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Since the pandemic accelerated the penetration of AI-based autonomous service robots (ASRs) in hospitality and tourism, people are more likely to experience these service innovations, which raises critical ethical concerns from consumers’ perspectives. This dissertation focuses on the ethics of ASRs in hospitality and aims to 1) explore consumers’ ethical perceptions of ASRs, 2) investigate factors that can affect consumers’ intention to adopt ASRs in a post-pandemic context, and 3) examine how initial trust can mediate the relationship between consumers’ ethical perceptions and facilitate the intention to adopt ASRs. This dissertation conducted two studies using the exploratory mixed methods approach to achieve these goals. Study one explored the consumers’ ethical perceptions of ASRs, driven by various ethical theories, such as teleology and deontology. Using triangulation methodology, data collection proceeded through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and on-site interviews. The findings revealed eight themes of consumers’ perceived ethical issues of ASRs. These themes were categorized into two dimensions: ethical issues that arise during interactions and ethical issues that are inherent to the characteristics of ASRs. Therefore, a total of 16 ethical issues were identified. Study two further developed measurements of consumers’ perceived ethical issues of ASRs by conducting two rounds of online surveys. A second-order model based on Technology Acceptance Model and Initial Trust Model was built to understand better the relationship between consumers’ ethical perceptions and their intention to adopt ASRs. By utilizing second-order confirmatory factor analysis and partial least square structural equation modeling, the main results demonstrated the relationships between the two dimensions of consumers’ perceived ethical issues, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, initial trust, and behavioral intention. Furthermore, initial trust significantly mediated the relationship between consumers’ ethical perceptions and behavioral intention, while personal innovativeness moderated the relationship between initial trust and behavioral intention. This study is the first to empirically explore, measure, and validate a framework regarding consumers’ ethical perceptions of ASRs in hospitality. The findings contribute to the literature on ethics studies in business and information technology and provide valuable implications for managers in tourism and hospitality, policymakers, and those implementing ASRs in broader service contexts.
ContributorsLin, Boyu (Author) / Lee, Woojin (Thesis advisor) / Andereck, Kathleen (Committee member) / Wise, Nicholas (Committee member) / Choi, Hwan-Suk (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
This thesis focuses on the increasing emphasis on sustainability within the fashion industry and how brands, specifically H&M, can increase their market share through updating their in-store retail strategy. Seven common retail strategies are analyzed and recommendations in each area are made to enhance H&M’s emphasis on sustainability. To support these potential recommendations, two focus groups were conducted to evaluate some potential in-store marketing elements. Upon the conclusion of the focus group research, participant’s thoughts were taken into consideration to revise the recommended retail strategies. Overall, by implementing the recommended retail marketing strategies, H&M can incorporate their Conscious line more fully within their stores and promote their new sustainable focus to further their brand in the future.
ContributorsFoley, Jacqueline (Author) / Riker, Elise (Thesis director) / Schlacter, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2022-12
Description
As a Journalism/Public Relations student minoring in Fashion, I have found myself interested in and surrounded by event production. As a member of the ASU student organization, The Chic Daily, I was beginning to see our production value decrease as we hosted our semesterly charity fashion show events. Factors playing a part in that included so many various items such as who was leading the production, how much time we had, venue conflicts, time conflicts, etc. I saw that our main problem was that two months was not enough time for full-time students to plan a quality, large-scale event, thus our student organization’s tradition needed to evolve into hosting a yearly non-profit fashion show instead. I also saw an opportunity for our events to be so much more than just a student-based event. For my Barrett, The Honors College Thesis, I created a public relations campaign to promote a fashion show I produced, and analyze the impact of the media campaign on the attendance and overall perception of the show.
I conducted secondary and primary research regarding our past fashion shows, including relevant interviews with previous producers, event statistics and a social media audit. Moving forward, I began the branding process for our next show, including building a branding guidelines book, organizing and creatively directing promotional photoshoots, and organizing the timeline for a model casting, picking the venue, coordinating with sponsorships, building a budget, building media lists, drafting media advisories and pitches, and more. In producing the fashion show, I created a magazine to put on every guest’s chair, as well as curated the runway choreography, vendor organization, model and designer lineup.
ContributorsHill, Alexia (Author) / Zufelt, Abby (Thesis director) / Ellis, Naomi (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Comm (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Ice hockey is widely recognized as one of the most exciting sports to watch and the NHL boasts very good in-game attendance figures when compared to similar professional sports leagues. In this study, we compare the NHL to the NBA, two leagues that share the same size stadiums and in-game attendance numbers but show huge disparities in national television viewership. The most watched NHL game of 2022/23, game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals totaled 2.72 million viewers nationally and the most watched NBA game of the 22/23 season was the final game of the NBA Finals totaled 17.88 million viewers nationwide. This is especially startling given the fact that on the local level, in cities with both NHL and NBA teams, the local rating are relatively even and oftentimes favor the NHL team. To investigate why this discrepancy exists, four cities that are home to both an NHL and NBA franchise were chosen as the focus of research. Youth participation and cost of both basketball and ice hockey were examined in each city and it was determined that they account for a large portion of the differences in national TV viewership. Marketing strategies of each league were also investigated, but it was found that these had little impact on the discrepancies in national TV viewership. The study concludes with possible solutions for the NHL to decrease costs and increase accessibility play, resulting in an increase in youth participation, especially in nontraditional hockey markets without NHL teams. In turn, this will bridge the gap in national viewership between themselves and the NBA.
ContributorsEckerle, Benjamin (Author) / Peca, Trevor (Co-author) / Pierce, John (Thesis director) / Palmer, James (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
ABSTRACT
This research is focused on technology in the arts, social media, and the opera singer. Topics include recent performance trends, social media, marketing techniques, and creating a successful brand. This paper also focuses on how to leverage social media platforms build a digital persona, and create an engaged audience. The same techniques used by corporations and opera companies for their social media and marketing strategy can be leveraged to increase brand awareness, build a strong network, and may aid in generating new opportunities for the opera singer.
Key Words: Social Media, Opera Singer, Branding, Marketing, Technology
This research is focused on technology in the arts, social media, and the opera singer. Topics include recent performance trends, social media, marketing techniques, and creating a successful brand. This paper also focuses on how to leverage social media platforms build a digital persona, and create an engaged audience. The same techniques used by corporations and opera companies for their social media and marketing strategy can be leveraged to increase brand awareness, build a strong network, and may aid in generating new opportunities for the opera singer.
Key Words: Social Media, Opera Singer, Branding, Marketing, Technology
ContributorsJones, Jennifer E. (D.M.A.) (Author) / Kopta, Anne Elgar (Thesis advisor) / Mills, Robert (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
This study explores the processes of designing strategies. The context of this research is scoped to the direct-marketing activities of small farm operators in eastern Iowa. The research intent is to explore and articulate trends in decision-making processes that assist small farm operators in eastern Iowa with direct marketing farm-to-table products, to explore and articulate how the design process creates differentiated value, and to explore and articulate the relationship between the design process and the way that small farm operators in eastern Iowa conceptualize their direct-marketing strategies.
The research design takes a post-positivist approach and uses a grounded theory methodology. The study does not have a starting hypothesis but instead starts with the research intent described previously. Convergent mixed methods and a flexible plan are used for data collection including semi-structured interviews and surveys with key concepts operationalized into Likert scales. The participants are selected from eastern Iowa farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) directories. For the qualitative data analysis, a grounded theory method is used to code interview response data, categorize the codes into related groups, and let the themes and sub-themes emerge from the data. For the quantitative data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics are calculated on the aggregate data set.
The study finds that small farm operators are making strategic decisions about marketing mix variables such as product quality and relationship building, there are statistically significant correlations between design concepts and direct-marketing strategies, and that farmers designed their strategies by using the design process.
The research design takes a post-positivist approach and uses a grounded theory methodology. The study does not have a starting hypothesis but instead starts with the research intent described previously. Convergent mixed methods and a flexible plan are used for data collection including semi-structured interviews and surveys with key concepts operationalized into Likert scales. The participants are selected from eastern Iowa farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) directories. For the qualitative data analysis, a grounded theory method is used to code interview response data, categorize the codes into related groups, and let the themes and sub-themes emerge from the data. For the quantitative data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics are calculated on the aggregate data set.
The study finds that small farm operators are making strategic decisions about marketing mix variables such as product quality and relationship building, there are statistically significant correlations between design concepts and direct-marketing strategies, and that farmers designed their strategies by using the design process.
ContributorsLarew, Hart (Author) / Brooks, Kenneth R. (Thesis advisor) / Cheng, Chingwen (Committee member) / Mejia Ramirez, German (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
When consumers find that something critically out of the ordinary has occurred, they direct attention to evaluate such a critical incident more closely. The results of this evaluation may put consumers on a switching path or it might lead them to engage in unfavorable behaviors from the perspective of the organization, such as engaging in negative word-or-mouth online. The negative consequences of some product (goods or services) failures go beyond simple product attribute defects, leading customers to terminate the relationship with the organization. This dissertation, which is composed of three essays, investigates how consumers engage in negative word-of-mouth on social media channels in response to their various product failures and explores an important relationship event of betrayal, which can be triggered by certain product failures. It investigates how betrayal is perceived by customers and influences a range of their behaviors across business-to-consumer and business-to-business contexts.
ContributorsChung, Myunghun Myunghun (Author) / Bolton, Ruth N (Thesis advisor) / Mandel, Naomi (Committee member) / Kim, Sunghoon (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Firms compete for profitable positions in their technological environments by capitalizing on their design and other capabilities to conceive and realize marketplace strategies more effectively and more efficiently than rivals do. However, research on how technological environment characteristics change the payoff from these capabilities is minimal. Given that possessing superior firm capabilities is a primary source of competitive advantage for firms, this study seeks to fill these critical research gaps in the literature. This dissertation, which is composed of two essays, seeks to answer what capabilities pay off more in various technological conditions. It benefits from the most comprehensive sample to date that includes 2132 publicly traded firms in the United States (US) over 34 years. All the technological industry conditions are captured by using the entire data of utility patents in the US. The first essay shows that design is a firm capability that enhances sales growth. Its effect, however, is attenuated by technology intensity because, in markets with high technology intensity, design attributes become less salient. Moreover, technological competitive intensity and maturity amplify design capability’s positive effect because when technical attributes of products provide limited differentiation, design attributes receive more attention, and consumers overweight them in decision making. The second essay examines the effect of marketing and research and development (R&D) capabilities on return on assets (ROA) in three technological market conditions: Technological turbulence, uncertainty, and acceleration. It shows that all the technological environments amplify the positive ROA performance outcomes from marketing capability, with technological turbulence having the most potent effect. R&D capability, however, is most influential in technologically accelerating markets. Finally, the second essay unveils that marketing and R&D capabilities are complementary only in technologically turbulent markets. These studies thus provide valuable insights to researchers and managers on the payoff from these capabilities and offer new guidance on which capabilities firms should emphasize on under different technological market conditions.
ContributorsJanani, Saeed (Author) / Wiles, Michael A. (Thesis advisor) / Rubera, Gaia (Committee member) / Mishra, Saurabh (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
College sports in America represent a multibillion dollar industry. Recruiting collegiate student-athletes not only is costly for university teams, but is integral for their long-term success. Universities spend substantial amounts of money to recruit student-athletes, yet relatively little academic work has focused on understanding the athletic recruiting process. While NCAA policy regulates when communication is allowed between coaches and student-athletes, there is a lack of literature investigating what the communicative aspects of athletic recruiting entail. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to unpack the student-athlete experience of collegiate athletic recruitment. It builds on theoretical work from organizational and interpersonal communication, as well as management and marketing, to extend existing knowledge of student-athletes’ college choice. Specifically, a conceptual model is presented that includes how student-athletes’ expectations and relationships during athletic recruitment contribute to an overall affinity for the university that, in turn, influences choice.
Thirty Division I student-athletes from six different sports participated in focus groups to discuss their recruitment experiences. Taking a grounded theory approach to the focus group transcripts, thematic analysis illuminated what was most memorable for student-athletes about their recruitment, what expectations they had for the process, and what relational benefits they sought when making their college choice decision. Findings reinforced the prominence of communication in the recruitment process, and indicated the importance of interpersonal relationships, authentic communication, and a customized recruiting experience. This work represents the start of a scholarly trajectory which will further conceptualize and test the relational elements of athletic recruiting. Future directions, as well as theoretical and practical implications, are discussed.
Thirty Division I student-athletes from six different sports participated in focus groups to discuss their recruitment experiences. Taking a grounded theory approach to the focus group transcripts, thematic analysis illuminated what was most memorable for student-athletes about their recruitment, what expectations they had for the process, and what relational benefits they sought when making their college choice decision. Findings reinforced the prominence of communication in the recruitment process, and indicated the importance of interpersonal relationships, authentic communication, and a customized recruiting experience. This work represents the start of a scholarly trajectory which will further conceptualize and test the relational elements of athletic recruiting. Future directions, as well as theoretical and practical implications, are discussed.
ContributorsPosteher, Karlee A (Author) / Kassing, Jeffrey W. (Thesis advisor) / Mongeau, Paul A. (Thesis advisor) / Mandel, Naomi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description中国乳制品（液态奶）行业进入成熟期，伊利、蒙牛等乳企寡头垄断，新乳业作为后进入者，洞察消费者购买乳制品除了获得实物产品外，还期望获得产品相关的附加服务和体验，因此开展了大量体验营销活动。企业独创性地推出了“食育乐园”活动，定期邀请消费者参观公司的牧场、工厂，开展知识互动、现场体验、自助DIY产品、美照话题分享等活动，获得了良好的消费者反馈。本文基于新乳业的体验营销活动，研究体验营销对消费者购买意愿的影响。本文研究研究了三个部分。首先从SOR理论（外部刺激、个体状态、个体反应）出发，以五种体验要素为自变量、以感知价值和品牌信任为中介变量、以购买意愿为因变量建立了体验营销对购买意愿的影响模型。通过问卷法收集了301份消费者数据，用实证分析检验了模型的有效性。结果显示：体验营销五要素中，感官、情感、思考和关联体验对购买意愿产生正影响，行动体验对购买意愿没有显著影响。在除了关联体验外的三个要素对购买意愿的正影响中，感知价值和品牌信任均有中介作用。分性别来看，男性组，感官、思考和关联体验对购买意愿有显著正影响；女性组，情感和关联体验对购买意愿有显著正影响。关联体验对购买意愿的正影响中，女性大于男性。
然后，本文采取事件法，分析比较消费者在参加体验营销活动前后购买意愿的变化，验证了体验营销对购买意愿的提升作用，整体提升7.1%。分人群来看：体验营销对购买意愿提升较大的群体为：女性； 40岁以上；家庭饮奶次数在3-7次/周；近期购买过竞品的消费者。据此，本文认为该类消费者可以作为未来体验营销活动的主力群体。
最后，本文对比分析了活动前后消费者的体验变量，并以此对新乳业的体验营销活动进行评价和优化。活动前后，关联体验提升幅度最大（11.4%），行动体验虽然提升幅度排第二（9.2%），但理论研究表明行动体验的提升并不能对购买意愿产生显著正影响。因此在未来活动设计中，重视与关联体验有关的设计、适度简化行动体验、强化感官体验、情感体验等更加直观的体验有利于提升活动效果。
ContributorsZhu, Chuan (Author) / Chen, Pei-Yu (Thesis advisor) / Jiang, Zhan (Thesis advisor) / Wang, Yongxiang (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021