A Customer Value Perspective in the Nonprofit Marketing Context: Expanding the Means-End Chain for Multiple Stakeholders

ABSTRACT

Very little of the current research on nonprofit marketing adopts a customer value perspective. This paper will (1) briefly outline the special customer value challenges faced by nonprofit organizations, such as multiple stakeholders and a lack of marketing orientation; (2) describe the innovative customer value approach developed by Woodruff and Gardial (1996); and (3) offer a model applying the Wood-ruff/Gardial approach in the NPO context, including research propositions.     

The Benefits and Barriers Associated with the Use of the Internet Within the Non-Profit Sector

ABSTRACT

In the last few decades, advances in new information technologies in general and the adoption of the Internet in particular have attracted the attention of many academics and practitioners alike. Much of current research, however, is focused on for-profit organizations, and less emphasis has been placed on other organizational contexts, such as the non-profit sector. The purpose of this article is to analyze the attitude of NPO managers towards the Internet, the extent to which non-profit organizations are adopting this information technology and the perceived benefits and obstacles associated with its use. A sample of three hundred and ninety two non-profit organizations in Portugal was examined. The statistical analysis indicated that the existence of a favorable attitude towards the Internet was positively correlated with the perception of Internet benefit dimensions. Conversely, the study found no empirical evidence linking perceived Internet benefits with the various NPO fields of activity. The article concludes with a series of limitations and implications for both theory and practice.     

Volunteer Brand Equity? Exploring the Adoption of Employee Brand Equity (EBE) Dimensions to Understand Volunteers’ Contributions to Build Nonprofit Organizations’ Brands

ABSTRACT

Given the importance of volunteers as key assets of formal volunteering organizations, this paper explores the adoption and adequacy of Employee Brand Equity (EBE) models to understand volunteers’ contributions to Nonprofit Organization (NPO) brand equity. Methodologically this research embraces a mixed-methods approach by combining data from exploratory interviews with experts from the NPO context and from a survey to 227 Portuguese volunteers from 28 formal volunteering organizations. This paper adds to the literature by applying for the first time EBE dimensions to the context of formal volunteering institutions. Hence, it provides a first step to the development of a Volunteer Brand Equity Model, by characterizing each dimension and validating its importance in the context of NPOs. From a practitioners’ viewpoint, this paper calls attention to the importance of embracing internal marketing strategies to attract and retain volunteers in a sustainable way and provides a practical tool for Volunteer Brand Equity analysis in NPOs.     

Reconceptualising product life-cycle theory as stakeholder engagement with non-profit organisations

ABSTRACT

The paper critically re-examines product life-cycle (PLC) theory, developed over 50 years ago. Despite prevalence in marketing pedagogy and continued popularity within empirical research, PLC is seldom challenged. The paper identifies the organisation-centric construct underpinning the theory and highlights a disconnection between PLC theory and the recent academic insight around customer engagement.

It reconceptualises the life-cycle concept based on engagement between stakeholder and non-profit organisation (NPO), structured upon both the market orientation and social exchange constructs. The revised framework maps stakeholder engagement with the NPO through the five stages of incubation, interaction, involvement, immersion, and incapacitation. The paper concludes with identifying a roadmap for future empirical research to develop and validate the re-envisaged conceptual model. The methodology used is narrative literature review supported by secondary research from specialist practitioner reports.     

Exploring the Influence of Celebrity Worship on Brand Attitude,Advertisement Attitude,and Purchase Intention

The celebrity worship considered as an anomalous psychological behavior with major consequences on personality development of an individual is examined with the important constructs of marketing namely, brand attitude, advertisement attitude and purchase intention. The study is carried out with a sample size of 386 respondents. The model is tested using structure equation modeling where celebrity worship is studied by examining its three dimensions individually as well as in aggregate implementing an existing celebrity worship scale. The study reveals some interesting findings with celebrity worship having a direct positive relationship with advertisement attitude and purchase intentions, whereas brand attitude is found to be significantly negatively associated with celebrity worship. The future research scope for the study and its practical implications are discussed based on the findings of the study.     

Who Receives What? The Influence of the Donation Magnitude and Donation Recipient in Cause-Related Marketing

Cause-related marketing campaign structural elements (CSEs) are individual message components that are selected for campaigns and have the ability to influence consumer intentions and behavior. In this study, the impact of donation magnitude (small; large) and donation recipient (branded and well-known; branded and fictitious; unbranded and well-known) on the dependent variables of consumer attitude toward the offer, attitude toward the alliance, and participation intention is explored by means of a 2?×?3 between-subjects experiment. Despite significant differences in familiarity with and attitude toward the donation recipient, significant differences between groups in terms of the dependent variables were not found. The nature of the sample (Generation Y), their attitude toward helping others and charitable organizations, social exchange theory, and equity theory are explored in an attempt to clarify the lack of significant differences pertaining to the dependent variables.     

Attitudes and Donation Behavior When Reading Positive and Negative Charity Appeals

This article tries to clarify whether negative charity appeals (i.e., advertisements emphasizing the bad consequences of not helping) or positive charity appeals (i.e., advertisements emphasizing the good consequences of helping) are more effective. Previous literature does not provide a single answer to this question and we suggest that one contributing reason for this is that different studies have operationalized appeal effectiveness in different ways (e.g., actual behavior, self-rated helping intentions, or expressed attitudes about the ad or the organization). Results from four separate studies suggest that positive appeals are more effective in inducing favorable attitudes toward the ad and toward the organization but that negative appeals are more effective (in studies 1A and 1B) or at least equally effective (in studies 1C and 1D) in eliciting actual donations. Also, although people’s attitude toward the appeal (i.e., liking) was a good predictor for the expected effectiveness in increasing donation behavior (in Study 2), it was a poor predictor of actual donation behavior in all four main studies. These results cast doubt on marketing theories suggesting that attitudes toward an advertisement and toward the brand always lead to higher purchase behavior.     

Factors Affecting the Adoption of the Internet in the Public Sector

ABSTRACT

Research in the area of electronic marketing has focused considerable attention on consumers' and advertisers' perceptions of the Internet as a marketing communication medium. Whilst such research has been undertaken mostly in the private sector, it is important to recognize, and attempt to understand, the growing number of public sector organizations that have an Internet presence. Results of a study of the perceptions of managers in public sector organizations of the Internet as a marketing communication tool are reported. Findings suggest that decision makers in the public sector who feel that there is a need for their organizations to have an Internet presence, are more inclined to adopt the Internet as part of their marketing communications program. Furthermore, they are more likely to feel that use of the Internet will improve their overall marketing effectiveness. It is also interesting to note that the perceived complexity of using the Internet has a significant effect on both the adoption of and attitude towards the Internet as a marketing communications tool. This suggests that there is still some uncertainty amongst public sector organizations as to the usefulness of the Internet in marketing their services.     

Promoting Awareness of Government Export Assistance Programs in the International Marketing Course

ABSTRACT

One of the features of international marketing which distinguishes it from purely domestic marketing is the role of government-sponsored programs in helping firms start and indeed succeed in overseas markets. There is evidence that American firms make much less use of these programs than their foreign competitors. One possible contributing factor to this situation is limited classroom coverage which American instructors of international marketing devote to this area.

Two hundred and six U.S.-based members of the Academy of International Business (A.I.B.) were surveyed. Results indicated that while instructors of international marketing feel that government export assistance programs are important for export sucess, they are not very familiar with most of these programs and do not have positive perceptives about the quality of services currently offered. Little class time is devoted to most of the programs and lecture remains the dominant pedagogical tool. The connection between instructor familiarity with these programs and perceived importance and quality is also addressed.     

Barriers to Elderly Consumers’ Use of Support Services: Community Support in Japan’s Super-Aged Society

ABSTRACT

Rural areas need support services to help elderly people sustain their ordinary lives, especially in light of today’s aging societies. In Japan, nonprofit organizations and residents’ associations, which are based in local relationships, provide support services aimed at helping the elderly with their daily buying behavior. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the barriers preventing the use of such support services. We collect 133 respondents from semi-structured interviews through door-to-door visits using snowball sampling to show that there are three such barriers: lifestyle, capability, and trust. Furthermore, we discussed measures to reduce these barriers using our results of correlation analysis and analysis of variance. Our findings have implications for a new direction in social marketing for elderly people. As societies continue to age and highly accessible services become ever more necessary, the insights of our study will be applicable not only in Japan but across the world.     

Critical factors underpinning the e-CRM activities of SMEs

Abstract

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are vital components of our economies, but many struggle to perform the marketing prescribed theoretically for large organisations. In practice, marketing is performed in SMEs through an intrinsic customer orientation, which exhibits striking resemblances to customer relationship management (CRM) theory. This paper presents research evidence to help us understand the impact of Internet-based technologies (IBTs) on the CRM activities (that is e-CRM) of SMEs in Ireland. A quantitative approach (online survey questionnaire) was adopted and distributed to 1445 SMEs. Exploratory factor analysis uncovered eight distinct yet inter-related factors underpinning the practices and processes of e-CRM in SMEs. Briefly, findings illustrate that SMEs are performing e-CRM to varying extents, reaping a range of performance benefits and facing a range of challenges. It is true that SMEs are not adopting e-CRM per se, as described in the large organisation-biased literature, but they are adopting relatively simple IBTs to improve their customer communication and information management capabilities and thus to create competitive advantage in their own strategic way. The study adopts a strong managerial focus, where pertinent practical implications and recommendations around e-CRM are provided for SME owner-managers, helping to bridge the gap between theory and practice.     

The Contingency Effects of Supplier Influence Strategies and Their Implications for Retailer Cooperation

Abstract

The success of manufacturers' consumer marketing programs often hinges on whether they are implemented at the retail level. Manufacturers use various influence strategies to persuade retailers to adopt their marketing programs. We investigate how well those influence strategies shape the retailers' positive attitudes toward their suppliers' marketing programs. We find that the effectiveness of those influence strategies depends upon the extent of uncertainty in the retailers' market. We also find that the manufacturer's investment in specific assets to support its relationship with the retailer strongly affects the retailer's attitude toward the supplier's programs.     

Building and Maintaining Effective Buyer-Seller Relationships

Abstract

O'Grady and Lane (1996) have observed that Americans and Canadians have difficulty establishing the rapport for effective buyer-seller relationships, and that Canadians are especially disadvantaged. This article explored the marketing activities that American and Canadian managers preferred to establish these relationships. Differences were found in both relationship marketing and marketing mix factors. The Americans were significantly more committed to relational activities, building relationships based on respect, shared goals, personal trust and making sure everyone received the expected benefits. The Canadians focused more on pricing, and helping out when asked or needed. To do lists are offered for making each more effective with the other.     

The nonprofit case for corporate volunteering: a multi-level perspective

ABSTRACT

This article argues that the nonprofit case for corporate volunteering is complex, requiring a multi-level perspective on the outcomes for nonprofit organizations (NPOs). To develop this perspective, we adopted an inductive research approach, conducting 39 exploratory semi-structured interviews with NPO staff. We argue that NPO scholars and practitioners should disentangle individual and organizational-level outcomes resulting from interactions between corporate volunteers and NPO staff, as such micro-dynamics ultimately affect NPO services. Moreover, these outcomes are subject to conditions at the organizational level (e.g. involvement of intermediaries), as well as at the individual level (e.g. type of assignment). Our study highlights the complexity that should be considered when addressing the fundamental question of whether corporate volunteering contributes to the ability of NPOs to provide their services, and under what conditions. We therefore propose that corporate volunteer management within NPOs is inherently, albeit contingently, intertwined with the services that these organizations provide.     

Green Marketing and the Concern over the Environment: Measuring Environmental Consciousness of Jordanian Consumers

SUMMARY

The purpose of this article is to explore the attitudes of Jordanian consumers regarding both their current environmental consciousness and their willingness to adopt environmentally friendly consumption behavior. The article is based on an empirical investigation of consumer attitudes for a sample of 303 university students drawn from Jordanian universities, using a drop-off method. The article concludes that Jordanian consumers were, generally, concerned about the environment, as they demonstrated reasonably high levels of environmental consciousness relating to various environmental issues. However, this pro-environmental attitude was not sufficient to turn good intentions into actual buying actions, possibly due to several factors, such as loyalty to traditional products and weak credibility of “green” claims. The article stresses the need to link consumers' good intentions to actual buying behavior through a green marketing strategy, which focuses on the unique characteristics of green products and how they impact the environment, within the cultural context of the Jordanian consumer. Over time, we hope that these efforts can lead to a culture of green consumerism within a framework of environmental responsibility.     

Market Mavens in Social Media: Examining Young Chinese Consumers' Viral Marketing Attitude,eWOM Motive,and Behavior

A paper survey of 835 Chinese college students was conducted to examine young Chinese consumers' social media use, market mavenism, viral marketing attitude, and product recommendation behavior. Structural model testing results showed that young Chinese consumers' perceived pleasure, affection outcome expectation, and subjective norm of viral marketing affected their market mavenism while their subjective norm and pleasure influenced their viral marketing attitude. More importantly, young Chinese consumers' frequency of product recommendations on social networking websites was determined by their social media use, viral marketing attitude, and electronic word of mouth motive to help the company and market mavenism.     

Empowering People in Modern Organizations for Improved Customer Service

ABSTRACT

Buyer perception of sellers can be arrayed on a perception spectrum ranging from exploitive to sacrificial. Satisfied buyers see their supplier at the midpoint on this continuum-not the best place for a supplier to be because customer commitment will be absent. Delighted, loyal buyers sec their supplier on the sacrificial end of the spectrum. Accordingly, effective relationship marketing programs are designed to move buyer perception of seller behavior to the sacrificial end of the Bxploitivc-Sacrificial continuum. The core ingredient in a marketing program designed to engender customer perception of sacrificial supplier behavior is an iron-clad extraordinary guarantee.     

Factors Influencing Monetary Donations to Charitable Organizations

ABSTRACT

Charitable organizations are under increasing financial pressure to attract and retain private donors. However, research examining consumer attitudes toward and motivations for giving to charity have yielded ambiguous results. A cross-disciplinary literature review suggests individual donation behavior is based on several factors including attitudes toward helping others, attitudes toward the charitable organization and various intrapersonal, social and economic motives. Using exploratory factor analysis seven factors are identified which influence monetary donations to charitable organizations. Of these seven factors, two factors measure attitudes relevant to charitable giving and five factors capture motivations for charitable giving. These measures are important to academicians, policy makers and practitioners in the development of theory and marketing strategy.     

Explaining the Role of Perceived Risk,Knowledge, Price,and Cost in Dry Fish Consumption Within the Theory of Planned Behavior

ABSTRACT

The general purpose of this study is to explore the influence of perceived risk, knowledge, price, and cost of dry fish consumption in Bangladesh using the general framework from the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The field experiments were performed in Bangladesh with a convenience sample of 558 respondents. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship among perceived risk, knowledge, price, and cost and TPB constructs. The findings showed that attitude, norms, and procedural knowledge emerge as the key determinants of intention, whereas intention, attitude, norms, and perceived risk have effects on the dry fish consumption frequency. Perceived behavioral control, price, and cost had no significant effect on intention and consumption behavior. The proposed TPB and the extended model both fit the data well and proved the expectations of this study in a promising way. The study found that people are more concerned about potential long-term risk to their family and others. Therefore, management attention should focus on reducing risks which consumers may face through producing safe and hazard-free dry fish.     

A Commentary on “Business Marketing in Master's Programs: A Part of the Fabric”: Cut from the Same Cloth?

ABSTRACT

The authors of this article and their colleagues at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario are to be commended not only for this well-crafted article but also for their efforts to elevate and incorporate essential knowledge of business marketing into the fabric of their school's master's program. The provocative argument that the authors make is that business marketing behaviors, concepts and topics should not be the focus of just one elective course but that they should serve as a foundation of a school's entire master's program. According to the authors, that foundation can be built around four pillars or business marketing essentials-organizational buyer behavior, relationship marketing, customer value, and business markets. In this article, they present not only a process and guidelines for imbedding these pillars into a master's program but also recommend specific topics and cases for various master's level courses. For these reasons, this article is a “must read” for marketing scholars who seek not only to create and/or improve elective courses business marketing but also to enhance the prominence of the study of business marketing at their respective universities.