Transformative intersectionality: moving business towards a critical praxis

Drawing on intersectionality’s historical feminist roots of critical praxis and recent re-radicalization of the theory, this paper urges for an expansion of the concept of intersectionality in business and marketing-related studies. To extend the transformative potential of intersectionality theory, we call for scholars and practitioners to move beyond the study of intersecting identity markers (e.g., gender, race, class) to include assessments of power structures and intersectional oppressions. We propose the transformative intersectional framework (TIF) to help scholars and practitioners to explore sources of oppressions more deeply and broadly. We illustrate the analytical capability of the TIF by examining a much lauded business-to-business service that seeks social justice and change—diversity training programs. Using the TIF, we identify the inherent and (in)visible complexities of injustices with which organizations must grapple. We close by demonstrating how the TIF can enrich practice and propose recommendations for action

Trapped in the prison of the mind: notions of climate-induced (im)mobility decision-making and wellbeing from an urban informal settlement in Bangladesh

The concept of Trapped Populations has until date mainly referred to people ‘trapped’ in environmentally high-risk rural areas due to economic constraints. This article attempts to widen our understanding of the concept by investigating climate-induced socio-psychological immobility and its link to Internally Displaced People’s (IDPs) wellbeing in a slum of Dhaka. People migrated here due to environmental changes back on Bhola Island and named the settlement Bhola Slum after their home. In this way, many found themselves ‘immobile’ after having been mobile—unable to move back home, and unable to move to other parts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, or beyond. The analysis incorporates the emotional and psychosocial aspects of the diverse immobility states. Mind and emotion are vital to better understand people’s (im)mobility decision-making and wellbeing status. The study applies an innovative and interdisciplinary methodological approach combining Q-methodology and discourse analysis (DA). This mixed-method illustrates a replicable approach to capture the complex state of climate-induced (im)mobility and its interlinkages to people’s wellbeing. People reported facing non-economic losses due to the move, such as identity, honour, sense of belonging and mental health. These psychosocial processes helped explain why some people ended up ‘trapped’ or immobile. The psychosocial constraints paralysed them mentally, as well as geographically. More empirical evidence on how climate change influences people’s wellbeing and mental health will be important to provide us with insights in how to best support vulnerable people having faced climatic impacts, and build more sustainable climate policy frameworks

Who framed the sustainability crisis? Understanding the contrasting and complementary ideologies of sustainable consumption

Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC

Shifting focus from the mainstream to the offbeat: Anti-consumption's contribution to sustainable change in water consumption

Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC

Cultivating nature identity and ecological worldviews: a pathway to alter the prevailing dominant social paradigm

The worsening environmental problems demand a shift from the prevailing Dominant Social Paradigm to the New Ecological Paradigm. Yet, little is known on the conditions necessary for societal adoption of conservation behaviour. This qualitative study explores the social-psychological aspects and processes cultivating ecological identity and worldviews by uncovering the activities, interpretation of experiences that capture mental thoughts, emotions and symbolic meanings within the richness of lived experiences. The findings theorise the process of ecological identity building and offers in-depth insights into the motivations and stages of ecological identities and worldviews that support pro-environmental behaviour. The insights extend the identity theory to illustrate the process of nature identity development to include the stages of identity activation, creation and synthesis; reveal Asian values and beliefs that consumers use to rationalise their consumption behaviour; and provide implications for macromarketing, education and sustainability initiatives, and policy making

The duality of political brand equity

Purpose The democratic political product is complex and untangible. An underlying assumption of a democratic system is the involvement of voters, or consumers, but with contemporary political apathy this aspect is relatively unacknowledged. This paper aims to explore the role of the consumer in political branding. Design/methodology/approach Two contrasting case studies compare the balance between the corporate brand of the political party and the brand image of two different kinds of local politician. Aaker's “Brand Equity Ten” is adapted to provide a suitable conceptual framework for the case study comparison. Findings Investigating the interaction between the community and politicians drew out important implications for the political brand. The paper concludes that managing the political brand entails a recognition of the inherent duality that resides in the political product. In an environment of reduced differentiation of political offerings to the electoral marketplace it is important for politicians and the political party to make early decisions about which aspect of this brand duality best serves individual careers and the party. Key to this decision is the opinion‐leading role of politically aware consumers. Research limitations/implications This research shows that an individual politician's brand can compete with or enhance the corporate political party brand, which implies that political branding must take into account the communication role of the highly involved consumer. Originality/value This paper examines the under‐researched area of consumer contribution to political branding. The role of highly involved political consumers in constituency politics is clearly shown to affect the politician's brand equity. This leads to a re‐conceptualisation of the politician's brand vis‐à‐vis the political party brand.49

Gender status bias and the marketplace

Through the lens of Status Construction Theory, we consider the role of gender status beliefs and the obdurate nature of gender differences as a category of status bias. We consider how the reproduction of gender status construction associates with marketplace resources. We study how individual experiences and marketplace resources operate, contribute, sustain or mitigate inequity in a consumption subculture. Using a multi-method ethnography to study expert women climbers whose competence is often refuted due to gender status bias. Our study makes three contributions; firstly, a nuanced illumination of the ways gender status is experienced by socially advantaged, competent women. Secondly, extending Status Construction Theory to include meso level analysis, demonstrating the interconnectedness of micro, meso and macro levels of marketplace implications. Lastly, through this theoretical contribution on the reproduction of gender status we present a detailed articulation of marketplace resources and how these can contain or counter subordinating gender positionality

She wants it? Subject positions and discourses in violent porno-chic advertising representations

Abstract not available

The development of competent marketing professionals

The process of transition from university undergraduate to business professional is a crucial stage in the development of a business career. This study examines both graduate and employer perspectives on the essential skills and knowledge needed by marketing professionals to successfully perform their roles. From in-depth interviews with 14 graduates and 14 employers, it is apparent that the transition trajectory is both diverse and dynamic. The first main finding is that the transition from marketing graduate to employee is marked by a lack of skills to organically 'fit the organization.' Another finding is related to specific competencies such as the ability to have and, most importantly, apply marketing knowledge. These findings have strong implications for the development and redesign of curricula to produce highly skilled, employable graduates and to assist universities in retaining a competitive advantage within the tertiary sector

The renaissance of gender equality research and sustainable development in the academic context of marketing: championing paths forward

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls (SDG #5) is cited as interlinked with other SDGs. One often hears that “Global Goals cannot be achieved without ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment” (UN, 2015) and that “gender equality is critical to all areas of a healthy society, from reducing poverty (SDG #1) to promoting health (SDG #3) and education (SDG #4), and to the protection of the well-being of girls and boys” (UN, 2016). Despite its importance, business academics have been slow to acknowledge issues surrounding gender equality amongst other SDGs. This chapter argues that despite these challenges, gender research in the wider field of marketing is experiencing a renaissance, fueled in part by global, political and social movements, and in part by the persistence of academics studying these connections. Three research areas for championing a path forward—gender violence, intersectionality, and local and global perspectives in marketing are presented. The translation of this research to inquiry based and transformative learning is particularly emphasized. Lastly, the chapter calls for and advocates ongoing and future efforts to keep the momentum of gender and sustainability issues at the forefront of the marketing field. Using marketing as an illustration for wider business disciplines, it is their role to recognize and become key drivers in shaping sustainable development