A Framework for Ethical Conformity in Marketing

The extant marketing literature provides little guidance for theory development or practice with regard to questions of ethical conformity and the resulting market response. To begin to bridge this research gap, we advance a theoretical framework of ethical conformity in marketing, appealing to marketing ethics, management strategy, and sociological foundations. We set the stage for our theoretical arguments by considering the role of normative expectations related to marketing practices and behaviors held by societal constituents. Against this backdrop, we propose drivers of conformity in marketing, including practices consistent with both overconformity and underconformity. The framework allows us to advance testable research propositions by which questions of ethical conformity may be explored. We conclude by suggesting additional future research needed to develop the domain, specifically in the form of empirical inquiries uncovering firm strategic decisions with ethical implications. Kelly D. Martin is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Her research interests involve marketing strategy with ethical implications, interfirm relationships, the role of marketing in society, and the effects of institutions, social norms, and culture on organizations. Her work has appeared in the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of Business Ethics, and Business & Society. Jean L. Johnson is the Gardner O. Hart Professor of Marketing at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Her research focuses on marketing strategy, interfirm relationships, and capabilities and learning in firms. Her work appears in the Journal of Marketing, the Academy of Management Journal, and Journal of International Business Studies, among others.     

Social Commerce: A Contingency Framework for Assessing Marketing Potential

A key issue for marketers resulting from the dramatic rise of social media is how it can be leveraged to generate value for firms. Whereas the importance of social media for brand management and customer relationship management is widely recognized, it is unclear whether social media can also help companies market and sell products. Extant discussions of social commerce present a variety of perspectives, but the core issue remains unresolved. This paper aims to make two contributions. First, to address the lack of clarity in the literature regarding the meaning and domain of social commerce, the paper offers a definition stemming from important research streams in marketing. This definition allows for both a broad (covering all steps of the consumer decision process) and a narrow (focusing on the purchase act itself) construal of social commerce. Second, we build on this definition and develop a contingency framework for assessing the marketing potential that social commerce has to offer to firms. Implications for researchers and managers, based on the proposed definition and framework, are also discussed.     

Social Media Marketing Management: A Conceptual Framework

Managers today face many challenges when using social media in their marketing strategies. Drawing from social media literature, this study introduces a new framework to assist managers in developing and using social media as a marketing tool. This framework has four dimensions related to the actions managers perform when implementing and engaging with social media: messaging/projecting, monitoring, assessing, and responding. Each dimension of the framework may be applied differently based on the firm’s strategic direction or focus. The framework provides an opportunity for a firm to examine the entire scope of social media marketing from a broad strategic perspective as well as a more tactical perspective. Propositions formulated by the authors suggest how organizations with different strategic characteristics may manage social media differently. The study provides an understanding for managers of the variety of issues related to the specific aspects of maintaining a firm’s online presence based on a firm’s scope, culture, structure, and governance.     

A Framework for Collaborative Artificial Intelligence in Marketing

We develop a conceptual framework for collaborative artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing, providing systematic guidance for how human marketers and consumers can team up with AI, which has profound implications for retailing, which is the interface between marketers and consumers. Drawing from the multiple intelligences view that AI advances from mechanical, to thinking, to feeling intelligence (based on how difficult for AI to mimic human intelligences), the framework posits that collaboration between AI and HI (human marketers and consumers) can be achieved by 1) recognizing the respective strengths of AI and HI, 2) having lower-level AI augmenting higher-level HI, and 3) moving HI to a higher intelligence level when AI automates the lower level. Implications for marketers, consumers, and researchers are derived. Marketers should optimize the mix and timing of AI-HI marketing team, consumers should understand the complementarity between AI and HI strengths for informed consumption decisions, and researchers can investigate innovative approaches to and boundary conditions of collaborative intelligence.     

A Framework for Assessing Immorally Manipulative Marketing Tactics

A longstanding debate exists in both academic literature and popular culture about whether non-informative marketing tactics are manipulative. However, given that we tend to believe that some marketing tactics are manipulative and some are not, the question that marketers, their critics, and consumers need to ask themselves is that of how to actually determine whether any particular marketing tactic is manipulative and whether a given manipulative tactic is, in fact, immoral. This article proposes to operationalize criteria that can be used by marketers for making such determinations and attempts to provide some clarification toward our under- standing of the concept of manipulation and the conditions for the moral acceptability of manipulative marketing practices. It argues that a marketing tactic is manipulative if it is intended to motivate by undermining what the marketer believes is his/her audience’s normal decision-making process either by deception or by playing on a vulnerability that the marketer believes exists in his/her audience’s normal decision-making process. Such a tactic is morally objectionable on several grounds, which make it morally impermissible unless outweighed by sufficient “redemptive” moral considerations.     

Consumer Interests and the Ethical Implications of Marketing: A Contingency Framework

The increasing efforts by marketers to target diverse groups of consumers call for a closer examination of the ethical implications of market segmentation and differentiated marketing. Previous research suggests that marketers and consumers often differ in their perceptions of marketing ethics. Based on contingency theory, this research proposes an integrated framework—which includes the nature of the product, consumer characteristics, and market selection—to analyze the ethical complexities of the marketing exchange. Interactions among these factors lead to various contingencies with different ethical implications for marketing managers and public policy makers. Marketers should assess consumer interests and the ethics of marketing programs before their implementation     

A Framework for Effective Global Marketing for Developing Country Public Sector Enterprises

Public sector organizations show distinct differences in structure, management, philosophy, and performance when compared to private sector organizations. In recent years, however, public sector organizations have emerged as important income contributors and a potent technology source to developing countries through their active internalization efforts. Public sector organizations have begun to enter and operate in international markets, due to the home-country push and host-country pull factors. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to examine the globalization process of developing country public sector enterprises and develop a marketing oriented framework for effective internalization process.     

关于统一市场问题的一个研究框架

论文着眼于统一市场的建设与发展 ,提炼出了一个利益核心、两个基础条件、三个研究层面的研究构架 ,即统一市场的形成是有关各方经济利益的合理实现。统一市场建设应包含“制度”、“组织”两个基础性条件 ,一是要建立确保公平、自由交易的市场制度 ;二是要形成完善、成熟的市场组织。从操作上讲 ,应把统一市场的一个利益核心和两个基础性条件贯穿于三个层面的研究构架中 :一是在微观层面重塑流通企业组织体系 ;二是在中观层面重塑流通渠道网络体系 ;三是在宏观层面重塑流通宏观调控体系     

零售情景下营销组合的基础与框架探索

在零售情景下,传统营销组合范式具有一定的局限性。这是因为传统营销组合框架是以制造商为视角构建起来的,而制造商与消费者交换的内容同零售商与消费者交换的内容是不同的。制造商向消费者提供的是价值方案,零售商向消费者提供的是合格价值方案的获取过程。因此,获取过程是零售商与消费者交换的基本内容。效率、乐趣、费用、沟通是消费者与零售商发生交换的四个必要条件,即零售营销的四项基本功能。零售营销活动的功能性归属分别是:定价属于费用类别,广告属于沟通类别,物理环境的设计与管理属于乐趣类别,商品组合、选址、商店布局、物流与结算属于效率类别。     

Cultural Rationale for Japanese Marketing Philosophy

Abstract

Wc review the state of the Japanese marketing discipline in terms Of' its cultural heritage.     

An Ethical Framework for the Marketing of Corporate Social Responsibility

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an ethical framework for the marketing of corporate social responsibility. Methods The approach is a conceptual one based on virtue ethics and on the corporate identity literature. Furthermore, empirical research results are used to describe the opportunities and pitfalls of using marketing communication tools in the strategy of building a virtuous corporate brand. Results/conclusions An ethical framework that addresses the paradoxical relation between the consequentialist perspective many proponents of the marketing of CSR adopt, and ethical perspectives which criticize an exclusive profit-oriented approach to CSR. Furthermore, three CSR strategies in relation to the marketing of CSR are discussed. For each CSR strategy it is explored how a corporation could avoid falling into the promise/performance gap.     

A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Effects of Corporate Social Marketing on Consumer Behavior

This theoretical paper develops a conceptual framework that explains how companies can influence consumer behavior in terms of both social and business benefits through their corporate social marketing (CSM) initiatives. Drawing from the source credibility literature, the article asserts that the effectiveness of CSM depends largely on the corporate credibility of a company in supporting a social cause (“CSM credibility”). Based on this assertion, the framework identifies ten different antecedents of CSM credibility, which are organized into (1) attributes of the company, (2) attributes of the CSM initiative, and (3) attributes of the cause. Furthermore, this framework shows that CSM credibility affects the two examined consequences, intended prosocial behavior and consumer loyalty. Several research and managerial implications are developed based on the propositions specified in the framework.     

The Transitioning of Marketing Practices from Segment to Customer-Centric Marketing in the African Business Context: Toward a Theoretical Research Framework

ABSTRACT

Although marketing has long been posited to be shifting from segment marketing to customer-centric marketing, there is little theoretical insight into the status of such transformation, especially in emerging African economies. Therefore, this paper develops an integrated theoretical framework for assessing (a) the extent to which firms in African economies use the segment marketing mix (4Ps) versus the customer-centric marketing mix (4As) as well as (b) their antecedents and performance outcomes. Propositions drawn from qualitative data and theoretical tenets in strategic management and in institutional theory are offered to guide systematic empirical research.     

基于一对一营销的客户行为模式研究

本文研究了基于客户行为而产生的客户信息及客户知识的形成过程 ,认为客户行为模式具有发展性和稳定性双重特征 ,提出了基于一对一营销的客户行为模式研究框架。     

数字营销进化论

互联网和其他数字媒体提供了前所未有的可能性,使得企业可以精准地定位目标人群,然而企业的营销人员也发现,要想利用直接触达微利基市场、甚至可以一对一地触达消费者的这一特性,远比使用传统媒体有更多的事情需要学习。     

“数字城市”内涵与框架的研究综述

"数字城市"作为知识经济、信息社会发展的必然趋势,代表的是一种世界潮流和城市发展的方向。"数字城市"是21世纪城市发展的新主题,也是提高城市综合竞争力,促进城市经济发展、社会进步和人民生活水平提高的新动力,它不再是一个技术性概念,而是现代科技、社会、政治、经济影响下的新城市形态。本文阐述了"数字城市"的内涵,并对"数字城市"建设的内容与框架进行了细致的探讨。     

Investigating the Factors Influencing Digital Movie Piracy

ABSTRACT

This article closes a theoretical gap in the literature by incorporating neutralization theory, mere exposure effect, self-control theory, and the theory of planned behavior to investigate social and personal factors influencing the downloading of pirated digital movies. Research was conducted using convenience sampling in a large university in Western Australia. Data were analyzed using regression models. Habitual conduct, affect, and facilitating conditions have significant influence upon attitudes toward downloading pirated movies; conversely, self-efficacy, moral judgement, and social factors do not. In addition, attitudes toward downloading pirated movies have a significant influence upon the intention to download pirated movies. It was also found that internet usage, internet time spent and internet speed do not moderate the relationship between attitudes and intention to download pirated movies. Managers, marketers and policymakers must collaborate aggressively to combat movie piracy. Marketers and policymakers can start by creating awareness campaigns to invoke the guilt factor and provide another, cheaper alternative on the internet. In addition, the punishment should be harsher and anti-piracy agencies should be more aggressive in catching all illegal downloaders by tracking their IP addresses from the internet provider that they used.     

论农产品流通效率的分析框架

本文认为,流通效率是一个总括性、复合多维的概念。农产品流通效率是整个农产品流通过程中各种产出与投入的直接或间接比较,是农产品流通领域中每个环节主体和整体的效率总称。由立场指标、类型指标和具体指标构成的农产品流通效率评价指标体系确定了农产品流通效率分析框架的基础,在此基础上,本文探索性地构建了以农产品流通主体为中心,分别从农产品流通模式、流通结构、流通技术、流通网络布局和流通制度等角度对农产品流通效率进行较为全面综合分析的整体框架。