Christopher D. Hopkins

Consumer Responses to Perceived Telepresence in the Online Advertising Environment: The Moderating Role of Involvement

Cyber technology creates new shopping experiences for consumers and ways of searching for product information that are not possible in traditional advertising contexts. Telepresence, defined as the sense of being present in the remote environment, can simulate direct experience, and is useful for conceptualizing consumers’ experiences in computer-mediated environments. We focus on perceived telepresence in seeking to broaden our understanding of the effects of persuasive communications in the cyber environment. We examine effects of perceived telepresence on consumer responses such as attitude toward the ad, attitude toward the brand, and purchase intention, and also examine how these effects are moderated by consumer involvement. Hypotheses derived from a proposed conceptual model are tested via a laboratory experiment. Data is then analyzed with multi-sample structural analysis. Results show that perceived telepresence significantly affects consumer responses to online advertising and that involvement moderates these effects. Theoretical and managerial implications of the results are discussed.

Educating Students to Give Them a Sustainable Competitive Advantage

With an increasingly competitive job market, this study focuses on what marketing educators can do to help students develop a sustainable competitive advantage. The authors conducted a survey of students, faculty, and recruiters to develop a better understanding of what skills and characteristics might be of value to each group of respondents and to ascertain where differences might exist across respondent groups. Although the basic skills (i.e., critical thinking, communication) recruiters seek have not changed much from previous studies, recruiters rated critical thinking skills, such as problem solving, much higher than either faculty or students. Graduates must be accountable and show the impact and rationale behind decisions. In other words, educators must continue to stress reading, writing, and “arith-metrics.” The lessons learned herein include ways to engage students, strengthen communication skills, incorporate skill development workshops, use professional speakers in marketing organizations, and promote services available outside the classroom as well as help students develop multiple skill sets in class. Educators should also encourage students to be open-minded, creative, and explore opportunities including internships and positions that may not be their current career choice. Finally, educators should discuss pros and cons of going straight through school or working before attending graduate school.

MARKET MAVENSHIP AS AN INFLUENCER OF SERVICE QUALITY EVALUATION

As an initial step in studying individual characteristics as influencers of service quality evaluation, this research focuses on market mavenship as one attribute of consumers. Respondents in the study included 403 undergraduate marketing students at two universities who were asked to complete evaluations of consumption experiences. Results suggest that market mavenship is positively correlated to cognitive innovativeness, assertiveness, value consciousness, and opinion leadership. These qualities support the development of increased information, greater accuracy in service expectations and performance appraisal, and less variability in service quality rating on SERVQUAL-type scales. Reduced variability was observed in both experience-based and credence-based service settings. The authors gratefully acknowledge partial funding received through the Agribusiness Institute at Mississippi State University which helped make this project possible.

Utilization of Relationship-Oriented Social Media in the Selling Process: A Comparison of Consumer (B2C) and Industrial (B2B) Salespeople

The rapid pace of technological advancement and adoption of social media among consumers/organizations has been unprecedented in recent years. This study provides insights into understanding social media utilization among professional salespeople. Specifically, social media applications are separated into 15 categories, with multiple applications falling within each category. From a sample of 395 salespeople in B2B and B2C markets, utilization of relationship-oriented social media applications are presented and examined. Overall, findings show that B2B practitioners tend to use media targeted at professionals whereas their B2C counterparts tend to utilize more sites targeted to the general public for engaging in one-on-one dialogue with their customers. Moreover, B2B professionals tend to use relationship-oriented social media technologies more than B2C professionals for the purpose of prospecting, handling objections, and after sale follow-up.

Reward Preferences of Salespeople: How do Commissions Rate?

Compensation plans, including salary, commissions, incentives, promotion, recognition, and rewards, are critical in motivating and influencing salespeople. While commissions are often considered a key component of companies’ compensation and reward structures, past studies have overlooked commissions when studying salespeople’s relative preferences for rewards. The present study extends Chonko, Tanner, and Weeks’s (1992) research by examining salespeople’s preferences for commissions versus other rewards. The findings of this study support the importance of increases in commissions as a reward for salespeople across different industries and different demographic profiles. Higher commission rates were the most preferred reward, followed by pay raises. Promotion and recognition were the least preferred rewards. Managers can utilize the results of this study as they design compensation plans within their companies.

Do Perceptions of Hiring Criteria Differ for Sales Managers and Sales Representatives? Implications for Marketing Education.

Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, this study explores whether perceptions of critical hiring criteria for entry-level sales positions differ across sales managers and sales representatives. This research also examines which classroom activities and skills these individuals perceive to be most important for strengthening the desired skill set and whether an MBA degree is an added advantage when candidates are being considered for entry-level sales positions. Results indicate that managers believe objective assessment, technical skills, experiential learning, acquired skills, college accomplishments, and extracurricular activities are more important than do sales representatives. Sales representatives deem basic skills, educational experiences, and interactive skills as more important than how managers assess these skills and attributes. Neither group believes that having an MBA is a necessary prerequisite for these positions. Recommendations for marketing educators are offered.

Perceived Differences Among Countries

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to report on the development and validation of a measurement tool designed to help us understand perceived similarities and differences among countries. The intent of this project is to extend our understanding of the effects of country perceptions on the larger question of perceptions of products and their origins. While much research has been done on product-country images (PCI), there continues to be a need for understanding how country perceptions affect consumer evaluations of products. Our intent is to complement the country evaluation measures developed by Papadopoulos and Helsop (2000) by understanding the nature of country evaluations in a comparative context. While Papadopoulos and Helsop measured directly perceptions of countries, this research proposes that understanding country evaluations in a comparative context is valuable, as well.

Social Selling: A Comparison of Social Media Usage Across Process Stage, Markets, and Sales Job Functions

This research compares the extent to which sales personnel in B2C (business-to-consumer) and B2B (business-to-business) markets use relationship-oriented social media to accomplish job-related and selling process (i.e., social CRM [customer relationship management]) tasks. A sample of 395 sales professionals across a variety of industries responded to questions assessing their use of the tools. Results demonstrate that a substantial proportion find utility in the applications. Interaction effects regarding B2B managers are particularly noteworthy, as no prior research has shown that B2B managers are significantly and far more engaged with social CRM than other sales representatives. The frequency and extent of social CRM usage varies based on the specific tools used and the stage of the selling process. The findings carry important implications for salespeople, managers, trainers, and university educators.

When Is a Hierarchy Not a Hierarchy? Factors Associated with Different Perceptions of Needs, with Implications for Standardization – Adaptation Decisions in Korea

The standardization of marketing strategies relies on the assumption that consumers worldwide have similar needs and wants. A core theory that scholars use to support the universality of needs and wants is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This study examines whether Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is perceived in a similar manner in Korea, as compared to how it has been traditionally defined in Western cultures. The results indicate that Korean “blue-collar” workers perceive belongingness to be their strongest need. Furthermore, foreign influence (working with non-Korean managers, co-workers and/or customers) and age are shown to significantly impact perceptions of needs among Korean workers. Based on these results, implications for standardization and adaptation of marketing strategies and future research are discussed.

Reaching Parents to Prevent Adolescent Risky Behavior: Examining the Effects of Threat Portrayal and Parenting Orientation on Parental Participation Perceptions

With more than two million teens affected, adolescents are the most at-risk group for unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Parents, who teens cite as their most influential resource for making decisions about premarital sex, receive little consideration from federal initiatives. However, promoting more active parenting to parents to reduce risky behavior among teenagers seems to be an appropriate strategy. This study examines parents’ reactions to advertisements that promote abstinence education programs. The results indicate that “warm” parents (i.e., those who indicate concern about childrens interactions with the marketplace) are more likely to intend to communicate with their children about sex and have a more favorable attitude toward the ad when the advertisement is clear about the consequences of teens engaging in sex. The findings have implications for how public policy officials and agencies can influence parents as key socialization agents in efforts to prevent adolescents from engaging in risky sexual behavior.