Business Commons^™

Differences In Online Social Media Mavens: The Gender Gap, Tyra Mitchell, Deborah H. Lester, R. Keith Tudor, Dolly D. Loyd

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

Consumer Behavior experts have acknowledged the significant impact market mavens play in the dissemination and acceptance of new products in the market place. The emergence of online social media mavens has only recently been recognized. Based on traditional patterns of behavior and Internet usage it could be assumed the predictable demographics of the social media maven would be male, young, educated and with an above average income. This study investigated these traditional assumptions and discovered unique differences in online social media mavens. In order to determine potential Social Media Mavens, this research looked beyond usage of social media and instead …

Self-Efficacy And Its Relation To Sales Outcomes, Charles E. Pettijohn, Allen Schaefer

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

This research evaluates the relationships existing between salesperson self-efficacy and that individual's performance and customer-orientation. The study uses scales specifically designed to measure the salient variables and then statistically analyzes the degree to which these variables relate to desired sales outcomes.

Implications Of Contemporary Leadership Models On Sales Management, Ellen M. Raineri

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

As organizations have discovered that they cannot solely compete on price, product, quality, or technology, organizations have sought the use of optimum leadership models to assist with competition and survival. After examining the evolution of three contemporary leadership models: Spiritual Leadership, Primal Leadership, and Innovative Leadership, it is shown that these models offer sustenance in various ways for organizations and employees. Furthermore, because of the introduction and practice of Spiritual Leadership, Primal Leadership, and Innovative Leadership, specific implications exist for sales management as related to their sales reps and to their customers.

Spirituality: A Multidimentional Construct And Its Implications For Marketing, Emna Zouari

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

The present paper deals with the spiritual value that controls the brain activity of many thinkers as well as with the various definitions and characteristics tied up with it. The ultimate scope throughout this essay is to point out the multi-facets aspect of spirituality. Indeed, spirituality encompasses a personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal context. It revealed thus to be a multidimensional construct, entailing four dimensions namely meaningfulness of life (the goal of one’s living), interconnectedness with people (the various relationships that one nourishes with others), transcendence (feeling of an inexplicable supernatural and divine power) and self-renewal (the relationship with one’s self)

Automated Marketing: A Narrow Focus On Technology Or An Emerging Business Philosophy?, Edward Kasabov

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

As a new area of academic inquiry, Automated Marketing is in its adolescence but has proved to be fast developing and very innovative, mirroring the relatively early stage of the development and application of the technologies that have enabled it. This article widens the understanding of this field of study, which is important both to practice and theory, by drawing attention to two deficiencies: not much has been written on Automated Marketing as such and the little that has been written adopts a narrow technical view while overlooking the significance and impact that it has on marketing, business strategy and …

A Logo Selection Method, Tulay Girard, Michelle Pope

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

Many companies and sports teams have revised their logos over time in efforts to reposition their brand image. Still, the need for establishing a reliable method to guide this important decision still persists. This study offers an empirical method for selecting logos for companies and/or brands by testing the perceptions of consumers using 16 bi-polar personality traits adapted from the literature. The data were collected from undergraduate marketing students for demonstration purposes. The paper proposes that the perceptions for a logo of multiple samples from the same target population will be the same. The findings support the proposition. Implications and …

Projecting Integrity: Online Branding For Nonprofits, Lisa Witzig, Perry Haan

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

Internet usage has grown precipitously in the last decade, and the implications for marketing are deep and profound for nonprofit organizations. Web sites and online social networking are becoming increasingly important for nonprofits, and the concept of brand personality is another powerful marketing technique that enhances these organizations’ marketing strategies. This study examined the intersection of online branding, brand personalities, and nonprofit organizations, and assessed whether the presence of online branding techniques at a nonprofit’s Web site is associated with a donor’s perception of the nonprofit’s personality. The results of the study demonstrated that online branding is significantly important for …

Prisoner Recidivism: A Question For Social Marketing, Joseph R. Stasio Jr.

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

Our society is today grappling with a myriad of social, political and economic problems in a time of greatly reduced and very costly resources. All of these problems are connected, in some way, with each other. It is the very nature of societies and this interconnectedness must be understood and appreciated, because, if left unheeded, the consequences can be quite dramatic.

With the advent of social marketing, society now has proven methods of effectively attacking these problems to create many types of desired social changes. Prisoner recidivism is just such a problem. It has intense social, political and economic ties …

Identifying Potential Student Blood Donors By Personality Traits, Harold Ogden, Brian Mascarenhas, Milen Minchev, Emilie Pelletier, Ryan Slanley

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

A convenience sample of 149 university students was surveyed on their attitudes and behaviors toward blood donation and with a scale of twenty four personality trait items. These items reduced to a seven- factor structure. The data were divided into two groups of high and low-likelihood of blood donation which were compared on factor means. Differences were seen on the “Concern for Others” and the “Down to Earth” factors although not all items in a factor were different and differences were seen in some non- significant factors. Applications of these finding are suggested.

Ethics In Retail Buying And Sales: Perceptions Of Future Retail Personnel, David J. Burns

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

Unlike many other industries, collegiately educated individuals pursuing a career in retailing often find themselves involved in both buying and selling activities and/or interacting with those who do during their careers. As a result, policies enacted by a retailer which affects one of these two environments will likely affect the other. Perceptions of potentially ethically troublesome situations and practices in buying were found to be strongly related to perceptions of potentially ethically troublesome situations and practices in selling. The only exceptions concern socialization between retail salespeople and their peers and/or management, and whether vendors service small accounts. It appears that …

The Influence Of Increasing Transaction Price To Facilitate Direct Charitable Contribution On Consumer Product Choice, Michael Levens

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

The study of embedding direct charitable contributions into a purchase transaction through increasing product price can enhance opportunities for charitable organizations to proactively approach companies with cause marketing proposals. Typically the case for cause marketing is built on goodwill and the potential for future revenue or profits for the partner company. If increasing product price to include a direct donation can be shown to possess consumer utility, business cases for cause marketing activities are enhanced for all parties involved. The basis for this research is the convergence between the concepts of cause marketing, individual giving, donation behavior, the shopping process …

Attitudes Towards Consumer Transgressions In The Marketplace, Sam Fullerton, Larry Neale

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

A sample of 815 adults drawn from the general American population provided their perception of the appropriateness of 12 questionable consumer actions in the marketplace. The scenarios investigated ranged from illegal actions such as inflating one’s losses when filing an insurance claim to actions that while not illegal, may raise questions of ethics. The 12 scenarios exhibited a wide range of mean responses on the six-point scale thereby supporting an often stated premise that consumer ethics is situational in nature. An array of commonly employed demographic questions was also included on the Internet-based survey, and differences of opinion were documented …

Effectiveness Of Price Bundling In An Entertainment Setting, Raj Arora, Charles R. Stoner

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

This study examined the effectiveness of price bundling and whether that effectiveness varied by the discount format utilized. Exploring a movie-dining bundle in the entertainment setting, the study revealed that the bundle was preferred over individual item purchases. Mixed results were noted for the format preferences, and these are addressed in the discussion.

College Students' Choice Criteria Of Retail Banks, Charles Blankson, Trang Phuc Tran

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

The purpose of this research is to develop a scale identifying American college students’ choice criteria of retail banks. It is an exploratory study that complements extant studies on retail bank selection. The reliability of the scale was assessed using exploratory factor analysis and serves as a prelude to further empirical validation analysis. The results present four distinct factors important in the selection of retail banks, namely, "convenience", "competence”, “recommendation by parents" and "free banking - no bank charges". It concludes by discussing managerial contributions, limitations and future research directions.

A Tale Of Two Worlds: A Second Life For Higher Education?, Daniel Demaiolo, Donna Walsh

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

This exploratory research investigates the virtual world industry, explanations for its growth and emerging trends for entrepreneurial ventures and marketing communications. It then explores the effectiveness of operating and promoting higher education in Second Life. Results illustrate consumers 17-24 years old still rely on traditional media for information related to higher education. Developing a business model and marketing mix in Second Life, that often features uncensored content, may not be an appropriate method of connecting with the target demographic. Benefits of utilizing virtual worlds are considered; further research is recommended; suggestions are offered to increase Second Life’s viability in higher …

Utilizing The Innovative Leadership Behavior Inventory And Relationship Marketing As Critical Elements For Teaching/Learning Entrepreneurial Leadership (El), Howard F. Rudd Jr., John E. Clarkin, Thomas Kent, Robert J. Brinson Sr

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

The focus of this paper will be on utilizing the five-factor Leader Behavior Inventory (LBI) as the structure, and various teaching or learning pedagogy and related processes and relationships as the intervening variables in order to help entrepreneurs assess then enhance their potential leadership behavior. In turn, this should foster the decision process necessary to accomplish enterprise building or organizational development thus enhancing the cycle time for critical change. Should the LBI and associated assessment tools and processes indicate such, the best practice strategies may involve bringing in professional management, slowing the growth of the enterprise to allow for leadership …