Matching Items (23)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Marketing
- Creators: Ostrom, Amy
Description
This research is particularly concerned with organizations’ advocacy of value-based change aimed at improving consumers’ well-being. This work contributes to the Transformative Services Research area and presents a conceptualization of the value-laden service organization (VLSO), which I define as organizations that advocate for specific value-based behaviors from consumers both within and beyond the particular service setting.
In a VLSO, consumers are expected to act in accordance with the values of the organization. If the consumer’s pre-existing value system is not aligned with the values of the service organization, the consumer may experience a sense of psychological disequilibrium, which can lead to unintended decrease in well-being. This research explores how value conflicts are managed by both the organization and by the consumers.
This work emerges out of an interpretive study of a Catholic-based homeless shelter for pregnant women. From it, I identify the practices of consumers and the service organization and explored their interactions. This has resulted in a theoretical conceptualization of a Rescue Institution, which combines aspects of both a Total Institution and a Reinventive Institution in a unique way. Further, I conceptualize a cycle of agency and authenticity that maps the dynamics of the consumer in a VLSO as they negotiate the structure/agency duality.
In gathering data, I used an interpretive approach over the course of three years’ of direct involvement with a service organization, St. Mary’s House. My methods included participant observation, collection of artifacts, and one-on-one in-depth interviews. I interviewed a total of 30 participants, whose transcribed interviews resulted in over 1500 pages of text. Analysis of themes and concepts occurred as a result of repeated examinations of both existing theory and data.
My findings reveal key organizational and consumer practices that negotiate the tension between structure and agency. Organizational practices include rules and social norms, as well as two forms of hierarchy. Consumer practices, often in response to organizational practices, include a cycle of agency and authenticity and participation in a shadow structure. These practices collectively influence consumer’s interpretive drift, which is their adoption of the organization’s values that creates internalized change. I conclude with implications for theory and service organization management. First, value priorities mean that tradeoffs must be made, which can cause unexpected and painful conflict. The experience of change, from both the consumer and service provider perspective, can be very messy. This process includes a dynamic and individual negotiation of authenticity and agency, which will be of interest in future studies. The service providers must be open to this process, carefully navigating their responses to the consumer’s dynamic authenticity, agency and values. Service providers should expect and acknowledge the conflict in consumers’ experience in order to foster their long-term perspective and perseverance.
In a VLSO, consumers are expected to act in accordance with the values of the organization. If the consumer’s pre-existing value system is not aligned with the values of the service organization, the consumer may experience a sense of psychological disequilibrium, which can lead to unintended decrease in well-being. This research explores how value conflicts are managed by both the organization and by the consumers.
This work emerges out of an interpretive study of a Catholic-based homeless shelter for pregnant women. From it, I identify the practices of consumers and the service organization and explored their interactions. This has resulted in a theoretical conceptualization of a Rescue Institution, which combines aspects of both a Total Institution and a Reinventive Institution in a unique way. Further, I conceptualize a cycle of agency and authenticity that maps the dynamics of the consumer in a VLSO as they negotiate the structure/agency duality.
In gathering data, I used an interpretive approach over the course of three years’ of direct involvement with a service organization, St. Mary’s House. My methods included participant observation, collection of artifacts, and one-on-one in-depth interviews. I interviewed a total of 30 participants, whose transcribed interviews resulted in over 1500 pages of text. Analysis of themes and concepts occurred as a result of repeated examinations of both existing theory and data.
My findings reveal key organizational and consumer practices that negotiate the tension between structure and agency. Organizational practices include rules and social norms, as well as two forms of hierarchy. Consumer practices, often in response to organizational practices, include a cycle of agency and authenticity and participation in a shadow structure. These practices collectively influence consumer’s interpretive drift, which is their adoption of the organization’s values that creates internalized change. I conclude with implications for theory and service organization management. First, value priorities mean that tradeoffs must be made, which can cause unexpected and painful conflict. The experience of change, from both the consumer and service provider perspective, can be very messy. This process includes a dynamic and individual negotiation of authenticity and agency, which will be of interest in future studies. The service providers must be open to this process, carefully navigating their responses to the consumer’s dynamic authenticity, agency and values. Service providers should expect and acknowledge the conflict in consumers’ experience in order to foster their long-term perspective and perseverance.
ContributorsRiker, Elise Briggs (Author) / Anderson, Laurel (Thesis advisor) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Dobscha, Susan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
This project investigates how experiences colleges create for admitted students impact students' excitement for, satisfaction with, and likelihood to attend the college, analyzed by different subgroups, and how non-yielded students compare their college selection to W. P. Carey on various metrics. This study found that top admit students were less likely to attend, less satisfied, and less excited with the services offered than their counterparts and recommendations were made to improve the gap.
ContributorsGullo, Kelley (Co-author) / Dwosh, Bennett (Co-author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Olsen, Douglas (Committee member) / Desch, Timothy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
As a self-discrepancy arises between who an individual currently is and who they aspire to become, feelings of tension arise. Reactions to this stress are based on various personal beliefs. Our feelings of our potential to reach our desired state can be affected by our orientation of locus of control, or where we believe control is derived from within our life. In the present research, we examine how a person's locus of control--whether they are internal by attributing outcomes to their own actions or external believers that fate and chance drive their life outcomes--affects their reaction to a self-discrepancy in a domain that is important to them, and how this affects valuation of the products used in that domain. We found that while internals and externals behave similarly under feelings of high competence (baseline condition) when a self-discrepancy is not evident, reactions differed under the opposing condition of feeling less competent during their goal pursuit. Externals did not significantly change their belief in the product regardless of the condition (high vs. low competence) while internals took the defeat heavily by significantly decreasing their belief that the goal-related product would help them achieve their goals and decreased their willingness to pay for it.
ContributorsSweet, Megan Ruth (Author) / Samper, Adriana (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Luxury is a sector of all global industry that has been proven sustainable, having flourished during global economic successes and withstood hardships across numerous decades. Consumers are drawn to luxury, both the physical and perceived value that luxury products offer. Luxury champagne tastes better, luxury vehicles are higher performing and luxury fashion reflects the highest quality designs. The belief in superior product is what keeps luxury relevant. However, it is the brand identity created on behalf of the firm behind a luxury brand that remains the vital component to develop and maintain its top-tier status. Luxury fashion firms are synonymous with their brand, the persona and user experience created driving all facets of creative and business execution. While product name and perceived value are contributors to global success, the evolution and maintenance of such status relies upon the consistency of brand identity. To begin, I will identify a criterion that differentiates luxury fashion (mega-brands) from mass-market and commercial fashion, as well as outline the components that comprise a luxury brand identity. After a clear understanding of the meaning of luxury is established, I will layout the process of how a brand identity is consistently communicated through the business cycle, from the initial creation and design process to the end point of the final sale stage. To further enrich the learning established, I will apply the developed concepts in a dissection of the top five luxury fashion firms, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Gucci. Analyzing each mega-brand, I will evaluate how the company's brand identity has evolved over the course of the firm's heritage and analyze the current brand creative direction (brand identity, ethics and aesthetics). Understanding the brand's persona and image, I will highlight the physical representation through brand codes and symbols to support the firm's positioning as a thriving luxury empire. Lastly, I will interpret the company's latest advertising campaign, deconstructing the application of brand identity as well as the contribution the campaign provides to supporting firm success. Ultimately, after gaining sufficient understanding of what a successful luxury firm is comprised of, I will identify the shortcomings identified within the last firm evaluated, Gucci. I will examine the branding failures of the current state of Gucci, analyzing what contributed to its fall from top luxury brand status. Additionally, I will provide details regarding what measures are currently being taken to regain its superior status as well as provide my own recommendation to the firm. In summation, through the process of understanding successful luxury branding practices, I hope to have enriched not only my understanding of brand identity but have gained the ability to develop my own point of view, to suggest a branding path and measures to be taken to steer Gucci back on a track.
ContributorsGil, Alexandria Southwick (Author) / Peck, Sidnee (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
In 2016, in the United States alone, the cosmetics industry made an estimated 62.46 billion dollars in revenue (Revenue of the Cosmetic Industry in the U.S. 2002-2016 | Forecast). With a consistent increase in sales in the last several years, the industry has reached continued success even during times of hardship, such as the Great Recession of 2008. The use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), external campaigns, and thoughtful packaging and ingredients resonates with targeted consumers. This has served as an effective strategy to maintain growth in the industry. Cosmetic companies promote their brand image using these sustainability tactics, but there seems to be a lack of transparency in this unregulated industry. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if the cosmetics industry is a good steward of the sustainability movement. Important terms and concepts relating to the industry will be discussed, then an analysis of sustainability focused cosmetic brands will be provided, which highlights the extent to which these brands engage in activities that promote sustainability. This is followed by an application of findings to a company that could benefit from using such practices. Overall, the analysis of the different brands proved to be shocking and disappointing. This is due to the sheer amount that scored very poorly based on the sustainability criteria developed. The cosmetics industry is too inconsistent and too unregulated to truly act as a good steward for sustainability. Though some companies in the industry succeed, these accomplishments are not consistent across all cosmetic companies. Hence, the cosmetics industry as a good steward for sustainability can only be as strong as its weakest link.
ContributorsMamus, Sydney Wasescha (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Kristofferson, Kirk (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a burgeoning technology, industry, and field of study. While interest levels regarding its applications in marketing have not yet translated into widespread adoption, AI holds tremendous potential for vastly altering how marketing is done. As such, AI in marketing is a crucial topic to research. By analyzing its current applications, its potential use cases in the near future, how to implement it and its areas for improvement, we can achieve a high-level understanding of AI's long-term implications in marketing. AI offers an improvement to current marketing tactics, as well as entirely new ways of creating and distributing value to customers. For example, programmatic advertising and social media marketing can allow for a more comprehensive view of customer behavior, predictive analytics, and deeper insights through integration with AI. New marketing tools like biometrics, voice, and conversational user interfaces offer novel ways to add value for brands and consumers alike. These innovations all carry similar characteristics of hyper-personalization, efficient spending, scalable experiences, and deep insights. There are important issues that need to be addressed before AI is extensively implemented, including the potential for it to be used maliciously, its effects on job displacement, and the technology itself. The recent progression of AI in marketing is indicative that it will be adopted by a majority of companies soon. The long-term implications of vast implementation are crucial to consider, as an AI-powered industry entails fundamental changes to the skill-sets required to thrive, the way marketers and brands work, and consumer expectations.
ContributorsCannella, James (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Charles (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
With the millennial and Gen Z generations being comprised of avid social media users, corporations have turned to online platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, as a way of communicating and connecting to their audiences. One method that corporations are using to attract consumers is utilizing internet memes. Brands and corporations are now marketing through internet memes to enhance and define the brand’s personality and voice. This study examines the ways corporations use internet memes to personify their brand image and the overall effectiveness of meme usage in engaging consumers. Based on an exploratory analysis of brands over several media pages, we find evidence that brands with an edgy or humorous personality have increased engagement when using this method of communication, while more luxury brands should avoid using memes. Our research was conducted by examining and analyzing the social media accounts of four companies that use memes regularly as ways to promote their brands between November 1, 2018 and February 1, 2019. Our findings suggest that there is no definite correlation between internet memes and consumer engagement, rather that they are beneficial to use in addition to traditional marketing. In order to gain a stronger understanding of the relationships between internet memes and engagement, future research can study online brand personalities more in-depth and develop theories on the effectiveness of meme usage.
ContributorsReicks, Amber Michelle (Co-author) / Ahmas, Roxanna (Co-author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects of digital on the fashion industry. In order to accomplish this, we must first examine the fashion industry, as well as the emerging digital space, and how these two industries are rapidly colliding. Fashion, an industry that has been around since the early 1800s in the United States (Fashion History: The American System for Fashion, 2009), is being forced to pivot, and change its traditional practices, in order to remain relevant in a world heavily influenced by the Internet and consumer preferences. The largest changes taking place within fashion include the power of various industry influencers, including designers, magazines, retailers and lifestyle bloggers, and the rise of blogging as a fashion news source. Although designers, magazines and retailers still have significant clout within the industry, bloggers are becoming a force to be reckoned with, adding a new variable to the industry.
Meanwhile, digital is still being defined, as countless people work to determine best practices and reconcile the unending amount of information available into something that can be used. Trends in digital include the concept of new media, blogging, social media and new channels of media. Overall, we are seeing a shift to user-‐ generated content, available all the time, and a proliferation of content being created and published on the Web.
Some of the ways these two industries are colliding include the rise of lifestyle bloggers, developments and usage of technology, an abundance of new e-‐commerce models, and finally, a shift in the ways consumers curate and discover products online.
Predictions for the future include a more streamlined and user-‐friendly process for search and product discovery online, increase in social commerce and personalization of products, and finally, a return to brick and mortar shopping, but with an improved, experiential model. These trends will affect industry stakeholders dramatically, and so necessary actions for these stakeholders are also discussed, such as allocating more resources to content generation and e-‐commerce, giving consumers the ability to personalize, and improving their physical shopping experiences to provide something valuable and entertaining.
Meanwhile, digital is still being defined, as countless people work to determine best practices and reconcile the unending amount of information available into something that can be used. Trends in digital include the concept of new media, blogging, social media and new channels of media. Overall, we are seeing a shift to user-‐ generated content, available all the time, and a proliferation of content being created and published on the Web.
Some of the ways these two industries are colliding include the rise of lifestyle bloggers, developments and usage of technology, an abundance of new e-‐commerce models, and finally, a shift in the ways consumers curate and discover products online.
Predictions for the future include a more streamlined and user-‐friendly process for search and product discovery online, increase in social commerce and personalization of products, and finally, a return to brick and mortar shopping, but with an improved, experiential model. These trends will affect industry stakeholders dramatically, and so necessary actions for these stakeholders are also discussed, such as allocating more resources to content generation and e-‐commerce, giving consumers the ability to personalize, and improving their physical shopping experiences to provide something valuable and entertaining.
ContributorsLose', Jenna Elizabeth (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Boonlorn, Jennifer (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
A new class of entrepreneurs is emerging in China, who are using a business model approach to solve societal problems. A small but growing niche of these so called "social entrepreneurs" is attempting to address long standing problems in the agricultural sector stemming from the three agricultural issues of farmers, agriculture and rural areas. In order to understand what social entrepreneurship means in the Chinese context, the motivations behind it, and the opportunities and problems related specifically to agricultural sector, interviews were conducted with social entrepreneurs, research institutes, and social fostering organizations in multiple tier-one cities in mainland China. Results show that the concept of social enterprise is comprehended in a very different way in the Chinese context relative to the general usage of the term in the literature. Social enterprises in the agricultural sector are divided into categories of Community Supported Agriculture-based organic farms, farmers' markets, food educators and city farmers. This is a growing group of entrepreneurs who could be better supported on the basis of resources and protection by the government, law and policy, universities, and a united producer and consumer front.
ContributorsGray, Christopher Stephan (Author) / Aggarwal, Rimjhim (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2013-12
Description
Entertainment Marketing to the Millennial Generation is an honors thesis project which combines research with a creative application. The thesis consists of four main segments: an overview of data surrounding Millennials, a discussion of three companies that successfully marketed to this generation, the creation and explanation of a proposed marketing modeling framework and an application of the previously found conclusions to a brief advertising strategy for Paramount Pictures. This thesis first looks at the Millennial Generation to answer the question "Who are the Millennials?" and to more clearly understand their role as media and entertainment consumers. Characteristics of technological dependence, fast-moving attention spans, desire for connection, and unique brand perceptions emerged as most significant. The case studies examine the marketing campaigns of Lionsgate Films' The Hunger Games, Nickelodeon's The 90s Are All That and MTV Iggy's Music Experiment. Strategic tactics used to target and foster a strong Millennial fan-base were identified. The previously discovered principles led to the development of a modeling framework to be used to build a Millennial-focused marketing campaign. The framework utilizes the five key elements of connectedness, hyper-advertising, technological leadership, brand currency and cultural edge. Finally, all findings were gathered and applied to Paramount Pictures. The knowledge gained from Millennial research, the case studies and the marketing framework shaped recommendations for a creative advertising brief for Paramount Pictures' Anchorman 2. The general principles of the thesis were also suggested for use in marketing in various industries.
ContributorsHoy, Grace Dorothy Curran (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Olsen, Douglas (Committee member) / Brooks, Daniel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor)
Created2013-05