Theme And Authenticity: Experiencing Heritage At The Venetian, Marta Soligo, Brett Abarbanel

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

Purpose This article analyzes the concepts of experience economy and promotion of authenticity at The Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas by exploring the resort's tangible and intangible heritage use in design and marketing strategies. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study conducts a content analysis of marketing material, historical documents, and site observations. Findings Visitors' active involvement, combined with The Venetian's use of tangible and intangible heritage, is used in creating an authentic themed experience. In addition, our study suggests that authenticity constitutes a key concept for today's hospitality industry. Research limitations/implications This study centers on a single case study, and …

Understanding Mental Health Services And Help-Seeking Behaviours Among College Students In Vietnam, Ngoc C. Pham, Yuanqing Li, Tofazzal Hossain, Claudio Schapsis, Huan H. Pham, Michael Minor

Marketing Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE

Mental health is a significant topic, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is higher prevalence, there is less attention, to mental health problems among Asian college students, so the authors decided to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of mental health services and help-seeking behaviors in Vietnamese universities. By conducting this study, the authors hoped to contribute to current literature on the factors that contribute to professional mental health help-seeking behavior of college students in Vietnam and to suggest strategies to reduce possible barriers that prevent them from looking for professional medical help.

DESIGN

For this …

The Firm-Perceived Contingencies To Political Strategy, Jessica Zeiss, Les Carlson

AMTP Proceedings 2020

Because assumptions that firm decisions to manage external politics revolve around traditional resources and capabilities (e.g., capital, technology) impede environmental management theories, this research explores additional antecedents, i.e., perceived uncertainty, firm political infrastructure. Study One qualitative data support ideas related to management as a matter of a firm’s perceptually constructed environment among deterministic firms. Study Two quantitative data find a strategic choice firm orientation is developed through management structures (e.g., specialized staff, routines), despite post-hoc analyses confirming both firm types operate in similar environments. Combined, these studies disconfirm traditional resources as a driver of firm political activity. Moreover, Study Two …

Empirical Evidence Of The Marketing And Corporate Political Activity Interface In Firm Strategy, Jessica Zeiss

AMTP Proceedings 2020

This qualitative research seeks to shed light on the manner in which marketing and corporate political activity (CPA) interface through senior-level managers acting as key informants. Relying on transcendental phenomenology (n = 41) and grounded theory (n = 402) methods, respectively, Study One uncovers a set of activities difficult to distinguish as either marketing or politics, i.e., legitimacy branding, with Study Two invalidated legitimacy branding as a traditional political strategy. Legitimacy branding’s key characteristics –1) branded reputations, 2) nonmarket targets, 3) for proactive control – position it as marketing-based CPA. While such strategy is generally consistent with previous findings, they …

2020-July-24-August 3 Opening.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – (July 24, 2020) University School will begin its 2020-21 academic year on Monday, Aug. 3 and will be on full-remote status.  The school will continue with remote operations through Sept. 18, which is the end of the first quarter.

“In recent weeks we have witnessed the trajectory of the COVID-19 virus rise both locally and across the nation,” said Dr. Brian Partin, director of University School.  “Our school year launches in just over 10 days, and we do not see this situation drastically improving by that time.

“This has been a very difficult decision but the safety …

Profiting From Protecting Small Business Borrowers: Take That To The Bank!, Jerome D. Williams, Sterling A. Bone, Glenn L. Christensen, Alexandra Tebbs

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

While small businesses represent a significant portion of the economy, there is mounting evidence that the playing field is not level for these firms in access to capital. Based on 10 years of matched-paired mystery shopping tests in banks to investigate bank lending practices and customer experience, the results demonstrate that in almost every instance, minorities were treated more poorly than their White counterparts. However, the authors acknowledge the controversy surrounding this issue, as some question the need for government action to push banks in this direction. Before offering evidence of the impact race can have on the treatment of …

2020-July-23-Pop-N-Doc Discussion To Focus On Documentary John Lewis Good Trouble.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 23, 2020) – The East Tennessee State University Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement and Center for Teaching Excellence will host a special event in the “Pop-n-Doc” virtual film discussion series to focus on a film documenting the life of the late Civil Rights legend and Congressman John Lewis.

Participants will watch the film “John Lewis: Good Trouble” on their own and then take part in a discussion to take place on Thursday, July 30, at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

This film chronicles Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil and voting rights, …

2020-July-22-College Of Public Health Celebrates A Decade Of Global Health Collaboration.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 22, 2020) – For the past 10 years, East Tennessee State University’s College of Public Health has been part of a global health collaboration that has improved the quality of life for citizens in underserved communities around the world. In 2009, the global health nonprofit Hope Through Healing Hands launched the Frist Global Health Leaders (FGHL) Program, which provides volunteer services and builds self-sustaining caregiver capacity in underserved communities. ETSU’s College of Public Health has been a partner from the beginning. 

Global Outreach

2020-July-22-Etsu Pharmacy School Welcomes New Postgraduates.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy postgraduates

JOHNSON CITY (July 22, 2020) – East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy welcomes new residents and a research fellow who will be furthering their postgraduate pharmacy training in various practice settings over the next year.

Alumna Dr. Kennedy Gambill (’19), of Sparta, North Carolina, matched as a Postgraduate Year 2 (PGY2) Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident. She completed her PGY1 pharmacy …

2020-July-20-Webinar Series For Small Businesses Facing Covid-19 Challenges.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 20, 2020) – The Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) at East Tennessee State University will host a three-part Zoom webinar series centered on operations excellence in response to the increasing COVID-19 challenges facing small businesses.

The McClaskey Excellence Institute, which enables and supports leaders to create extraordinary organizations, will present the following sessions:

• Identifying Your Best Opportunities to Deliver Your Products and Services to Your Brand Standard – Wednesday, July 22 at 11 a.m.
• Turning Improvement Opportunities Into a Plan for Success – Thursday, Aug. 6 at 11 a.m.
• Tools to Improve Your Key Processes – …

2020-July-20-Grant Will Prepare More Physicians To Practice In Underserved Rural Areas.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 20, 2020) – A grant awarded to the Department of Family Medicine at East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine will help prepare more family medicine resident physicians to practice as primary care physicians (PCPs) in rural and underserved communities. 

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded ETSU approximately $2.4 million over five years to fund a project titled “Family Medicine Training in Rural Appalachia.” 

“It can be hard to recruit physicians to more rural areas, so a project like this enables us to train and hopefully retain great physicians for Appalachia,” said Dr. Amanda Stoltz, …

2020-July-17-New Postgraduates, Bill Gatton College Of Pharmacy, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 17, 2020)— East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy welcomes new residents and a research fellow who will be furthering their postgraduate pharmacy training in various practice settings over the next year. 

Alumna Dr. Kennedy Gambill (’19), of Sparta, North Carolina, matched as a Postgraduate Year 2 (PGY2) Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident. She completed her PGY1 pharmacy residency at Spartanburg Medical Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

“I knew that the culture and community here was perfect for furthering my education and personal development,” said Gambill. “I am overjoyed to have the opportunity to continue my …

2020-July-16-Quillen College Of Medicine Welcomes Class Of 2024.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 16, 2020) – The first week of medical school looked much different for the 72 new members of the class of 2024, who were welcomed to East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine this week. 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the students participated in a virtual orientation via Zoom on Monday, July 13, and began classes online the next day. The traditional white coat ceremony that is usually held during the first week of medical school will be rescheduled to a later date when it is safe to gather. 

Here is a look at the Class of …

Close Knit: Using Consumption Communities To Overcome Loneliness, Maire O Sullivan, Brendan Richardson

Dept. of Marketing & International Business Publications

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the role of consumption communities as a self-help support group to ameliorate loneliness. The authors suggest that the self-help element of consumption communities has been overlooked because of a focus on communities pursuing hegemonic masculinity. Instead, the authors focus on a female-led and – dominated consumption community.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal ethnography was undertaken with the aim of understanding consumer behaviour in a “hyper-feminine” environment. Participant observation, depth interviews and netnography were carried out over five years within the Knitting community, focussing on an Irish Stitch ‘n’ Bitch group.

Findings

A dimension of consumption communities …

2020-July-15-Cfaa Earns Ittpc Certification.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 15, 2020) – The Center for Academic Achievement at East Tennessee State University has earned International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) from the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA).

The Center for Academic Achievement (CFAA) is home to Learning Services, which provides tutoring and supplemental instruction, and Testing Services for ETSU. The Learning Services division offers tutoring in many subjects, including writing and speaking, mathematics, natural sciences, general education courses and more.

“This certification is the gold standard for tutor preparation and development in colleges and universities across the country, and we are extremely proud of the …

2020-July-15-Quillen 100 Cycling Race Postponed Until Spring .Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 15, 2020) – The Second Annual Quillen 100 cycling race, originally scheduled for Aug. 1, 2020 at Bristol Motor Speedway, has been postponed until spring 2021.

“We had a good plan in place to ensure the safety of all participants, but with the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in our region, we do not think we can safely host the race as intended,” said Ryan Serbin, a student at East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine. “As medical students, we want to promote the health and safety of our community, and we believe that waiting until …

2020-July-15-Etsu Pharmacy Students Launch Pharmaceutical Industry Chapter.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 15, 2020) – Students at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy have created a group focused on preparing them for career opportunities in the growing pharmaceutical industry. 

Joining as the 88th chapter of the Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) National Student Chapter Network, the student group will be guided by Dr. Siva Digavalli, associate professor of Pharmaceutical Science. He has 18 years of drug discovery and development experience, including serving as a principal scientist at the global biopharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb, where he led a team to develop a dozen new drugs, many of …

2020-July-14-Adler Joins Tennessee Leadership Next Cohort.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 14, 2020) – Dr. Jennifer Axsom Adler, assistant director of the Roan Scholars Leadership Program at East Tennessee State University, has joined 30 other mid-career professionals from across Tennessee to take part in the second class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT.

Leadership Tennessee is the only statewide leadership program focusing on Tennessee’s existing and emerging leaders that spans geographic and industry boundaries. The 2020 class represents diversity across the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee.

“At Leadership Tennessee we want to build a network of problem solvers and engaged citizens to come together on issues of statewide importance, and …

2020-July-14-Caton Tmta Teacher Of The Year.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 14, 2020) – Dr. Benjamin D. Caton III, who recently retired after 46 years on the faculty of East Tennessee State University’s Department of Music, was named the 2020 Teacher of the Year by the Tennessee Music Teachers Association (TMTA).

Caton was announced as the award winner by his fellow ETSU piano faculty member Dr. Esther Park during the recent TMTA board meeting, which was held virtually.

“I have known (Caton) to be a tireless and detailed worker, a beloved teacher and colleague, a wise and winsome leader, and a humble servant,” a colleague wrote in support …

2020-July-13-Taper Or Full Force.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – (July 13, 2020) Athletes spend months and often years preparing for a major competition.  In the final weeks leading up to an event, is it best to keep the training going full speed, or is tapering off training the right thing to do in order to reach peak performance?

That’s the question Dr. Caleb Bazyler, a researcher at East Tennessee State University, hopes to answer in a new study funded by the National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation.

Tapering is when athletes reduce the volume of their training, usually prior to a competition.  Significant research has already …

2020-July-13-Fl3tch3r Submissions.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 13, 2020) – The international “FL3TCH3R Exhibit: Social and Politically Engaged Art” at East Tennessee State University’s Reece Museum never fails to reflect the social and political milieu and zeitgeist of the country and world.

The 2020 exhibition, which is scheduled to run Oct. 5-Dec. 11, will follow suit, with virtual, as well as on-ground, programming and a special award to an artist whose work reflects the Black Lives Matter movement.

“There will be no general theme for entries except social and politically engaged artworks,” say co-directors Barb, Wayne and Carrie Dyer, who established the exhibition in …

2020-July-10-Tell It To Me Pinnacle Award.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 10, 2020) – “Tell It to Me: The Johnson City Sessions 90^th Anniversary Celebration,” a two-day event held in Johnson City, on October 18-19, 2019, was named “Festival or Event of the Year” during the recent Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association’s Pinnacle Awards.  

Reaching a Pinnacle

“Tell It to Me” celebrated the influential Johnson …

Setting The Future Of Digital And Social Media Marketing Research: Perspectives And Research Propositions, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Elvira Ismagilova, D. Laurie Hughes, Jamie Carlson, Raffaele Filieri, Jenna Jacobson, Varsha Jain, Heikki Karjaluoto, Hajer Kefi, Anjala S. Krishen, Vikram Kumar, Mohammad M. Rahman, Ramakrishnan Raman, Philipp A. Rauschnabel, Jennifer Rowley, Jari Salo, Gina A. Tran, Yichuan Wang

Marketing and International Business Faculty Research

The use of the internet and social media have changed consumer behavior and the ways in which companies conduct their business. Social and digital marketing offers significant opportunities to organizations through lower costs, improved brand awareness and increased sales. However, significant challenges exist from negative electronic word-of-mouth as well as intrusive and irritating online brand presence. This article brings together the collective insight from several leading experts on issues relating to digital and social media marketing. The experts’ perspectives offer a detailed narrative on key aspects of this important topic as well as perspectives on more specific issues including artificial …

Hopeless Ugly Food? Estimating Heterogeneous Treatment Effects Of Marketing Strategies On Consumer Attitude And Wtp Via Machine Learning Approaches, Ran Li

LSU Master's Theses

Around one-third of food produced for human consumption is wasted every year, partially caused by consumer's unwillingness to purchase ugly food. We explore opportunities to favorably support consumer's considerations for ugly food by analyzing survey responses from 1099 U.S. adults. We find that without any marketing strategies applied, a great discount has to be provided to sell ugly food. By using appropriate marketing strategies, consumer's attitudes and willingness to pay for ugly food can be changed positively. However, the effects of ugly food marketing attributes are heterogeneous among consumers with different attitudes towards ugly food. Consumers with negative attitudes towards …

To Share Or Not To Share: The Optimal Advertising Effort With Asymmetric Advertising Effectiveness, Qingying Li, Hao Ding, Tianqin Shi, Yanli Tang

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we study a two-stage model in which a manufacturer expands to a new market through a local retailer and has private information on the advertising effectiveness. The manufacturer chooses the information sharing format with the retailer, either no information sharing or mandatory information sharing. Under no information sharing format, the manufacturer and the retailer play a signaling game. We derive both separating and pooling equilibria and conduct equilibrium refinements for the signaling game. Under mandatory information sharing format, the manufacturer simply informs the retailer the advertising effectiveness. We also establish the stylized model and derive the optimal …

2020-July-09-Distinguished Staff Awards .Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 9, 2020) – Seven individuals were honored by the East Tennessee State University Staff Senate in the presentation of the 2020 Distinguished Staff Awards.

Outstanding staff are nominated by their peers for these awards, which include a $2,000 check provided by the ETSU Foundation and an engraved recognition memento from the Staff Senate. 

Awards are presented annually to staff members whose performance of assigned tasks, positive attitude in working with others, commitment to the university community, and exercise of extraordinary courage deserve recognition and inspire other employees.

The 2020 winners, who were recognized in a special ceremony …

2020-July-09-Etsu Board Of Trustees Called Meeting.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 9, 2020) — East Tennessee State University’s Board of Trustees will hold a special called meeting on Friday, July 17 at 1 p.m.

In accordance with Executive Order 51 issued by Governor Bill Lee, the current operational status of the university, and for the safety of the ETSU community, the meeting will be conducted permitting participation by electronic or other means of communication. The agenda will include budget and academic updates.

Public attendance to the meeting will be available via livestream at www.etsu.edu/trustees/livestream.php.

When they become available, the agenda and accompanying materials will be posted online …

2020-July-08-Nurse Practitioner Programs Ranked No 13 In Nation Top In Tennessee.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 8, 2020) – East Tennessee State University College of Nursing is ranked No. 13 in a listing of “2020’s Best Online Nurse Practitioner Programs” released by EduMed.org. ETSU’s program was EduMed.org’s highest-ranking online nurse practitioner program in Tennessee. 

In addition, EduMed.org’s 2020 listings also ranked ETSU’s psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program 10^th in the country. 

Nurse practitioners serve as primary and specialty care providers, delivering advanced nursing services to patients and their families. They typically care for a certain population of people. 

“An increasing demand in health care services and the aging baby boomer …

An Evaluation Of Three Online Chatbots, Mahesh Vanjani, Jamison Posey, Milam Aiken

Southwestern Business Administration Journal

Chatbots enable machines to emulate human conversation. While research has been done to examine how human-like communication with chatbots can be, heretofore comparisons of the systems with humans have not accounted for abnormal behavior from the users. For example, the people using the chatbot might be lying or trying to, in turn, imitate a computer’s response. Results of a study comparing transcripts from three chatbots and two humans show that student evaluators were able to correctly identify two computer transcripts, but failed on one. Further, they incorrectly guessed that one of the humans was a chatbot. The study also presents …

2020-July-06-Virtual Student Days.Pdf, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY (July 6, 2020) – East Tennessee State University’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will host Virtual Student Days on Monday and Tuesday, July 13-14.

Current and incoming students and their families are invited to participate in this two-day event, which will feature videos detailing important information about the fall 2020 semester, opportunities to interact in real time with financial aid staff, and a chance to be selected for prizes.

“During these unprecedented times, we are committed to doing all we can to ease the stresses and concerns of the East Tennessee State University community,” said Catherine Morgan, …