Kenneth E. Crocker

Predispositions and the Comparative Effectiveness of Rational, Emotional and Discrepant Appeals for Both High Involvement and Low Involvement Products

Advertising effectiveness is often measured by its ability to impact attitudes and purchase intentions among those positively predisposed and negatively predisposed toward the brand. As a consequence, selecting the appropriate appeal is crucial. Information processing theory suggests that the choice should reflect both consumer’s predispositions and their level of involvement. The espoused theories together with prior empirical evidence promoted six sets of hypotheses relating to the comparative effectiveness of rational, emotional, and discrepant appeals. The respective appeals were administered to positively predisposed and negatively predisposed subjects for both high involvement and low involvement products. A MANOVA analysis of the data from a 3×2×2 within-subjects experimental design revealed significant main effect differences in terms of both predisposition and type of appeal.

The Influence of the Amount and Type of Information on Individuals' Perception of Legal Services:

The study examines the impact of different amounts and types of infomation on individuals’ perception of attorneys. Utilizing the concept of perceived risk, an experiment was conducted to test various communication strategies. The results, in part, confirm the “word-of-mouth is best” strategy adhered to by many attorneys. The study also sheds light on the impact of legal service advertising on indivduals.

Professionalism and Attorney Attitudes Toward Legal Service Advertising

Contrary to existing literature in the sociology of occupations, a survey of practicing attorneys does not reveal an overwhelming inverse relationship between attorney professionalism and attitudinal dispositions toward legal service advertising. Only on the professional dimension of self-regulation are attorneys found to significantly oppose the advertising of their services. Based on these findings, advertising by professionals should not be viewed as necessarily antithetical to the delivery of professional services or the self-image of the professional practitioner.

The Importance of Selling Abilities in Corporate Hospitality Sales to Corporate Customers

Abstract With the ever growing competitive nature of the lodging industry, the sales area or the selling function of major hotel chains continues to increase in importance. Yet little has been published recently about the salesperson/customer dyad. Drawing upon the selling and sales literature in the area of marketing, the authors with the cooperation of a large anonymous hotel company conducted a study to determine those common selling abilities deemed important to both sides of the dyad. Using a previously developed scale of 14 major selling abilities, the study was able to identify nine agreed upon abilities that both parties felt were important and five abilities on which the corporate customer and the hotel salesperson differed significantly. Understanding how the corporate customer view the sales abilities can assist sales managers in recruiting and training salespeople who will help the property increase their share of corporate revenue.

Responses from a Corporate Mail Survey:Effects of Charitable Contributions and Personalization

The effects of the manipulation of a promised contribution to a university and the personalization of a cover letter on response rate, response speed, and response quality were examined using a commercial population. The results indicate that both the promised contribution to a university and personalization increased response rate and response speed of returns. The influence of the manipulated variables on response quality was mixed. Specifically, only personalization was shown to influence response completeness while neither variable influenced respondents’ willingness to respond to questions that could be regarded assensitive. The study also revealed slight evidence of method‐specific response bias.

Students’ Perceptions of Professionalism in Faculty Members

This research examined business students’ attitudes toward faculty as role models and perceptions of professional behavior in faculty members. The results revealed that business students may look to faculty as role models and identified a variety of cues students use to assess the professionalism of faculty. Further, difference in perceptions based on class rank and sex were explored and implications for marketing educators presented.

The Profession of Hospitality or The Professionalization of Hospitality. Which Is It

This article looks at the literature of work and occupation in the discipline of Sociology to examine the constructs of a profession, and the evolution of an occupation to the status of profession. It attempts to delineate for those in the hospitality industry some guidelines or mileposts by which the discipline can be assessed as to its degree of professionalism. Together with earlier work done in the hospitality literature, and in conjunction with the ongoing work of other scholars, the discussion of profession(al) status can be renewed.