The integration of microcomputers in marketing research and decision making

This paper focuses on the integrative and pervasive use of microcomputers in marketing research and managerial decision making. The marketing research process is conceptualized as consisting of six phases. At each phase, microcomputer applications and illustrative software are identified as implications for the practice of marketing research discussed. Next the paper illustrates the use of microcomputers in selected application areas such as market segmentation, sales forecasting, new product development, pricing and decision support and expert systems. Guidelines for the selection of microcomputer software in specific situations are provided. The paper concludes with some observations on the future applications of microcomputers in marketing research and decision making.     

Codes of Ethics as Signals for Ethical Behavior

This study investigated effects of codes of ethics on perceptions of ethical behavior. Respondents from companies with codes of ethics (n = 465) rated role set members (top management, supervisors, peers, subordinates, self) as more ethical and felt more encouraged and supported for ethical behavior than respondents from companies without codes (n = 301). Key aspects of the organizational climate, such as supportiveness for ethical behavior, freedom to act ethically, and satisfaction with the outcome of ethical problems were impacted by the presence of an ethics code. The mere presence of a code of ethics appears to have a positive impact on perceptions of ethical behavior in organizations, even when respondents cannot recall specific content of the code.     

Boundary spanner multi-faceted role ambiguity and burnout: An exploratory study

Although researchers have gained considerable knowledge regarding the multi-faceted manifestation of burnout over recent years, inconsistent findings of role ambiguity as an antecedent to burnout are still prevalent. Given the complex boundary-spanning nature of sales, it is likely that global measures of role ambiguity fail to fully capture the domain and impact of role ambiguity. To help address this gap, this study provides initial evidence that facets of role ambiguity impact burnout manifestation in the sales role differently. Specifically, findings provide a foundation to help mitigate the negative impact of burnout by focusing on only certain facets of role ambiguity.     

Frequency,Recall and Usefulness of Undergraduate Ethics Education

Prior research on the effectiveness of ethics education has yielded mixed results. In this sample of 686 employed adults, we found the majority felt there was little or no emphasis on ethics in their undergraduate program, and they felt poorly prepared to deal with ethical dilemmas at work. Among business, sciences, and liberal arts majors, those who majored in the sciences reported the lowest level of preparation for dealing with ethics issues. Management and law classes were the ones most frequently recalled by respondents as emphasizing ethics. Respondents made suggestions for improving undergraduate ethics preparation.     

Validating the S-O-R paradigm for consumer involvement with a convenience good

The Houston and Rothschild S-O-R consumer involvement paradigm is tested for validity with measures of involvement for a shampoo purchase decision. A multitrait-multimethod matrix approach confirms the convergent and discriminant validity of the measure employed. A causal modeling analysis suggests that enduring involvement may work through situational involvement to influence consumer responses. Marketing implications are discussed.     

Application of Logit Analysis to the Determination of Tenant Absorption in Condominium Conversion

Frequently, when an analyst is faced with categorical or nominal data, the statistical technique selected is limited to crosstabulation (contingency table) analysis. Logit analysis overcomes some of the problems typically associated with the contingency table-type analyses. This paper demonstrates the application of logit analysis to solve a real estate marketing problem. Specifically, logit analysis is used to assist in the identification of tenant-buyers in condominium conversion projects.