Denny E. McCorkle

Perceptions and Reality: Creativity in the Marketing Classroom.

According to both the popular press and academia, creativity is an important skill for business practice and marketing education. This article addresses “What is creativity?” and “Can creativity be taught or nurtured?” and provides an analysis of both student perceptions about creativity and their levels of creativity. The results indicate that both business and marketing students perceived creativity as important to their career. Marketing students placed greater importance on creativity than other business students and found creativity to be as important to their careers as other important skills (e.g., writing, oral presentation, teamwork, etc.). It was also found that the marketing and other business students believed that creativity is a skill that can be learned. Although marketing students have a better appreciation of the importance of creativity than other business students, they do not appear to be more creative than other business students or nonbusiness students.

The Effect of Culture on the Academic Honesty of Marketing and Business Students

Two trends in marketing higher education include (a) growing opportunities for intercultural encounters in the classroom and (b) a growing concern about student academic honesty. Research regarding the relationship between specific cultural measures and academic honesty is sparse in the context of marketing and business programs in higher education. This study surveys marketing and business college students from 13 different countries about their perceptions of questionable behaviors concerning academic honesty and measures Hofstede’s commonly studied cultural dimension of individualism/ collectivism as a direct test of the cultural hypotheses presented. As predicted, collectivist business students are more tolerant than individualist business students concerning questionable academic behaviors that are unilateral (e.g., copying material/ papers from the Internet or looking at another student’s exam without the knowledge of the other student), collaborative (e.g., getting exam questions/answers from others or free riding in a group), and delaying (e.g., requesting due date/exam date delays or assignment extensions with false information). In alignment with the theory of reasoned action, results also show that a positive attitude about the value of teamwork (relative to individual work) mediates the effect between collectivism and questionable academic behaviors that are collaborative. The results and recommendations are particularly relevant to marketing educators teaching beginners to advanced courses in a culturally diverse classroom.

Using Linkedin in the Marketing Classroom: Exploratory Insights and Recommendations for Teaching Social Media/Networking

With the rapid growth of social networking and media comes their consideration for use in the marketing classroom. Social networking skills are becoming essential for personal branding (e.g., networking, self-marketing) and corporate/product branding (e.g., marketing communication). This paper addresses the use of LinkedIn (i.e., an online professional social network) in the marketing classroom as a means of developing these important skills, along with other supporting skills such as communication and creativity.

The Impact of Testing Frequency on Student Performance in a Marketing Course

Testing frequency has long been examined in the social sciences as an antecedent to student performance in the classroom. However, after nearly 70 years of study, the results are inconclusive. Given the developments in computerized testing over the last decade, professors now have the ability to create and conduct frequent tests without severely impinging on other duties. In this article, the authors reexamine the issue in a marketing context, and the findings suggest that, under certain conditions, students tend to perform better with more frequent testing. In addition, more frequent testing tends to increase student evaluations of faculty. The authors also discuss reasons for and limitations of these findings.

An Assessment of Selected Relationships in a Model of the Industrial Marketing Negotiation Process

Given the importance of understanding the determinants of successful buyer/seller negotiations in industrial sales settings, the authors tested specific relationships in a general model proposed by Graham (1987). Sixty industrial managers participated in a simulated sales negotiation exercise, which involved the potential purchase/sale of a high-end industrial product. Insights are provided regarding the effects of demographic and personality variables on the use of coordinative (versus competitive) communication strategies in sales negotiating, as well as the subsequent effects of different strategies on both deadlock and satisfaction outcomes.

Buy or burn?: Empirical tests of models of crime using data from a general population

Abstract This study tested models of an individuals choice to copy illegally music using survey data from a random sample of adults who acquired recorded music. It added to the short list of studies of crime based on data from a general population sample and formally tested the added predictive power of an augmented crime model containing variables from both the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and rational choice models. The results supported the desirability of using general population samples and the augmented model. Policies that change attitudes and perceived norms have the potential to reduce crime.

An Involvement-Oriented Approach in a Medium-Sized Marketing Principles Class.

Abstract Presented in this article is a proposed involvement-oriented solution to the lecture/discussion and multiple-choice/essay dilemma confronting instructors of medium-sized (50–100 students) business classes. The approach was developed and subsequently implemented in a marketing principles class. The position taken by the authors is that knowledge and understanding developed through active learning can best be cultivated through practical application and involvement. An involvement-oriented approach is presented that has been designed to increase the level of active student learning. More specifically, the following pedagogical methods are explained and their use rationalized: (a) in-class involvement exercises, (b) chapter summary notes, (c) application-type, multiple-choice questions, and (d) the exam written-appeal process. Upon implementation, the instructors and students concluded that, though increased effort was required, the results made it worthwhile.

Teaching a Distance Marketing Course: A Case Study for First-Timers

The purpose of this paper is to examine the issues and lessons for “first-timers” teaching an undergraduate marketing course by distance technology and methods. The course planning and promotion process, design of the classroom and explanation of the distance and supporting technology are discussed.

An Examination of the Antecedents of the Consumer Make-Or-Buy Decision

While businesses compete directly with each other, they also compete indirectly with households. Many of the products/services produced by businesses are also produced within the household and therefore substituted by consumers for purchases. There is limited empirical research in the marketing or related literature about this make-or-buy decision. This research provides a comprehensive review of disparate literatures to concisely specify antecedents/motivations to the make-or-buy decision; develops and tests a measurement protocol to measure the variables which influence the make-or-buy decision; and quantifies the tradeoff values or price differentials needed for consumers to shift from make-to-buy and vice versa. The results indicate that enjoyment, avoiding shopping bother, saving money, and quality are significant reasons consumers make products/services at home rather than buy them.

Teaching direct marketing and competing for the collegiate echo award

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide motivation and direction for marketing, journalism, and mass communication professors to consider offering a basic undergraduate Direct Marketing course and, more specifically, to encourage entry into the Direct Marketing Educational Foundations Collegiate Echo Competition as a means of structuring the course design and content. The paper addresses the issues of adding a Direct Marketing course, promoting enrollment, and the benefits of the Collegiate Echo Competition to students, potential employers, and professors/instructors. Additional topics covered by the author include: (1) managing and organizing, (2) setting standards of quality, (3) measuring the quality, and (4) measuring the results of using the Collegiate Echo Competition.