Matthew D. Shank

Determinants of Consulting Service Quality for Accounting and Nonaccounting Service Providers

Consulting services have been the fastest growing segment of public accounting over the past decade. However, very few empirical studies have addressed determinants of consulting service quality from the clients perspective. The objectives of this study are to: (1) determine the reliability, validity, and explanatory power of a service quality model in an accounting and nonaccounting provider environment, and (2) explore the association between the type of provider, the type of service provided, and the interaction between provider type and service type and perceived service quality. A survey of 272 controllers of U.S. middle‐market corporations provides the data for this study. Descriptive and statistical results indicate that a 13‐item scale appears to be a viable instrument for differentiating client perceptions of service quality. In addition, client perceptions of service quality appear to be affected by the type of service provided, but not by the type of provider or by the interaction of provider ...

Managing Beauty – Products and People

Uses a qualitative research method (depth interviews) to examine the multidimensionality of beauty and then uses a quantitative research technique (factor analysis) to propose a scale to measure beauty. Based on the results from these procedures, concludes that beauty is certainly more than skin deep. Physical attractiveness may be the initial criterion on which people evaluate beauty but the evidence indicates that values, habits, personality, and behavior are the “soul″ of beauty – essential ingredients in the creation of a truly beautiful person.

Appreciating the Needs of Non-Traditional Students: Women as a Growing Market for Colleges and Universities

ABSTRACT In response to this unprecedented growth, higher education is finally recognizing the contribution of the adult learner. Previous research has explored what the “nontraditional” student values in an education. While our knowledge base regarding the nontraditional learner continues to expand, relatively little research has been conducted on an important segment of this market-nontraditional women. As such, the nontraditional woman represents an important target market for colleges and universities. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to better understand the unique educational needs of the nontraditional woman. A convenience sample of 197 non-traditional women and men from a mid-western university participated in the study. Perhaps the most interesting finding to emerge from the present study (from a marketing perspective) is the notion of three distinct market segments of non-traditional women. Implications for higher education administrators are discussed.

Explaining Physical Exercise Behavior by Its Cognitive Antecedents

The cognitive antecedents of exercising behavior are identified and used to explain the incidence, extent and regularity of physical exercise. Data from 183 adult residents of a U.S. city showed that outcome beliefs weighted by the evaluation of outcomes and employed in a compensatory fashion and perceived threat explained 30 percent of variance in the survey respondents’ exercise behavior. Close to 40 percent of respondents did not exercise with any fair regularity, and social marketers concerned with increasing the general fitness levels of a population would find the results of this research helpful in identifying appropriate influence strategies.