Mary K. Foster

A Regression Model Explaining Predisposition to Collaborate

Using a sample of 645 nonprofit organizations in Canada, the authors construct and validate a regression model to explain predisposition to collaborate. Organizational factors such as size and type (feminist or not) were found to be related to the extent of formal collaborative activity. However, the strength of these factors as predictors of behavior was amplified or reduced by the intervening perception of the impact of environmental changes. In addition, the perception of these pressures was shown to intensify the motivation to collaborate, which in turn increases the probability of engaging in formal interorganizational activity. This study contributes to the body of knowledge about collaboration because previous research has not investigated the influence of a combination of factors on collaborative behavior.

Connecting in Megaclasses: The Netnographic Advantage.

Large universities are increasingly offering marketing courses in classes of 300 or more students. Without access to the usual verbal and nonverbal cues, instructors in these megaclasses are disadvantaged in terms of their ability to respond to learners’ needs. As a result, marketing instructors have supplemented course infrastructure with technology to encourage communication. In seeking to better understand such communication, this study positions netnography as a marketing research technique that provides incremental advantages over other pedagogical methods through its support and enhancement of student learning. The authors provide specific recommendations for the adoption of netnography to marketing educators teaching megaclasses.

Lending Practices and Canadian Women in Micro‐based Businesses

Investigates the lending needs of the self‐employed and of micro‐based businesses. Describes the lack of coherence between the evaluative criteria used in traditional lending models and the needs of business owners. Findings suggest that the standard “5 C” model for assessing the viability of loan applications does not meet the needs of the present business environment. Women business owners may be at a disadvantage when applying for a business loan as the supposedly “objective” criteria are applied in a “subjective” manner to the detriment of female entrepreneurs. Presents information on the characteristics of micro‐loan programmes and proposes a market approach to micro‐loan practices that is better adapted to changing finance opportunities.

Corporate Philanthropy in the Canadian Context: From Damage Control to Improving Society

Fourteen in-depth interviews were conducted with decision makers in corporations representing natural resources, finance, retail, technology, food and beverage, and communications to explore the diverse approaches to philanthropy in corporate Canada. The authors focused on gaining insight into the organizational differences among companies that are have integrated corporate philanthropy into their cultures, those where philanthropy is marginal to their main business and those that see philanthropy as a beneficial relationship. They learned that companies that have integrated philanthropy into their operations are quite distinct in both attitudes and behavior from the others. Although companies can change the role of philanthropy within their organization, truly integrating philanthropy into the business of the corporation is not something that can develop and evolve over time; if that vision is not present in the corporate culture from the beginning, it is not likely to develop.

“All in the hall” or “sage on the stage”: learning in leadership development programmes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the intersection of learning theory and leadership development by developing a conceptual framework and applying it to an exemplar case.Design/methodology/approach – First, the conceptual framework was developed through extant literature in learning theory. Then, using a qualitative design, the researchers conducted telephone interviews with participants and past graduates of a leadership programme that had already been evaluated as successful from a behavioural and job performance perspective.Findings – Current participants and past graduates of the leadership development programme were more likely to describe their learning experiences in terms of “all in the hall” comments versus “sage on the stage” comments. The researchers also found that human resource professionals were not taking “all in the hall” factors into consideration when making decisions on awarding contracts for leadership development programmes.Research limitations/implications – Give...

The Agony and the Ecstasy: Teaching Marketing Metrics to Undergraduate Business Students.

The marketing department of a large business school introduced a new undergraduate course, marketing metrics and analysis. The main materials for this course consisted of a series of online spreadsheets with embedded text and practice problems, a 32-page online metrics primer that included assurance of learning questions and a sample examination (http://mametrics.ca). In response to challenges, the instructor modified the course in three separate iterations in order to create a more active and experiential class setting to optimize student retention and learning. Empirical results tend to support the use of the materials and the modifications employed. The paper proposes additional changes to enhance the course and discusses the implications for teaching marketing metrics in undergraduate courses.

Different strokes for different folks: why different user groups participate in online social media

This study examines the motivations and the barriers that influence participation in online social media among users between the ages of 18 and 30. A survey of 2,471 young adults attending a large urban Canadian university identifies four distinct social media technology (SMT) user segments that differ in their online information and interactive participation needs. This typology provides marketers with a framework to develop more targeted online strategies for customer relationship management.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT.

The article reports on student engagement in the U.S. and Canada. The first National Survey of Student Engagement was instituted in 1999 with 70 different universities and colleges participating. I...

Embracing Your Inner “Guide on the Side”: Using Neuroscience to Shift the Focus from Teaching to Learning

This article explores the effect of incorporating the precepts of neuroscience in a social constructivist theory of learning on student performance in an introductory course in marketing. The authors delivered the pilot class in a flipped format because it facilitates including the neuroscience considerations of dual coding, working memory, activation of prior knowledge, and practice into the course design. The data indicate that those in the pilot class significantly outperformed those in the traditional 3-hr lecture format class on the comprehensive final examination. The authors conclude that it is paying attention to neuroscience in the design of the pilot course that contributes to the successful performance of the students.