Beyond the obvious: Facets of diversity in marketing student groups

© Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2016. Student cohorts at higher education institutions worldwide are more diverse than ever due to international student mobility and a greater inclusion of previously underrepresented groups within the higher education system. Despite the potential effects of diversity on student academic performance and wellbeing, related studies have commonly been limited by a focus on cultural diversity. To better understand the importance of cultural diversity, we expand the literature by exploring various types of diversity simultaneously. A two-step research process, including a series of in-depth interviews and a survey, was used to examine the extent to which different dimensions of diversity, including characteristics brought to the group (language skills, academic goals and extroversion) and those that emerge during the group process (external commitments, commitment to task and adherence to rules), can influence the students’ satisfaction with the process and satisfaction with the outcome. Furthermore, bi-directionality of communication and information-sharing emerge as processes that mediate the influence of diversity, in particular influencing the effect of differences in academic goals and differences in language skills, on group satisfaction with the process and outcome respectively. Implications for marketers are provided

Facilitating student interaction capabilities: The interplay of individual, group and course-related factors

Marketing education increasingly recognizes the active role of students in their learning experience. Students co-create learning outcomes through interacting with course resources and other students. However, there is little understanding of the factors that support the development of students’ ability to interact in this learning environment. This paper examines the influence of individual and group characteristics that exist at group formation, on the development of the group and ultimately its interaction capabilities. We identify that individual goal orientation and motivation predict shared academic goals and commitment to learning. Over a period of time, these factors promote a shared vision and recognition of peer learning opportunities provided by the course, and subsequently drive student interaction capabilities. The results imply that in order to enhance interaction among students, marketing educators should focus efforts on developing peer learning opportunities and consider individual and group goals and commitment to learning when forming student groups.This work was supported by the University of Adelaide under Faculty of Professions, Learning & Teaching Grant

Market shaping dynamics : interplay of actor engagement and institutional work

Purpose: Combining institutional work and actor engagement (AE) literature, this paper aims to elucidate how the collective action of market shaping occurs through the interplay between market shapers’ institutional work and engagement of other market actors. While markets are shaped by actors’ purposive actions and recent literature notes the need to also mobilize AE, the underlying process remains nebulous. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is conceptual but supported by an illustrative case study: the Winding Tree. This blockchain-based, decentralized travel marketplace shapes a market by decoupling existing resource linkages, creating new ones and stabilizing others through a dynamic, iterative process between the market shaper’s institutional work and others’ AE. Findings: The paper develops a dynamic, iterative framework of market shaping through increased resource density, revealing the interplay between seven types of market shapers’ institutional work distilled from the literature and changes in other market actors’ engagement dispositions, behaviors and the diffusion of AE through the market. Originality/value: This research contributes to the emergent market shaping and market innovation literature by illustrating how the engagement of market actors is a fundamental means of market shaping. Specifically, it advances understanding of how market shapers’ institutional work leads to new resource linkages and higher resource density in emergent market systems through AE. The resultant framework offers an original, critical foundation for future market shaping research

Collective engagement in organizational settings

Customer engagement has emerged as a central concept in marketing. Despite extensive scholarly investigations and managerial interest though, considerations of customer engagement and emotional connections in business marketing have been scant. Researchers tend to focus on individual-level engagement, which is conceptually inadequate to address the inherently multi-actor nature of business-to-business marketing. Therefore, this article introduces the concept of collective engagement, highlighting both its characteristics and the conditions for its emergence. The resulting theoretical framework, with ten propositions, outlines the multidimensional nature of collective engagement, including its multiplicative aggregation, multidirectional valence, phenomenological and shared properties, emotional and institutional interdependence, and emergence in dynamic and multichannel settings. Collective engagement also offers a mechanism for considering emotions in business marketing, a topic that thus far has been largely ignored by the prevalent rational choice paradigm. Thus, this article contributes a systematic, coherent conceptualization of collective engagement and advances the theoretical domains of customer and actor engagement in particular and business-to-business research in general, while also suggesting a detailed research agenda.</p

Actor engagement practices in market shaping

Purpose: Markets are shaped by the purposive actions of actors, aimed at creating new linkages, improving resource density and, hence, value creation in a market (Nenonen et al, 2018). New resource linkages imply the creation, or change of actor engagement (AE hereafter) practices. However, little is understood about how ecosystem actors create or modify these resource linkages. Drawing on actor engagement (Brodie et al., 2019) and markets-as-practices literatures (Kjellberg & Helgesson, 2007; Aroujo & Kjellberg, 2011), this conceptual paper thus develops a conceptual framework examining the role of AE practices in market shaping. Hence, it contributes to our understanding of the (re-)formation of resource linkages as AE behaviors evolve and become institutionalised. Design/methodology/approach: The conceptual development is supported by an illustrative case study of the Winding Tree (https://windingtree.com/), a decentralized travel ecosystem using blockchain technology. The Winding Tree empowers actors (e.g. airlines, partners and customers) to collaborate and innovate together based on an open decentralized infrastructure (i.e. engagement platform) without any middlemen (e.g. travel agencies) being involved, thus providing ideal conditions for demonstrating market shaping through evolving AE practices. Findings: AE is a dynamic, iterative process embodying actors’ dispositions to invest resources in their interactions with other connected actors in a service system (Brodie et al., 2019). We argue that it is through the engagement process that actors interact and create new resource linkages. Hence, market shaping necessitates the creation of, or change in, AE behaviors. However, behavioral change in an individual is insufficient, as successful market shaping will require all actors in an ecosystem (including ‘customers’, ‘partners’, ‘suppliers’ and ‘users’ of the new solution) to adopt new practices to accommodate or support new market offerings. Although the institutionalization of engagement behaviors to practices can occur organically, as individual engagement behaviors coalesce and become institutionalized over time, the case of market shaping reflects the purposive actions of a focal actor, or group of actors, to create new engagement behaviors. Originality/value: This paper demonstrates actor engagement as one key mechanism for market shaping. When established market representations are disrupted, a process of de-institutionalization of engagement behaviors takes place. Inversely, when engagement practices are established as new norms and expectations, processes of institutionalization occur. While previous literature has recognized engagement as an iterative process, this is the first paper to examine the institutionalization process of engagement behaviors leading to new resource linkages and the shaping of new markets

Market shaping dynamics: interplay of actor engagement and institutional work

Purpose Combining institutional work and actor engagement (AE) literature, this paper aims to elucidate how the collective action of market shaping occurs through the interplay between market shapers' institutional work and engagement of other market actors. While markets are shaped by actors' purposive actions and recent literature notes the need to also mobilize AE, the underlying process remains nebulous. Design/methodology/approach This paper is conceptual but supported by an illustrative case study: the Winding Tree. This blockchain-based, decentralized travel marketplace shapes a market by decoupling existing resource linkages, creating new ones and stabilizing others through a dynamic, iterative process between the market shaper's institutional work and others' AE. Findings The paper develops a dynamic, iterative framework of market shaping through increased resource density, revealing the interplay between seven types of market shapers' institutional work distilled from the literature and changes in other market actors' engagement dispositions, behaviors and the diffusion of AE through the market. Originality/value This research contributes to the emergent market shaping and market innovation literature by illustrating how the engagement of market actors is a fundamental means of market shaping. Specifically, it advances understanding of how market shapers' institutional work leads to new resource linkages and higher resource density in emergent market systems through AE. The resultant framework offers an original, critical foundation for future market shaping research

The impact of corporate volunteering on CSR image: a consumer perspective

Received: 29 June 2013 / Accepted: 15 January 2014Abstract Corporate volunteering (CV) is known to be an effective employee engagement initiative. However, despite the prominence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in academia and practice, research is yet to investigate whether and how CV may influence consumer perceptions of CSR image and subsequent consumer behaviour. Data collected using an online survey in Australia show perceived familiarity with a company’s CV programme to positively impact CSR image and firm image, partially mediated by others-centred attributions. CSR image, in turn, strengthens affective and cognitive loyalty as well as word-of-mouth. Further analysis reveals the moderating effect of perceived leveraging of the corporate volunteering programme, customer status and the value individuals place on CSR. The paper concludes with theoretical and managerial implications, as well as an agenda for future research.Carolin Plewa, Jodie Conduit, Pascale G. Quester, Claire Johnso

Key drivers of university - industry relationships and the impact of organisational culture differences : a dyadic study

This electronic version is made publicly available by the University of Adelaide in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. This thesis may incorporate third party material which has been used by the author pursuant to Fair Dealing exceptions. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material you wish to be removed from this electronic version, please complete the take down form located at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/legalsThis research examines the characteristics of successful university - industry relationships. By integrating the research areas of relationship marketing and technology transfer, it attempts to provide a unique contribution to both streams and the emerging literature on university - industry relationships. This thesis argues that conceptualising relationships beyond those between private sector organisations, the current central focus of relationship marketing theory development, is needed in order to mature the discipline. In particular, university - industry relationships offer research opportunities due to their incorporation of fundamentally different organisational cultures. The aim of this research is to identify key drivers of university - industry relationships by taking into account the impact of organisational culture difference and other relevant antecedents, such as individuals engaged in the relationship process. Based on a literature review and initial qualitative research, two conceptual models were developed and subsequently tested using Structural Equation Modelling methods. The first generic model identified the key drivers of satisfaction and intention to renew and examined the influence of organisational compatibility and personal experience on university - industry relationships. The second dyadic model focused on identifying the impact of individual dimensions of organisational culture difference on relationship characteristics and success. Comprising the perspectives of both relationship parties, the dyadic data enabled an advanced reflection of cultural differences and relationship dynamics. Four dimensions were analysed, namely differences in time orientation, market orientation, employee empowerment and corporate flexibility. Both models were analysed in three steps, including path analysis and hypotheses testing, model re - specification and multigroup analysis. Consistent with the literature, trust, commitment and integration were found to positively influence the primary outcome variable, satisfaction, and were thus confirmed as key drivers of successful university - industry relationships. While trust was identified as the strongest driver for satisfaction, commitment emerged as the strongest predictor of intention to renew. Also confirming relationship marketing theory, the results showed interrelationships between these relationship factors : Trust positively affected commitment and integration and commitment strongly and positively influenced integration. The findings further demonstrated that organisational compatibility positively influenced all relationship characteristics. However, only two significant paths were confirmed between the individual dimensions of organisational culture difference and relationship characteristics : Differences in time orientation and corporate flexibility both impacted commitment negatively. Furthermore, market orientation difference directly and negatively affected the relationship outcome measure intention to renew. The results only showed a weak influence of personal experience, the variable measuring the relevance of individuals for university - industry relationships, on commitment.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Commerce, 2006

Communication and trust: public-private partnerships

Carolin Plewa discovers the critical impact of open and meaningful dialogue when technology is transferred from the public to private sector