A framework for conducting a services marketing audit

The marketing audit literature does not adequately reflect the development of the services marketing field in recent years. This article makes a case for a servives marketing audit, presents a framework for conducting such an audit, and discusses the lessons learned from a field test of the framework.     

Corporate social responsibility and marketing: An integrative framework

This article introduces a conceptualization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) that emphasizes the role and potential contribution of the marketing discipline. The proposed framework first depicts CSR initiatives as the actions undertaken to display conformity to both organizational and stakeholder norms. Then, the article discusses the managerial processes needed to monitor, meet, and even exceed, stakeholder norms. Finally, the analysis explains how CSR initiatives can generate increased stakeholder support. Isabelle Maignan (imaignan@feweb.vu.nl) is an assistant professor of marketing at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Her research focuses on corporate social responsibility and its marketing dimensions in an international setting. Her work has appeared in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, theJournal of International Business Studies, theJournal of Business Research, theJournal of Advertising, among other journals and conference proceedings. O. C. Ferrell (oc.ferrell@colostate.edu) is chair and a professor of marketing at Colorado State University. His research focuses on marketing ethics and corporate social responsibility. His work has appeared in theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of Marketing Research, theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, theJournal of Public Policy and Marketing, as well as other leading journals. In addition, he is the coauthor ofMarketing: Concepts and Strategies, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, Business and Society: A Strategic Approach to Corporate Citizenship, Marketing Strategy, and other textbooks.     

The integration of a logistical decision-making framework into nonprofit marketing

Marketing practitioners in for-profit-making settings are typically well acquainted with what logistical decisions can do for a marketing program and what marketing constraints can do to a logistics system. For the most part, however, the conceptual tansfer from a product-oriented firm to a service-producing organization has been lacking and obviously not made in non-profit marketing situations. This paper examines these areas and presents a creative expansion of the logistics decision-making area into nonprofit marketing. Hopefully, this setting will encourage others to investigate non-profit areas and, in particular, the interrelationships involved in the logistics area.     

Elevating marketing: marketing is dead! Long live marketing!

Marketing must be elevated to a higher level of consciousness. A consciousness that grows beyond solving small, immediate problems to addressing long-term, large problems that goes beyond individual customer satisfaction and short-term financial performance to encompass the total value creation system. The discipline, in theory and practice, must move beyond a narrow focus on customers to a broader concern for them as citizen-consumers. This necessitates a recommitment of marketing to its fundamental purpose in society, which is improving the standard of living for all citizens by co-creating value at all levels within a socio-economic system. An elevated (systems) concept of marketing must focus on micro, meso and macro systems with an understanding of the purpose and shared vision for each system, a clear identification of responsibilities, and a focus on resource effectiveness and efficiency.     

Societal marketing: A strategic view of the marketing mix in the 1970's

The marketing environment has experienced dramatic changes in the late 1960's and the 1970's. This article deals with the design of the marketing mix in the 1970's to meet the demand of its changing environment. It encompasses a conprehensive review of the marketing literature pertinent to the subject.     

Developing global products and marketing strategies: A rejoinder

In this issue of JAMS, Dr. Lyn Amine presents a “comment and an extension” to our previously published article. Such efforts are often constructive, and in this spirit, we present a discussion responding to Dr. Amine’s comments. Our response, combined with Dr. Amine’s comments, hopefully will provide constructive research avenues in international product and marketing strategy development. He has published extensively in the areas of international marketing and retailing. His research and publication areas include international marketing, high tech marketing, and advertising management. His research and publication interests include sales management, international marketing, and retail management.     

A rejoinder: Is all social exchange marketing? A reply

Our article, “Is All Social Exchange Marketing?”, was a reaction to the works of several authors, only one of which was an article by Richard Bagozzi, “Marketing as Exchange” (1975). This article is a reaction specifically to Bagozzi's “Is All Social Exchange Marketing?: A Reply” (1977). Neither this article nor our earlier one is a development of a theory or a framework for the construction of marketing theory. Thus there were no developments of premises, propositions or formated statements of relationships in that article or this one which might be miscontrued to be a perspective, framework, or theory of marketing. First, we challenge Bagozzi to develop a unique theory of marketing exchange as differentiated from more general concepts of all social, psychological and economic exchanges. Then we defend the purpose and logic of our article against Bagozzi's fallacious assertions relating to our fallacies of logic and misinterpretations of his works, and we point out his inconsistencies and fallacies of logic.     

ESSCA: A multidimensional analysis tool for marketing research

Multidimensional analysis techniques such as ESSCA (External Single-set Components Analysis) are useful for marketing researchers who want to estimate the dimensionality of a group of related measurement instruments. Here, the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure are illustrated through an investigation of four advertising recall measures. The ESSCA solution suggests that two dimensions of recall are actually being measured: favorable recall of stimulus features and brand name recall.     

Physical distribution service: A fundamental marketing concept?

This article contends that current discussion and research into the role of physical distribution service in the marketing mix are hampered by a lack of consistent definition of the concept of physical distribution service and its component dimensions. In order to clarify this concept, prerequisites for a theoretically meaningful understanding of physical distribution service are presented and supported by an integrative literature review. The implications of this undertaking are also discussed.     

A useful scope for marketing

The debate over the nature and scope of marketing is far from settled, but the desire for change among marketers is apparent. It is urgent that marketers determine what the scope of their field should become as a necessary first step in developing an adequate definition. The effort so far has been somewhat haphazard with a variety of authors-extolling the virtues of their viewpoint. This article represents an attempt to add order to the search for a useful scope for marketing. To achieve this purpose, four norms are developed which seem suitable for testing the scope and definition of marketing. They include the level of abstraction norm, the norm of correspondence, the pragmatic norm, and the norm of simplicity. These four norms are first used to test two extreme positions and then to test a third compromise definition of marketing.     

A suggested taxonomy for marketing thought: The case of lacking applied development and research in marketing

An examination of marketing literature reveals a surpricing deficiency of articles discussing theoretical applications in marketing. These deficiencies are largely in the area of specific, practical, everyday applied marketing. This article casts the literature into an overall taxonomy of marketing thought and development, highlighting the deficiency. Then the article discusses the deficiency positing reasons for its continued existence. It is thought that such a taxonomy might better help marketers identify critical need areas that might well result in unusually productive findings and advances important to all marketers. EDITOR'S FOOT-NOTE: Reviewers have agreed that marketing has no Taxonomy and needs one, but that a full study and statement would be a Herculean task. The paper published here is presented as a beginning and, as the author himself states, “in the hope to stir controversy, debate, and effort.”     

Channel evolution: A framework for analysis

This article proposes a comprehensive model for analyzing the environmental forces that affect channel length. The marketing literature regards channel length as a succinct, key measure of channel structure. Transactional cost analysis offers an integrative explanation of the seemingly contradictory phenomena and varied interpretations found in the channels literature. The central thesis of this article is that the developmental process alters the balance between performing channel tasks externally and internally and thereby channel structure. The article also interprets from a transactional cost perspective how selected cultural, political, and urban market concentration factors account for enduring differences in channel structure among nations at similar levels of development.     

Personal selling and sales management: A relationship marketing perspective

The authors examine how the practice of personal selling and sales management is changing as a result of the increased attention on long-term, buyer-seller relationships and identify some implications of these changes. Changes in the traditional personal selling and sales management activities are needed to support the emergence of the part-nering role for salespeople. For salespeople in the part-nering role, the personal selling shifts from a focus on influencing buyer behavior to managing the conflict inherent in buyer-seller relationships. The emphasis on building relationships rather than making short-term sales and the use of sales teams dictates changes in the way firms select, train, evaluate, and compensate salespeople and members of sales teams. In this article, the authors have suggested some issues concerning the emerging partnering role for salespeople that deserve the attention of scholars interested in personal selling and sales management research. Barton A. Weitz is the J. C. Penney Eminent Scholar Chair in Retail Management at the Warrington College of Business Administration at the University of Florida. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and his research interests are in the areas of personal selling effectiveness, salesperson motivation, and channel relationships. His research has been published in theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, andAdministrative Science Quarterly. He has coauthored two textbooks,Selling: Building Relationships andRetail Management. Kevin D. Bradford is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Notre Dame. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida. His research interests include issues in buyerseller relationships and increasing salesperson effectiveness.     

Franchising: A marketing system to improve inner city conditions

One of the most pressing problems for society today is that of the Race/Poverty dilemma. The plight of the black and the ghetto are synonymous in that they are a portrait of poverty. One program which many have heard very little about can make a significant contribution to upgrading of a ghetto area. It can do so primarily by creating new opportunities for the nation's small businessman—and, in the process, for those in disadvantaged minority groups. This paper examines the many facets of thefranchise system exploring its attractiveness to minority group members who aspire to own their own businesses, in uplifting the economic base of the ghetto, and in easing the plight of its inhabitants.     

Literary criticism and the history of marketing thought: A new perspective on “reading” marketing theory

This paper proposes the addition of concepts drawn from literary criticism to philosophical and historical ones in order to provide insights into “reading” marketing theory. The paper sets forth three modes of literary criticism applicable to the analysis of marketing theory—psychobiographical, editorial, and structural. It offers as an illustrative example a reading of the history of Ernest Dichter's motivation research movement using these methods. The addition of literary analysis demonstrates how textual clues can enrich the historian's study of the rise and fall of marketing phenomena over time.     

Directions for marketing knowledge development: Opinions of marketing research managers

If future academic research is to make a meaningful contribution to marketing practice, we must know more about the strengths and gaps in our existing marketing knowledge base. This article reports the findings of a survey of marketing research managers employed by firms serving both consumer and industrial markets. Data were collected on researchers' perceptions of (1) importance of decision making areas, (2) need for additional knowledge accumulation, and (3) type of additional knowledge development. Survey results suggest that some decision areas are perceived to be in far greater need of further study than others, and that academic research output does not always correspond to the information requirements of marketing practitioners. General Electric Company     

A taxonomy of marketing planning styles

This study examines marketing planning styles among a sample of organizations in the health care industry. A taxonomy of marketing planning styles—limited marketing planners, constituency-oriented marketing planners, and comprehensive marketing planners—is derived and then related to the literature on planning. Differences among the marketing planning styles are tested based on hypotheses relating to planning comprehensiveness. The results suggest that: (i) marketing planning styles differ fairly distinctly in their attention to selected elements of the environment; and (ii) the marketing planning style employed is related to the level of competition and to organization size and complexity.