Walter R. Nord, K. Doreen MacAulay and Jessica Lindsay Kelso
The purpose of this conceptual paper is twofold: to investigate the nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and to discuss the effects that several factors…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this conceptual paper is twofold: to investigate the nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and to discuss the effects that several factors have on CSR outcomes by drawing on concepts from organization theory.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach is used, wherein the authors review the extant literature on CSR theory with the goal of expanding upon theoretical perspectives underlying this area of research.
Findings
The findings show that both initiation and implementation influence CSR outcomes, and that these processes vary based on the degrees of centralization and routineness. In addition, the “fit” between the problems and the processes used influences the benefits of CSR. In short, the authors show that not all CSR initiatives are created equally.
Research limitations/implications
This paper does not address the potential magnitude of fit, only the direction of fit, and does not consider other factors that would play a role in successful initiation and implementation. It does not consider nor estimate the costs associated with different approaches to CSR activities. Lastly, it does not consider the history of an organization when discussing various CSR structures.
Originality/value
This study enriches CSR literature by filling the gap in the extant CSR literature and by proposing a more holistic view to CSR initiatives. The authors offer six propositions that purport the effects that various factors – (de)centralization, fit, CSR–human resources synergies, transformational leadership and pride – have on a company’s CSR activities and recruitment efforts.
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K. Doreen MacAulay, Mark J. Mellon and Walter R. Nord
This article assesses the ability of Boyer's (1990) four-function definition of scholarship to address critiques of business schools. Boyer's definition of scholarship is…
Abstract
Purpose
This article assesses the ability of Boyer's (1990) four-function definition of scholarship to address critiques of business schools. Boyer's definition of scholarship is presented as the foundation for a paradigmatic shift in higher education in business.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors developed this conceptual paper by considering information from three sources: 1) Ernest Boyer's Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate, 2) articles by four well-known pundits of business education as well as critiques appearing in the Academy of Management Learning and Education Journal and 3) articles in which Boyer's work was the focal point of the article found by searching Google Scholar, two well-known education journals, a prominent database of education articles and the International Handbook of Higher Education (Forest and Altbach, 2007).
Findings
A four-function framework based on Boyer's definition of scholarship is proposed to help improve the operations of business schools. The authors also forward ideological and practical implications related to each of Boyer's four functions.
Originality/value
For several decades now, a number of highly respected business scholars have criticized American business education in its current form. These criticisms, although plentiful, have not fueled the magnitude of change needed to have a significant, sustainable impact on business education. The authors suggest that this lack of change is due, in part, to institutional practices and to the absence of a unified framework for how higher education in business should be executed. The authors argue that Boyer's four-function definition of scholarship could provide such a framework.
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Kleiner advances Core Group Theory (CGT) as a framework for pursuing an emancipative agenda in the context of a society heavily influenced by modern organizations. Analysis of…
Abstract
Kleiner advances Core Group Theory (CGT) as a framework for pursuing an emancipative agenda in the context of a society heavily influenced by modern organizations. Analysis of Kleiner's ideas through the lens of critical management studies (CMS) reveals that, despite its merits, CGT may overlook a number of social processes that may be central to an effective, emancipative theory. This analysis also demonstrates how some elements of CGT may be useful additions to CMS.
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Gail Tom, Rebecca Clark, Laura Elmer, Edward Grech, Joseph Masetti and Harmona Sandhar
Reports on a study designed to analyse the effectiveness of realand created spokespersons in advertisements. Compares male and femalespokespersons′ effectiveness by audience…
Abstract
Reports on a study designed to analyse the effectiveness of real and created spokespersons in advertisements. Compares male and female spokespersons′ effectiveness by audience gender. Concludes that celebrities can be used to gain attention and maintain sales, while created spokespersons′ effectiveness is in establishing a lifelong link with the product.
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Describes a study of consumer behaviour carried out in a chocolatestore involving free samples of chocolate, which found that samplingsignificantly increased the immediate sales…
Abstract
Describes a study of consumer behaviour carried out in a chocolate store involving free samples of chocolate, which found that sampling significantly increased the immediate sales of chocolates but that this effect was restricted to small amounts and to those varieties of chocolate other than the variety sampled. Discusses the implications of the findings for marketing management and consumer behaviour theory. Concludes that while sampling produces positive effects, these effects appear to be more complex than they would first seem, therefore further consumer research is needed.
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Charlotte Reypens and Sheen S. Levine
With behavioral experiments and protocol analysis, researchers can capture cognition in action. Using behavioral experiments, they can study realized behavior, not perception or…
Abstract
With behavioral experiments and protocol analysis, researchers can capture cognition in action. Using behavioral experiments, they can study realized behavior, not perception or self-reports. And they can do that in a controlled laboratory environment to establish causality, curbing spurious relationships. With protocol analysis, a method to elicit decision-makers’ thoughts, researchers can tap into cognitive processes. In combination, the two methods offer a novel approach to grasp mental processes alongside behavior, to reach causality and replicate findings. We describe the methods, demonstrate how researchers can apply them, and share practices from the design of experimental instruments to the replication of findings.
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Blaise J. Bergiel and Christine Trosclair
When modern‐day students of marketing turned from the economic explanation of consumer behavior, learning theory was one of the first resources in which they sought more useful…
Abstract
When modern‐day students of marketing turned from the economic explanation of consumer behavior, learning theory was one of the first resources in which they sought more useful alternative concepts. This was a logical move for two reasons: because of the abundance of research conducted in psychology and social psychology; and because learning is close to the central interest of many of those concerned with consumer behavior. However, marketing scholars have given little consideration to one of the most influential perspectives developed in psychology‐the instrumental‐learning approach stimulated by the work of B. F. Skinner. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of instrumental learning and demonstrate its application in a marketing situation.
Examines the practice and marketing consequences of giving out freefood samples. Reports on a study, taken over a period of three days, ofcustomers who entered a well‐established…
Abstract
Examines the practice and marketing consequences of giving out free food samples. Reports on a study, taken over a period of three days, of customers who entered a well‐established, ten‐year‐old chocolate store in a major suburban shopping mall, who received a free sample of chocolate. Shows that sampling immediately increased the sale of chocolates. Cautions that this positive effect was restricted to small purchases and to the purchase of chocolate varieties other than the variety sampled. Discusses the implications of the findings for marketing management and for consumer behaviour theory.
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IT is unfortunate that the date of the 17th Salon de l'Aeronautique made it impossible to include a review of it in the December issue of AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING, although perhaps…
Abstract
IT is unfortunate that the date of the 17th Salon de l'Aeronautique made it impossible to include a review of it in the December issue of AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING, although perhaps its consideration in retrospect may be of rather greater value.