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Article
Publication date: 26 March 2019

Clare D’Souza, Silvia McCormack, Mehdi Taghian, Mei-Tai Chu, Gillian Sullivan-Mort and Tanvir Ahmed

Curricula is developing from a pure knowledge-based outcome to a more skill-based outcome, with the objective of creating and advancing competencies that meet employer…

Abstract

Purpose

Curricula is developing from a pure knowledge-based outcome to a more skill-based outcome, with the objective of creating and advancing competencies that meet employer expectations. While the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demand organisations to change practices and adapt to sustainable goals, there is a lack of understanding in how competencies can enhance these goals. The purpose of this paper is twofold: Study 1 explores competencies related to sustainability required in a work force and examines employer perceptions on the existing literature for competencies. Study 2 empirically tests the influence of sustainability scholarship on non-technical competencies in the work force.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed method approach was undertaken. A sample of managers from 39 large Australian organisations participated in the scoping study. This was followed by further interviewing executives from 12 multinational corporations in China to assess the validity of competencies and provide deeper understanding of the issues at hand. The quantitative study analysed a sample of executive responses from 229 multinationals in China using factor and regression analysis to test for the effects of mediation.

Findings

The research highlights that the underlying competencies regarding sustainability influences the bigger picture within firms for attaining sustainability. The affective and cognitive growth of sustainability scholarship is governed mainly by a firm’s sustainable values. Core organisational values facilitate the development of non-technical competencies. These relationships and their cumulative effect on competencies provide a theoretical framework for acquiring sustainability within organisations. Employees need sustainability scholarship for enhancing sustainability. Sustainability scholarship reflects high-level learning obtained through universities or training. The research found that non-technical competencies such as professional ethical responsibility mediate between core business competencies and sustainability scholarship.

Originality/value

By exploring employer’s perception of competencies, the study first makes an important contribution in addressing the need to support SDGs by bridging organisational-level competencies and sustainability literacy, which hold significant benefits for practitioners, academia and organisations at large. Second, the theoretical findings strengthen the need for embedding competencies in the curriculum. It conveys the need for sustainability literacy/scholarship to align with organisational training and learning pedagogies, in order to effectively meet industry needs. Third, it provides useful insights on employers’ estimation about workplace competencies and broadens our understanding on the contribution that competencies within organisations make to this end.

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Nkosinathi Sithole, Gillian Sullivan Mort and Clare D'Souza

This paper aims to examine customer experience value orchestrated by non-banks' financial touchpoints to understand how they enhance the financial inclusion of low-income…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine customer experience value orchestrated by non-banks' financial touchpoints to understand how they enhance the financial inclusion of low-income consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

Two independent but related studies were conducted using qualitative comparative analyses (QCA) research design with semi-structured interviews to compare and contrast customer experience value at two rural locations in Southern Africa. The interview transcripts were analysed using ATLAS.ti, which is a powerful operating system for analysing qualitative data.

Findings

The results indicate that non-banks in the two countries design financial services that include functional, economic, humanic, social and mechanic customer experience value dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

The data for this study was collected from financial services customers of retailers and mobile phone network operators in only one research setting in each country. Further research could extend the comparative context for qualitative studies across similar markets. Other limitations are discussed in the paper.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by highlighting the salient and germane dimensions and components found to be important in understanding financial inclusion using customer experience value. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that incorporates customer experience value dimensions in understanding the financial inclusion of low-income consumers at the base of the social and economic pyramid in emerging markets.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Nkosinathi Sithole, Gillian Sullivan Mort and Clare D'Souza

This paper aims to explore the effects of the customer-to-customer co-creation experiences of savings/credit groups in the African context and how savings/credit groups influence…

1036

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the effects of the customer-to-customer co-creation experiences of savings/credit groups in the African context and how savings/credit groups influence financial capability and enhance financial well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

Using purposive sampling, a study of a total of 18 focus groups was conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. Nine urban-based savings/credit groups were drawn from across South Africa and additional nine, rural-based savings/credit groups were studied in the Monduli district of Tanzania.

Findings

Findings demonstrate that the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which promotes customer-to-customer interaction, is the cornerstone of the customer-to-customer co-creation experience. Ubuntu philosophical principles were found to influence the dialogue, access, risk and transparency model of co-creation and customer-dominant logic. The results show further that customer-to-customer co-creation experience positively influences the cognitive, financial, personal and social experiences of members. Specifically, it was found that cognitive and financial experiences positively influence financial satisfaction, financial self-esteem, financial self-efficacy and financial capability, all of which enhance financial well-being. In addition, personal and social experiences positively influence equality, self-confidence, entrepreneurial skills and motivation that in turn enhance social well-being.

Research limitations/implications

This study has implications for many different stakeholders concerned with the financial inclusion of low-income consumers, particularly in the southern part of Africa.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the effects of customer-to-customer co-creation experiences in traditional financial services settings in order to understand how these indigenous financial services influence the financial capability and financial well-being of co-creation members.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2018

Rahim Hussain, Ahmed Shahriar Ferdous and Gillian Sullivan Mort

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether advertising type (static or dynamic) and appeal (emotional or rational) moderate the relationship between web banner advertising…

3582

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether advertising type (static or dynamic) and appeal (emotional or rational) moderate the relationship between web banner advertising frequency and consumer attitudinal response.

Design/methodology/approach

A laboratory experiment involving 400 participants was conducted to test for the moderating effect. Factorial ANOVA is used to measure brand attitude.

Findings

The results identified that the web banner advertisement type acted as a moderator between frequency and brand attitude. However, the moderating effect of banner advertisement appeal was found to be insignificant at a single banner advertisement frequency (i.e. exposure) but significantly different at a higher frequency. The study findings provide better directives for online marketers.

Practical implications

The major limitation is the fact that the impact of banner advertisement frequency was manipulated from one to five exposures. Future research needs to determine what happens after the fifth exposure, perhaps ten exposures or more, to determine the wear-out effect and in turn, to decide on the optimal frequency level in an effort to design more appropriate web communication strategies.

Social implications

The result shows that pop-up banner advertisements are intrusive, and that high level of exposures to pop-up banner advertisement could annoy online users. Thus, online advertisers should avoid repeating the pop-up banner advertisements because this could adversely affect the attitude towards the online advertising in general, and could also negatively influence attitudes towards the brand and ultimately effect online purchase.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the theory by providing more insights into the repetition effect, and comprehensive conclusions can be drawn based on the manipulation of banner advertisement frequency on different frequency levels. The research identifies that if the communication objective is to generate brand attitude, different strategies can be adopted depending on the banner advertisement type (pop-up vs static) and banner advertisement appeal (emotional vs rational).

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2017

Tariq Abdullatif Halimi, Clare D’Souza and Gillian Sullivan-Mort

As the Arab/Muslim-Israeli animosity case is attracting international attention, citizens of non-Arab and non-Muslim countries around the world, referred to as third-country…

1464

Abstract

Purpose

As the Arab/Muslim-Israeli animosity case is attracting international attention, citizens of non-Arab and non-Muslim countries around the world, referred to as third-country nationals (TCNs), are increasingly joining the boycott against Israel. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of empathy for the citizens of the countries offended by Israel, namely Palestine and Lebanon, as a potential factor affecting TCNs decision to boycott Israeli products.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted with non-Arab, non-Muslim, and non-Israeli informants from different national and religious backgrounds, supported by secondary data sources. The qualitative grounded theory approach was employed to analyse data in order to answer the research questions.

Findings

TCNs decision to boycott Israeli products is affected by their empathic concern for the citizens of Palestine and Lebanon rather than by animosity towards Israel. Such concern is evoked by their awareness of the animosity case and further strengthened by their self-transcendence/universalism values and interaction with the case which activate their altruism towards the citizens of the offended countries, and consequently motivates them to relieve or reduce the suffering of these citizens by avoiding Israeli products. Greater emphasis is given to the Arab/Muslim-Israeli animosity case as a result of the greater empathic emotional impact it generates compared to other cases.

Originality/value

This is an original attempt to distinguish empathy from animosity as a factor which can affect TCNs decision to buy from a country engaged in hostile actions against another country other than their own. As the boycott campaign against the country under examination is growing internationally, this study can help international marketers in setting strategies to either exploit or combat the boycott campaign.

Article
Publication date: 21 September 2015

Robert E. McDonald, Jay Weerawardena, Sreedhar Madhavaram and Gillian Sullivan Mort

The purpose of this paper is to offer a sustainability-based typology for non-profit organizations and corresponding strategies to sustain the mission and/or financial objectives…

2540

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer a sustainability-based typology for non-profit organizations and corresponding strategies to sustain the mission and/or financial objectives of non-profit organizations. The balance of mission and money, known in the non-profit literature as the double bottom line, is a challenge for professional managers who run non-profits and scholars who study them.

Design/methodology/approach

Typologies are often used to classify phenomena to improve understanding and bring about clarity. In this paper, non-profit organizations are viewed from a social and fiscal viability perspective, developed from the long standing challenge of balancing mission and money.

Findings

The typology developed in this paper identifies several normative strategies that correspond to the social and fiscal viability of non-profit organizations. In fact, the strategies offered in this paper can help non-profit managers achieve organizational sustainability, thus enabling them to continue what they are meant to do – to provide greater social value to their constituents.

Research limitations/implications

The typology presented is a classification system rather than a theoretical typology. Its purpose is to help managers of non-profits to recognize threats to their organizations’ long-term survival and offer strategies that if adopted can move the organizations to less vulnerable positions. However, the recommended strategies are by no means exhaustive. Furthermore, the focus of the paper is on non-profit organizations, not profit-driven or hybrid entities. The sustainability-based typology of non-profit organizations and the corresponding strategies have implications for practitioners and academics. The typology and its contents can help managers assess their non-profits, competitive environment and their current strategies, plan their double bottom line strategies and last but not the least, develop and implement strategies for social and fiscal sustainability. In addition, our paper provides great opportunities for future research to subject our typology and its contents to conceptual and empirical scrutiny.

Practical implications

The strategies described here are developed based on scholarly research and examples from successful non-profits. The typology and the related list of strategies provide a manager with the tools to accurately diagnose organizational challenges and adopt plans to improve the organization’s viability.

Social implications

Non-profit organizations are an integral part of society that bolsters economic prosperity, environmental integrity and social justice. This paper may provide guidance for a number of non-profit managers to keep their organizations operating and serving important social missions.

Originality/value

In the context of organizations for social mission, several typologies exist that looked at firms from the perspectives of ownership versus profit objectives, entrepreneurship conceptualizations of economists and origins and development paths of social enterprises. While these typologies provided foundations for theoretical and empirical work into social enterprises, our typology offers strategies for the sustainability of mission and/or money objectives of non-profits. The value of this research lies in integrating virtuous and pragmatic objectives of non-profit sustainability that, in turn, can ensure the social mission of non-profits.

Details

Management Research Review, vol. 38 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8269

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 April 2010

Margee Hume and Gillian Sullivan Mort

Organizations must base success on consumer retention predicated on the consumer's desire to repurchase. Some organizations, such as those providing emotionally charged and…

12158

Abstract

Purpose

Organizations must base success on consumer retention predicated on the consumer's desire to repurchase. Some organizations, such as those providing emotionally charged and complex services in the performing arts, find this difficult. Knowledge of the role of emotions in customer judgments is negligible. The relationship of core service quality and peripheral quality on repurchase intent is also understudied. This paper aims to model and test the interrelationship of these constructs in predicting repurchase intention in a performing arts context.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey instrument tailored to the performing arts was administered to a sample of 250 past and present performing arts audience members, with responses examined using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results indicate repurchase intention is largely based on satisfaction mediated by perceived value. Core service quality, appraisal emotion and peripheral service quality influence perceived value for time and money, with core service quality and peripheral service quality in turn influencing appraisal emotion. Appraisal emotion directly affects customer satisfaction but has no direct relationship to repurchase intention. Peripheral service quality, however, directly affects repurchase intention.

Practical implications

Evidence suggests expansion of the strategic focus to include peripheral services in order to maximize repurchase. Core service quality, (the act) affects repurchase intent through an indirect path mediated by appraisal emotion, which does not directly influence repurchase intent. Appraisal emotions are influential in determining perceived value.

Originality/value

This is the first known paper combining this system of relationships including the influence and role of appraisal emotion in the performing arts context.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 April 2008

Margee Hume and Gillian Sullivan Mort

The aim of this paper is to report on the structure and relationships between value and satisfaction in a cultural performing arts setting to identify the structure of…

4454

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to report on the structure and relationships between value and satisfaction in a cultural performing arts setting to identify the structure of satisfaction in the performing arts context.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines customer attitudes to value, show experience quality and peripheral service quality in a high arts setting by using a questionnaire. The pool of questions used the most recent scale measures for constructs in the area of services, in particular experiential services. The data are tested using AMOS 5.0 structural equation modelling.

Findings

This paper reports that value mediates the relationship of show experience quality and peripheral service quality to satisfaction and the direct link of these pathways to satisfaction was not significant. This research supports the notion that customers determine service satisfaction based on attribute performance of the show and peripheral service aspects, and derive value from this.

Practical implications

This research informs cultural organisation managers of the importance of delivering high levels of service quality and show experience in order to offer a value for money experience. This paper identifies the importance of understanding the heterogeneous and complex nature of customer‐derived value.

Originality/value

This paper examines a service sector that receives little attention. Cultural organisations operate as non‐profit organisations and are accountable for scarce fund allocation. Government support has decreased and corporate sponsorship is scarce and competitive. This paper offers assistance to organisations in the quest to balance the economic issues and constraints by creating value and satisfaction and balancing service quality and show delivery.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 42 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 March 2012

Gillian Sullivan Mort, Jay Weerawardena and Peter Liesch

The purpose of this paper is to advance the domain of entrepreneurial marketing (EM) responding to the challenge to EM scholars to more fully develop EM as a school of marketing…

9112

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance the domain of entrepreneurial marketing (EM) responding to the challenge to EM scholars to more fully develop EM as a school of marketing thought. The paper seeks to argue that the context of the born global firm is an appropriate and novel context in which to undertake this research.

Design/methodology/approach

The need to examine the processes of EM justifies the use of case study method. In total, nine born global firms, located in the three most populous states in Australia: Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, were selected for study. The firms were drawn from hi‐tech and low‐tech industry sectors, and included online businesses, in an attempt to capture maximum theoretical variation.

Findings

The analysis identifies the four key strategies of entrepreneurial marketing as comprising opportunity creation, customer intimacy‐based innovative products, resource enhancement and importantly, legitimacy. These core strategies of EM are identified by mapping to enhanced performance.

Research limitations/implications

Some may consider the born global context a limitation. Therefore, it is suggested that further empirical research could be undertaken on other cohorts of small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), such as service SMEs, to provide increased insight into the strategies and practices in the domain of EM. Quantitative research to operationalize the EM construct and model theoretical relationships is also suggested.

Originality/value

This paper advances the domain of EM into a new phase by empirically identifying four core strategies of EM. It finds that EM contributes to the achievement of superior performance in small firms through purposeful strategy based an effectuation approach.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 46 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2006

Gillian Sullivan Mort and Jay Weerawardena

International entrepreneurship (IE) is a new field of multi‐disciplinary enquiry that has its origins in the research on born globals. Within international marketing the concept…

13646

Abstract

Purpose

International entrepreneurship (IE) is a new field of multi‐disciplinary enquiry that has its origins in the research on born globals. Within international marketing the concept has attracted the attention of researchers examining the factors driving small‐ and medium‐size firm internationalisation. These small, rapidly internationalising, entrepreneurial new ventures have recently both challenged and fascinated scholars and practitioners. While IE researchers are beginning to call for a broadening of the field of IE enquiry, this research continues the focus on the special breed of small firms, the born globals. We do this to deepen our understanding of IE, and focus on networking in born globals to attempt to develop richer insights directed towards establishing more in‐depth understanding and more robust theoretical frameworks.

Design/methodology/approach

Relationships and networking have been important in internationalisation studies for some time, and for small firms in particular are of interest for their role in helping overcome “resource poverty”. Case study method is adopted to examine the generative mechanisms and processes of networking capabilities. Drawing on six exemplar case studies from low‐tech and hi‐tech industry sectors, this research identifies the role and characteristics of the entrepreneurial owner/manager and the development of networking capability over time.

Findings

Fundamental and secondary networking capabilities are identified. How networking capability enables identification and exploitation of market opportunities, facilitates the development of knowledge‐intensive products and firm international market performance in the born global firm is discussed. The issue of network rigidity is also highlighted. A conceptual model is presented, implications discussed and future research directions, in particular the extension of networking capability research to large firms exhibiting IE, are promulgated.

Originality/value

Overall the findings of the study contribute to the development of IE research by identifying the centrality and scope of the impact of networking capabilities in small born global firms arguing that dynamic networking capability characterises IE in this context.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 23 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

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