Marketing Academics in Austria,Germany and Switzerland: Humboldt's Ideals Give Way to Performance Pressure

In many countries, the system of business education at universities and colleges has been an important topic of public scrutiny and discussion. Universities in German speaking countries and regions are no exception. Critical statements range from a lack of practical relevance in teaching and research to the need to increase research output. This paper aims to investigate how marketing faculty deal with such pressures. Based on a census of all German speaking marketing professors at German, Swiss, and Austrian universities and polytechnics, the analysis probes the status-quo and satisfaction with the current work environment. The paper concludes with suggestions for improving the working conditions of German speaking marketing academics and identifies some promising future research avenues.     

Marketing:

This exploratory study investigates the relationship between certain personal, institutional and country characteristics and the opinions of professors in developing countries on macro and micromarketing concepts and issues. The results indicate that the opinions of professors in the better-off developing countries are similar to traditional marketing views while the opinions of professors in the poorer developing countries are more radical. The study also points out the implications of these results for academcics and managers.     

The prospects for marketing strategy and the marketing discipline in Era V: is the prognosis promising or problematic?

ABSTRACT

I thank professors Bernard Jaworski, Brian Jones, Eric Shaw, and Rajan Varadarajan for commenting on my article on ‘Advancing Marketing Strategy in the Marketing Discipline and Beyond’ and for suggesting ways to advance marketing strategy and the overall discipline in marketing’s future ‘Era V’. This note responds to some of their queries, critiques, and recommendations related to the past, present, and future of marketing strategy and the marketing discipline.     

Ethics and services marketing

The area of services marketing is a highly crucial one for potential ethical violations. The services industry, which drives over two-thirds of our national economy, is about to experience severe changes due to increasing competition. The temptation to make ethical compromises will pose a dramatic threat to the business climate.We review conceptual approaches to the field of marketing ethics and conclude that existing models often lack an important component which affects ethical decision-making. That component includes the interorganizational variables: the primary task environment, including immediate customers and suppliers to the buyer and seller; the secondary task environment, comprised of suppliers and customers to the immediate suppliers and customers, competitors, and regulatory agencies, and the macro-environment, those broader forces which impinge on the activities in the primary and secondary task environments.We suggest various propositions for circumstances under which unethical behavior is likely to occur within the interorganizational domain. The overarching framework is that of service industries in an increasingly competitive environment.Dr. Ellen Kennedy and Dr. Leigh Lawton are associate professors in the Department of Marketing at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. They have published articles in theJournal of Business Ethics andIndustrial Marketing Management on the topics of using fiction to teach business ethics and workforce socialization.     

基于改革视阈的零售业营销创新模式研究

后金融危机时代,零售业竞争直面残酷,营销创新是实现其可持续发展的正确选择。零售业的营销创新表现为营销实践探索与理论应用过程,总结西方国家和我国零售业营销改革创新的实践经验及零售业的营销创新的模式,可以探索营销理念创新、发展规模创新、营销管理创新、营销技术创新和营销服务创新等多种模式。必须通过优化创新环境、建立激励机制和制定弹性计划,为零售业的营销创新创造良好的条件。     

Business students' ethical perceptions of retail situations: A microcultural comparison

Due in part to a growing realization of the importance of the role that retailing plays in the marketing channel, and to the increasing numbers of college graduates being employed by retailers, growing attention is being placed on business students' ethical perceptions of retailing practices. This study continues this focus by examining the ethical perceptions of collegiate business students attending two different universities which likely represent two different microcultures — conservative evangelical Protestant and secular.The results suggest that ethical perceptions may vary between the students attending two universities which likely represent differing microcultures. The students attending the conservative evangelical Protestant university appear to possess ethical perceptions which are significantly more ethical than those of students attending the public university. Evidence was observed, therefore, which suggests that ethical perceptions may vary across students from differing microcultures.Dr. David J. Burns is Associate Professor of Marketing at Youngstown State University. His research has appeared in a number of journals. His research interests include business ethics, retail location, and the adoption of new products.Mr. Jeffrey K. Fawcett is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Cedarville College, Cedarville, Ohio where he has taught since 1987. He is currently working toward his DBA. His research interests include business ethics, and the marketing of services and not for profit organizations.Dr. John M. Lanasa is Associate Professor of Marketing at the A. J. Palumbo School of Business Administration, Duquesne University and a member of the Biard Center for Leadership and Ethics. Dr. Lanasa has numerous publications and his research interests include business ethics and sales training.     

Master's Level Education in Business Marketing: Quo Vadis?

ABSTRACT

Given the paucity of knowledge on the state of business marketing education at the master's level, we conducted an exploratory survey of instructors at selected universities in North America and Europe. We supplemented results from this survey with discussions with our colleagues who teach business marketing at the master's level, and a review of articles on master's level programs.

Through our investigations, we discovered that there is a shortage of management cases that address contemporary issues in business marketing. We learned that nearly half of survey participants do not use a textbook and that the remaining participants use a wide variety of textbooks. We observed that many instructors still teach business marketing courses from a traditional functional perspective. Instead, we believe that business marketing courses must address a host of emerging issues such as value and its assessment, business process reengineering, global marketing, working relationships and business networks, and cross-functional coordination issues, among other things.

We believe that scholars can rejuvenate the discipline by tailoring business marketing courses to the new generation of accelerated master's programs, by creating a network for sharing information on new cases and teaching materials, and by writing more relevant and timely business marketing cases. Finally, we believe that the time is right for a faculty consortium on teaching business marketing.     

Well-being Marketing: An Ethical Business Philosophy for Consumer Goods Firms

In this article we build on the program of research in well-being marketing by further conceptualizing and refining the conceptual domain of the concept of consumer well-being (CWB). We then argue that well-being marketing is a business philosophy grounded in business ethics. We show how this philosophy is an ethical extension of relationship marketing (stakeholder theory in business ethics) and is superior to transactional marketing (a business philosophy grounded in the principles of consumer sovereignty). Additionally, we argue that well-being marketing is based on duty ethics concepts, specifically the duty of beneficence and non-maleficence. Subsequently, we show how the well-being concept guides marketing decisions for consumer goods firms.     

Chinese immigrants in network marketing business in Western host country context

Many Chinese immigrants start their entrepreneurship business by joining major network marketing businesses in Western host countries. The willingness of these Chinese immigrants to undertake network marketing rests on the influence of the social environment of the network marketing organization. Network marketing specific self-efficacy, social competence and motivation for establishing one's own business are also hypothesized to play an important role in their engagement in entrepreneurial actions. Drawing upon Bandura's social cognitive theory and the immigrant entrepreneurship literature, the present study investigates whether the social environmental influence of a network marketing organization affects the extent to which Chinese immigrants develop the self-efficacy, social competence and motivation to establish their own business and how these variables affect the actions undertaken in the host country. The study is based on the sample of 194 Chinese immigrants in their adopted host country, Australia. The findings of the survey suggest that the social environment within network marketing organizations positively affects self-efficacy, which in turn positively affects the entrepreneurial actions undertaken by Chinese immigrants in conducting their network marketing business. Social environmental influence impacts positively on their motivation to establish their own network marketing business and social competence. However the effects of motivation and social competence on entrepreneurial action were not supported. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

Relationship Value in Thai Business-to-Business Marketing

This study focuses on value in the business-to-business relationship among buyers and sellers. Relationship value has long been one of the key research areas in marketing for business to business. By examining from the perspective of the buyers, this research identifies how business buyers can use marketing benefits, product benefits, technical benefits, logistics benefits, financial benefits, risk-reduction benefits, information benefits, and strategic benefits to predict buyer–seller relationship. The study confirms significant relationships among marketing benefits, product benefits, and value in retailer–supplier relationship. The analysis from this study supports that benefit in a business-to-business relationship can be created if suppliers work on mutual benefits with customers. The results also confirm that Thai business customers will look for business partners who can provide risk reduction and marketing benefits for their business.     

Responsible Marketing: Can Social Enterprises Show the Way?

In this article, the authors present a new perspective on responsible marketing. We discuss if and how social enterprises can present a new understanding of responsible marketing. Relevant publications (14 on social entrepreneurship, 40 on marketing in non-profit organizations and social enterprises and 41 papers on marketing) are selected and reviewed. The result of the literature analysis and synthesis show that social enterprises can gain from a more formal, systematic approach to marketing. Since social enterprises prioritize social goals over business results, successful adoption of marketing policies and practices can help then create a blueprint for responsible marketing. Marketing of socially relevant products and services by social enterprises thus create a new paradigm of responsible marketing. Such models can also be useful for larger corporations who look at social business and shared value creation as part of their business and marketing strategy.     

关系营销导向对商业模式创新的影响机制

基于网络位置理论和企业内部能力理论,本文探讨网络结构和跨职能整合在关系营销导向与企业商业模式创新之间的影响作用。研究结果表明,关系营销导向对网络结构、跨职能整合和商业模式创新均存在正向影响,网络结构和跨职能整合在关系营销导向与商业模式创新之间起到了部分中介作用。     

Retail Ethics as Appraised by Future Business Personnel in Malaysia and the United States

Differences in ethical perceptions among individuals from varying cultures have been suggested as a source of concern for business firms involved in global activities. This study investigates a hypothesis based on the writings of Thorelli, that “lower” ethical perceptions exist among the residents of developing nations. This was accomplished by investigating the retail ethical perceptions of business students from a developing nation and comparing these perceptions with those of business students from a developed nation. The results suggest the retail ethical perceptions of students from different cultures attending collegiate institutions in their home countries differ, supporting the hypothesis. Implications are explored.     

Business Marketing Comes of Age: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT

Since 1978 business marketing has seen a great deal of research activity. It is reasonable to ask whether this has led to advances in theory development and a general increase in our level of knowledge of business marketing. This article reviews the business marketing literature from 1978–1997 from twenty-three journals, five sets of proceedings, and selected books of articles in an attempt to answer that question. Over two thousand articles were examined to assess the current state of the field and suggest directions for future development. As the sheer number of articles since 1978 would suggest, the field of business marketing has attracted a considerable amount of attention. Close examination of the past twenty years of research, however, clearly indicates that certain areas have received a disproportionate share of the research effort. Organizational buyer behavior, strategy and planning, and sales management accounted for over forty percent of the articles published. Important areas such as computers and technology in business markets, marketing to the government, ethics in business markets, and pricing, in contrast, have received relatively little research attention. Regardless of the uneven coverage, the research in business marketing over the past twenty years has been conceptually and empirically strong. Changes in the way business is done has also resulted in a recent surge in theory development in the area of buyer-seller relationships within the context of relationship marketing. Increased attention has also centered on cross functional issues, networks, and strategic alliances.     

Commentary on “Business-to-Business Marketing Textbooks: A Comparative Review”

ABSTRACT

The proposal by Backhaus, Muehlfeld, and Okoye (2002) to design a business marketing text around a framework of customer-relationship types is provocative and spawns a useful debate on the issue of what should actually be taught in the business marketing course, particularly at the undergraduate level. We believe that the approach may increase the attention given to relationship marketing but do so by sacrificing coverage of core content that students and informed business marketing managers need to know. In the end, we opt for a more comprehensive approach in exploring strategy making for the business market while they chart a narrower and more specialized path.     

Business Marketing Education: A Distinctive Role in the Undergraduate Curriculum

ABSTRACT

By extending their knowledge of markets beyond the consumer-goods domain, by deepening their understanding of how organizations make buying decisions, by strengthening their grasp of cross-functional processes, and by providing them with decision-making skills in this important area of marketing, the business marketing course makes a special contribution to undergraduates and the undergraduate marketing curriculum. Moreover, the content and focus of the business marketing course are closely tied to important themes that are transforming business practice. This article isolates the distinct contribution of business marketing education and examines important trends that are reshaping this domain. The central knowledge areas that comprise the undergraduate business marketing course are detailed and linked to specific course design strategies that can be pursued to strengthen the skill set of marketing students and respond to the needs of important constituents.     

基于产品的电子商务营销模式探析

在未来商业模式中,企业营销方式将转向网络营销,电子商务环境下的营销模式将逐步替代传统的营销模式,电子商务将贯穿于企业运营。因此,企业在选择电子商务营销模式时,必须基于产品,不同种类的产品须采用不同的营销模式,只有这样才能在电子商务环境下使其信息流、资金流、物流和商流实现整合。     

Internationalization of Organizational Behavior:

The global structure of today's business environment mandates that business students acquire an awareness of cultural issues that have an impact on the social and business components of organizational life. Emphasizing the need to develop cross-cultural competence, an integrated communication framework is presented as a model for restructuring collegiate organizational behavior to facilitate experiential learning. Consistent with Brislin's (1989) training model, revision of course content can be structured to provide students with opportunities to internalize a set of skills that may facilitate cognition, affect, and behavior to enhance multi-cultural interactions.     

Customer retention in sports organization marketing: examining the impact of team identification and satisfaction with team performance

Over the past two decades, relationship marketing efforts have assumed a prominent role in sports organization marketing. A sports organization that successfully implements relationship marketing programmes is able to develop long‐term relationships with its fans, thus increasing the likelihood of customer retention. This study examines customer retention in sports organization marketing by considering the impact of team identification and satisfaction with team performance on four fan consumption behaviours: in‐person attendance, media‐based attendance, purchase of team merchandise and word‐of‐mouth communication related to the team. Survey data were collected from 300 fans of more than 40 professional and collegiate teams involved in seven sports. Results suggest that both team identification and satisfaction with team performance impact multiple consumption behaviours, as represented by fans' intentions to engage in future consumption. Team identification was found to have the greater impact on consumption behaviours, suggesting that a sports organization's continuing efforts to bond with its fans may provide greater benefits than efforts to improve the team's competitive performance.     

Enhancing Brand Equity Through Sustainability: Waste Recycling

Unlike many existing research studies that explain reverse marketing from a purchasing perspective, this study recognizes it as an honest effort made by managers aiming to promote sustainability by purposefully managing waste and discusses the spillover effect of their initiatives on brand equity. It argues that efficient recycling of products through reverse marketing by a brand demonstrates its sincere intent to adopt sustainable business practices and enhances its equity in the marketplace. A business‐to‐business viewpoint has been used to combine knowledge about waste recycling and management through reverse marketing based on the unpretentious operations and management practices. The propositions reflect on the criticality of engaging business customer firms in a procedural mechanism of recycling for increase in brand equity as the success of reverse marketing. A comprehensive adoption of an initiative like waste management through reverse marketing by a brand highlights how sustainability initiatives can create value for the customers of the brand and ultimately drive brand equity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.