Lenita Davis

Exploring future competitive advantage through sustainable supply chains

Purpose – The papers purpose is to outline the potential competitive advantage firms can create through the creation of a sustainable supply chain, and to describe potential measures for managers to use.Design/methodology/approach – Arguing that firms can increase their competitive advantage as a result of a stronger triple bottom line, propositions are created from a natural‐resource‐based view of the firm perspective that is supported using accounting theory, management strategy, green logistics and supply chain literatures. Secondary data resources that could be used for testing by managers and academicians are identified.Findings – The paper finds that, as sources of competitive advantage for firm become scarcer, potential new areas of advantage must be explored.Practical implications – This research will serve to help managers in the exploration of these possible outlets.Originality/value – This paper is the first to explore the impact of a sustainable supply chain on the triple‐bottom line of a fir...

Deriving and exploring behavior segments within a retail loyalty card program

Purpose – Despite the proliferation of retail loyalty programs, little is known about differences in the behavior patterns of the consumers within them. There may be several unique segments within a loyalty program, and significant managerial implications may accrue from identification of these segments and analysis of differences among them. This paper aims to investigate the potential for deriving meaningful, managerially relevant customer segments within a retail loyalty‐type program.Design/methodology/approach – Data from the one‐year test of a retail loyalty card program by a major US retailer were used to derive patronage‐based segments and explore determinants of segment differences and strategy implications. A numerical taxonomy process was used to group 57,650 loyalty‐card program members into distinct segments. Cluster analysis was used to generate a range of potential market structures on a set of managerially relevant variables. The most appropriate market structure was selected using scree te...

Rapport Management during the Exploration Phase of the Salesperson–Customer Relationship

Trust in the salesperson is one of the primary antecedents of customer satisfaction. However, trust is a function of time and is virtually nonexistent during the exploration phase of the buyer–seller relationship. The link between trust and conflict within the sales context has a long history. During the exploration phase of the relationship, buying objections are obvious sources of conflict between sales representatives and prospective customers. Success in managing rapport during such conflict means the sales representative moves the relationship forward. Failure undermines the future relationship. Our goal in this paper is to focus specifically on the critical role of sociolinguistic behaviors described by the theory of rapport management for allowing sales representatives to move beyond the exploration phase in relationships while overcoming customer objections. The result is a simple yet powerful basis for sales training and a theoretically motivated basis for future personal selling research.

The Thin Line between Love and Hate of Attention: The Customer Shopping Experience

Given the predominant role of technology in customers’ shopping behavior and information acquisition, there is a need to reexamine the appropriate amount of attention given to customers at brick-and-mortar stores. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods, this study finds that consumers do not always want an attentive salesperson but do want their autonomy respected while being seen as desirable by the salesperson. This examination of perceived salesperson attentiveness led to the identification of four possible shopping experiences: bonding, negligence, stalking, and autonomy. Understanding these experiences and when they apply can help managers reevaluate how salespeople can use insightful discretion to provide assistance to retail customers.

Commercial mythmaking at the Holy Land Experience

Commercial mythmaking, where firms create, appropriate, and cultivate myths, plays an important role in creating and disseminating ideologies that help consumers manage tensions in the marketplace. Commercial mythmaking remains under-researched. In response we explore commercial mythmaking at the nexus of consumption, markets, and religion, where firms create myths that negotiate between market and religious logics. Some evangelical Christians hold beliefs that create tension with consumer culture, which they perceive to be secular and amoral. A religious theme park in the United States that appeals to this sub-segment serves as the empirical context. We identify three prominent politico-religious themes re-cast at the park as commercial myths. They are: redemption, authentic connection to the sacred, and American exceptionalism. These commercial myths aid consumers in resolving ideological tensions by infusing a politically conservative religious ideology into the brands basic value proposition.

A Qualitative Exploration of Student Perspectives on Social Media use, Abuse and Content

We review relevant literature from the social media domain, identifying common research foci, as well as a gap and justification for this study which seeks to bring about a better understanding of, and contribute to, the nascent literature stream in the field of social media marketing research. We investigate just exactly how this powerful new force, social media, is being adopted, utilized and leveraged by students, the one group of individuals most likely to walk a delicate balance between personal and (budding) professional lives. We then share four major themes (ease of use, self-censoring and privacy, community and collectivism, and relationships with brands and businesses) and eighteen sub-themes which capture the essence of the impact this phenomenon is having on our target population. We conclude with a discussion of the findings and their associated implications, as well as insight into the limitations of our study and ideas for future research.

Global Cause Awareness: Tracking Awareness Through Electronic Word of Mouth

ABSTRACT The primary goals of social-service nonprofits are typically to raise money, increase behavioral participation, and raise awareness. The first two issues are easily measured with secondary data analysis; however measuring the effectiveness of marketing efforts in accomplishing the third objective has proven challenging. This research evaluates the ability of global awareness programs to raise awareness and initiate social change by examining the social media discourse that occurs during their awareness events. The findings show that events can create a short-term increase in discourse, however the nature of that discourse is affected by the disease’s brand personality. Additional findings are presented and discussed, in addition to suggestions for the implementation of social media tracking by nonprofits.

Learning Personal Selling Through Cognitive Apprenticeship: Creating More Authentic Instruction Through the UA Sales Lab

The University of Alabama (UA) Sales Lab is an authentic technology-supported learning environment that is built upon principles of cognitive apprenticeship. Students need critical thinking and effective communication skills to be successful in business and the traditional classroom poses significant limitations in meeting these goals. Passive learning does not promote this type of thinking or communication (Munoz and Huser 2008). Simply reading a marketing textbook and listening to classroom lectures does not effectively mimic selling in the real world.

Corporate Social Responsibility: The Role of Governance

Not only does corporate social responsibility (CSR) benefit the company’s relationship with its employees and consumers but it is also an important element in corporate strategy (Porter and Kramer 2002). However, CSR theory has ignored the implications of differences in government. Most studies on CSR have been conducted in the United States (US), a society that is typically characterized as being individualistic. The governing philosophy promotes individual freedom and choices; therefore, the government’s involvement in social issues, community and corporate behavior is minimal. This view contrasts with many other types of government philosophies particularly those that take more of a totalitarian viewpoint. Totalitarianism often has very negative connotations, however, its formal definition describes it as single-party regime which centralizes its power and exerts control over its citizenry in order to promote a particular ideology (Brzezinski 1956). The more control a government exerts the more likely that CSR behaviors become compulsory by corporations, so that the opportunity to gain competitive advantage is minimized. Issues of community governance may addresses inconsistencies seen in previous CSR cross culture research. This study examines how perceptions of CSR are affected when government mandates responsible behavior by corporations.