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- All Subjects: Marketing
- Creators: Gray, Nancy
- Creators: Department of Finance
- 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
The advertising agency, in its variety of forms, is one of the most powerful forces in the modern world. Its products are seen globally through various multimedia outlets and they strongly impact culture and economy. Since its conception in 1843 by Volney Palmer, the advertising agency has evolved into the recognizable—and unrecognizable—firms scattered around the world today. In the United States alone, there are roughly 13.4 thousand agencies, many of which also have branches in other countries. The evolution of the modern advertising agency coincided with, and even preceded, some of the major inflection points in history. Understanding how and why changes in advertising agencies affected these inflection points provides a glimpse of understanding into the relationship between advertising, business, and societal values.
In the pages ahead we will explore the future of the advertising industry. We will analyze our research to uncover the underlying trends pointing towards what is to come and work to apply those explanations to our understanding of advertising in the future.
In the pages ahead we will explore the future of the advertising industry. We will analyze our research to uncover the underlying trends pointing towards what is to come and work to apply those explanations to our understanding of advertising in the future.
ContributorsHarris, Chase (Co-author) / Potthoff, Zachary (Co-author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Health and fast food are seemingly on two opposite ends of the spectrum, yet healthy fast food is quickly growing in popularity. As many fast food brands are adjusting their menu to accommodate to this trend, this study explores how health claims used in fast food advertising affect college students' perceptions of health and their likelihood to purchase healthy fast food products. To test this, a survey gathered quantitative data to assess student's perceptions of health and fast food, as well as qualitative data of when eating healthy is appealing and unappealing. An ad manipulation was employed to test student's likelihood to purchase the product shown in the ad. Though the study did not yield significant results, the results collected indicate that health claims may not be enough to influence someone to purchase, but that taste is of student's highest priority when making food purchase decisions. Thus, the study opens the door for future research in this realm of health and fast food, and concludes with recommendations for both marketers and future researchers.
ContributorsMigray, Emilee Catherine (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Women dominate in terms of purchasing power and spending. They hold 60 percent of all US personal income, and those aged 50 years or older have a combined net worth of approximately $19 trillion. Of this group, women between 50 and 70 years old, in particular, are the biggest spenders (Barmann, 2014). More important than their spending power, however, is how satisfied (or dissatisfied) they are with their current purchases. Though women make 85 percent of all consumer purchases, 91 percent of women say, "...advertisers don't understand them," (Barmann, 2014). This makes sense, considering that 50 percent of the products marketed to men are actually purchased by women (Barmann, 2014). Successfully targeting women, especially Baby Boomers (women between 52 and 70 years old), would be a lucrative endeavor, and to better understand the unmet needs of that demographic, exploratory research was needed. In-depth interviews of Baby Boomer women reveals a problem that \u2014 even on a macro level \u2014 has gone unresolved, and has perhaps worsened, throughout written history: the Generation Gap (Bengtson, 1970). To illustrate the depth of the problem, there exist starkly different impressions of younger generations, namely Millennials (born between 1980 and 1995). According to The New Generation Gap by Neil Howe and William Strauss (1992), Baby Boomers view Millennials as unintelligent, entitled "pleasure beasts." In Millennials Rising, also by Howe and Strauss (2000), Millennials are characterized as a generation that is, "...beginning to manifest a wide array of positive social habits that older Americans no longer associate with youth, including a new focus on teamwork, achievement, modesty, and good conduct." These contradictory opinions further support the substantial misunderstanding between generations that surfaced during in-depth interviews. Using the results of in-depth interviews and follow-up questions for idea validation, this thesis presents a potential method for "closing the gap." The goal of this business offering is not to homogenize older and younger generations of women; the goal is to cultivate empathy and connection \u2014 Intergenerational Cohesion \u2014 between them.
ContributorsSeefus, Cole Hawk Gillette (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Giard, Jacques (Committee member) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This study examines the differences in presence and perception of the Samsung and Apple brands in Spain compared to the United States. Primary research was collected on-site in Spain and comparatively analyzed to experiences in the United States from the perspective of an American citizen. Qualitative data in the form of observations and interviews was collected as well as extensive secondary research. The study will conclude international implications of these two brands in Spain.
ContributorsNeerhof, Samantha Noel (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Giard, Jacques (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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
The Confessions of a College Entrepreneur is an honors project with the goal of revealing the business and marketing strategies that Charles Crawford used to create multiple successful companies. It's a collection of personal stories, book notes, millionaire interviews, and experiences that Charles had over the past 4 years of intense business experience and research across multiple industries. Charles wants college students and business owners to succeed in business ventures and life in general. This creative thesis project is the map for how to do just that.
ContributorsCrawford, Charles Joseph (Author) / Budolfson, Arthur (Thesis director) / Giles, Charles (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Children today are being primed with technology at very young ages, leading to a more digitally focused lifestyle. Tangentially, today's digital culture has led to the increase of online shopping rather than in-store shopping. A group of students at Arizona State University's Innovation Space program, in partnership with Disney Consumer Products, set out to create a children's product that bridged the physical-digital gap, and encouraged outdoor activity. The result of their work was Blitz: a versatile, outdoor gaming console that brings traditional outdoor fun into the digital world. This thesis and paired creative project are an extension of the research and development done by the Blitz team. The purpose of this additional research is to discover how parents and children shop online in to design a website to market and sell the Blitz gaming system. Some of the topics covered include visual design, functionality, user interaction, and marketing tactics. The goal is not to develop advertising tactics to manipulate children, but to find the best ways to design for, and market children's products.
ContributorsPoindexter, Devin Alan (Author) / Fehler, Michelle (Thesis director) / Peck, Sidnee (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2014-12
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