Irvine Clarke

Student Observations of Outstanding Teaching: Implications for Marketing Educators.

In this article, the authors heed the call to explore the attributes of an outstanding professor “by conducting in-depth interviews with students.” The study reveals five predominant themes (rapport, delivery, fairness, knowledge and credibility, organization, and preparation) of teaching excellence, as perceived by students, through subject-directed discussion. The recurring emphases on subcategories such as empathy, communication and personal style, approachability, and accessibility underscore the need for marketing educators to maintain personal interactions with students. The insights provided are purposeful because the predominant themes, and certainly the level of emphasis of each, may be used to improve the education process.

Student Intercultural Proficiency From Study Abroad Programs

In the past decade, study abroad programs (SAPs) have more than doubled, where today, about 223,000 U.S. college students study abroad, immersing themselves in foreign language, culture, and business practices. It is customary to hear students describe these experiences as “life changing,” yet little empirical evidence exists to establish the specific areas of personal development achieved in a SAP. This study investigates several of the potential intercultural influences of a semester abroad for students from the United States. Findings reveal that students who study abroad may have greater intercultural proficiency, increased openness to cultural diversity, and become more globally minded than those students remaining in a traditional campus setting. Students who participate in SAPs perceive themselves as being more proficient, approachable, and open to intercultural communication.

Student Perceptions of Educational Technology Tools

In this age of rapid technological innovation, marketing professors are using various educational technology tools to assist learning in their classes. However, little is known about students’ perceptions of how these unique teaching tools influence their overall experience. Consequently, marketing professors may be unsure which educational technology tools to incorporate into their courses. This study investigates how various educational technology tools affect students’perceptions in three outcome-oriented areas: overall learning, ability to get a job, and expected job performance. Student perceptions were obtained through a survey administered in a “Marketing on the Internet” course that simultaneously employed various educational technology tools. Findings reveal that students have differing opinions on the impact of these technologies on their learning, ability to get a job, and job performance. Suggestions are provided so instructors can select the appropriate educational technology tools to maximize teaching effectiveness.

Web-based B2B portals

Abstract A portal development frenzy is sweeping through commerce in an attempt to capture the growing business-to-business (B2B) Internet market. However, the very tactics employed to attract users have blurred the significance and, consequently, the effective utilization of portals in B2B strategies. This research analyzes the development of portals to propose a classification based on the informational/transactional, horizontal/vertical, and public/private dimensions of portals. Clarification of portal dimensions should provide B2B marketing managers with a superior focus in the production of efficient portal strategies for achieving business objectives. Strategic implications for acquiring and maintaining users and a five-step approach for developing an effective B2B portal strategy are presented.

An Exploratory Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Values of Materialism

Abstract Given the increasing importance of international business, marketers with an understanding of the values associated with materialism across cultures would operate with a significant competitive advantage. The current study explores the values affiliated with materialism held by 1,009 respondents in four countries: Australia, France, Mexico and the United States. Results of the analysis indicate differences in the internal and external values associated with high and low-materialist between countries. Implications for marketing strategy are suggested.

Teaching the Visual Learner: The Use of Visual Summaries in Marketing Education

Approximately 40% of college students are visual learners, preferring to be taught through pictures, diagrams, flow charts, timelines, films, and demonstrations. Yet marketing instruction remains heavily reliant on presenting content primarily through verbal cues such as written or spoken words. Without visual instruction, some students may be underperforming because of the inconsistency between teachers’ teaching styles and students’ learning styles. Because it has been suggested that some college students learn better from visual stimuli, an improved balance between verbal and visual techniques could offer significant learning benefits. This study investigates the use of visual summaries as an instructional technique for visual learners. Findings reveal that student performance on specific marketing topics and overall course satisfaction can be enhanced by combining visual summaries with more traditional instructional approaches. Pedagogical ideas are provided to help instructors use visual summaries in marketing education.

Teaching Internationally: Matching Part-Time MBA Instructional Tools to Host Country Student Preferences

While marketing professors are increasingly being asked to teach internationally, little is known about global students’ perceptions of how various instructional activities influence their learning experience. Consequently, marketing professors may be unsure which educational activities to incorporate into their overseas courses. This study investigates how various educational tools affect MBA students’perception of overall learning through a survey administered in an international marketing class in the People’s Republic of China, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings reveal that students have differing opinions, by country, on the impact of these instructional activities. Pedagogical ideas are provided to help instructors maximize teaching effectiveness in global locations.

Preparing Marketing Students for a Global and Multicultural Work Environment: The Value of a Semester-Long Study Abroad Program

In the future, marketing graduates will face an increasingly diverse and multicultural workplace both within and outside their home countries. A crucial question is, how can marketing educators better prepare students for this complex and changing work environment? One solution is a study abroad program (SAP). This study tests some anecdotal claims about the value of the SAP in preparing students for this work environment. Empirical results show that the SAP helps students become more globally minded, communicate better across cultural and national boundaries, and become more sensitive to new and different cultures. Suggestions for improving SAPs for marketing students conclude the paper.

Advances in electronic marketing

Section I: The Buyer Behavior Of Online Consumers Section II: E-Marketing Strategy Section III: Technology For E-Marketing Section IV: E-Marketing Legal Challenges Section V: E-Consumer Theoretical Frameworks

Challenges and Solutions for Marketing Educators Teaching in Newly Emerging Markets

Globalization and changes in business education have created more opportunities for marketing educators to teach in newly emerging markets (NEMs). However, differences in the backgrounds and cultures of students in these countries create new challenges for the marketing educator. Yet the extant literature reveals little guidance for the instruction of basic marketing concepts within emerging economies. In this article, the authors report on the challenges faced by marketing instructors who have experienced teaching in NEMs. Detailed feedback, gained through a focus group interview, on international experiences from a faculty is examined. General advice is offered for marketers interesting in teaching in NEMs.