Jerome D. Williams

Causes and consequences of consumer online privacy concern

Purpose – Past research on internet privacy has examined various aspects of privacy regulation and consumer privacy concerns. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model that links anteceding environmental factors with the resulting consumer responses using the power‐responsibility equilibrium perspective.Design/methodology/approach – An online survey of 182 net shoppers was conducted whereby respondents were asked to recall a recent web site registration that required them to provide personal information online.Findings – The results indicate that robust perceived business policies and governmental regulation reduce consumer privacy concern. More interestingly, the data show that a perceived lack of business policy or governmental regulation will result in consumers attempting to regain power balance through a variety of responses. As predicted, increased concern resulted in higher power‐enhancing responses such as the fabrication of personal information, use of privacy‐enhancing technolog...

Courting Customers: Assessing Consumer Racial Profiling and Other Marketplace Discrimination

Through an examination of 81 federal court decisions made between 1990 and 2002 involving customers’ allegations of race and/or ethnic discrimination, the authors uncover three emergent dimensions of discrimination: (1) the type of alleged discrimination (subtle or overt), (2) the level of service (degradation or denial), and (3) the existence of criminal suspicion in the alleged discriminatory conduct (present or absent). Using a framework that enables the categorization and aggregation of cases with common themes, the authors demonstrate that real and perceived consumer discrimination remains a problem in the U.S. marketplace, and they conclude that further research is necessary for marketers to address the issue effectively.

Clustering of unhealthy outdoor advertisements around child-serving institutions: A comparison of three cities

Using GPS devices and digital cameras, we surveyed outdoor advertisements in Austin, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. GIS and hot spot analysis revealed that unhealthy ads were clustered around child-serving institutions in Los Angeles and Philadelphia but not in Austin. Multivariate generalized least square (GLS) regression models showed that percent black (p<0.04) was a significant positive predictor of clustering in Philadelphia and percent white (p<0.06) was a marginally significant negative predictor of clustering in Los Angeles after controlling for several land use variables. The results emphasize the importance of zoning and land use regulations to protect children from exposure to unhealthy commercial messages, particularly in neighborhoods with significant racial/ethnic minority populations.

Retail Redlining: Definition, Theory, Typology, and Measurement:

Retail redlining is a spatially discriminatory practice among retailers, of not serving certain areas, based on their ethnic-minority composition, rather than on economic criteria, such as the potential profitability of operating in those areas. Consequently, consumers in these areas often find themselves “vulnerable” because no other retailers will serve them, or they are exploited by other, often smaller, retailers who charge them higher prices and/or offer them inferior goods. What makes retail redlining worthy of scrutiny is that whereas redlining is illegal in the financial industry, retail redlining is still legal in the retailing industry. There are, however, lawsuits and lobbying efforts under way that seek to make this practice illegal. In this article, the authors define retail redlining, identify eight different commonly seen variations of it, look at both sides of the argument on this practice, and finally suggest a methodology for empirically verifying this practice.

Understanding gender differences in professional service relationships

Purpose – The study of relationships in marketing has received much attention of researchers over the past decade. This paper examines whether men and women exhibit differences in the strength of their relationships with a service provider, based on self‐reported behavioral measure, and whether there is a qualitative difference in the type of motivation that led to such a difference.Design/methodology/approach – Two key independent variables are shown to influence the outcome variable – relationship strength – moderated by gender. It is hypothesized that women will exhibit higher levels of intrinsic interpersonal commitment and lower levels of structural bonds in the relationship with their service providers than men resulting in higher levels of Relationship Strength. A total of 150 structured interviews were conducted. The Likert‐type seven‐point scale was used for each of the key variables. Each scale was tested for reliability.Findings – The results of the Chow test provided statistical evidence of th...

Social Marketing Initiatives: National Kidney Foundation’s Organ Donation Programs in Singapore

The authors focus on the organ donation scene in Singapore and explore the range of marketing activities and responsibilities of the primary organ procurement agency in Singapore, the National Kidney Foundation. The authors examine Horton and Hortons (1991) model of willingness to become a potential organ donor and apply it with modifications to a sample of 368 multiracial Singapore residents. The authors find that, in addition to altruistic values and product knowledge, spiritual beliefs surrounding organ donation have an impact on a persons willingness to be a potential organ donor. The authors discuss implications for marketers and policymakers.

Drivers of attitudes toward luxury brands

Purpose – Limited attention has been paid to the cultural influences on the formation of consumer attitudes toward luxury brands (LUX). The purpose of this paper is to investigate this relationship by developing a model that additionally employs the constructs of susceptibility to normative interpersonal influence (SNII) and brand consciousness (BCO). Design/methodology/approach – Sample data were gathered through surveys administered to 383 college students in the UK and Taiwan. The model of cultural influences on attitudes toward luxury brands was empirically tested using multi-group structural equation modeling to evaluate its applicability across the two countries. Findings – Results are presented in two parts: first, the exogenous construct part of the model establishing the reliability and validity of the cultural dimension constructs (horizontal individualism, vertical individualism, horizontal collectivism, and vertical collectivism) that are antecedent to consumer SNII and 2) the endogenous part ...

Beyond Poverty: Social Justice in a Global Marketplace

The social justice paradigm, developed in philosophy by John Rawls and others, reaches limits when confronted with diverse populations, unsound governments, and global markets. Its parameters are further limited by a traditional utilitarian approach to both industrial actors and consumer behaviors. Finally, by focusing too exclusively on poverty, as manifested in insufficient incomes or resources, the paradigm overlooks the oppressive role that gender, race, and religious prejudice play in keeping the poor subordinated. The authors suggest three ways in which marketing researchers could bring their unique expertise to the question of social justice in a global economy: by (1) reinventing the theoretical foundation laid down by thinkers such as Rawls, (2) documenting and evaluating emergent “feasible fixes” to achieve justice (e.g., the global resource dividend, cause-related marketing, Fair Trade, philanthrocapitalism), and (3) exploring the parameters of the consumption basket that would be minimally required to achieve human capabilities.

Managing the Tensions at the Intersection of the Triple Bottom Line: A Paradox Theory Approach to Sustainability Management

Corporate sustainability management encompasses multiple dimensions: environmental, social, and economic. Companies are increasingly evaluated within the public sphere, and within their own organizations, according to the degree to which they are perceived to simultaneously promote this nexus of virtues. This article seeks to explore the tensions frequently faced by organizations that strive to manage these dimensions and the role of public policy in that pursuit. A multiple–case study approach is utilized in which the authors selected case organizations according to whether they were attempting to manage the three dimensions of sustainability. The authors utilize paradox theory and a typology provided by previous research to understand the nature of the tensions that emerge in the selected case study organizations. They extend this previous work by examining the role of public policy in providing the situational conditions to make these paradoxical tensions salient, and they examine organizational responses to these conditions. Directions for firms, policy makers, and future researchers are provided on the basis of this studys findings.

From Exclusion to Inclusion: An Introduction to the Special Issue on Marketplace Diversity and Inclusion

ew attention is needed for often overlooked and undervalued consumers. Some would argue that there has been sufficient attention to these groups, but perhaps the problem, from a public policy perspective, is with the marketing strategies that have been used to attract and retain their patronage. Some companies fear making a mistake and thus shy away from potentially complex markets. Still other firms fail to recognize the value of such niche markets because they see no potential for economies of scale. However, in this special issue, we argue that it is no longer a viable strategy for companies to stick their collective “heads in the sand.” Instead, private and public sectors should enact policies to ensure active interest in and respect for diverse marketplaces throughout the globe. We conceptualize global marketplace diversity and inclusion to incorporate the traditional four Ps of marketing (product, price, place, and promotion) and interactions in the marketplace, which include business to business, business to consumer, supplier diversity, consumer to business, and consumer to consumer settings (see Figure 1). Such diversity may be with respect to ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and physical (dis)ability, among other factors. Whereas it is true that more multicultural consumers and products exist than ever before in the marketplace, there is certainly more change to come. As the world becomes more connected through technology (e.g., the Internet, mobile technologies) and transportation (e.g., airplanes, trains), policies for diverse marketplace opportunities become paramount. Next, we briefly discuss ways in which the marketing mix (product, price, place, and promotion) may be considered from a diversity perspective.