Department of Marketing

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Antecedents of the adoption of new consumer packaged goods
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Kim, Kyoungmi; Allaway, Arthur Warren; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Consumer response to a new product is critical to the product’s success, but understanding of customers’ new product adoption is still limited. Most research has focused only on the first trial purchase and ignored repeat purchases. This study investigates the adoption process as a sequence of purchases and examines how behavioral and marketing antecedents have a different influence on each phase. Marketing-mix variables (e.g., marketing communication, price promotion, and assortment) and consumers’ past behavioral responses (e.g., innovativeness, variety-seeking, and loyalty to the firm’s brands) are proposed as potential antecedents of new product trial purchase timing, repeat purchase timing, and dollar amount of monthly repeat purchase over the twelve months after the trial month. Panel data for sixteen new products from six food categories obtained from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) are utilized in this study. To test the relationships among the behavioral and marketing antecedents and the three outcome variables, two types of econometric models are utilized: a discrete-time hazard model is used for trial and repeat purchase timing and a Type I Tobit model is used for repeat purchase amount in dollars. The results are also discussed.
Applying network theory to the technology to performance profit chain: a social media application
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Andzulis, James Mitchell; Rapp, Adam A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
It is beyond question that social media has altered the day-to-day lives of individuals in their social interactions. However, less is known about the quantifiable impact of social media on business, especially in the sales domain. As sales has progressed from a transactional, to relational, to co-creation of value endeavor, marked by substantial engagement between customer and salesperson, technology has been a regular facilitator of change, enabling information collection, use and transfer in ways once thought unimaginable. In a similar way, the use of social media technology has that same potential, as the gap between buyer and seller closes around an increasingly important salesperson or boundary spanner, with access to information and the customer like never before. However, little is known about the strategic outcomes and facilitating conditions of such social media technology usage. This research advances deeper understanding by exploring the role of salesperson social media technology usage as an antecedent to three increasingly important strategic outcomes in the sales domain. Using social exchange theory as its primary foundation, this dissertation explores the links between frequency and intensity of social media technology usage and 1) competitive intelligence, 2) communication reciprocity, and 3) value co-creation, finding positive support for each of the three hypothesized primary linear relationships in the conceptual framework. Through network theory, this work also investigates the moderating impact of important salesperson network characteristics, including size, density, heterogeneity, and quality in an effort to identify which organizations and salespeople, specifically, are most likely to benefit from such technology investment and use. Findings support two of the moderating hypotheses, demonstrating that the size of the salesperson's network has a detrimental impact on both communication reciprocity, and value co-creation perhaps as the relationship with each and every individual customer begins to suffer at the expense of servicing the mass. Results also suggest fertile ground for future work potentially exploring the impact of three additional moderating relationships found on the cusp of partial support.
Awareness and action: implications and dimensions of salesperson emotional intelligence
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Johnson, Catherine M.; Rapp, Adam A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Recently, sales literature has begun to recognize that emotional intelligence (EI), which is a distinct form of intelligence entailing the perception, understanding, facilitation, and management of emotions, is a salesperson characteristic that has the potential to substantively impact interpersonal success and, ultimately, performance. This research explores specific outcomes and boundary conditions of EI in a sales context with a field study including a salesperson sample. Further, it stands to contribute to the considerable debate surrounding emotional intelligence by first empirically comparing competing conceptualizations in the same sample. Second, this research proposes and provides empirical support for a new conceptualization of emotional intelligence as consisting of cognitive and behavioral components which are not only distinct from each other but also are progressive in nature. Finally, moderators are found which impact a salesperson’s ability to translate cognitive EI into behavioral EI.
CSR and facets of value creation: the role of key moderators
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Alhouti, Sarah; D'Souza, Giles; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The value corporate social responsibility (CSR) creates for consumers still remains unexplored although its importance has been demonstrated in several contexts including pricing (Chang and Wildt 1994), retailing (Baker, Parasuraman, Grewal, and Voss 2002), and across cultures (Xiao and Kim 2009). Monroe (2003) argues that consumers would be willing to pay a higher price when they perceive a substantial value associated with making a purchase. In order to resolve many of the inconsistent findings in the CSR literature, such as the inconsistencies of CSR's ability to influence attitude (Sen, Bhattacharya, and Korschun 2006; Webb and Mohr 1998) and purchase intent (Mohr and Webb 2005; Trudel and Cotte 2009), it is necessary to explore which facets of perceived value consumers derive from CSR. However, without knowing what type of perceived value consumers gain from CSR, researchers and managers lack the information they need to understand why consumers are willing (or not willing) to pay a higher price in the context of CSR. The value created by CSR depends on the type of CSR activity that the company engages in (Peloza and Shang 2011). This study utilized cause-related marketing (CrM) as a type of CSR and proposed that it will influence consumers' values. Specifically, the value consumers derive from CrM will be moderated by perceptual and attitudinal factors. The perceptual factors examined in this study include the company's reputation, the authenticity of the CSR action, and the consumer's perceived personal role. The attitudinal factors included in the study are cynicism, moral disengagement, and consumer alienation. Two experiments were conducted, and the results show that an authentic CSR image accompanied with CrM influences consumers' esteem and spiritual values. This study also finds that consumer values of esteem and spirituality create favorable consumer responses. Finally, the consumer's perception that he or she has a personal role in impacting a cause enhances the value derived from CrM.
The danger of feast or famine: managing customer participation in value co-production
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Chang, Woojung; Morgan, Robert M.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Customer participation in the new product development (NPD) process is becoming more common. Involving customers in the NPD process has been widely considered to enhance market adoption of co-created products and speed up time to market. However, several potential risks relevant to coordination among co-production activities have been raised in recent studies. Drawing on coordination theory, this dissertation examines the conditions under which customer participation in the NPD process improves or deteriorates new product success. The specific focus is on non-linear relationships between customer participation and market adoption and time to market. Furthermore, this dissertation investigates the differential effects on market adoption and time to market of when customers are engaged, the breadth of customer participation, NPD teams' capability to leverage customer insights, product individuality, and price positioning strategy of co-produced products. In Study 1, the hypotheses were tested using data from 647 NPD projects from SourceForge.net, a leading open source software development repository in which end users are involved in developing new software. To test generalizability of the results, Study 2 investigated the same hypotheses based on survey data from 159 NPD managers who have worked on NPD projects in which customers have been involved to some extent to co-create new products. The results of Study 1 show that customer participation enhances market adoption up to a certain point but degrades it beyond that point. Furthermore, the inverted U-shaped relationship between customer participation and market adoption is moderated by breadth of customer participation and the NPD team's co-production capability. With regard to time to market, the findings of Study 1 demonstrate that customer participation continuously slows time to market, confirming serious risks of customer participation. Although the curvilinear relationship found in Study 1 is not extended to various industries of Study 2, the results of Study 2 still indicate that the relationship between customer participation and market adoption is moderated by the timing and breadth of customer participation, and product individuality. The findings highlight a close analysis of benefits and costs of customer participation and provide insights into how and when customers should be engaged in the NPD process.
The downsides of price promotions and price negotiations on brand relationships
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2020-07) Pratt, Alexander Bolton; Robinson, Stacey G.; Voorhees, Clay M.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This dissertation's overall objective is to contribute to the understanding of the negative consequences certain sales approaches can have in retail settings. Specifically, two essays examine the effects of price promotions and price negotiations on customer, and salesperson perceptions. Many firms implement price promotions and negotiations because both provide economic incentives for customers to purchase. While there are a number of positive outcomes related to these tactics, this dissertation identifies conditions under which they can backfire for firms. The first essay investigates how price promotions can backfire for firms, while the second essay, examines how price negotiations between customers and salespeople can backfire. The first essay contributes to both theory and practice by providing insights into the effects of customers resisting price promotions. Four controlled laboratory experiments reveal consumers who resist a competing brand's price promotion increase their loyalty to their incumbent brand. This effect is rooted in resistance theory, suggesting that when consumers forgo a persuasive offer, their perceptions of resistance are both diagnostic and affirming, which can change their attitudes and behaviors. Ultimately, Essay One suggests marketing managers likely overestimate the benefits of their firm's price promotions if they fail to account for increasing consumer loyalty and spending toward competitor brands. The second essay evaluates how retail price negotiations between a salesperson and customer are impacted by the customer’s form of payment (e.g., cash, financing). Across two controlled laboratory experiments and a secondary dataset, this research finds that customers who pay with more transparent payment forms (e.g., cash or debit card) obtain more substantial price concessions during price negotiations. Specifically, I find salespeople perceive customers who pay with more transparent payment forms as having greater negotiation power than those who pay with less transparent payment forms, and thus concede greater price concessions. Ultimately, Essay Two demonstrates a customer's payment form may negatively impact a firm's profit margins; additionally, this essay provides managerial insights on how to mitigate these effects.
An examination of proactive relationship approach with retail customers
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Shin, Hyunju; Ellinger, Alexander E.; Mothersbaugh, David L.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
In the current era of intense competition, retailers are increasingly leveraging relationship marketing to attract, retain, and strengthen relationships with customers. Better understanding of the influence and efficacy of relationship investment strategies has therefore become critical to both marketers and retailers. While there are multiple studies of firms' interactions with customers, most of this research is on firms' reactions in retail contexts with relatively few studies evaluating the potential benefits of proactively interacting with customers. This study examines the age-old issue of whether it is better to "get to customers before they get to you" by assessing the relative efficacy of proactive and reactive relationship approaches in retail settings. Reciprocal reaction theory serves as the foundation for the dissertation that proactive interaction more favorably influences customers' emotions and behavioral intentions toward the firm than reactive interactions. Given that a proactive relationship approach may not be an optimal strategy in every situation, firm and customer-related moderators that may influence the effectiveness of proactive relationship approach are also assessed. The study hypotheses are tested with data from two scenario-based experiments. The study findings are expected to extend the relationship investment strategy literature and provide actionable guidance for retail organizations about effectively conducting interactions with customers.
Exploring penalties in services following a customer mistake
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2011) Harrison, Mary Pritchett; Beatty, Sharon E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This dissertation focuses on two under-researched areas in services: customer mistakes and customer penalties. The mistakes that customers make often lead to penalties imposed by the service provider. Examples of penalties are airline change fees, late payment fees, retail restocking fees, and no-show charges. The current trend among service firms is to add or increase penalties and fines (Lovelock and Wirtz 2007) as a means of not only changing customer behavior, but also as a source of revenue for the firm. Customers are frequently error-prone (Chase and Stewart 1994) and cause one-third of all service problems (Tax, Colgate, and Bowen 2006). As common as customer mistakes are, no research exists that explores these mistakes. In addition, no research examines the penalties assessed by service firms after a mistake, or the effect of these penalties on the customer-firm relationship. Many questions exist about customer mistakes and the resulting penalties. The major research questions of this dissertation are the following: (1) What are the underlying causes of customer mistakes in services? (2) What are customers' emotional reactions to penalties, penalty waivers, and waiver refusals? (3) What are the consequences of these emotional reactions on the service relationship? (4) What is the role of attribution of firm responsibility and the disconfirmation of expectations in explaining customers' perceptions of fairness?
Hailers: retail salespeople near the entrance of the store and shoppers' approach-avoidance reactions
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2011) Musgrove, Carolyn Findley; Franke, George; Reynolds, Kristy E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This research examines a retail salesperson behavior that has been largely overlooked in the literature: retail salespeople standing and waiting for customers near the entrance of the store in retail centers, such as in traditional shopping malls, as well as a variety of other retail shopping contexts. These salespeople are referred to as "hailers." The small amount of previous work in the area and theory suggest that this practice is a positive influence. However, qualitative interviews and quantitative results suggest the opposite. Many consumers feel uncomfortable with a salesperson near the entrance of a retail store because they think that the hailer is going to use high-pressure sales tactics. The main study, which is grounded in approach-avoidance theory and emotional contagion theory, consists of two experiments that examine the effects of retail salespeople near the entrance of stores, as well as other environmental factors and salesperson characteristics. The first study manipulates store familiarity and retail density in addition to the presence of a retail salesperson. The second study focuses on particular characteristics of a salesperson present near the entrance and manipulates the salesperson's demeanor and their level of activity. Each of the stimuli consists of a photograph and scenario combination. The results of experiment one show that the presence of a hailer has a negative influence on consumers' feelings of pleasure and arousal. Feelings of pleasure (and dominance) have a positive influence on approach attitudes and store patronage intentions, while arousal has an inverted-U shaped relationship with store patronage intentions. The results from experiment two show that when a hailer must be present near the entrance of the retail store, a salesperson's positive demeanor has a positive influence on feelings of pleasure. In turn, pleasure has a positive relationship with approach attitudes and store patronage intentions. An unexpected interaction between salesperson demeanor and level of activity has a disordinal relationship with dominance. Further, dominance has a positive influence on store patronage intentions. This research contributes to the domains of retail sales, atmospherics, approach-avoidance theory, and emotional contagion theory. The findings, managerial and academic implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.
If I don’t have it, is it still me?: an exploration into the relationship between access-based consumption and identity
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Tariq, Ayesha; Baker, Thomas L.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
It has been well-recognized in Marketing literature that possessions serve as a visible representation of one’s identity. Similarly, tastes in music, books, and movies are also an outward signal of one’s identity. Both possessions and music taste serve as instruments of self-expression and group affiliation. The relationship between products, consumption, and identity has always been researched with the focus on material objects owned by the consumer. However, recent years have seen a marked change in consumption practices involving both the mode of consumption and the form in which products are consumed. Access-based consumption, or consumption without ownership, is rapidly overtaking purchase as a popular mode of consumption. Additionally, technological developments in the 21st century have led to the existence of books, music, movies, even personal memorabilia, in a digital, dematerialized form. The availability of services provided by firms such as Spotify, Pandora, or Netflix, compounds the issue as they provide content which exists in a digital form and can only be consumed in an access-based format. Set in the context of consumption of access-based music providing services such as Spotify or Pandora, this dissertation serves two main objectives. First, we explore the drivers of consumers’ attitude towards non-ownership/access-based consumption of non-material/digital content by identifying consumer characteristics that lead to a positive attitude towards access-based consumption of digital music. Secondly, we aim to investigate the role of identity forming aspects of such consumption in the relationship between consumers’ characteristics, their attitude towards access-based consumption, and social and market implications of these relationships as evidenced by consumers’ post-purchase reactions towards these services and their intent to continue using these services. Using social identity theory (SIT) as a background, we use both qualitative data and empirical analysis to conduct this research.
The impact of organizational resources and employee gratitude on frontline employee engagement
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Qi, Ji; Baker, Thomas L.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Delivering and understanding the drivers of superior customer service can be a critical differentiator in service provision contexts. To this end, drawing from social exchange theory, this study investigates the antecedents of frontline employee engagement. In line with previous studies, our research identifies three types of organizational resources, motivational resources (perceived job autonomy), relational-contextual resources (perceived relationship investment), and socio-emotional resources (perceived organizational support), and suggests that these resources collectively contribute to employee engagement through the psychological mechanism of employee gratitude. In addition, we also explore the role of supervisory feedback as a moderator that enhances the relationship between employee gratitude and employee engagement.
An investigation into the dimensionality of the collaborative economy from a service-dominant logic perspective
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Lindsey Hall, Kristina Kay; Baker, Thomas L.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The overall purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to a better understanding of the collaborative economy (CE). The CE involves direct or mediated peer-to-peer resource exchanges, which can occur with or without compensation, and allows for ownership transfers as well as access to goods, services, and experiences. Regarding the CE, this dissertation has two primary objectives. The first is to develop a conceptual typology for collaborative exchanges with the second being to investigate factors associated with the use and evaluation of one broad marketplace within the CE. This dissertation represents an initial attempt to systematically and theoretically explore various elements of the CE. First, this research is grounded in Service-Dominant Logic, which acts as an overarching framework as it helps to explicate the nature of mutually beneficial resource exchange by multiple actors within socially constructed and contextually relevant service networks that are governed by social and cultural norms called “institutions”. Next, an in-depth literature review informs the dimensionality of the collaborative economy in order to provide a means for classifying, describing, and evaluating the CE across three key dimensions. Next, a conceptual model of consumer motivations for participation in one key area of the CE, that being collaborative consumption (CC), will be developed and tested. CC includes peer-to-peer service provision or resource exchange, for a fee or some compensation, coordinated by a third party or mediator. One well-known example in this domain, Airbnb, connects consumers looking for lodging with individuals who have accommodations available. As much of this research is exploratory in nature, we follow convention in utilizing a mixed-methods approach, first utilizing qualitative research including open-ended qualitative CIT surveys and semi-structured depth interviews, followed by quantitative survey analysis. Results of this dissertation suggest that there are both social and functional drivers of behavioral intentions relative to CC exchanges. As this new or (re)institutionalized economic model challenges our current understanding of service provision, its continual expansion has significant implications for the future of service delivery.
Moving beyond salesperson turnover: a dynamic model of salesperson job-hopping
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2020) Pimentel, Michael Anthony; Panagopoulos, Nikolaos; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Job-hopping, defined as the trajectory of voluntary inter-organizational transitions over one’s career, is a top concern for managers as they witness their salespeople change jobs more frequently and with greater ease than ever before. Indeed, many hiring managers indicate that a history of job-hopping is a deal-breaker when interviewing candidates for employment. This is partially because the direct costs associated with replacing salespeople can be more than 200% of annual compensation. Surprisingly, marketing research has mostly neglected the phenomenon of salesperson job-hopping, opting instead to focus primarily on salesperson turnover. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to take an initial venture into the exciting and timely area of salesperson job-hopping. To accomplish this task, this dissertation draws from employee turnover and change theories to examine how salesperson job-hopping is influenced by job satisfaction change, defined as the systematic increase or decrease in levels of job satisfaction over time. Next, moderating variables representing salesperson human capital are examined as potential levers that impact the job satisfaction change – job-hopping relationship. A longitudinal dataset comprising data collected over 26 occasions and spanning 35 years of work history for 5,711 salespeople is utilized in the analysis. The hypothesized relationships are tested by estimating several longitudinal growth models. Results of the analysis indicate support for all predicted relationships. A discussion of the results is provided, followed by a discussion of this study’s implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research.
Performance benefits of being a great firm to work for: an investigation from the employee perspective
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Butler, Timothy David; Ellinger, Alexander E.; Armstrong, Craig E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Increased competitive pressure for speed and innovation, global commoditization, and competition for talented workers has provided firms with greater incentives to assess and improve their human resource strategies with respect to attracting, motivating, and retaining employees. Consequently, many firms want to be perceived by employees as a great firm to work for. However, becoming perceived by employees as a great firm to work for requires a significant resource commitment. If firms are going to make this resource commitment, a relationship between being perceived by employees as a great firm to work for and firm performance should be clearly established. Extant academic studies about being a great firm to work for are generally approached from the managerial perspective. Studies that investigate being a great firm to work for from the employee perspective are more scarce. In order to develop a better understanding of the potential performance benefits of being perceived by employees as a great firm to work for, this study compares the performance of great firms to work for (as determined by employees) to their respective industry averages. Further, potential contextual factors that affect the strength of the relationship between being perceived by employees as a great firm to work for and firm performance are examined in order to identify the situations where devoting resources to being perceived by employees as a great firm to work for is more beneficial. Results support the existence of a relationship between being perceived by employees as a great firm to work for and several firm performance outcomes. In addition, some support for the moderating roles of contextual factors is found.
Relational governance forms and firm performance: the role of unilateral and collaborative capabilities
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Adams, Frank G.; Richey, Robert Glenn; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Firms in today's market environment compete as members of business-to-business relationship networks more commonly than as vertically integrated stand-alone entities. The core structure of those networks are the relational governance contracts between firms, which may be explicit (detailed), normative (informal), or a hybrid of both. The theories of how and why firms engage in such collective competition include transaction costs economics, and the resource-based view of the firm. While there are stark distinctions between these views, there are also commonalities. By deconstructing relational governance and supply chain management literature, this research proposes a broader view of the capabilities and structures that firms leverage to compete collectively, identifying a series of unilateral capabilities (internal to each firm), collaborative capabilities (derived from interactions between partnering firms), and relational contextual factors (imposed by the markets partner firms compete in and the characteristics of each relationship). Employing qualitative interviews and structural equation modeling to analyze firms involved in business-to-business relationships, this research finds that unilateral capabilities, collaborative capabilities, and relational contextual factors jointly shape value outcomes that firms experience as a result of business-to-business relationships. Futher, the effect of such capabilities and contextual factors is influenced by the tendency of firms to employ more explicit or more normative relational governance contracts. This research offers another step in integrating the transaction cost and resource-based theories, proposes a new way for scholars to examine the capabilities by which business relationships are built and managed, and provides practitioners means of examining how effectively their practices fit with their capabilities in managing inter-organizational relationships.
The role of firm resource demand in shoppers' service experiences
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Landers, Vincent Myles; Davis, Lenita M.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Firms are using more customer resources to increase the economic value of the service exchange. However, positive outcomes for a firm are not solely based on demanding more resource inputs from customers. In order to achieve a satisfactory service encounter for the firm and the customer, a firm must understand how a customer views the resource demands placed on them. This dissertation examines the conditions under which differing levels of firm resource demand improve or diminish the customer value through the customer's perceived effort, the equitability of the service exchange, and the overall satisfaction with the service experience. A number of boundary conditions built around customers' intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are expected to influence these relationships, including the customers' shopping enjoyment, the customers' value shopping orientation, and the firm provided rewards. In order to better understand how customers react to the demands firms place upon them, two studies are conducted. The first study uses a critical incident technique survey to explore the different demands placed on customers during a service encounter and the customers' reactions to those demands. The results from study one indicates that firms demand the use of a number of customer resources to complete a service encounter. Three main resource categories (financial, time, and knowledge) and a number of subcategories emerged from the data. The second study, a scenario-based experiment, examines the hypotheses developed from previous literature and the first study. The findings from study two provide managers' actionable insights into the costs and benefits of increasing the input demand placed on customers. Theoretically, the findings provide scholars with information about the psychological and behavioral reactions of customers to differing input demand levels.
Satisfaction and shopping for others: revisiting expectancy disconfirmation theory
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Gillison, Stephanie Traylor; Reynolds, Kristy E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Most individuals engage in shopping for others, whether in the search for a special gift for someone else or simply during routine household shopping. While many of the purchases most of us make are for other peoples' use, existing shopping research generally assumes that the person purchasing the product and the person using the product are the same person. This research looks at shopping situations in which the purchaser of a product and the user of this product are different people. I specifically look at how satisfaction may be different for those shopping for themselves versus someone else. The primary question of interest for this research is: Overall, what are the differences in expectations and outcomes when one is shopping for him/herself versus when one is shopping for someone else? Does role shopping motivation have an impact, or make a difference? This research attempts to answer this question using two studies. The first study is a scenario-based experiment investigating how the purchaser's satisfaction with the shopping trip may be impacted by how the user reacts to the product purchased for him/her. In this experiment, both the purchaser's shopping experience and the user's reaction to the product are manipulated at three levels (positive disconfirmation, simple confirmation, and negative disconfirmation) in order to understand how the purchaser's satisfaction might change in response to the user's product evaluation. The second study is a survey of actual shoppers investigating differences among those shopping for themselves and those shopping for someone else. Here, differences in satisfaction and the subsequent effect on behaviors between these two groups are investigated. The effect of role shopping motivation on these relationships is also examined.
A scale of consumer engagement
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Vivek, Shiri Dalela; Beatty, Sharon E.; Morgan, Robert M.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The practitioner literature is replete with examples of firm efforts to engage consumers. However, the existing relationship marketing constructs focus primarily on customer retention. This research examines those offerings or activities of firms that aim to engage prospects, potentials, customers and their extended relationships, together addressed as consumers in this research. Contributing to the recent efforts to expand the domain of relationship marketing, this research develops the construct of Consumer Engagement, which is the intensity of the consumer's participation and connection with the organization's offerings and/ or its organized activities. Using several qualitative methods, this research develops the construct of Consumer Engagement, differentiating it from existing constructs, such as involvement and customer communities. The qualitative studies in this research show that consumers may be engaged with offerings (e.g. iPod), activities (e.g. Beauty workshops), institutions (Ikea), or brands (e.g. Apple). These offerings/ activities might come from profit-making or non-profit organizations. Engagement might be in the presence or absence of other consumers, and might happen online or offline. Consumers may also be engaged through activities organized by the businesses or by consumers themselves. Using established quantitative scale development procedures, the consumer engagement scale is developed, refined and validated. Consumer Engagement is a three-dimensional, second-order construct, composed of enthusiasm, conscious participation and social interaction. These dimensions are verified using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and validated on three different data sets, representing product usage, retail service and activity. The exploration of consumer engagement helps us understand the participation and connection of consumers, independent of their commercial transactions with the company. This research shows that even routine products and brands can engage a consumer, which, in turn, positively influences their connection with the firm, and feelings of goodwill towards and intent to do business with the firm.
Social capital influences on sales team processes: a generational perspective
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2016) Ogilvie, Jessica Lynn; Rapp, Adam A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This dissertation explores the impact of organizational faultlines and their influence on sales team resources, activities, processes, and performance. A review of extant team literature builds a foundation for understanding the role of sales teams within organizations and the implications of team processes on performance outcomes. Characteristics of the generation currently entering the workforce – Millennials – and the diversity implications of this cohort’s presence in the workplace are explored. Applying a social capital perspective, this research advances an input-process-outcome (IPO) model of sales team performance which investigates the implications of (1) faultlines within teams and (2) the effects of generational differences across teams. Specifically, three dimensions of social capital (structural, relational and cognitive) serve as to three facets of team processes (transition, action, and interpersonal). The results indicate that positive relationships exist between each of the input and process components, as well as between the three dimensions of team process and relational and objective measures of sales performance. Finally, faultline strength and generation differences moderate the relationships of the IPO model. These findings suggest that sales team performance is a function not only to the management of the team and its individual components, but to the hypothetical self-identifying groups that form therein, therefore requiring additional attention from the organization and its stakeholders. This work extends application of a social capital theoretical lens to the sales team context, and sets the stage for future work as millennials assume organizational control, and seek to build better relationships with both inter-organizational partners and external buying centers.
Speaking Fast and Slow: How Speech Rate of Digital Assistants Affects Likelihood to Use
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2020) Christenson, Brett Alan; Ringler, Christine; Sirianni, Nancy J; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Digital assistants like Siri and Alexa are adaptable service robots which interact vocally to deliver services to consumers. During interactions, these digital assistants provide a unique opportunity for marketers to convey social and emotional information by altering qualities of their voices, such as speech rate. However, as brands begin to adapt their digital assistant voices, they have little research to guide them in creating positive consumer responses and avoiding negative ones. Across seven experiments, the process of how digital assistant speech rate affects consumer emotions and likelihood to use is uncovered and explained. Nervousness and risk facilitate the process, while interaction style and personal differences are shown to moderate the effects. Experiment 1 begins by showing speech rates which are significantly faster or slower can negatively impact likelihood to use a digital assistant. Following this, experiments 2A-B uncover the process of effects and show feelings of nervousness as well as risk mediate the relationship between speech rate and usage intentions. Experiments 3A-B provide managers with applicable moderators for the effects while experiments 4A-B provide a complete moderated mediation model. This work contributes to the sensory marketing literature focused on sound and its impact upon consumer perceptions and behaviors.

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