Musa Pinar

Using student feedback in designing student‐focused curricula

Purpose – The whole process of reviewing and redesigning curricula is an exercise in managing change. Given the multiple stakeholders in the educational enterprise, the many forces that impact upon those enterprises, and the organized and complicated activities in which those enterprises engage, the management of curricular change can be a daunting challenge. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that this challenge can be met by adapting and applying knowledge and techniques from the discipline of organizational development and change (ODC) and by including student feedback as an important source of diagnostic input in the change process.Design/methodology/approach – A process used in one American school of business for incorporating meaningful student input into the curriculum review and planning process is described. The paper reports on the use of a student survey and student focus group to generate feedback in two areas of the colleges curricular concerns: the structure, operation, and impact of a...

Consumer-based brand equity in banking industry: A comparison of local and global banks in Turkey

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine bank brand equity from consumer perspectives by comparing the consumer‐based brand equity (CBBE) dimensions of local and global banks in Turkey. The paper determines if and how CBBE differs across three types of banks (state, private, and foreign).Design/methodology/approach – Measurements of brand equity dimensions were drawn from the literature, which included brand awareness, perceived quality, brand image, brand association, organizational association, and brand loyalty. Data were collected from adult customers of three types of banks.Findings – It was found that the overall CBBE, perceived quality, brand image/association, and brand loyalty were significantly higher for private banks than for state and foreign banks. Organizational association was the highest for state banks, followed by private banks, and the lowest for foreign banks. Foreign banks scored the lowest in perceived quality, brand loyalty, and the overall CBBE.Originality/value – The res...

University brand equity: an empirical investigation of its dimensions

Purpose – In todays complex and highly competitive marketplace, universities and colleges, realizing a need to develop sustainable strategies, have turned to branding as a solution. However, because of unique service characteristics, universities’ branding attempts may not always result in success. The purpose of this paper, utilizing the concept of brand equity as a foundation of understanding, is to present a framework and scale measurements of university brand equity and its dimensions. Design/methodology/approach – Because no prior measurement scales for university branding have existed, the scale measures for this study are compiled from the literature on brand equity measurements identifying the core and supporting value-creation factors for higher education. For this exploratory study, several pretests and exploratory factor analyses were conducted to ensure that the scale items are comprehensible and clearly measure the intended constructs. Students are considered as the target population for thi...

Creating Competitive Advantage Through Ingredient Branding and Brand Ecosystem

Abstract Ingredient branding has proven very successful for many companies across a variety of industries in recent years. Prominent examples include Intel, NutraSweet, and DuPonts Teflon. The main goal of ingredient branding is to take advantage of the potential synergy of two or more brands that share a common brand space. The Turkish cotton and textile industry can employ ingredient branding as a competitive strategy to differentiate and promote its products in the global marketplace. In recent years, the Turkish textile industry has been coming under increasing pressure from cheaper Asian textiles. This article suggests that Turkey could implement an ingredient branding strategy using its high quality cotton to differentiate its cotton and textile products in the global marketplace, and also to improve its competitive position prior to possible EU entry. In addition to presenting specific ingredient branding strategic options, the article makes some specific recommendations in implementing an ingredient branding strategy as an initial step towards creating competitive advantage through the development of a Turkish cotton and textile “brand ecosystem.”

An Exploratory Study of Consumer-Based Brand Equity in Turkish Banking Industry

The study examines whether consumer-based brand-equity (CBBE) significantly differs across three bank types—state, private, and foreign. The findings reveal that consumer perceived quality and brand loyalty are significantly higher for private banks than state and foreign banks. Perceived quality was positively correlated with brand loyalty. Customers with higher education and income, and females perceived higher service quality for and felt more loyal to private banks. The results demonstrate the challenges that foreign banks may face in building brand-equity in developing countries, offers insights to banks to build brands, and closes the gap in the area of the brand-equity theory.

Using Mystery Shopping to Compare the Service Quality of Banks in Turkey

This article examines the service quality and performance of banks in Turkey. Specifically, by utilizing mystery (secret) shoppers as a benchmarking technique, the study compares the quality of services offered by different types of banks (state, private, and foreign banks) to identify the strong and weak service quality areas. Based on 351 evaluations by university students acting as mystery shoppers, the results indicate that all the banks were offering an acceptable quality of service. Using the overall mean as a benchmark, it seems that the banks are providing fairly good quality of service in most banking areas, except in building rapport and greeting and closing. Comparisons of the service quality by the three types of banks show that state banks offer lower quality service than private banks and foreign banks. Private and foreign banks offer similar quality banking services. The article also discusses the implications of the findings and the limitations of the study.

The Effect of Gender on Recruiting for Sales Positions

Abstract This paper examines the potential effect of recruiter gender, recruit gender, target market gender, and the interactions of these factors on the recruiting for an entry-level sales position in to-days diverse environment. The paper summarizes prior research dealing with: (1) the gender effect on recruiting, (2) the gender effect on selling performance, and (3) major theories to explain the gender effect on recruiting and selling. Then, a conceptual framework is developed to examine the effect of recruit gender, recruiter gender and target market characteristics (buyer gender) on recruitment for a sales position. Finally, the potential implications and several propositions for future research are presented.

Consumer-Based Brand Equity of a Private-Label Brand: Measuring and Examining Determinants

This study examines consumer-based brand equity of private-label branding and relative significance of its dimensions in creating a strong private-label brand. Based on brand equity theory and private-label branding research, a survey instrument was developed, scale measures were pretested, and the final purified survey was administered online to Wal-Mart shoppers. The study found that awareness/familiarity and perceived quality are keys in reducing the perceived risk and increasing the perceived value of private-label brands in building brand equity. Also, perceived risk, perceived value, and brand loyalty for Wal-Mart have significant mediating roles in creating private-label (i.e., Great Value) brand equity.

Services branding triangle: Examining the triadic service brand promises for creating a strong brand in banking industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine customer, management, and contact personnel perceptions of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) and its dimensions utilizing a services branding triangle framework in the banking industry. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from customers, managers, and contact personnel of three types of banks in Turkey – state, private, and foreign. Findings – The study finds significant external branding gaps between the perceptions of managers and customers and interactive branding gaps between the perceptions of contact personnel and customers, but no internal branding gaps between the perceptions of managers and contact personnel with respect to CBBE dimensions. Research limitations/implications – The sample was limited to Turkish adult citizens of a single major metropolitan area in Turkey and bank personnel in three cities. Originality/value – The services branding triangle framework used in this study allows service brand managers to understand not only the differences in the perceptions of brand equity dimensions of bank customers, managers, and contact personnel, but also provides an opportunity to identify the external, internal, and interactive branding gaps of each of the brand equity dimensions. The findings provide an empirical test for the three promises theory and identifying potential branding gaps resulting from differences between consumer, management, and contact personnel perceptions of CBBE and its dimensions. The paper discusses the implications of the findings in developing a strong services brand and brand equity.

Gender vis-à-vis perceptions of Fundamental Moral Orientations and outcome preferences.

This paper explores the connection between three perceived Fundamental Moral Orientations (FMOs) and three perceived outcome preferences for men and women working in the Turkish hotel industry. Specifically, the study aims to investigate the relationships between the perceived FMOs of selfishness, self-fullness, and selflessness, and the perceived outcome preferences of serving personal, customer, and organizational interests. Additionally, the study examines whether gender influences either the perceived outcome preferences of hotel personnel or the FMO/outcome relationships. Based on data from 682 surveys, the FMO/outcome relationships and gender differences in those relationships are tested with correlation analysis; also gender effects and gender differences in the outcome orientations are explored with the single sample t-test and one-way MANOVA, respectively. Some gender effects and/or gender differences exist in each set of results. The mutual theoretical implications of the FMO/outcome relationship results and the outcome preference results are discussed, as are potential managerial implications for the Turkish hotel industry.