Planning and Implementing a Graduate Online Team Taught Marketing Course

Online courses have become an important educational delivery tool for institutions of higher learning throughout the world. While popular among students and administrators, many faculty members have expressed concerns with online courses. Therefore, this paper highlights online team teaching as a potential solution to concerns harbored by faculty members. In particular, we discuss the planning, coordination, and implementation of a graduate online team taught marketing course and offer an instructional example to alleviate some of the issues with online teaching. Importantly, this paper explores online team teaching from the perspective of marketing faculty and outlines positive educator outcomes associated with the development of a team taught marketing course. This paper illustrates that online team teaching can substantially reduce the concerns harbored by faculty teaching online courses through advanced planning, proper coordination among the faculty members, and input from the involved faculty, administrators and technical staff

Determinants of medical tourism destination selection process

Even though American health care providers have incessantly raised their prices, medical insurers have managed to achieve (greater) profitability covering fewer services for a smaller number of clientele every year. Against this backdrop, there has been a sharp increase in the number of people seeking health care in foreign countries. Using prospect theory, this study finds medical tourism consideration to be driven by domestic medical costs, patient privacy concerns, medical restrictions, and foreign destination desirability. The latter is in turn influenced by tourist attractions and service quality assurance in addition to domestic medical costs. The findings and their implications and limitations are also discussed

STUDENT COURSE PERCEPTIONS: A PERCEIVED-EASE-OF-USE--PERCEIVED-USEFULNESS FRAMEWORK

This study focuses on students\u27 perceptions about a hybrid marketing course, delivered in independent face-to- face and online formats, at a southwestern U.S. university. Based on the Perceived-Ease-of-Use (PEOU) -- Perceived Usefulness (PU) framework, it examines the associations of PEOU and PU with each of two constructs viz., Comparative Evaluation and Communication with the Instructor. The research throws light on hitherto unexplored dimensions of students\u27 course and teacher perceptions. In addition, from a marketing perspective, educators can utilize the findings to make their instruction more effective for their customers. Finally, data analyses supporting the hypotheses, academic and research implications as well as ideas for future directions are presented

Choosing non-conventional treatments: consumers\u27 attempt at controlling health care

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of consumer\u27s propensity to choose non-conventional treatment protocols using control theory as the theoretical framework. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from a consumer panel using a self-administered questionnaire. The sample consisted of 350 US-based “Baby Boomer” consumers. Findings – The results of this study indicate that consumers\u27 health locus of control self-efficacy, and neuroticism impact their propensity to use non-conventional treatments. Contrary to previous studies, consumers\u27 health value was not a significant moderator except in the case of internal health locus of control. Practical implications – The findings of this study provide guidance to public policy makers, health care providers, and managers of the conventional and non-conventional pharmaceutical industries. Specially, the results reify the importance of the collaborative efforts of public policy makers and health care practitioners alike to proactively inform consumers of the issues underlying unsupervised use of non-conventional medications. The results suggest greater governance is needed to control the marketing of non-conventional medications. Overall, this research provides prescriptive guidance for marketers of both non-conventional and conventional treatments, suggesting how better promotional and integrated communications may effectively serve their target markets. Originality/value – The paper examines an unexplored yet rapidly growing consumption behavior in the USA: the unprecedented use of non-conventional treatments. Evaluation of this consumer trend has largely focused on demographic factors relative to adopters (and non-adopters). Control theory affords a conceptual foundation for exploring individual-level factors that have been overlooked in previous empirical studies

An empirical investigation of consumers\u27 procurement of pharmaceutical products via online retail channels

The procurement of pharmaceuticals from electronic channels is drawing widespread attention from marketing decision makers, public policymakers, and the popular media. The focus on online retail channels for pharmaceuticals may be, in part, attributable to the potential risks and safety issues that underlie consumers\u27 self-initiated pharmaceutical acquisition and consumption decisions. Clearly, there exist an unprecedented number of consumers employing this nontraditional channel for procuring both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription pharmaceuticals in the U.S. This study explores the potential impact of consumers\u27 cognitive characteristics on their decision making as it relates to procuring pharmaceutical products via online retail channels. The results of the study indicate that both powerful others health locus of control and objectivism determine the propensity to procure pharmaceuticals via electronic retail channels. Moreover, health value is identified as a portentous moderator of the relationship between consumers\u27 health locus of control, objectivism, and pharmaceuticals procurement via electronic retail channels. The implications of the findings and recommendations for future research are offered, as well

Value co-creation through knowledge exchange in franchising

Purpose - This paper proposes a knowledge-exchange framework for value co-creation in franchise network. Design/methodology/approach - This conceptual study integrates literature on franchising, knowledge based view of the firm, absorptive capacity, and service dominant logic to propose a theoretical framework for value co-creation in franchising using knowledge as an operant resource. Findings - The proposed framework suggests that in a franchise network (1) value is co-created by three key actors – franchisor, franchisees, and the customers; (2) the operant resource these key actors bring to the value creation process is knowledge; and (3) the absorptive capacity of principal actors and the appropriation hazard affect the flow and sharing of knowledge. Research limitations/implications - We hope that the proposed knowledge exchange framework for value co-creation in franchise networks provides an impetus for future research in this critical aspect of franchising – i.e., viewing knowledge as an operant resource and viewing the three actors as resource integrators and co-creators of value. Practical implications - The proposed framework suggests that managers in franchise industry should stop looking at consumers and franchisees as passive operand resources, but look at them as operant resource. They should also alter their perspective about the source of competitive advantage, with the focus shifting to knowledge as the operant resource. Originality/value - The study takes a new approach to value creation in a franchising network by introducing the concept of knowledge as an operant source

Services purchased at brick and mortar versus online stores, and shopping motivation

Purpose – This study seeks to explore the idea that consumers select a particular shopping mode – i.e. bricks and mortar versus online outlet – based on their perceptions about whether a product or service is best bought from one or the other. It aims to posit that this perception is associated with the importance allocated to various shopping motivation dimensions. Design/methodology/approach – Data for this study were collected using a self-administered mail survey from 689 internet-enabled US households. They represent a 28 percent response from 2,500 households that received the survey. Extensive non-response analysis ruled out serious bias in the data. Findings – The results from this empirical study suggest that different shopping motivations indeed influence perceptions of service type and shopping mode congruence differently. In addition, the results also suggest that services are more likely to be associated with the online shopping mode, whereas more tangible products are likely to be associated with bricks and mortar stores. Originality/value – The findings have significant implications for services retail managers of both bricks and mortar and online service outlets in the areas of segmentations, targeting, and retail mix strategies. Apparently, consumers also tend to group related services or products into homogeneous shopping baskets based on their perception of congruence between the product or service and the shopping mode – online versus bricks and mortar store. These findings should help a manager plan for retailing mix strategies, catering to various shopping motivation dimensions, thus enhancing consumer satisfaction. In addition, the results hold important implications in the areas of segmentation and targeting decisions

Why do shoppers abandon shopping cart? Perceived waiting time, risk, and transaction inconvenience

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the factors leading to the consumer\u27s propensity to abandon the shopping cart at the transaction completion stage. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a self-administered survey distributed through the internet. The sample consisted of consumers who shopped online at least once during the preceding one-year period. Findings – The results indicate that perceived transaction inconvenience is the major predictor of shopping cart abandonment. The other predictors are perceived risk and perceived waiting time. Positive relationship was found between perceived transaction inconvenience, perceived risk and propensity to abandon the shopping cart. It was also found that propensity to abandon the shopping cart is negatively associated with the perception of waiting time. Practical implications – The paper provides transaction completion stage specific guidance to the managers operating in an online environment to prevent shopping cart abandonment at the transaction completion stage. Specifically, the findings suggest that marketers must pay attention to the perception of risk and transaction inconvenience; otherwise they risk losing consumers during the final stage of transaction. Originality/value – The paper examines the unexplored area of consumer behavior at the final stages of transaction culmination and, hence, is an initial step toward filling that gap