Warren S. Martin

Costs and benefits of selected response inducement techniques in mail survey research

Abstract In this paper, the results of a study designed to evaluate the costs and benefits of selected response inducement techniques in mail survey research are reported. Traditionally, survey researchers have considered only the response rates obtained from different inducements without incorporating costs. Four response inducement techniques that have consistently improved response rates were compared on the basis of their relative contributions to response rate improvements and the per response cost of each. A methodology for evaluating the cost impact of various response inducements is developed along with an analysis of the cost of various inducements.

The influence of national versus generic branding on taste perceptions

Abstract The results of an experimental study that investigated the taste perception of generic versus national brands are presented. Using a 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design, we found that brand (national versus generic) significantly influenced the taste of the product. Additional variables were tested but were determined not significant. The implications of these findings are discussed as well as a general review of the generic branding innovation.

Towards a normative model for inventory cost management in a generalized ABC classification system

This paper establishes a general ABC inventory classification system as the foundation for a normative model of the maintenance cost structure and stock turnover characteristics of a large, multi-item inventory system with constant demand. For any specified number of inventory classes, the model allows expression of the overall system combined ordering and holding cost in terms of (i) the re-ordering frequencies for the items in each inventory class and (ii) the inventory class structure, that is, the proportion of the total systems items that are in each inventory class. The model yields a minimum total maintenance cost function, which reflects the effect of class structure on inventory maintenance costs and turnover. If the Pareto curve (a.k.a. Distribution-by-value function) for the inventory system can be expressed (or approximated) analytically, the model can also be used to determine an optimal class structure, as well as an appropriate number of inventory classes. A special case of the model produces a simply structured, class-based ordering policy for minimizing total inventory maintenance costs. Using real data, the cost characteristics of this policy are compared to those of a heuristic, commonly used by managers of multi-item inventory systems. This cost comparison, expressed graphically, underscores the need for normative modelling approaches to the problem of inventory cost management in large, multi-item systems.

An Analysis of Congruous Relationships Between Self-Images and Product Images

This study examined the congruous relationship between self-image and the image of a preferred brand. The empirical data supported past findings when similar analytical techniques were applied to the data. However, an alternative conceptualization of congruency as absolute rather than a relative phenomenon resulted in different findings. Subsequently, these results provide additional directions for theory building. The findings suggest that congruency often occurs at some distance from self-image (in the tails of the distributions) and that for many dimensions of image, other variables besides congruency may be more important in the purchase process.

African American Small Business Owners’ Attitudes Toward Business Training

The attitudes toward training courses are documented for the rapidly growing African American segment of small business owners. The study provides evidence supporting the training‐business creation model suggested by the Small Business Act and by Becker’s work on human capital. Over 700 responses to a mail survey were divided into African American small business owners and Caucasian American small business owners. The African American small business owners rated the training courses as significantly more important than the Caucasian American small business owners for all 23 of the areas tested. A matched sample was created from the data set to evaluate the idea that demographics such as type of business and number of employees may have influenced the results. The findings from the matched sample were consistent with the findings from the total sample. Various reasons for these unusually strong results are offered as well as directions for future research.

Selling Before 1900: A Historical Perspective

AbstractSelling has a long and colorful history that has played an important role in the economic development of the modern world. The richness of this role has not been fully understood or appreciated. This article discusses the development and importance of the sales function up to the year 1900 as a means toward this end.

The Theory-Setting-Testable Hypothesis Model: A Framework to Assist Doctoral Students in Linking Theory and Empirical Research

An important goal of doctoral education in marketing is to prepare students to plan and conduct original research, which requires skills in integrating philosophy of science concepts concerning the...

Media Habits of In-Home Buyers.

Abstract A random sample of 275 homemakers was utilized in the investigation of media-habits characterizing in-home shoppers. The in-home shopping patterns were used to define three market segments: non-in-home shoppers, speciality in-home shoppers, and general in-home shoppers. Then, media habits were measured by the amount of exposure to 92 different types of media and analyzed. The results suggest directions for allocating media expenditures. The marketing implications are discussed.

The Application of Benchmarking to Marketing

A definition and explanation of benchmarking for total quality management demonstrates how this approach contributes to marketing thought and practice. The special considerations of marketing problems are highlighted along with the development of a systematic and analytical framework for the process of benchmarking. This framework begins with guidelines for selecting the most promising marketing processes in your firm for benchmarking. The next step is to break a process into activities. The third step is to analyze the activities considering such variables as throughput, capital and operating expenses and value added to the customer. The fourth step is to break selected activities into tasks and analyze the tasks. Finally, the workings of a process in another organization can be considered. Managerial implications for the overall process and consideration of how the results may impact the corporation operations are given.

Are there differences in the perception of the importance of training for female and male entrepreneurs

This study investigated the importance of a variety of training areas for female and male entrepreneurs. Initial results indicated that the female entrepreneurs rated several training areas as significantly more important than male entrepreneurs. These differences were not found in additional significance tests conducted using a sub-sample of males and females matched on age, type of business, number of full time employees and age of business. The implication of these findings is that when male and female business owners are matched on relevant variables, the gender differences in ratings of the importance of training disappear.