Dennis N. Bristow

Holy cow!Wait ’til next year! A closer look at the brand loyalty of Chicago Cubs baseball fans

This study examined several factors related to the brand loyalty exhibited by fans of the Chicago Cubs major league baseball team. A total of 371 patrons of a restaurant located in Wrigleyville were surveyed prior to Cubs games at Wrigley Field. Working from a tripartite model of brand loyalty, it was predicted that, compared to less loyal fans, die‐hard (extremely loyal) Cubs fans would demonstrate different attitudes and behaviors regarding the Chicago Cubs. Several hypotheses were developed and tested using descriptive statistics, cross‐tabulations, and ANOVA procedures. Significant differences between the two fan groups were found in the areas of brand loyalty, baseball knowledge, childhood exposure to Cubs’ games, frequency of Cubs’ game attendance, and likelihood of purchasing Cubs paraphernalia. A variety of managerial implications are drawn from the results and future research suggestions are provided.

The brand dependence scale: measuring consumers’ use of brand name to differentiate among product alternatives

The marketing literature provides substantial discussion of branding and brand equity, but reveals limited research on the use of brand name in the consumer decision‐making process. Further, most such studies have included the manipulation of product brand name as an independent variable. The primary objective in this study was to address that lack of attention to consumers’ use of brand names by developing and empirically testing a multi‐item scale called the brand dependence scale (BDS). The psychometric properties of the scale were assessed and the relationship between brand dependence and brand disparity was explored. The results of the study showed that the BDS demonstrated adequate internal reliability and that a significant positive relationship between brand dependence and brand disparity existed. Implications of the study results and managerial applications for the scale are discussed.

An empirical investigation of customer satisfaction with health care services

A 2 × 2 full factorial between subjects experimental design was used to examine how three elements of the health care experience (patients’ freedom to choose a physician; patients receiving their preferred physician; health care outcome) impacted on patient satisfaction with health care service. All constructs with corresponding measurements were discussed, and their relationships with satisfaction were examined. Hypotheses were developed and tested for each relationship using a pencil and paper scenario of a patient’s first time service encounter at a health clinic. Results of the experiment indicated that given an undesirable health outcome, allowing patients a choice of physicians favorably raised patient satisfaction levels. Further, patients who were treated by a physician whom they preferred rated the health care experience more positively than did patients who received non‐preferred physicians.

A Three-Tier Model Representing the Impact of Internet Use and Other Environmental and Relationship-Specific Factors on a Sales Agent's Fear of Disintermediation Due to the Internet Medium

Abstract Much has been written in both the popular and academic literatures about the impact of the Internet on the professional salesperson. However, relatively little attention has been devoted to the impact of the Internet medium on the independent sales agent as a channel intermediary. To address this issue, the current study developed and tested a conceptual framework which posits relationships between nine component constructs (i.e., assortment complementarity, product/market idiosyncracy, agents Internet utilization, relationship-specific adaptation by the manufacturer, agents role salience, information exchange, awareness of disintermediation, perceived satisfaction, and perceived threat of disintermediation). Utilizing information gathered from a national sample of independent sales agents, the study presents the results of confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis and suggests avenues for future research.

The Impact of Personality Variables, Prior Experience, and Training on Sales Agents' Internet Utilization and Performance

ABSTRACT Emerging literature on the impact of the Internet on business-to-business (B2B) marketing has primarily focused on examining this issue from the perspective of manufacturers and buyers. This study focuses on the sales agent, a third prominent actor in B2B markets, and tests a conceptual model that relates a sales agents personality, demographic, and user-situational constructs to that sales agents Internet utilization for selling activities. Further, the model tested in this study relates a sales agents Internet utilization to perceived sales performance. Findings in this study indicate that internal locus of control, learning orientation, and sales related Internet training relate positively to a sales agents Internet utilization, and that a sales agents age relates negatively to Internet utilization. Further, the results support a positive relationship between a sales agents Internet utilization and sales performance. This study emphasizes that the Internet can be a productive tool for sales agents. The implications of the results of this study for sales agents with respect to training and recruitment are discussed and avenues for future research are suggested.

The Marketing Concept in an Academic Setting: Assessing and Comparing the Needs of Asian/Pacific Islander and Anglo Consumers of the Educational Product

ABSTRACT During the past twenty years, marketers of the educational product have seen significant growth in the percentage of minority students enrolled at colleges and universities across the United States. Those minority consumers of the educational product bring vastly different cultural values, norms, and experiences to the marketing exchange. Such cultural differences present compelling concerns for marketers of the educational product. This paper presents the application of the marketing concept and the marketing lens as a philosophical and empirical approach to more accurately determine and subsequently satisfy the needs of the culturally diverse consumers of the educational product. Results of the study indicated that Asian/Pacific Islander and Anglo students differed in the selection and weighting of evaluative criteria for the quality of the educational institution. Further, the two consumer groups possessed distinct antecedents of satisfaction with that product.

The Collegiate Student Orientation Scale (CSOS): Application of the Marketing Concept to Higher Education

ABSTRACT Todays administrators in higher education face a dynamic marketplace that offers students an array of educational options and alternatives. Much like organizations more traditionally associated with marketing strategies and tactics, colleges and universities are gradually moving towards and embracing the marketing concept and a focus on consumer orientation. The fundamental objective in this study was to develop and empirically test a multi-item scale called the Collegiate Student Orientation Scale (CSOS). The results of the study showed that the CSOS demonstrated adequate internal reliability. Implications of the results and administrative applications for the new scale are discussed. Finally, avenues for future research are presented.

Consumer Primacy on Campus: A Look at the Perceptions of Navajo and Anglo Consumers

ABSTRACT A comparison was made between 152 Navajo students and 245 Anglo students regarding their perceptions of the educational product. Based upon focus group outcomes, nine elements were used to represent the educational product in the analyses. The elements were conceptualized using the Marketing Lens Model. Four hypotheses were developed and tested. Significant cultural differences were found for the following elements of the educational product: importance ratings among educational attributes, anticipated preparation after graduation, and satisfaction with the educational product. Results are discussed and managerial implications for university administrators are offered.

Source Credibility in Attorney Advertisements

An experiment was conducted using a mock-up of print advertisements for attorneys. The study used a sample of 309 subjects in a 2 × 2 full factorial between subjects design. The independent variables were attorney certification credentials and attorney sex. The dependent variable was source credibility, measured through the dimensions of expertise and trustworthiness. Results indicated that the positive wording (board certified) and negative wording (not board certified) of attorney board certification credentials in a print ad significantly influenced subjects in their rating of attorney credibility. That is, positive wording created a positive bias of the attorney while negative wording led to a negative bias. A significant positive bias was also found for the female attorney. Subjects rated the female attorney to be more trustworthy than the male attorney. However, there was no significant difference in perceived expertise between the male and female attorney. Interactions of independent variables and managerial implications are also discussed.

An Investigation of the Customer Orientation of Professional Sports Organizations: Development of the Sports Fan Orientation Scale (SFOS)

ABSTRACT Professional sports marketers face a dynamic and challenging marketplace that offers fans a variety of relatively expensive entertainment venues. Professional sports organizations are showing increasing interest in the marketing concept and a focus on consumer orientation. The primary objective in this study was to develop and empirically test a multi-item scale called the Sports Fan Orientation Scale (SFOS). The results of the study showed that the SFOS demonstrated adequate internal reliability. Implications of the results and managerial applications for the new scale are discussed. Finally, avenues for future research are presented.