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Article
Publication date: 28 January 2025

Tamara Masters, Michael Swenson and Gary K. Rhoads Rhoads

Personnel, particularly frontline employees, represent the face of retailers and help promote the brand, enhancing customer loyalty and satisfaction through positive interactions…

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Abstract

Purpose

Personnel, particularly frontline employees, represent the face of retailers and help promote the brand, enhancing customer loyalty and satisfaction through positive interactions. This research examines retailing versus non-retailing marketing positions to uncover factors that can increase job satisfaction in retail: work environment factors, job characteristics and psychological factors. These factors allow for a holistic view of today’s competitive market that addresses human motivation theory and reveals important insights for attracting and retaining retail talent who can provide compelling, positive experiences for customers.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey research provided the means to collect data and compare retailing versus non-retailing marketing positions. A paid online panel of 2,334 marketing and retail professionals yielded 659 completed surveys. To capture workplace experience of retailers and other marketing professionals, the study measured work environment factors (compensation, customers, recognition received, supervisor support and co-workers), job characteristics (performance feedback, power and control, work variety, autonomy and altruistic opportunity) and psychological factors (job stress, work overload, role conflict and job burnout).

Findings

The findings suggest that job characteristics, psychological outcomes, organizational factors, family support and altruistic opportunity affect retail employee satisfaction. These findings offer actionable responses for retailers in their quest to attract and retain retail employees in today’s competitive job market and, in turn, enrich the customer experience journey.

Research limitations/implications

Competition for the best marketing people to work in retail and avoiding negative interactions between retail employees and customers can be expected to increase brand competitiveness. This research was based on survey responses of individuals in marketing positions suggesting individuals that care about their marketing careers. This research has implications for marketing leadership with regard to critical issues of today’s retail personnel. There is an opportunity to make a difference. Without highly satisfied employees, retail will continue to face challenges in finding and keeping individuals who enhance the customer journey and promote desirable brand experiences. Research consistently shows that when job characteristics, satisfiers and stress are negative aspects of the job, people shift to other jobs that provide more personal career fulfillment (Leider et al., 2016; Stamolampros et al., 2019). Even carefully executed digital marketing, strategic data analytics, aesthetics and promotions cannot drive customers to become raving fans of a retail brand without satisfied employees. Retail personnel are critical as they represent the brand and have a significant impact on the customer experience. With limited resources available to retail management, a priority could be in recruiting and training managers to attract and retain the best retail workers and improve the customer experience. Creating positive customer connections is critical in retail.

Practical implications

Practically, this research provides insight into specific areas that need strategic management action to make retail more appealing.

Originality/value

The study provides an overview and comparison of the key aspects of job satisfaction in retail marketing positions compared with non-retail marketing positions.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

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Abstract

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Review of Marketing Research
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-726-1

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Article
Publication date: 1 August 2004

Stanley E. Fawcett, Gary K. Rhoads and Phillip Burnah

For people to be the bridge to competitiveness, they must be hired and trained not simply for the work their hands can do, but also for their ability to think and learn and make a…

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Abstract

For people to be the bridge to competitiveness, they must be hired and trained not simply for the work their hands can do, but also for their ability to think and learn and make a difference. Building a learning workforce requires that managers cultivate a great working environment and a culture of empowerment. To understand how to manage people so that they become the catalyst to competitive success, a multi‐method research study was undertaken that combined both secondary and primary research techniques. The findings revealed that the characteristics of a great working environment include the following: compensation that communicates that people truly are valued, exceptional facilities, a facilitative company culture, good relations between management and employees, a flexible work place, a family‐friendly culture, and investments in employee competencies. Similarly, a culture of empowerment is built on a foundation of affirmation, belonging, and competence. Unfortunately, few companies understand that antecedents of effective people management and even fewer are willing to make the sustained investments required to harness the learning and passion of the workforce. Tremendous opportunities exist to leverage the human resource for competitive advantage.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

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Book part
Publication date: 6 September 2016

Elizabeth Dreike Almer, Amelia A. Baldwin, Allison Jones-Farmer, Margaret Lightbody and Louise E. Single

To understand the reasons that accounting academics leave the tenure-track academic pipeline.

Abstract

Purpose

To understand the reasons that accounting academics leave the tenure-track academic pipeline.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey study was conducted of PhD graduates who left the tenure-track accounting pipeline over a 22-year period.

Findings

We located and surveyed accounting PhD graduates who have opted out of the tenure-track. These opt-outs included those who have left academia entirely and those who have moved into non-tenure-track positions. Survey results indicate that dissatisfaction with research expectations is the most significant factor for faculty now employed in non-tenure-track positions. Although there were no gender-related differences in the number of faculty who left the tenure-track but stayed in academia, there were some gender differences in the importance of family-related factors in motivating the move off of the tenure-track.

Research limitations/implications

The study examines the importance of the “push” and “pull” factors associated with changing career paths in academia that have been identified in the literature. The study finds some differences in influential factors between accounting academia and other fields. Sample size is a potential limitation.

Practical implications

The study provides recommendations for PhD program directors and for hiring institutions to help reduce the number of opt-outs.

Social implications

Retention of qualified faculty who are dedicated teachers improves students’ educational outcomes.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine factors that drive accounting academics to opt-out of the tenure-track.

Details

Advances in Accounting Education: Teaching and Curriculum Innovations
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-969-5

Keywords

Available. Content available
Book part
Publication date: 19 December 2017

Karin Klenke

Free Access. Free Access

Abstract

Details

Women in Leadership 2nd Edition
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-064-8

Available. Content available
Book part
Publication date: 7 September 2011

Abstract

Details

Women of Color in Higher Education: Changing Directions and New Perspectives
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-182-4

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Article
Publication date: 1 May 1998

Brian H. Kleiner

Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence…

5446

Abstract

Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence down into manageable chunks, covering: age discrimination in the workplace; discrimination against African‐Americans; sex discrimination in the workplace; same sex sexual harassment; how to investigate and prove disability discrimination; sexual harassment in the military; when the main US job‐discrimination law applies to small companies; how to investigate and prove racial discrimination; developments concerning race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; developments concerning discrimination against workers with HIV or AIDS; developments concerning discrimination based on refusal of family care leave; developments concerning discrimination against gay or lesbian employees; developments concerning discrimination based on colour; how to investigate and prove discrimination concerning based on colour; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; using statistics in employment discrimination cases; race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning gender discrimination in the workplace; discrimination in Japanese organizations in America; discrimination in the entertainment industry; discrimination in the utility industry; understanding and effectively managing national origin discrimination; how to investigate and prove hiring discrimination based on colour; and, finally, how to investigate sexual harassment in the workplace.

Details

Equal Opportunities International, vol. 17 no. 3/4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0261-0159

Keywords

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Book part
Publication date: 19 May 2009

Matthew M. Mars, Janet Bercovitz and Barclay E. James

Colleges and universities play a vital role in the creation and dissemination of the innovations that feed the knowledge economy. First, universities carryout a significant…

Abstract

Colleges and universities play a vital role in the creation and dissemination of the innovations that feed the knowledge economy. First, universities carryout a significant portion of the basic research that is conducted in the United States. In 2006, the National Science Foundation reported having awarded $30 B in research-based funding to colleges and universities (National Science Foundation, 2007). While this figure is not an indicator of innovation output, the number helps to demonstrate the scope of research activity that is occurring within the academy. Mansfield (1995) noted that government funding for university research is bent toward science that holds commercial potential and highlighted that such research is likely to produce a high amount of social benefits. Mansfield also concluded that measuring the social returns of university-born (and federally funded) innovations though difficult, is important. Second, universities are instrumental in the production of economically relevant human capital, including students trained in key science and technology disciplines (Leslie & Brinkman, 1988). Audretsch (2007) indicates a highly educated workforce that is capable of creating and moving innovative technologies into the marketplace is a critical component of the current entrepreneurial economy. Also, faculty who intersect industry through consulting and other commercial-related activities make valuable contributions to the economic growth and prosperity of communities, regions, and beyond. In short, colleges and universities are key contributors to the production and function of the innovations that largely drive the knowledge economy.

Details

Measuring the Social Value of Innovation: A Link in the University Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship Equation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84855-467-2

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Article
Publication date: 25 May 2021

Gary Mortimer and Shasha Wang

Fashion retail employees sometimes “bend the rules” to help their customers. Referred to as customer-oriented deviance, this study responds to calls to examine the motivational…

468

Abstract

Purpose

Fashion retail employees sometimes “bend the rules” to help their customers. Referred to as customer-oriented deviance, this study responds to calls to examine the motivational antecedents of this behavior. This research also tests the moderating effect of tenure on the relationships between a frontline employee's motivations, their customer-oriented deviance behaviors and commitment to the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected via a self-completed, anonymous, online survey provided to a sample of 390 sales associates employed in retail fashion businesses.

Findings

Findings demonstrate that fashion retail employees were inclined to adapt service procedures and engage in deviant communication about either their organization and/or the products they sell for both pro-social and self-directed reasons. Interestingly, long-tenured employees demonstrated consistently lower motivations to engage in consumer-oriented deviance compared to short-tenured employees. However, analysis indicated no significant differences between short-tenured and long-tenured employees in their consumer-oriented deviance behaviors and commitment to the organization.

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional nature and single-level data collection naturally put limitations on the generalizability of this research. The study does not examine alternative constructs that might mediate/moderate tested relationships, such as perceived empowerment, gender or risk, hence, future potential avenues for further inquiry are presented.

Originality/value

This research contributes to positive deviance theory and extends existing knowledge by developing an extensive model of motivational antecedents, a moderator and an outcome of consumer-oriented deviant behavior. For managers, this research provides valuable insights for organizations, which may create positive effects on service quality and a reduction in employee turnover.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 4 December 2019

Kumar Rakesh Ranjan and Stuart Read

Despite the increasing prominence of value co-creation (VCC) in extant research, the area of customer co-creation is in its infancy and many aspects are not well-understood. This…

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite the increasing prominence of value co-creation (VCC) in extant research, the area of customer co-creation is in its infancy and many aspects are not well-understood. This paper aims to important work from the individual psychology literature with the concept of VCC and offers empirical evidence to untested theoretical claims regarding the role of the individual in VCC.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigation begins with reviews of the literature of individual psychology and VCC to compare the concepts they use to explain the role of the individual in co-creation. The results of the theoretical development are empirically derived using a multiple vignette-based study to examine relationships between individual characteristics and the activity of VCC.

Findings

The authors find a positive effect of a customer’s prosocial orientation, perspective taking and involvement on VCC. However, a customer’s extraversion does not affect the degree of VCC. The desire-to-participate mediates these relationships.

Research limitations/implications

This study offers a foundation for some of the central claims about VCC and encourages a precise understanding of the impact of individual customer psychology in value co-creation with firms. Implications for the service-dominant logic of marketing and core work in psychology are discussed.

Practical implications

Managers seeking to design co-creative ecosystems need to know about the individuals they are co-creating with. In this research, the authors clearly exemplify how managers can use in practice a theoretical understanding of individuals to better direct the activity of VCC.

Originality/value

This paper provides both new theoretical knowledge from the parallel literature review and exciting empirical results from the authors’ investigation into phenomenological claims regarding VCC.

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