Frederick A. Russ

From Uncertain Intentions to Actual Behavior: A Threshold Model of Whether and When Salespeople Quit

In this article, the authors focus on the formation of intentions to quit among salespeople and the link between these intentions and subsequent quitting behavior. Building on the foundations of the recently developed judgment uncertainty and magnitude parameters (JUMP) model, which statistically and simultaneously separates the drivers of judgment magnitude from those of judgment uncertainty, the authors present a model of the formation of uncertain intentions that decomposes a stated intention into a magnitude and an uncertainty dimension. The authors then develop hypotheses regarding the impact of affective and continuance commitment and critical sales events on intention magnitude and the effect of critical sales events and role stress on intention uncertainty. Subsequently, the authors develop a threshold model of the intention-behavior link that articulates a psychological mechanism within which uncertainty-laden intentions translate into actual behavior. Empirically, results from sales force intention and turnover data provide strong support for the theorizing. In addition to identifying some drivers of intention-to-quit magnitude and uncertainty, the authors identify the crucial role of intention uncertainty in shaping both the probability and timing of subsequent behavior. Consistent with the psychological underpinnings of the threshold model, the authors find that intention uncertainty lowers the probability of intended behavior. The results regarding the timing of quitting support an uncertainty avoidance conjecture: Given a stated intention, likely quitters with greater intention uncertainty quit faster than those with lower intention uncertainty.

Detecting and Correcting Deceptive Advertising

This article investigates the use of the salient belief technique for measuring deception and the effectiveness of corrective ads. The technique is applied to Listerine advertising, which has already been found deceptive by the courts. Comparisons between this technique and the normative belief technique yielded similar results except for source effects over time.

The Effects of Corrective Advertising on Company Image

Abstract Research showing inconsistent effects of corrective advertising on company image is described. Examination of four waves of national telephone surveys over the course of the Listerine corrective campaign shows a small but significant drop in company image. Suggestions for future research are offered along with policy implications of the Listerine results.

Defining and Measuring Deception in Advertising: A Review and Evaluation

Abstract This article reviews and evaluates the growing marketing literature on defining and measuring deception in advertising. It develops criteria for evaluating deception measurement techniques and applies them to methods which have been used in empirical studies. The issue of deception standards is also discussed.

The Effects of Corrective Advertising on Company and FTC Images

This article assesses the impact of corrective advertising on consumer images of the company involved and the FTC. A specially prepared FTC-source corrective ad was found to have a negative impact on company image while improving the image of the FTC. A company-source ad, however, improved company image without affecting FTC image.

A Comparsion of the Listerine Corrective Advertisement with Specially Designed Corrective Messages

There are seven empirical research studies on the Lister-ine corrective advertising campaign, the first such campaign ordered by the courts. Five of these studies were conducted in experimental settings, and the two studied the actual corrective advertising campaign in a real world environment. This paper presents the results of research which attempts to link the “experimental world” to the “real world” by comparing the effectiveness of previously tested hypothetical corrective ads with the “real” corrective ad copied from national TV.