who had succeeded for longer than 5 years. Semistructured face-to-face interviews and review of archival and transcript data yielded data saturation …

Strategies Used By Retail Store Managers To Engage Customers, Jefferson Lee Haddox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between the years 2013 and 2016, e-commerce sales grew as a percent of total retail sales in the United States from 5.8% to 8.5%, an increase of $129 billion. Some brick-and-mortar (B & M) retailers struggle with maintaining the historic levels of revenue in their stores. A multiple case study design with retail store managers was used to understand what factors engage customers to shop at B & M store locations. The consumer-dominant value creation logic was the conceptual framework. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 5 retail store managers in Texas who demonstrated successful strategies for engaging customers …

Small Business Marketing Strategies For Physical Therapy Practice Owners, Matthew Lane Daugherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States economy depends on small businesses, which represent 99% of all businesses in the United States, yet approximately 50% of small businesses cease operations in the first 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the marketing strategies used by owners of small businesses to develop and maintain their organization through the initial 5 years of business operation. The population included 5 physical therapy business owners in northeastern Florida who had sustained their business for a minimum of 5 years. The conceptual framework for this study was the brand equity model, and data were …

Success Strategies For Small Financial Planning Firms, Joanne H. Snider, Kevin J. Davies

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Small Business Administration statistics indicate that 20% of small businesses fail within the first 2 years and 50% fail within 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to explore the success factors and strategies of 12 small business owners of independent financial planning firms who achieved profitability beyond 5 years. The conceptual framework was entrepreneurship theory and Porter’s five forces model of competitive strategy. The data gathering method included semistructured interviews and analysis of business artifacts such as websites and newsletters. Initial coding of the responses preceded an analysis of recurring patterns and themes. The major themes identified …

Detecting Discrimination In Small Business Lending, Sterling A. Bone, Glenn L. Christensen, Jerome D. Williams, Stella Adams, Anneliese Lederer, Paul C. Lubin

Faculty Publications

With limited financial sophistication, entrepreneurial consumers approach the financial marketplace more like retail financial consumers than business customers. However, the assumption of both legislators and regulators is that business-borrowers are more financially savvy than consumer-borrowers, and thus do not require as broad-reaching protections. This gap between marketplace policy protections and the lived reality of the vast majority of small business entrepreneurs sets the stage for entrepreneurial consumers to fall through the regulatory cracks and sets the stage for possible exploitation and abuse. This situation is potentially exacerbated for minority entrepreneurs who belong to protected classes that are generally more vulnerable …

Friends With Benefits: Social Coupons As A Strategy To Enhance Customers’ Social Empowerment, Sara Hanson, Hong Yuan

Marketing Faculty Publications

Businesses often seek to leverage customers’ social networks to acquire new customers and stimulate word-of-mouth recommendations. While customers make brand recommendations for various reasons (e.g., incentives, reputation enhancement), they are also motivated by a desire for social empowerment—to feel an impact on others. In several multi-method studies, we show that facilitating sharing of social coupons (i.e., coupon sets that include one for self-use and one to be shared) is a unique marketing strategy that facilitates social empowerment. Firms benefit from social coupons because customers who share spend more and report greater purchase intentions than those who do not. Furthermore, we …

Buying Unicorns: The Impact Of Consumer-To-Consumer Branded Buy/Sell/Trade Communities On Traditional Retail Buying Behavior, Catherine Armstrong Soule, Sara Hanson

Marketing Faculty Publications

Branded buy/sell/trade (BBST) is a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) selling phenomenon that is both massive in scale and meaningful in its impact on consumer behavior and the traditional retailing landscape. Consumers buy, sell, and trade one focal brand’s products in these social media-hosted, consumer-initiated communities. This article introduces the phenomenon, differentiates it from other forms of C2C exchange, and explores relationships between members and the brand. Although brands may view these activities as a potential threat to retail sales, the effects are more complex and paradoxical. The authors present data collected from Facebook, in-depth interviews, and a survey. Findings suggest that buyer-sellers …

2018-Uh Alumna Haven Kindle Begins World Race, University School, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

University School Alumna, Haven Kindle, begins the World Race in September. Check out her journey via her blog at https://havenkindle.theworldrace.org/

2018-January-01-Rural Health Worker Of The Year, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

2018-January-Faculty Member Patricia Mink Receives The Suellen Wilkenson Award.Pdf, College Of Arts And Sciences, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Faculty member Patricia Mink received the Suellen Wilkenson Best in Show award in the national juried exhibition Form, Not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie. The award was presented by the Carnegie Center for Art & History in New Albany, Indiana. The fiber work, entitled "Crazy" was initially produced as part of an ETSU Major RDC Research Grant.

For more information on the exhibition please follow this link: 
http://www.carnegiecenter.org/2018-form-not-function-quilt-art-carnegie/

Marketing Strategies Of U.S. Small Businesses Led By African Immigrants, Sophia Osei-Sarfo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses play a vital role in the U.S. economy and represent 99.7% of all U.S. businesses. Small business failure rate is 50% within the initial 5 years. Creating and executing a well-formulated marketing strategy is essential to business sustainability. Effective marketing strategy builds small business survival rates and supports long term execution advantages. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the marketing strategies that African immigrant small grocery store owners use to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. The population included 5 successful first-generation African immigrant small business owners located in the Bronx …

2018-Recent Graduate Of The Etsu Geosciences Department Receives Employment With Esri, Department Of Geosciences, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Recent graduate of the ETSU Geosciences Department, Victoria Anderson, receives employment as an ArcGIS Analyst with ESRI! After several rigorous phone interviews and the final site visit interview Tori received the GOOD NEWS regarding employment. Tori entered ETSU in 2015 and immediately went to work! She excelled academically completing numerous honors courses, appearing on the Dean’s List, and graduating with honors. Tori was very involved in GeoClub, volunteered for numerous outreach events, presented at the 2018 Appalachian Student Research Forum, 2018 American Association of Geographers co-presented at 2018 Southeastern Geological Society of America conferences and constantly worked to stay ahead …

2018-Dr. Brian Cross Named Fulbright Scholar, Bill Gatton College Of Pharmacy, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Dr. Brian Cross Named Fulbright Scholar

Dr. Brian Cross, associate professor and vice-chair of pharmacy practice, is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship award that has taken him to Ireland. Cross is spending several months overseas working with faculty at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).

The focus of his work will be interprofessional education and teaching others how to best provide team-based care. Cross was among six ETSU faculty and administrators to visit Ireland and Scotland last spring, serving as consultants and collaborators in interprofessional health care practice and education. The Fulbright award is allowing Cross to …

Marketing Strategies During The Product Life Cycle In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Natasa Naneva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Development and implementation of effective marketing strategies during various stages of product life cycle in the pharmaceutical industry are critical to an organization's successful performance in the marketplace in the 21st century. Guided by the general systems theory developed by Bertalanffy and the evolutionary systems theory developed by Laszlo and Laszlo, the purpose of this single case study was to explore best practices among marketing managers within pharmaceutical companies related to marketing strategies during various stages of product life cycle. Data were gathered via semistructured interviews with 3 purposefully selected managers who have successfully developed marketing strategies in a central …

Successful Marketing Strategies Employed By Traditional Am/Fm Radio Stations, Shaquilla Nicole Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increase in Internet radio adverting spending is negatively affecting the revenue of traditional radio stations. Some general managers and sales directors at traditional radio stations lack marketing strategies to compete effectively with Internet radio. Grounded by the attitude toward the ad theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore marketing strategies that successful general managers and sales directors used at traditional radio stations to compete effectively with Internet radio. The population consisted of 8 general managers and sales directors at traditional radio stations located in southeast Florida, who demonstrated success in developing marketing strategies to compete …

Strategies For Integrating And Sustaining Disruptive Innovations In Small Businesses, Robert Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The evolution of technology has led to a need for business leaders to embrace disruptive technology for the purpose of capturing new markets and remaining competitive. Multiple challenges have been faced by business leaders in the processes of integrating and sustaining disruptive innovations, resulting in the failure to achieve expected efficiency and profitability. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by business leaders to integrate and sustain disruptive innovations. The conceptual frameworks were Roger's diffusion of innovation theory and Christensen's disruptive innovation theory. Semistructured interviews were administered to 10 business leaders and employees from institutions …

Strategies To Improve Business Performance With Information From Social Media, Taylor Chan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past 3 decades, China has experienced rapid economic growth. The China retail market reached renminbi (RMB) 29,651 billion in 2016, up by 10.4% from 2015. Using traditional ways that developed before the Internet era to acquire information regarding customers' changing preferences for products and services in a fast-moving business world is insufficient to support management in the retail industry to make informed strategic decisions. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore successful customer-centric strategies that business leaders used to improve business performance with marketing information acquired from social media. The population comprised business leaders from …