Fiona Sussan

Consumer interaction as intellectual capital

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to categorize customer‐to‐customer (C2C) interaction as a sub‐component of relational capital and conceptualize C2C interaction adding value to business‐to‐customer (B2C) relational capital.Design/methodology/approach – This work empirically tests the concept of C2C interaction and its added value to a firms B2C relationship within the movie industry. Both business data and consumer interaction from blockbuster movies are collected to test their impact on movie sales.Findings – The results support the hypotheses that C2C interaction (user messages on Yahoo movie message board) adds more explanation to movie sales than B2C interaction (advertising budget) alone, and that there is an inverse relationship between the impact of a firms B2C interaction and C2C interaction on a firms sales performance, with the former diminishing over time and the latter increasing over time.Research limitations/implications – For intellectual capital (IC) researchers, the main implicat...

The Digital Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

A significant gap exists in the conceptualization of entrepreneurship in the digital age. This paper introduces a conceptual framework for studying entrepreneurship in the digital age by integrating two well established concepts: the digital ecosystem and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The integration of these two ecosystems helps us better understand the interactions of agents and users that incorporate insights of consumers’ individual and social behavior. The Digital Entrepreneurial Ecosystem framework consists of four concepts: digital infrastructure governance, digital user citizenship, digital entrepreneurship, and digital marketplace. The paper develops propositions for each of the four concepts and provides a theoretical framework of multisided platforms to better understanding the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem. Finally, it outlines a new research agenda to fill the gap in our understanding of entrepreneurship in the digital age.

Is there a global multichannel consumer

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a buying process for the multichannel consumer (MCC) that starts at online information search and ends at the offline retail channel and then seeks to determine the universality of such behavior across countries. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire was administered to MCCs from Russia, Singapore and the USA. The model was estimated using partial least square and country comparisons were conducted with a multi-group analysis. Findings – The empirical results validated the conceptual model. In country comparisons, there is both converging (online information search) and diverging (retail store) MCCs’ behavior exhibiting nuanced differences. Research limitations/implications – Future research should examine values of MCCs at the individual level so as to increase the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications – The convergence of MCCs information search behavior suggests that there is an opportunity for companies to standard...

An integrative approach to eWOM and marketing communications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of how different forms of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and simultaneous marketing communications (MC), two crucial components of relationship marketing, affect consumer persuasion when presented in a business-to-customer (B2C)-sponsored vs a customer-to-customer (C2C)-sponsored social network site (SNS). A concise typology of eWOM is also proposed. Design/methodology/approach – An experiment involving different social network movie sites was conducted testing the effects of different eWOM along with a comparison to MC on consumers’ interest in, and likelihood to watch movie DVDs. Findings – The empirical results showed that not all eWOM types have the same persuasiveness and community sponsorship as a source credibility cue is more influential from a C2C-sponsored SNS than from a B2C one, particularly for many-to-one eWOM communications. Research limitations/implications – Future research should include both positive and negative types...

Guiding When the Consumer Is in Control: The Moderating Effect of Adaptive Selling on the Purchase Intention of the Multichannel Consumer

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of adaptive selling (AS) when “click and brick” in control multichannel consumers (MCCs) encounter in-store salespeople. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was administered to 387 college students from several southeastern colleges in the USA. The study consisted of a single manipulated factor (AS: high vs low) and a second measured factor (degree of MCC search: high vs low). Covariance-based structural equation modeling was selected and analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS AMOS 22.0.0.0. Findings The findings indicate that while perceptions of control in the retail store increase as customers engage in more multichannel search behavior, the path from perceived control (PC) to purchase intention (PI) is also positively affected by AS as multichannel search increases. Practical implications To increase in-store purchases by consumers using the physical location as an information channel, professional sales training, specifically AS skills, should be considered by retail managers for in-store sales personnel. Our findings suggest that salespeople can use AS skills to increase the likelihood of the MCCs’ in-store PI while not reducing their feelings of PC. Originality/value In a time where many marketers struggle with how to combine multichannel retailing efforts effectively, this research confirms that new channels create MCCs who desire control. AS shows promise as a technique for retailers to use when selling to a consumer who values control.

Mixed Messages in Marketing Communications about Food and Obesity

The effects of obesity have become practically ubiquitous in the US. This book aims to provide an alternative framework through which to explore the important and controversial obesity debate that has spilled over from the medical community. This book is not about obesity as a medical condition, nor does it offer a wide-ranging discussion on the health effects of obesity or the role of the ‘right’ diet.

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: The Foundations of Place-based Renewal

Regardless of how the concept of a ‘place’ is geographically defined, be it cities, regions, nations or otherwise, the impact of new technologies will influence much of our business, social, and economic landscapes. Evidently, there is an increasing pressure on ‘places’ to embrace new opportunities for strategic development and confront complacency that retards change. The solution may very well be in creating and sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystems where entrepreneurial action thrives and innovation drives the new economy. However, defining the entrepreneurial ecosystem remains difficult and the methods used to analyse them are inconsistent. This chapter deals with the theoretical foundations of an entrepreneurial ecosystem when it is specifically considered as a place-based change management instrument. As we introduce the variety of submitted works to this volume it becomes apparent that while capital, labour, resources and infrastructure are all important, equally, how these elements are mobilized through leadership, governance, and institutions are at least but perhaps even more important. While technology figures heavily, it is overshadowed to some extent by an emphasis on individual action and agency. Defining place-based transitions and transformations is dependent upon anchoring the point of departure. Entrepreneurship therefore has a key role to play in innovating the renewal of place and the value creation of entrepreneurs takes precedence. Technological advances offer great value creating opportunities in some places but in all, the value lies in the socioeconomic stimulus that entrepreneurs create through new opportunities for developing cohesive communities.

A Triple-Helix Ecosystem for Entrepreneurship: A Case Review

The collaborations among universities, businesses, and governments leading to entrepreneurial activities have received a lot of attention. Successful examples of such endeavours are plenty. However, how this triple-helix ecosystem may have changed in the digital economy remains unexplored. Specifically, there is a lack of research that addresses the changing roles of universities from acting as places for conducting R&D to become marketplaces for customers. The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the triple helix ecosystem of entrepreneurship in the digital economy. First, we use a historical lens to uncover the antecedents and drivers of university-business research collaborations with support from governments, and offer a few historical examples. Second, we highlight some recent digital businesses from the perspective of triple helix ecosystem of entrepreneurship. Third, we offer a new conceptual framework depicting the new roles of the three triadic players that have expanded from the supply side (i.e., R&D, funding) to the demand side (i.e., customer base) in enabling entrepreneurial activities.

Is There a Path from Sin City to Tech City? The Case for Las Vegas

Many cities aspire to have vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems that are relevant to the digital economy—can they? To answer the question, we examine the economic history of Las Vegas, a land of gambling and entertainment, and report the recent entrepreneurial activities in the city along with the data that measures the vibrancy of the ecosystem and growth of the place. While there is no indication that the various data points converge, our analysis leads us to three insights. One, legacy industry is disconnected from the new tech hub in an entrepreneurship ecosystem when the economy has shifted from the ‘Main street’ mode to the ‘digital’ mode. Two, while there are two recent success stories of Zappos and Switch SUPERNAP in Las Vegas, entrepreneurship activities remain moderate in spite of a bottom-up effort to build Downtown as a tech hub. Three, cluster advantages and positive network externalities do not seem to happen in unrelated industry in Las Vegas.

An Epilogue to Succession Planning: Understanding the Value of Your Enterprise

Conventional practice evaluates a company in a static mode and therefore lacks a holistic understanding of how value is created. This chapter proposes a value driver theory approach for understanding the enterprise/shareholder value creation process, which is an integral part of succession management. Using a Value Creation Process Chart, we show and discuss how value is measured, determined, and created in private and public enterprises. Succession planning in practice has to date largely focused on filling vacancies as they arise on an ad hoc basis. We describe succession planning as a strategic process and discuss its impact on the value creation capability of an organization. We conclude with suggestions for managers to focus on value creation and the role of succession managers in business exit planning.