Matching Items (111)
Filtering by
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
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
In the recent years, more and more products come into the market, which provides thousands of choices for consumers. We live in a world full of brands, all trying to attract our attention. A critical part of this process is the criteria for selection. Research has found that criteria always derive from individuals’ experience, which finally creates a unique identity for certain products and brands that could be considered synonym with the specific product. This is a fast-growing phenomenon since the advent of the commodity economy period. In today’s competitive environment, modern consumers are the decision makers and the heart of a value exchange. They are becoming increasingly informed as they compare the attributes of different brands. Advertising has always been one of the important ways for companies to build strong relationships with consumers. This research aims to study the relationship between brand loyalty and advertising. This research is focused on two kind of advertisements; advertisements through social network and launch events, which have different characters, differences in broadcast frequency, and different promotion methods. Interview and survey were mainly used for this study.
Research results conclude that: 1) The impact of the press conference is greater than advertising through social network and the effect of a precise advertisement is greater than repeated advertising for individuals. 2) Advertisements should be launched in a less forceful way than in the past. They should try to affect consumers subconsciously, to disguise the fact that they are advertisements and thus keep in sync with consumers, in order to help create loyalty through certain brand. 3) Consumers also want to have more interactions with firms and other users and to participate in the creation of brand-consumer relationships. 4) Advertisements have positive effect in creating brand image.
Research results conclude that: 1) The impact of the press conference is greater than advertising through social network and the effect of a precise advertisement is greater than repeated advertising for individuals. 2) Advertisements should be launched in a less forceful way than in the past. They should try to affect consumers subconsciously, to disguise the fact that they are advertisements and thus keep in sync with consumers, in order to help create loyalty through certain brand. 3) Consumers also want to have more interactions with firms and other users and to participate in the creation of brand-consumer relationships. 4) Advertisements have positive effect in creating brand image.
ContributorsZhang, Wenjing (Author) / Takamura, John (Thesis advisor) / Sanft, Alfred (Committee member) / Gray, Nancy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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
This paper explores how changing the color of chocolate can affect its perceived taste. While color psychology and its effects on food industry marketing are widely studied, this experiment focuses on blue, red, green, and purple striped chocolates. The study conducted for this paper focuses on these four colors based on their utilization in previously conducted experiments. Each color of chocolate involved 25 participants, for a total of 100 total individuals, who each taste tested one piece and immediately filled out a survey. The survey asked demographic questions, colored chocolate preferences, and questions ranking the chocolate's appeal. While the outcome showed that blue, green, red, and purple was indeed the order of appealing colors, the study results indicate the participants' color preferences did not affect their perceived taste of the chocolate they sampled. Rather, their preference was based on experiences they associated with the color of the chocolate they tasted.
ContributorsChan, Sydney (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Giard, Jacques (Committee member) / 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
Through the research of: accredited business articles, wedding sites such as The Knot, personal interviews with brides, research novels, television shows, and movies; this project will depict why and how traditional, American "White Weddings" have become so commercialized by advertisements and businesses as a result of various media channels' reinforcements of cultural ideals and norms about brides and weddings since the 1920s. The purpose of this paper is to identify the largest cultural and commercial forces that contributed to the growth and expansion of the wedding industry.
ContributorsHovendon, Allison Michelle (Author) / Suk, Mina (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
The objective of this case study is to understand the context for which process improvement is effective and the challenges of implementing change. In 2015, a major apparel retailer pioneered a value stream mapping project that addressed the order writing process between its merchandising team and an external vendor. This case follows the development and execution of the project and the challenge of sustaining the improvements rendered. Thorough analysis supports the recommendation for continued organizational support, a post-event auditing process, and specific metrics to indicate the project's success.
ContributorsMorell, Hannah Christine (Author) / Maltz, Arnold (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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 thesis discusses the creation of a new brand of wine. We noticed new trends in packaging and wine labels from different wine producers, and decided to take a deeper look into the current state of the wine industry. We found millennials are growing consumers of wine, and being part of the millennial generation ourselves, we decided our own personal insight could be used in our research efforts to come up with a new concept for wine. Through primary and secondary research, we were able to find relevant trends in the wine industry in regards to millennials. The focus was to create a unique marketing plan for a new wine brand concept that would eventually be sold to an established winery or wine distributor. Key questions we wanted to answer with our primary and secondary research included: What consumer segment in the wine industry is the most attractive to enter? What are the current trends in regards to wine within this consumer segment? What are this consumer segment's preferences for branding in the wine industry? What are this segment's habits in regards to drinking at social occasions? Are there social constructs in regards to what container wine can be served in? What is the ideal container to pursue other than the standard wine bottle for this consumer segment? This paper aims to find related research to support our idea of creating a new brand of wine. We will discuss the background and related readings that we used to create our target market and branding idea, the methodology in which we conducted our surveys, and analyze the data from these surveys in order to finally conclude with our thesis recommendations for how to proceed with a marketing plan.
ContributorsSeeley, Carissa (Co-author) / Haagen, Jenna (Co-author) / St. Peter, Katie (Co-author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Eaton, Kathryn (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
I Am Not A Millennial is an honors thesis project that combines research with a creative application to determine the best practices for companies and advertising agencies. The thesis consists of three main sections: an overview of what a millennial is, bursting the millennial hype bubble, and discussion of whether new targeting techniques, new ideas for content, or new ways of advertising are necessary to engage the Millennial consumer. The thesis will first look at the Millennial Generation to answer the question of "Who are they?" with the emphasis on removing the negative stereotypes from the Millennial generation. This section will be supported by the following section which will discuss the lack of statistical information that truly separates the Millennial generation from its predecessors. Finally, by presenting information on my experiences leading a student-run advertising non profit, case studies, and working within an account management department of an advertising agency, this thesis will present conclusions that advertising agencies and businesses need to develop targeting and content practices that focus in on consumers' interests and tell the story of "why" in order to connect with Millennials.
ContributorsCondo, Ashley Roelle (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Department of Management (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05