Bryan Lilly

Enhancing Student Motivation in Marketing Classes: Using Student Management Groups

This article discusses student management groups (SMGs) and explains how these groups help stimulate class interaction and enhance student motivation to learn. After reviewing the concepts of motivation and immediacy, the article discusses how SMGs reduce perceived student-professor distance and encourage students to become more intrinsically motivated by participating in class governance issues. Presented next are the results of three studies. The first study examines qualitative feedback gathered from students and evaluates several benefits and drawbacks associated with using SMGs. A second study uses an experimental design to test the effects of SMGs on anticipated motivation across different class types. Finally, the third study reports feedback from professors to gauge their reactions to the SMG process. Research implications and suggestions for implementing SMGs are also discussed.

Gaining Confidence and Competence through Experiential Assignments: An Exploration of Student Self-Efficacy and Spectrum of Inquiry

Producing students high in self-efficacy and competence are desirable outcomes of marketing programs. In this study, the authors investigate the potential of experiential assignments to instill these traits. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from students in the Consumer Behavior course revealed that, if properly designed, such exercises can produce both. To instill self-efficacy, students must clearly perceive the completed assignments to apply theory to business practice. To instill competence a combination of self-directed and instructor-directed learning elements are critical. Self- directed learning elements showed to foster greater inquiry depth, whereas other-directed learning elements seem to induce greater inquiry breadth. Suggestions for assessing self-efficacy and competence are presented.

A Broadened Sales Curriculum: Exploratory Evidence

This article describes research aimed at aligning education offerings with practitioner views of what topics should be offered in a marketing education. Data were collected across two investigations. In Study 1, a typical profile of marketing curriculum was developed by reviewing marketing programs at AACSB-accredited schools. This typical profile was then reviewed and critiqued by business executives who also offered ideas they felt would improve the curriculum, resulting in a main focus on sales. Study 2 entailed a survey of practitioners to determine which marketing topics would be most useful in an expanded sales education. Implementation ideas are presented to suggest ways in which marketing curricula could be adapted to include these curriculum ideas.

Improvement Reviews in New Product Development

This research examines how organizations can use improvement reviews to enhance learning from product development experiences. We review learning related literature and highlight learning barriers that firms should attempt to minimize when conducting reviews. We then discuss two studies aimed at better understanding the effectiveness of improvement reviews. The first study suggests that improvement reviews can facilitate learning by leading to a reduction in the recurrence of people-related problems, though reviews had no impact on reducing market or product related problems. The second study involved depth interviews with new product developers. Interview comments provide insights into improvement review best practices and shed light on why improvement reviews are sometimes ineffective. A set of managerial recommendations is provided.

An Exploratory Examination of Retaliatory Preannouncing

This article focuses on preannouncing and how consumer preferences are affected by new product preannouncements from competing firms. Elaboration likelihood, the discounting principle, and uncertainty effects are used to suggest how consumer preferences may form as a result of competing preannouncements. Undergraduate students participated in experiments that tested competing premmouncements in multiple product categories. Preferences for the product preannounced first versus the product preannounced second depended on initial reactions to the first preannouncement, information amount, and statements that engender or reduce uncertainty about product performance (p<0.05). Results offer preliminary insights on how preannouncements may be developed to encourage brand preference.

The Effects of Relationship Marketing Instruments on Loyalty

Abstract As service firms seek to build stronger customer relationships, in addition to providing quality service, they commonly adopt a variety of relationship marketing instruments. One such technique is customer terminology (i.e., calling the customer guest, family, or member). This research empirically examines the effects of using customer terminology on loyalty behaviors. A total of 273 subjects participated in an experimental study. The results underline the importance of providing excellent service. However, using customer terminology did not significantly affect loyalty. Thus, organizations that have adopted customer terminology as a relationship marketing instrument may not be realizing their expected gains.

Incorporating a Counterproductive Work Behavior Perspective into the Salesperson Deviance Literature: Intentionally Harmful Acts and Motivations for Sales Deviance

Counterproductive Work Behaviors (CWBs) are based on the harm, or intended harm, they cause to organizations and or stakeholders (Spector and Fox 2005), while sales deviance is based on the violation of organizational norms (Robinson and Bennet 1995). Utilizing the definitional difference, this article explores a gap in the sales deviance literature that allows for potentially unidentified intentionally harmful behaviors that do not violate organizational norms, to exist. In addition, we propose strategic motivations for such behavior. Results suggest that motivations include long-term attitudes toward CWBs, moral obligation, consensus beliefs, productive equity, self-image congruence, and impression management.