Marketing Commons^™

Consumer Engagement With Self-Driving Cars: A Theory Of Planned Behavior-Informed Perspective, Linda D. Hollebeek, Choukri Menidjel, Omar S. Itani, Moira K. Clark, Valdimar Sigurdsson

Marketing Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study investigates the mediating role of consumer engagement (CE) in the relationship between perceived behavioral control (PBC) and purchase intent and the moderating role of perceived safety in the relationship between PBC and CE in the self-driving car (SDC) context.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the model, a sample of 368 consumers was deployed using partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The findings reveal that consumers' SDC engagement mediates the relationship between PBC and their intent to purchase an SDC. Consumer-perceived SDC safety also moderates the association of PBC/engagement.

Originality/value

While prior research has examined consumer-based drivers of SDC …

Sustainability And Professional Sales: A Review And Future Research Agenda, Colin B. Gabler, V. Myles Landers, Omar S. Itani

Marketing Faculty Publications

Sustainability has become a consideration for every firm operating in today’s business landscape. Scholars are tasked with uncovering bridges and barriers to successfully implement sustainability strategies, and the academic community has largely responded. However, while sustainability research has proliferated across business disciplines, it is conspicuously missing from professional selling and sales management. This is partly due to conceptual ambiguity, but also because sustainability generally involves firm-level policies and programs, and therefore domains like consumer behavior, marketing strategy, and supply chain management have occupied the space. This is problematic because while executives develop sustainability strategies, the sales force is responsible for …

A Desire For Success: Exploring The Roles Of Personal And Job Resources In Determining The Outcomes Of Salesperson Social Media Use, Ashish Kalra, Nawar N. Chaker, Rakesh Singh, Omar S. Itani, Raj Agnihotri

Marketing Faculty Publications

Sales researchers have recognized the importance of salesperson social media use in enhancing job outcomes. However, research that considers the influence of salesperson personal factors and the individual's work environment on the impact of social media use on such outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction and salesperson performance) remains neglected in the literature. Leveraging Job-Demand Resource (JD-R) theory, we develop a model that introduces linkages between salesperson social media use, task adaptivity, technology self-efficacy, manager trust, job autonomy, job satisfaction, and salesperson performance. Utilizing a sample of 214 business-to-business salespeople, we find that salesperson social media use positively influences job satisfaction, which …

The Effects Of Commitment And Trust On The Relationship Between Service Quality And University Brand Loyalty In Time Of Crisis, Dongjun Rew, Wonsuk Cha, Joo Y. Jung

Management Faculty Publications

Existing literature on university brand loyalty (UBL) has less focused on a marketing-oriented perspective, or relationship marketing, and its impact on testing UBL. The aim of this study is to identity the roles and impacts of trust and commitment, which are main factors that create a relationship, in the relationship between university service quality, student satisfaction (SAT), and UBL and discuss its implications for university approaches of the marketing-oriented perspective. A self-report study was conducted with a total sample of 301 undergraduate students from four universities in the USA. PLS-SEM and path analysis were employed to test each hypothetical relationship. …

Best Practices For Implementing Experimental Research Methods, Jennifer L. Stoner, Reto Felix, Ashley Stadler Blank

Marketing Faculty Publications

Experimental research methods have a long history across a number of different disciplines—including consumer research. Although experiments are just one of many alternative research methods, experiments are notable because they are the best way to establish causation. This makes experiments a powerful tool when researchers need to show cause and effect relationships. In this article, we provide best practices for implementing experimental research methods in consumer studies. Specifically, we discuss several important topics researchers need to consider when designing experiments, including developing hypotheses, operationalizing the variables (manipulated or measured), deciding on the research design (between-subjects, within-subjects, or mixed), selecting the …

Can Salespeople Use Social Media To Enhance Brand Awareness And Sales Performance? The Role Of Manager Empowerment And Creativity, Ashish Kalra, Omar S. Itani, Amin Rostami

Marketing Faculty Publications

Purpose

Although research analyzing the consequences of salesperson social media use in driving sales behaviors and performance outcomes has proliferated in the recent past, there are significant research gaps in the domain. Grounded in task-technology fit theory, this paper aims to propose a conceptual framework that integrates between previously disjointed areas of research and analyzes the relationships between salesperson social media use, brand awareness, creativity, manager empowerment and company performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey responses were collected from a multi-industry sample of 158 business-to-business salespeople. Structural relationships were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The analysis shows that salesperson …

The Influence Of Self-Construal On Consumer Responses To Sizing Discrepancy, Hyeyoon Jung, Peter Magnusson, Yi Peng

Marketing Faculty Publications

Purpose—This study examines how consumers’ self-construal moderates their buying behavior in situations requiring consumers to buy larger-than-expected clothing sizes. We explore the potential effectiveness of two distinct communication strategies - emotional versus informational ad appeals - to mitigate the negative effects of sizing discrepancies.

Design/methodology/approach—A total of three experiments were conducted to examine the proposed framework. Studies 1 and 2 investigate whether self-construal moderates the relationship between sizing discrepancy and purchasing intentions. Study 3 examines the effectiveness of communication strategies in reducing the detrimental effects of sizing discrepancy.

Findings—When encountering sizing discrepancies, we find that consumers with …

Exploring The Darkverse: A Multi-Perspective Analysis Of The Negative Societal Impacts Of The Metaverse, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Nir Kshetri, Laurie Hughes, Nripendra P. Rana, Abdullah M. Baabdullah, Arpan Kumar Kar, Alex Koohang, Samuel Ribeiro-Navarrete, Nina Belei, Reto Felix

Marketing Faculty Publications

The Metaverse has the potential to form the next pervasive computing archetype that can transform many aspects of work and life at a societal level. Despite the many forecasted benefits from the metaverse, its negative outcomes have remained relatively unexplored with the majority of views grounded on logical thoughts derived from prior data points linked with similar technologies, somewhat lacking academic and expert perspective. This study responds to the dark side perspectives through informed and multifaceted narratives provided by invited leading academics and experts from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. The metaverse dark side perspectives covered include: technological and consumer vulnerability, privacy, …

Context In Augmented Reality Marketing: Does The Place Of Use Matter?, Simon Von Der Au, Philipp A. Rauschnabel, Reto Felix, Chris Hinsch

Marketing Faculty Publications

Augmented reality (AR) integrates virtual content into a consumer's perception of the real world. While academic interest in AR is growing, most prior research has focused on consumer evaluations of AR content and neglected the physical context in which AR content is consumed. Addressing this research gap, two experimental studies showed that context (e.g., experiencing a virtual sofa at home vs. in a university classroom) impacts consumer judgments and evaluations. The results reveal two primary effects of context. First, contexts in which virtual objects meet users' personal and cultural expectations associated with a specific location (e.g., a sofa in a …

Context In Augmented Reality Marketing: Does The Place Of Use Matter?, Simon Von Der Au, Philipp A. Rauschnabel, Reto Felix, Chris Hinsch

Marketing Faculty Publications

Augmented reality (AR) integrates virtual content into a consumer's perception of the real world. While academic interest in AR is growing, most prior research has focused on consumer evaluations of AR content and neglected the physical context in which AR content is consumed. Addressing this research gap, two experimental studies showed that context (e.g., experiencing a virtual sofa at home vs. in a university classroom) impacts consumer judgments and evaluations. The results reveal two primary effects of context. First, contexts in which virtual objects meet users' personal and cultural expectations associated with a specific location (e.g., a sofa in a …

“Turning Role Conflict Into Performance”: Assessing The Moderating Role Of Self-Monitoring, Manager Trust And Manager Identification, Ashish Kalra, Omar S. Itani, Sijie Sun

Marketing Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study examines the contextual variables that can curb the negative effects of role conflict on job satisfaction and enhance the positive effect of job satisfaction on creativity and service performance. More specifically, adopting the job demands-resources theory, the authors explore the interactive effect of frontline employee (FLE) self-monitoring and FLE-manager trust on the relationship between role conflict and job satisfaction. Extending this line of inquiry, the authors adopt social identity theory and analyze the moderating effect of FLE-manager identification on the relationship between job satisfaction and creativity and between job satisfaction and service performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Dyadic data utilizing …

Metaverse Marketing: How The Metaverse Will Shape The Future Of Consumer Research And Practice, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Laurie Hughes, Yichuan Wang, Ali A. Alalwan, Sun J. (Grace) Ahn, Janarthanan Balakrishnan, Sergio Barta, Russell Belk, Dimitrios Buhalis, Reto Felix

Marketing Faculty Publications

The initial hype and fanfare from the Meta Platforms view of how the metaverse could be brought to life has evolved into an ongoing discussion of not only the metaverse's impact on users and organizations but also the societal and cultural implications of widespread usage. The potential of consumer interaction with brands within the metaverse has engendered significant debate within the marketing‐ focused discourse on the key challenges and transformative opportunities for marketers. Drawing on insights from expert contributors, this study examines the marketing implications of the hypothetical widespread adoption of the metaverse. We identify new research directions and propose …

Extending The Diversity Conversation: Fashion Consumption Experiences Of Underrepresented And Underserved Women, Lena Cavusoglu, Deniz Atik

Marketing Faculty Publications

This research brings in the voice of underserved and underrepresented women of various racial or ethnic origins and social classes, who have differing buying powers, sexual orientations, body shapes, and physical appearances, into the conversation of fashion diversity. Through a qualitative inquiry with 38 semi-structured in-depth interviews, the researchers analyzed the consumption experiences of diverse women to expose what the fashion scene is lacking. The study's main contribution is the depiction of overlooked diversity categories in fashion, such as the non-White and non-Black women of color, women of average sizes, and women with characteristics that the fashion industry has long …

A Cross-Cultural Analysis Of Ridesharing Intentions And Compliance With Covid-19 Health Guidelines: The Roles Of Social Trust, Fear Of Covid-19, And Trust-In-God, Md Nazmus Sakib, Fuad Hasan, Md Al-Emran, Reto Felix

Marketing Faculty Publications

Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft have been substantially affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on social capital theory, the current research investigates how social trust relates to three types of trust in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines and consumers' ridesharing intentions. Analyzing data from two economically and culturally distinct countries, the results suggest that social trust positively affects trust in platform companies' compliance with COVID-19 guidelines (TPC), but not (or to a lesser extent) trust in drivers' (TDC) and other riders (TRC) compliance with COVID-19 guidelines in both the United States and Bangladesh. Importantly, TPC, TDC, and TRC …

The Impact Of Business-To-Business Salespeople’S Social Media Use On Value Co-Creation And Cross/Up-Selling: The Role Of Social Capital, Omar S. Itani, Vishag Badrinarayanan, Deva Rangarajan

Marketing Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study aims to develop and test a process model of the effect of social media use by business-to-business (B2B) salespeople on their value cocreation and cross/upselling performance. Adopting a research acquisition perspective, the authors claim that salesperson’s social media use is critical for generating social capital – an operant resource characterized by superior market knowledge, reputation and networking – which, in turn, directly and synergistically enhances value cocreation and cross/upselling outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A model is developed based on extant sales research on salesperson’s social media use and social capital theory. Data from B2B salespeople is analyzed using structural …

Moderating Effects Of Likelihood To Use In-Store Technology In Grocery Stores: Perceived Value Of Retailtainment, Adesegun Oyedele, Fuat Firat, Monica Hernandez, Emily Goenner Munson

Marketing Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is the assessment of the moderating effects of consumers’ likelihood to use instore technologies on the relationship between retailtainment value and satisfaction with retailtainment in physical grocery stores. A questionnaire designed to test our model was administered to 332 undergraduate students. The data were analyzed using AMOS-SEM. The results show that perceived benefit, enjoyment, and unique values of retailtainment were significant in explicating satisfaction with retailtainment. Regarding the interaction effects of likelihood to use instore technology, the results reveal the positive relationship between human interactivity-instore, benefits, and unique values, and the dependent variable satisfaction with …

Can Marketing Transcend Entrenched Gender Biases?, Thinh Nguyen

Marketing Faculty Publications

Through a feminist lens, Maclaran and Chatzidakis (2022) challenge conventional assumptions about gender, emphasizing its performative nature shaped by social practices rather than inherent traits. This commentary extends analyses of key themes such as gender performativity, the male gaze, and subject-object binaries within marketing. It critiques how marketing strategies reinforce existing power imbalances and systemic biases rooted in historical narratives. The writing also reflects on media interpretations of gender issues through films like 'Turning Red' and 'Barbie'. By contextualizing gendered marketing within broader societal frameworks, this writing contributes to ongoing dialogues in media studies, sociology, and gender studies, highlighting the …

Harnessing The Power Within: The Consequences Of Salesperson Moral Identity And The Moderating Role Of Internal Competitive Climate, Omar S. Itani, Nawar N. Chaker

Marketing Faculty Publications

The purpose of this research is to examine the notion of salesperson moral identity as a prosocial individual trait and its associated effects on customer and coworker relationships. In addition, this study examines the underlying processes in which these effects occur as well as the moderating role of internal competitive climate. Our empirical investigation of business-to-business (B2B) sales professionals reveals that moral identity has both direct and indirect effects on a salesperson’s customer- and team-directed outcomes. Specifically, our results demonstrate that salesperson moral identity positively affects both salesperson-customer identification and organizational identification, which, in turn, impact customer service provision and …

Engaging With Omnichannel Brands: The Role Of Consumer Empowerment, Omar S. Itani, Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro, Zahy Ramadan

Marketing Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study aims to integrate brand and retailer levels variables to examine the direct and indirect relationships between omnichannel retailing and consumer engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data are collected from a sample consumers of different omnichannel retailing brands operating in the skin care industry. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is utilized.

Findings

The study finds brand channels' integrated interactions (process and content consistency) to increase consumer brand engagement. Findings show retailer consumer empowerment to intensify the impact of omnichannel retailing on consumer engagement. Results also show brand channels' integrated interactions to increase consumer brand familiarity, which mediates the effect …

How Do Consumers In General Evaluate, Judge, And Act Toward Shoplifting? The Moderating Effects Of Personal Characteristics And Motives, Juehui Shi, Ngoc Cindy Pham, Claudio Schapsis, Tofazzal Hossain, Arturo Z. Vasquez-Parraga

Marketing Faculty Publications

Despite the seriousness of shoplifting, consumers’ evaluations, judgements, and intentions toward shoplifting remain underexplored by scholars from business ethics, marketing, retailing, and consumer behavior. We propose a new shoplifting ethics model, which integrates Hunt and Vitell’s theory of ethics with Nadeau, Rochlen, and Tyminski’s typology of shoplifting, by incorporating the moderators of consumers’ personal characteristics (i.e., age, gender, marital status, income) and shoplifting motives (i.e., social, experiential, economic, emotional) onto the relationships among deontological evaluation, teleological evaluation, ethical judgment, and intention. Based on a two-by-two randomized experimental design, two shoplifting cases (i.e., swapping price tags, stealing products) are investigated in …

Metaverse Beyond The Hype: Multidisciplinary Perspectives On Emerging Challenges, Opportunities, And Agenda For Research, Practice And Policy, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Laurie Hughes, Abdullah M. Baabdullah, Samuel Ribeiro-Navarrete, Mihalis Giannakis, Mutaz M. Al-Debei, Denis Dennehy, Bhimaraya Metri, Dimitrios Buhalis, Reto Felix

Marketing Faculty Publications

The metaverse has the potential to extend the physical world using augmented and virtual reality technologies allowing users to seamlessly interact within real and simulated environments using avatars and holograms. Virtual environments and immersive games (such as, Second Life, Fortnite, Roblox and VRChat) have been described as antecedents of the metaverse and offer some insight to the potential socio-economic impact of a fully functional persistent cross platform metaverse. Separating the hype and “meta…” rebranding from current reality is difficult, as “big tech” paints a picture of the transformative nature of the metaverse and how it will positively …

What Is Xr? Towards A Framework For Augmented And Virtual Reality, Philipp A. Rauschnabel, Reto Felix, Chris Hinsch, Hamza Shahab, Florian Alt

Marketing Faculty Publications

Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality, and Extended Reality (often – misleadingly – abbreviated as XR) are commonly used terms to describe how technologies generate or modify reality. However, academics and professionals have been inconsistent in their use of these terms. This has led to conceptual confusion and unclear demarcations. Inspired by prior research and qualitative insights from XR professionals, we discuss the meaning and definitions of various terms and organize them in our proposed framework. As a result, we conclude that (1) XR should not be used to connote extended reality, but as a more open approach …

Financial Literacy And Consumer Well-Being: Examining The Role Of Gender Role Ideology, Lorena Garcia Ramon

Theses and Dissertations

Financial literacy, or the ability to process economic information and make informed decisions about financial planning, wealth accumulation, debt, and pensions, has been linked to beneficial financial behaviors that support financial well-being. Despite these benefits, consumers tend to underperform in financial literacy tests with women generally faring worse than men. This dissertation draws from gender roles literature and Expectancy-Value Theory to examine how, why, and when traditional attitudes regarding societal gender roles (i.e., gender role ideology) hinder women’s financial literacy and willingness to acquire financial knowledge. Moreover, it examines how financial literacy and willingness to …

Conspicuous Asceticism: Collapsing Consumers' Hungry Ghosts, Ash Zareian

Theses and Dissertations

The author investigates an emerging construct called conspicuous asceticism expositioned from a narcissism-centric view. The understanding of this construct is approached by drawing an idiomatic semantic parallel in opposition to conspicuous consumption and by utilizing its current theoretical framework of narcissism. Moreover, this paper seeks to extend conspicuous consumption’s theoretical framework as synonymous with the construct of compulsive consumption. Furthermore, I illustrate that consumers must transcend narcissism through engaging in treatment modalities requisite to operationalize a pioneering effort in which consumers can engage in marketing campaign efforts to advertise conspicuous ascetic contexts. This dissertation gleans from extant literature in sociology, …

B2b Ewom On Alibaba: Signaling Through Online Reviews In Platform-Based Social Exchange, Zsófia Tóth, Mona Mrad, Omar S. Itani, Jun Luo, Martin J. Liu

Marketing Faculty Publications

Highlights

• The study explores buyers' signaling of observable and unobservable supplier characteristics on the Alibaba e-platform.

• Key B2B eWOM themes that the study identifies are: product/service quality, human touch, responsiveness, and resilience.

• Findings demonstrate that human touch is vital in B2B e-platform environments too, not only in physical reality.

• Buyers' signals aim at suppliers as well as at prospective buyers and implicitly buyers send signals about themselves too.

• Signaling Theory is applied to address the signaling process, while Social Exchange Theory informs relevant cost-benefit assessments.

Abstract

This study investigates the contemporary role of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in business exchanges through …

The Examination Of Psychophysiological Effects Of Multisensory Imagery Marketing Strategy. A Triangulation In 3 Studies, Sasawan Heingraj

Theses and Dissertations

Multisensory imagery marketing strategy has been extensively suggested to be one of the advertising strategies that can generate long-term brand awareness, brand image, and authentic experience in a highly competitive market condition. This dissertation explored the psychophysiological effects of multisensory imagery marketing strategy on consumers' attitudes. Results from study 1 suggested that consumers’ masculine-feminine self-concept played an important role when evaluating multisensory imagery marketing messages. Specifically, consumers who exhibited a lower degree of masculine self-concept and those with feminine self-concept were likely to evaluate multisensory imagery marketing messages more positively than their higher masculine self-concept counterparts. We also found that …

Self-Service Technologies That Appear Human Interacting With Customers: Effects On Third-Party Observers, Ross Paul Murray

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effects of viewing and hearing service failure and recovery interactions between self-service technologies (SSTs) and customers on third-party observers. Third-party observers are those that observe the actions of other customers as they interact with a firm in some way. These observations could occur in the present (face-to-face) or past (watching a video or listening to an audio recording). Third-party observers provide a unique perspective as they can provide a more neutral perspective of a failed service transaction and recovery as compared to the involved customer and firm.

This dissertation contributes to the SST literature and to …

The Role Of Wisdom In Navigating Social Media Paradoxes: Implications For Consumers, Firms, And Public Policy, Abigail B. Schneider, Sunaina Chugani, Tavleen Kaur, Jason Stornelli, Michael Luchs, Marat Bakpayev, Tessa Garcia-Collart, Bridget Leonard, Lydia Ottlewski, Laura Pricer

Marketing Faculty Publications

Social media has transformed the nature of communication and simultaneously given rise to paradoxes—irresolvable situations where contradictory elements co-exist. These paradoxes are pervasive, and they can jeopardize consumer welfare because they are difficult to navigate. In this conceptual paper, we argue that the principles of wisdom provide a unique and constructive lens through which to view the social media landscape with the aim of maximizing well-being. We illustrate three social media paradoxes at individual, interpersonal, and societal levels of analysis. We also translate wisdom theory into practical recommendations for consumers, marketers, and public policy makers to facilitate wiser use of …

When The Green In Green Packaging Backfires: Gender Effects And Perceived Masculinity Of Environmentally Friendly Products, Reto Felix, Eva M. González, Raquel Castaño, Lorena Carrete, Richard T. Gretz

Marketing Faculty Publications

Previous research has emphasized the importance of product packaging to consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions, but empirical studies that explore the specific mechanisms by which packaging color influences marketing-relevant downstream variables in relation to environmentally friendly products is scarce. The current research addresses this gap by building on insights from theories on consumption values, gender roles, and gendered products. In two studies, the current research shows (1) how color-induced perceptions of masculinity can trigger perceived product effectiveness and purchase intentions, (2) how competing mediation through masculinity and perceived fit with the product category influences perceived product effectiveness and purchase intentions …

Paralinguistic And Rhetorical Capabilities Of Emojis In Marketing Communication, Jacob Christopher Almaguer

Theses and Dissertations

Consumers and social media marketers have over 3,000 emojis at their fingertips. Despite the popularity of emojis on social media, marketing research on emojis remains limited. Extant marketing research on emojis that does exist primarily focuses on the emotional and reinforcement capabilities, a remnant of the limitations of the emoticon ancestor, and largely ignores the additional paralinguistic and rhetorical potential of emojis. In this dissertation, emojis as a paralanguage are explored with a particular focus on the creation of meaning on social media (Essay 1), and emojis as a full (Essay 2) and partial (Essay 3) substitute for text in …