A review of empirical studies of aggregate marketing costs and productivity in the United States

This article reviews empirical studies of aggregate marketing cost and aggregate marketing productivity in the United States. A methodological comparison is made of five cost studies for 1929 and seven productivity studies covering a period from 1869 to 1968. The cost studies do not clarify—one way or the other—if marketing costs too much or too little. The productivity studies, on the other hand, despite a variety of methodologies, reveal a rising secular trend over the past century. Thus, it may be concluded that irrespective of changes in cost, marketing is becoming more productive.     

The intellectual ecology of mainstream marketing research: an inquiry into the place of marketing in the family of business disciplines

Many inside mainstream academic marketing judge the discipline’s influence within the family of business disciplines (as well as in practice) to be in decline. Despite great research productivity, methodologies as sophisticated as any in the social sciences, and a large and rich literature, opinion and evidence suggest that academic marketing is the least influential of the mainstream academic business disciplines. Nevertheless, marketing’s decline is not inexorable. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate this perplexing situation by: (1) assembling and evaluating a number of expert opinions from within marketing; (2) exploring relations and patterns of influence among the leading academic journals in accounting, finance, management, and marketing and evaluating the position and influence of each field; (3) attempting to understand marketing’s problems; and (4) exploring avenues to move marketing back to its once prominent position among the business disciplines.     

Factors affecting the use of information in the evaluation of marketing communications productivity

Most prior research on the use of marketing information has studied antecedents of the use of information in new product strategy decisions. This study investigates factors that are related to the use of marketing information in the evaluation of marketing communications productivity. The information used in this context originates from a wide range of internal and external sources. On the basis of organizational theories of information processing, the authors develop and test a conceptual framework explaining the use of information to evaluate marketing communications productivity. Collected survey data indicate that information quality, organization formalization, task complexity, market turbulence, rationality of decision style, and group involvement are all positively related to the use of information in assessing marketing communications productivity. Moderating relationships involving formalization, complexity, decision style, and the degree of group involvement are also found. Implications for managing market knowledge and future research in information use are discussed. George S. Low is an associate professor in the Marketing Department of the M. J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. His Ph.D. in marketing is from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He also received an M.B.A. from the Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, and a B.A. in advertising from Brigham Young University. He spent 4 years as a media planner with MacLaren McCann Advertising (Canada). His research focuses on integrated marketing communications and brand management, and has been published in theJournal of Marketing Research, theJournal of Retailing, theJournal of Advertising Research, theEuropean Journal of Marketing, and theJournal of Product and Brand Management, among others. He is the recipient of four research grants from the Marketing Science Institute. Jakki J. Mohr is an associate professor of marketing and the Ron and Judy Paige faculty fellow at the University of Montana. She received her B.B.A. from Boise State University, her M.S. in marketing from Colorado State University, and her Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before beginning her academic career, she worked in Silicon Valley in the advertising area for both Hewlett Packard’s Personal Computer Group and Tele Video Systems. Her research has been published in theJournal of Marketing, theStrategic Management Journal, theJournal of Public Policy and Marketing, theJournal of Retailing, theJournal of High Technology Management Research, Marketing Management, andComputer Reseller News. She has recently authored a book,Marketing of High-Technology Products and Innovations. Her research interests lie primarily in the area of marketing of high-technology products and services.     

Relationship marketing and the consumer

Conclusion Collectively, the responses of the individuals interviewed reveal that there is a multitude of reasons for participating in a marketing relationship. Although many of the reasons are cognitive in nature, many others are affective. This affective “dimension” of relationship marketing remains unexplored but would seem to offer great promise for explaining the long-term nature of a firm-consumer relationship. Moreover, a liberal interpretation of the collective responses of the interviewed individuals suggests an alternative fundamental axiom of relationship marketing consistent with the definition of Angeles (1992): Consumers enter into a marketing relationship because they expect to receive positive value from their participation. Acceptance of this axiom would seem to suggest a conceptualization and research agenda much broader and potentially more productive than that associated with the axiom currently being offered. Sheth and Parvatiyar have raised a question that, despite its obviousness in retrospect, has yet to be addressed satisfactorily. Hopefully their article will prove to be the genesis of an answer. Although no one is likely to agree with all of their propositions, or even their speculation that relationship marketing will ultimately improve marketing productivity, Sheth and Parvatiyar have done the discipline a service by focusing attention on a neglected topic. Indeed, what they have effectively done is to challenge the discipline to debate what they believe to be the fundamental axiom of relationship marketing in consumer markets. Regardless of the outcome of this debate, marketing knowledge will have advanced. A former editor of theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science and theJournal of Marketing Research, he is currently working on a new formula for determining sample size in surveys.     

Human brands and mutual choices: an investigation of the marketing assistant professor job market

We present a two-sided matching framework to investigate the entry-level marketing assistant professor job market. Under this framework, candidates’ and departments’ decisions to mutually choose one another are driven by the matching value produced by the pair, which is in turn determined by observable department brand cues and candidates’ human brand cues such as field of research, research productivity, and ranking status. Our results suggest that matches between candidates and faculty trained in the same field do not always generate the highest matching value. Candidates’ publications in top marketing journals enhance their likelihood of matching with research-oriented hiring departments, and this effect is moderated by their field of research. In general, the ranking status of candidates boosts their chance of being matched with research-oriented hiring departments. However, this effect differs across fields, and it also interacts with candidates’ own research productivity. In particular, publications by candidates from top-ranked degree-granting departments are taken as three to four times more valuable by research-oriented hiring departments. Our work extends the current research on the marketing job market and, most importantly, quantifies and compares the significance of various human brand cues in influencing mutual choices in the job market.     

Interface of marketing and R&D personnel in the product innovation stream

A questionnaire was sent to over 550 different Canadian firms engaged in R&D activity as of the Fall of 1973. One portion of the questionnaire was designed to provide specific information about marketing involvement in the product development stream in Canadian organizations engaged in R&D. Analysis of the resulting data pertaining to: when marketing personnel are and should be brought into the product innovation stream; what level of marketing management is and should be brought into the product innovation stream; and the degree of influence of marketing personnel in product innovation is presented in this paper.     

Marketers as noodlers

The article examines difficulties marketing instructors encounter in introductory marketing courses. Presentation of the factors responsible for the growing volume and importance of marketing and examination of the roles marketing performs for business and society can lead students to form negative attitudes. Students in their initial exposure to marketing study may come to view marketing as manipulative and of service only to production and profits. Suggestions are presented for logical development of these topics via positive and persuasive examples. A review of literature is presented indicating a wide divergency of views regarding the scope of marketing, a definition of the field, and societal contributions. Research findings are presented on the accumulation of marketing knowledge and the attitudes which are formed during study in the Marketing Principles course.     

The antecedents and consequences of customer-centric marketing

As we enter the twenty-first century, the marketing function remains concerned with serving customers and consumers effectively. The authors propose that just as the marketing function gradually shifted from mass marketing to segmented marketing in the twentieth century, it will increasingly move toward customer-centric marketing in the next century. In the practice of customer-centric marketing, the marketing function seeks to fulfill the needs and wants of each individual customer. The antecedents of customer-centric marketing are the increasing pressure on firms to improve marketing productivity, increasing market diversity in household and business markets, and technology applicability. On the basis of the shift toward customer-centric marketing, the authors expect increased importance of marketing as a “supply management” function, customer outsourcing, cocreation marketing, fixedcost marketing, and customer-centric organizations. This article highlights the implications of customer-centric marketing as well as the boundary conditions that will affect its adoption. Jagdish N. Sheth is the Kellstadt Professor of Marketing in the Gouizeta Business School at Emory University. He has published 26 books and more than 200 articles in marketing and other business disciplines. His book,The Theory of Buyer Behavior (with John A. Howard), is a classic in the field of consumer behavior and is one of the most cited works in marketing. His other books includeMarketing Theory: Evolution and Evaluation (with David Gardner and Dennis Garrett) andConsumption Values and Market Choices: Theory and Applications (with Bruce Newman and Barbara Gross). Rajendra S. Sisodia is Trustee Professor of Marketing at Bentley College. Previously, he was an associate professor of marketing and director of executive programs at George Mason University and an assistant professor of marketing at Boston University. He has a Ph.D. in marketing from Columbia University. He has published more than 40 articles in journals such asHarvard Business Review, Journal of Business Strategy, Marketing Letters, andMarketing Management. He has also authored about two dozen cases, primarily on strategic and marketing issues in the telecommunications industry, as well as a number of telecommunications industry and company analyses. Arun Sharma is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Miami. He has published more than 30 articles in marketing and his interests are in the area of market and marketing evolution.     

Corporate culture,environmental adaptation,and innovation adoption: A qualitative/quantitative approach

Deshpandé and Webster have identified the linkage between corporate culture and innovation adoption as an important industrial marketing topic. In the present study, this relationship is examined by both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The linear regression model, which depicts the corporate culture of adaptive companies attempting to survive in a competitive international environment, demonstrates that corporate culture is predictive of technology adoption. Qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews supplement quantitative results. The divergent cultures and survival modes for innovative and noninnovative companies are presented. Theoretical and methodological implications for marketing research are discussed, and management implications for industrial marketers are presented. Benefits of juxtaposing qualitative/quantitative methods are illustrated. She completed her doctorate at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her current research interest centers on innovation adoption, poststructuralism, and marketing ethics.     

Competruism

Competruism is an emerging ideology which has been produced by the synthesis of capitalistic and socialistic tenets in the American economy. The hybrid nature of this ideology can best be described through Hegel's dialectic: One fact (thesis) works against another fact (antithesis) to produce a wholly new fact (synthesis). That is, democratic capitalism (thesis) arose and was confronted by another powerful force, democratic socialism (antithesis). The result of this encounter is an entirely new ideology, competruism (synthesis). The underlying premise for this ideology states that: “Competruism will provide for a zenith in productivity by offering each entity of society (individual, organization) an equal opportunity to compete for the socio-economic rewards of the macro marketing system.” This doctrine provides mankind with a philosopher's stone to amalgamate capitalistic, democratic, socialistic and moral ideals into a common framework which can be used to optimize the survival chances of society in a peaceful environment. There are indications that a new ideology is emerging in America which is capable of guiding society, through public policy, to a zenith in productivity.     

Establishing human brands: determinants of placement success for first faculty positions in marketing

Based on primary data spanning 5 years, we examine factors that influence the entry-level placement of marketing doctoral candidates at U.S. universities and colleges. Contributing to the emerging research on human brands, we identify marketing doctoral candidates’ intrinsic and extrinsic brand cues that influence their number of AMA interviews, campus visit offers, and starting base salary. The strongest brand cue is the research productivity of candidates’ doctoral degree-granting departments. A related cue that also predicts initial salary is the candidates’ advisors’ research record. Further, when beginning the job search, doctoral students who have a top research publication, who have a dissertation proposal defended with data, and who have attended the AMA-Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium receive a substantial entry salary premium. Based on branding frameworks and theories of academic rewards, this study adds to the emerging knowledge on both the concept of human brands as well as the growing literature on issues relating to marketing academia.     

Reversed-polarity items and scale unidimensionality

A standard procedure in the development of multi-item measurement scales is to incorporate reversed-polarity items to control for and/or identify acquiescence response bias. In spite of the broad acceptance of this approach, very little work has been done to evaluate the impact of reversed-polarity items on the dimensionality of scales. This study empirically evaluates the impact of reversed-polarity items on the unidimensionality of several well-known marketing measures. The authors suggest that use of reversed-polarity items may present a substantive problem for marketing scholars because of the resulting degradation of scale unidimensionality. The existence of this phenomenon is confirmed in a multisurvey, multiscale, binational research design. Implications for marketing scale developers and measurement theoreticians are discussed, theoretical bases that might explain the phenomenon are explored, and further research suggestions are presented. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 1989. His current research interests include cross-cultural marketing strategy, sales force management, and psychometrics. He is a previous contributor to theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science and has also been published in theJournal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, International Marketing Review, andEuropean Journal of Marketing, among others. Before receiving his D.B.A. from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, he served in marketing positions for international firms and as marketing chairs for two industry associations. His research interests include product innovation and new product strategy.     

Source effects in communication and persuasion research: A meta-analysis of effect size

The effect of a message source on the persuasion of a target audience has been a topic of interest to scholars in psychology, consumer behavior, and communications for many years. Narrative reviews of this literature are available; the contribution of this study is that we present a quantitative review of studies of source effects on persuasion. One of our research goals is to determine how strong and consistent source manipulations tend to be. We find that, on average, source manipulations account for nine percent of explained variance among studies reporting significant findings. In particular, expertise tends to have the greatest effect on persuasion with an average of 16 percent of the explained variance being due to the expert versus non-expert manipulation. As well as gaining insight into the pattern of results across a body of literature, our findings may be used as benchmarks by researchers, as advocated by Sawyer and Ball (1981), to evaluate results of future persuasion studies employing a source manipulation. She received a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Pennsylvania State University in 1989. Dr. Wilson’s research interests include persuasion processes, meta-analysis, and issues in business marketing. Her work has been published in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Letters, and elsewhere. He received a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina in 1980. Dr. Sherrell’s research interests include consumer behavior, retailing, and marketing management. His work has been published in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Research, Psychology and Marketing, and elsewhere.     

Analyzing interpersonal communications in industrial marketing negotiations

Given the importance of analyzing interpersonal communications is marketing negotiations, a multidimensional content analytic coding system is presented. First, specific tests of the instrument’s validity and reliability are provided. Then, in an application of the scheme in a controlled environment, insights are provided regarding what types of interpersonal communication strategies and tactics are used by marketing negotiators.     

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.”     

Marketing and non-marketing materials sent by American Colleges and Universities

This report discusses educational marketing materials used by admissions offices in a random sample of 858 American colleges and universities. Information requested and received by a potential student is described and classified as marketing or non-marketing. This paper shows why four-year institutions and those offering higher degrees are significantly more likely than two-year colleges to use marketing materials in their responses to prospective students. The value of these findings for admissions offices and marketing specialists are presented.     

Industrial organization economics and Alderson’s general theory of marketing

Theorists in the field of industrial organization economics are beginning to develop formal models that are in many ways consistent with the assumptions and concepts of Alderson’s general theory of marketing. This article evaluates Alderson’s concepts of market heterogeneity, transactions, organized behavior systems, and sorting functions as they may relate to the recent work of organization economics theorists. An extended example is presented comparing Alderson’s theory with Kenney and Klein’s (1983) conclusions concerning block booking marketing arrangements. The new work in industrial organization economics may provide a framework for further conceptualization and justification of Alderson’s general theory by marketing scholars.     

Relationship marketing in consumer markets: Antecedents and consequences

Understanding the motivations of consumers to engage in relationships with marketers is important for both practitioners and marketing scholars. To develop an effective theory of relationship marketing, it is necessary to understand what motivates consumers to reduce their available market choices and engage in a relational market behavior by patronizing the same marketer in subsequent choice situations. This article draws on established consumer behavior literature to suggest that consumers engage in relational market behavior due to personal influences, social influences, and institutional influences. Consumers reduce their available choice and engage in relational market behavior because they want to simplify their buying and consuming tasks, simplify information processing, reduce perceived risks, and maintain cognitive consistency and a state of psychological comfort. They also engage in relational market behavior because of family and social norms, peer group pressures, government mandates, religious tenets, employer influences, and marketer policies. The willingness and ability of both consumers and marketers to engage in relational marketing will lead to greater marketing productivity, unless either consumers or marketers abuse the mutual interdependence and cooperation. He has published more than 200 books and research papers in different areas of marketing. His bookThe Theory of Buyer Behavior (1969) with John A. Howard is a classic in the field. He has recently published two scholarly books:Marketing Theory: Evolution and Evaluation (1988) andConsumption Values and Market Choices (1991). He is on the editorial boards of at least a dozen scholarly journals in marketing, international business, and quantitative methods; he is also series editor ofResearch in Marketing (JAI Press). Prior to joining Emory, he was an associate professor of marketing at XLRI Jamshedpur in India. He received his M.B.A. and Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University, India. He has authored a number of articles in the area of international marketing, business alliances, and environmental marketing. He is coeditor ofResearch in Marketing (Annual Series, JAI Press) and serves on the editorial review board ofInternational Marketing Review.     

平衡消费者满意度和生产率以增强盈利能力:一个计量经济学方法

企业的盈利能力不仅取决于其生产率(即产出与投入之比),而且也取决于消费者满意度(即消费者对其产出质量的感知)。但由于消费者满意度与生产率二者之间未必相容,致力于一者可能会阻滞另一者,从而影响企业的盈利能力。文献中也确有不少关于消费者满意度、生产率与盈利能力之间关系的研究结果并不一致,这就使企业无法认定哪些研究结果是正确的,以及什么样的策略是有效的。本文旨在理清消费者满意度、生产率与盈利能力之间的关系。我们认识到同时提升消费者满意度与生产率是否可行取决于企业的类型,因此我们建议用统计回归方法建立一些模型,根据企业的消费者满意度与生产率模式把它们分成若干种类型,据此我们就可以探讨哪种类型的企业适合于同时提升消费者满意度与生产率、哪种类型的企业需要在消费者满意度与生产率之间做出平衡以增强盈利能力。本文提出的研究框架预期会对丰富相关的市场营销及企业管理理论提供新的思路,并有助于不同类型的企业制定更有效的市场竞争策略,更好地平衡消费者满意度和生产率,从而实现更高的盈利能力。     

Expert systems in marketing: Guidelines for development

This paper is aimed at understanding and developing marketing expert systems. A discussion of the structure of expert systems is presented. Guidelines for development of marketing expert systems and marketing areas most amenable to expert system development are also provided.