Nessim Hanna

New product development practices in consumer versus business products organizations

Most recent work in the area of new product development has been of a theoretically prescriptive basis, ignoring, to a large degree, the current state of affairs in US corporations. The study examines, on a comparative basis, consumer and business products organizations, practices being utilized to guide the development process and key factors influencing the success/failure of the process. Results from an empirical study reveal that: (1) there is no one best means to structure the process; (2) top management commitment to and support of the process is a critical factor; (3) knowledge of markets and customers remains elusive; and (4) more similarities than differences exist between the practices undertaken by and the factors influencing success/failure in consumer versus business products organizations.

An Analysis of the Source of Articles in the "Journal of Marketing Education" Since its Founding in 1979

The historical publishing pattern in the JME is examined in terms of the characteristics of the contributing authors. Nearly one-half of the 146 articles appearing in the JME since its inception in 1979 have been written by a single author. Results indicate that publication in the JME represents a significant scholarly achievement.

Pricing in International Markets

For most firms the potential rewards of doing business in international markets are overwhelming. The most compelling reasons for entering the global marketplace are the sheer size of the marketplace and the limitless opportunities present. One of these opportunities is the leveraging of R&D investment. The global marketplace provides opportunities to obtain a full return on investment that is not possible if technology serves only the home market. Expanding internationally also provides the opportunity to improve products and processes by drawing on the resources of many companies and organizations in different parts of the world. Finally, global expansion allows a firm to remain competitive.1

A Cross‐Functionally Integrated Undergraduate Business Core Curriculum

In the summer of 1993, a faculty team from the College of Business at Northern Illinois University began working to develop a cross‐functionally integrated undergraduate business principles core curriculum. This paper describes the integrated curriculum, which is comprised of a nine‐hour integrated lecture covering business principles and a three‐hour applications seminar. Both of these courses,which are team taught, are described in the paper. The aper also discusses numerous lessons and issues that should be taken into consideration throughout comprehensive integration efforts.

Integrating business ethics into a graduate program

Five faculty members in the College of Business at Northern Illinois University received a grant from the James S. Kemper Foundation to integrate ethics into the graduate business curriculum. This was the second phase of a comprehensive program to integrate ethics into the business curriculum. Each faculty member taught a required course in the MBA program. The faculty members represented each of the five functional departments in the College of Business.This paper describes the ethics content, materials, and approaches that were used to cover ethics by each of the five faculty members. Hopefully, this description will help other faculty and universities integrate ethics more effectively into the business curriculum.

Benchmarking consumer perceptions of product quality with price: An exploration

This empirical study illustrates an extension of the magnitude estimation measurement procedure, coupled with a repeated-measures design, to assess a consumers perceptual link between product quality and price. Respondents rated 14 competitive chocolate candy bars, with a given average price of 50¢, on two separate sensory measures to evaluate quality and price. The results indicate that consumer judgments about product quality influence the price they are willing to pay. These findings support the validity of the magnitude estimation procedure for product quality and price assessments, providing marketing management with a standardized benchmark to compare competitive products. Extending this experimental methodology to small groups provides an inexpensive approach for marketers to quantify otherwise qualitative focus-group investigations.

The product development process: three misconceptions which can derail even the “best‐laid” plans

An enormous volume of literature has evolved which promises remedies for any organization′s new product development woes. Unfortunately, new product development is an inherently uncertain and complex process which is generally not amenable to standardized solutions. Based on extensive consulting experience, addresses three commonly held misconceptions regarding the new product development process. Provides examples to illustrate each of the misconceptions and presents the lesson to be learned from each. Finally, discusses recommendations for management.

Can effort/satisfaction theory explain price/quality relationships?

A number of studies affirm that the level of consumer satisfaction with a product is positively correlated with the amount of effort expended in obtaining that product. This proposition, however, fails to explain situations where the customer may be more satisfied with a product when expending low effort than when expending high effort. The article attempts to reconcile conflicting evidence concerning the effects on product evaluation as a result of the magnitude of consumer effort. The two experiments conducted in this study suggest that the, issue of effort is a relative matter, measured and viewed by the individual in relation to the extent of his effort resource or reservoir. The experiments also indicate that this effort resource is capricious over time and place. The conclusion suggests to marketers with pricing responsibilities other alternatives to high-price policies as a means of attaining the desired customer evaluation of a product.

Optimal Stimulation Level

The effectiveness of the selection process used by organizations to recruit new sales personnel is depcndent on know- ing what qualities to look for in a recruit. One popular approach in screening sales personnel has been the use of personality tests. This article proposes, in addition, the concept of Optimal Stimulation Level as a discriminating variable in the seleclion process. Accord- ing to this view, recruits characterized as high sensation seekers are thought of as having a higher probability of success in sales perfor- mance than low sensation seekcrs. An empirical study which dealt with sales personnel from four major real estate agencies was con- ducted to ascertain correlations between levels of sensation seeking and sales performance. Evidcnce from the study confirms that OSL correlates positively with sales performance. Based on these results, the concept of Optimal Stimulation Level provides a useful discrimi- nating tool in the selection of sales personnel. Variations in the level of sensat...

The Generic User/Nonuser and the Process of Adoption

This study attempted to reveal significant differences between users and non-users of generic products on three important dimensions: demographic, psychographic, and behavioristic. A general profile in each case resulted. Such profiles can be valuable to the marketing strategist as an aid in market segmentation and targeting.