PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE I just dont understand this philosophy of science stuff!

As far as I can tell, all this [philosophy of science] amounts to is a bunch of high brow intellectual snobs getting a bunch of journal publications talking about stuff that nobody really cares about, especially marketing practitioners. Twenty years ago, the marketing discipline did not have any philosophy of science courses and the discipline got along just fine. Demonstrate your knowledge and personal opinion of philosophy of science and its role in marketing by reacting to the previous statement. (a) Take a position for or against the statement and (b) support your position using relevant literature. MARKETING THOUGHT Discuss the relationship between theory, research and science. What is the purpose of each? Given your discussion, is marketing a science? Why or why not? Early theories of marketing thought were marked by a controversy regarding the universality of marketing theory. On one hand, proponents of a universal theory argued that marketing is a discipline comprising concepts, tools, theories, practices and procedures that are applicable in all contexts. Opponents, on the other hand, argued that marketing thought is context bound. Explain the basis of this controversy and your position on this issue. All marketing professors take an ocean cruise on the S.S. Titanic II. While on the cruise, the ship accidentally (we think) strikes a boat filled with accounting professors. Unfortunately, the Titanic begins to sink rapidly (the boat with the accounting professors is totally unscathed). There is only one good lifeboat on the Titanic II and it only seats 4 people. a. Who among the thousands of marketing professors on the Titanic should be saved? Defend your choice by listing their specific contributions to the marketing literature. b. Who would be the first four you would throw off the boat? Many marketers believe that marketing is an applied discipline. Develop in detail the argument in favor of marketing being considered an applied discipline. Others contend that marketing is not an applied discipline. Please develop in detail this position. What are the implications of both positions for marketing research, teaching and practice. What are your personal views concerning this issue? Several scholars/authors have stated that, Marketing is an Art, not a Science. Still others have commented that, Marketing is a Professional Discipline, not an Academic Discipline. a. What is meant by the terms science, art, professional and academic? b. Evaluate and distinguish between these positions. c. What are the consequences, if any, for marketing teaching and research if this positions are held? d. What is the nature of the marketing discipline?

During the last few years there has been an ongoing debate concerning the fundamental philosophical orientation that marketing does (and should) have. Writers such as Peter, Olson, Arndt and Anderson advocate what they call a Relativistic/Constructionist approach. They contrast this with the so called Positivistic/Empiricist approach, which supposedly dominates the marketing discipline today. Other writers have suggested that Peter, Olson and Anderson have misconstrued the fundamental tenets of current approaches to marketing science. a. What are the fundamental tenets of the approach to science sometimes labeled modern or logical empiricism? b. How do the fundamental tenets of modern empiricism differ from the Relativistic/Constructionist approach advocated by the above cited authors? c. Which of the two approaches do you believe would be more useful as a guide for progress in marketing science? Be sure to specify precisely why you choose the alternative you do. d. At the present time, the Section Editor for the Measurement Section of the Journal of Marketing Research is a relativist. Do you see any unique problems that a relativist would have in attempting to fulfill the functions of a Marketing Measurement Section Editor? If so, what are these problems? There are many sayings such as history repeats itself, we learn form our mistakes, and someone has probably thought about that before. These sayings, while varied, point out the importance of history. All disciplines have historical roots and development and marketing is no exception. Bartels and others have stated that marketing has been impacted by events which have occurred and the people involved in the practice of marketing. While the exact amount and type of impact can be debated, it is true that the present status of the marketing discipline has been impacted in some way, by what has transpired in times past. Differentiate between normative theory and positive theory. Must the development of positive theory necessarily precede the development of normative theory? Do all normative theories rest upon an essentially positive base? Summarize the empiricism-rationalism debate. To what extent does the discovery/ justification distinction help us understand the debate? To what extent does the fallible/infallible distinction help us? In your judgment, which side of the debate had the better case? Many theories and models in marketing consist primarily of a diagram with boxes, each having a single concept or construct and various arrows connecting the boxes. Are these theories? If no, what additionally would be needed to construct a theory? If yes, discuss how they meet the requirements of a theory. Some analysts think segmentation is a concept that is in the declining stage of its life cycle. 1. What is the basis for this belief and do you agree? 2. Discuss two other marketing concepts or constructs that have had historical significance to marketing that have gone through the life cycle. Discuss the relevance to marketing thought.

The product life cycle (PLC) concept has been applied to a variety of phenomena in the discipline of marketing. Use the PLC as a framework for discussing marketing research. In doing so, identify streams of scholarly research that you believe to be in each stage of the PLC. Explain and critique each stream, citing examples of relevant research. Be sure to state the criteria you use to assign each stream of research to a life cycle stage. What leads to rapid growth of research in a particular stage? Use examples in your answer. Compare and contrast the functional school of marketing thought and the managerial school. GENERAL MARKETING KNOWLEDGE Select one of the following major areas of marketing and identify the ten most significant events and individuals which have had the most impact on its present state of development. Include mention of books, articles, monographs, etc. which have been published that reflect those significant events and people. The major area you select must come from the following: Marketing Theory Consumer Behavior Sales Management Promotional mix New product development Marketing research

Make certain that when appropriate, you link the various events, people, publications, etc. together to show the pattern of thought development in the area you have selected. Discuss any five (5) of the following concepts, writing about 2 pages on each. Be sure to cite any relevant research Satisfaction Store image Comparative advertising E-commerce Competitive market structure Memory representation Brand loyalty vs. spurious loyalty Localized vs. global strategies Affect vs. cognition Prisoners dilemma Theory of reasoned action Heteroskedasticity Perceived quality Transaction Cost Analysis & Principal-agent theory Behavioral decision theory Reference pricing & its effect on choice Localized vs. Globalized Strategies Rationale for sales promotions Expectations and Perceived Service Quality Experimental vs. quasi-experimental design Regression vs. ANOVA Multidimensional techniques vs. factor analysis Stepwise regression Stochastic models Conjoint analysis

MARKETING CONCEPT The marketing concept is generally considered one of the most important foundations for the practice of good marketing. As a consequence, the marketing concept is often taken for granted as a sound philosophy by which to operate a business.

a.

What limitations, if any, do you see in the application and implementation of the marketing concept? Be sure to describe and evaluate recent marketing literature that has addressed both the appropriateness and the implementation issues associated with the marketing concept. b. Assume that you are a director for The Marketing Science Institute and you have named research on the use and implementation of the marketing concept as an MSI priority. Develop a general list of research questions that you believe would be worthy of funding. What is the marketing concept? Trace the origins of the concept and then relate your version of the current from of the concept. Is the marketing concept a theory? Why or why not? How is a market orientation related to the marketing concept? When you teach marketing, will you include the marketing concept in the topics you cover; why or why not? MARKET SEGMENTATION If there is one concept that has continuously captured the fancy of marketing managers and scholars over the twenty years, it is market segmentation. a. Explicitly discuss the meaning of market segmentation and the rationale underlying its use. b. Identify and discuss the variables that have over the last 10 to 15 years received considerable attention as basis for segmenting the market. (Rather that an arbitrary ordering of these variables, place them, during your discussion, in a framework useful for categorical purposes. c. If a marketing manager today (1990) asked you to tell him/her which of the above variables is (are) the superior segmentation variable(s), what would you tell him/her? Why? PRODUCT POSITIONING Marketing modelers often claim that "optimal site selection for a new retail outlet in geographic space is similar to optimal positioning of a new product in perceptual space." Briefly review modeling approaches in these 2 areas and identify (or develop / propose) a model that can be used (with few modifications) for retail site selection and optimal product positioning. In July, J.C. Penney opened seven new stores in the area. In an unusually opportunistic move, the stores were purchased from a bankrupt retailer at auction. Penneys main competitor in all locations is Hechts. Two of Penneys main objectives are: 1) to overcome its image as a plain Jane retail chain and 2) to establish a secure niche in the middle of the market between upscale competitors and discount mass merchandisers. Over the next five years, the marketing research division will be monitoring consumer perceptions to evaluate the companys progress in repositioning itself. Plan a research program for J. C. Penney to use in evaluating its position in the market, now and during the next five years. Proceed as you would in planning any study, by doing the following: a. Briefly summarize the relevant literature, and derive at least 2 testable hypotheses. b. Draw a model showing the important concepts and how they are related.

c. Present all stages in the methodology, including the statistics you will use to test your hypotheses d. Discuss the implications of your research for the companys marketing strategy DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION Some researchers have suggested that as marketers move into the 21st century, better understanding of the diffusion and adoption patterns of technology-based innovations will be a critical piece of the complex puzzle of how to remain profitable in a high-tech information world. Discuss each of the following statements or questions: What are the general theoretical underpinnings of diffusion on innovation theory? Identify and assess the measurement issues associated with the theory (i.e., reliability, validity, theory assumptions)? What are the critical issues surrounding the employment of diffusion theory to understanding consumers adoption rates of advanced technology-based innovations? Discuss the constructs of perceived risk and forced adoption and how they impact the diffusion of innovation process? How might consumers innovativeness and adoption processes impact the marketing opportunities and problems associated with the information superhighway? What are the important assumptions (or limitations) of the Diffusion of Innovations Models in marketing? Since the Bass diffusion model was proposed in 1969, what have been the major research streams in the area? Briefly explain each of these streams with appropriate cites. RESEARCH-QUALITATIVE Suppose that you tell a fellow AMA doctoral consortium candidate that you have taken a course that examined methods of collecting and analyzing qualitative data. She responds: Why are you bothering with that weird science? Those kind of people dont do real science. They dont use scientific sampling; they collect unreliable, anecdotal data. Theres no rigor involved; its too touchy-feely. You cant establish the validity of their claims. Besides anybody can do it. Formulate a response to the colleague grounded in the philosophy of science and methodological principles to which you have been exposed. Describe and discuss the philosophy and method of Existential-Phenomenology. Using examples from recent consumer research, illustrate the advantages and potential limitations of the phenomenological interview. Compare and contrast the existential-phenomenological approach to consumer understanding with ethnography as an approach to consumer understanding. There are numerous ways to classify the research methodologies used by researchers and practitioners alike, to collect data for investigating todays marketplace behaviors, consumer behavior issues, or to answer marketing managers questions. There is a growing acceptance to classify research methods as being either qualitative or quantitative in nature. While most researchers believe that good solid research endeavors will incorporate both qualitative and

quantitative methods into their practices, there are those researchers who believe that each family methods while different, can provide similar results and information to researchers and practitioners alike. Using your knowledge and understanding of both qualitative and quantitative research methods, provide a supportive discussion to each of the following sub-questions. [Make certain you support your answers by including appropriate literature cites where necessary]: a. What are the general differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods? Make sure your discussion includes the objectives/goals that underline the two types of research methodologies, their strengths and weaknesses, and potential information applications for practitioners and researchers. b. Select a particular research method that is truly a member of the family of qualitative research methods and a method that is a member of the family of quantitative research methods and briefly discuss how each method might be used to investigate the following research question: Do mature consumers (ages 65 and older) use significantly different evaluation processes and constructs than do established consumers (ages 30 to 50) to determine their level of materialism and satisfaction of products and/or services in the disposition stage of a post-purchase consumption process? c. Regardless of the research method used to investigate a marketing phenomenon, issues of reliability and validity are critical t any researcher. Assessment techniques to address these critical issues are well established within qualitative research methods, but are difficult to implement within qualitative research methods. Discuss some of the techniques and criteria used by researchers to address the issues of reliability and validity within qualitative research methods. RESEARCH-MEASUREMENT Today, many marketing researchers strive to investigate many marketing phenomena by asking important questions to a variety of respondents. When investigating consumers attitudes and behaviors towards products, services and marketplace behaviors, it is a very common practice to design and use sets of predetermined scale measurements to aid in guiding the respondents thinking and answers t the questions presented in a standardized questionnaire (survey instrument) format. In marketing research, all question/scale formats can be logically classified as being either nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio in nature. Given your in-depth understanding of scale development issues, provide a detailed, supportive discussion of each of the following sub-questions [Include examples where appropriate]: a. What are the scaling assumptions (properties) activated with each of the above four categorical types of scale measurements? Within your discussion, make sure you point out (or address) any similarities and differences. b. For each of the four types of scale measurement formats, what are the hierarchical implications regarding the appropriateness of measures of central tendencies and levels of dispersion of the information being provided? c. From an informational interpretation perspective, what are the differences in the information provided to the research/practitioner by these four scale measurement formats?

d.

What data analysis problems (if any) are created by researchers who abuse (or misuse) the inherent scaling properties associated with these four scale measurement formats? [Make certain you provide concrete examples to support your thoughts.

Survey methods and depth interviewing are widely used data-gathering techniques in both commercial and academic marketing research. Discuss the strengths and limitations of these techniques form a philosophy perspective (i.e. paradigmatic presumptions, strengths, weaknesses, blind spots, lacuna, etc.). Draw on literature that identifies the methodological weaknesses and/or attempts to address them in formulating your answer. Identify appropriate uses and common misuses of these techniques in either applied or academic contexts. Relate this literature to your own experiences where appropriate. Constructs occupy a great deal of social scientists as well as marketing scholars research attention. As a prospective Ph.D. in Marketing, you too will spend much of your research attention directed at developing, measuring, and investigating constructs. Make certain that you support your answers by including appropriate citations form the literature. a. What is a construct? b. Reliability and validity are two characteristics of construct measurement. What are each of these characteristics? Why are they given so much importance? c. How do marketing researchers assess these characteristics of construct measurement? Compare and critique the techniques used in assessing these characteristics of a construct. d. What is the difference between a mediating construct and a moderating construct? How does a researcher determine whether a construct is a mediator or a moderator? Explain how you would go about developing a measure of job satisfaction of industrial salespeople. Include in your discussion the procedures) you would use to assess reliability and validity of the proposed measure. If you are familiar with more than one approach to developing such a measure, make sure to include in your discussion the method you would use and why you would use it. Describe the procedure you would employ in developing a new measure by which the job satisfaction of a retail sales representative could be assessed. Indicate the type of scale you would use and why, and detail the specific steps you would undertake to assure the validity and reliability of this measure. Describe the procedure you would employ in developing a measure by which the job satisfaction of a retail sales representative of a hardware chain could be assessed. Indicate the type of scale you would use and why, and detail the specific steps you would undertake to assure the validity and reliability of this measure. Reliability and validity are areas of concern to researchers. Briefly explain the two concepts and discuss their importance in research (both positivistic and interpretive). What methods) would you use to assess reliability and validity?

RESEARCH-METHODS You have a set of data from consumers comprised of the following: Likert-type responses to questions concerning attitudes toward automobiles Past purchase information concerning automobiles Responses to life style questions Demographic information on gender, age, education, income, marital status, and family size Your overall research objective is to better understand how attitudes, lifestyles, and demographic information might be related to automobile purchase. Describe how you would use the following procedures to extract that information: (a) factor analysis; (b) multiple regression analysis; (c) discriminant analysis; and (d) analysis of variance (ANOVA and MANOVA). List any necessary assumptions that you would have to make relevant to these analyses. Many experimental design studies are subject to the following criticisms: a. b. c. d. e. f. They use student subjects. Alternative explanations are not considered in interpreting the results. The task involves manipulations that are extreme. They are subject to demand artifacts. Sample sizes tend to be very small. Pen and paper scenarios cannot approximate the real world activities they purport to represent.

Discuss each of the criticisms, citing relevant literature and examples. Under what conditions is each criticism valid and appropriate? How can researchers minimize such criticisms in their research designs? Conjoint Analysis and Multidimensional Scaling have been widely used in marketing to design new products. What are the advantages and limitations of these two methods? Explain how you can (or can not) use these two methods to design radically new products (new-to-the-world products) when consumers do not even know what to expect in the new product. Conjoint analysis and multidimensional scaling are two popular multivariate techniques used in the consumer goods industry. Compare and contrast these two methods and list their strengths and weaknesses. Explain situations in which one method is preferable over the other. Structural equation modeling is an increasing popular statistical approach in marketing research, even though the methodology does have obvious weaknesses and shortcomings. Describe the major limitations of structural equation modeling--what kinds of problems are not good candidates for SEM analysis? For each kind of problem or each limitation that you identify, indicate what other statistical approaches are available which avoid or minimize that problem?

You are conducting an empirical comparison of two competing theories using a structural equation modeling analysis, based on a sample size of 160. Both theoretical models involve the same latent constructs, and the same measures, and both are supported by theoretical argument. In fact, the two models are identical except that Model B includes three additional paths in the structural model. Here are the values for some overall fit indices:
chi2 (df1) Model A Model B 257.7 (117) 205.4 (114) CFI .89 .93 pCFI2 .74 .76 RMSEA .087 .071

ldf = degrees of freedom

2parsimony adjusted CFI

Looking closely at the diagnostic information from these two analyses, you notice that the stemleaf plot of the standardized residuals for Model B is essentially bell-shaped, while the plot for Model A includes a few extreme (outlier) values on the negative end. Looking at the Modification Indices for Model A, you see some extremely large values associated with covariances among the measurement error terms. You create a modified Model A--called Model A'--by freeing two of these paths, and get these results:
Chi2; (df) Model A' 197.1 (11 S) CFI .94 pCFI .77 RMSEA .067

You also note that the squared multiple correlation for the structural equation predicting the key dependent construct is equal to 1.05 in Model A. This is a substantially higher value than you obtained for either Model A or Model B. Sketch the "Interpretation" section of a paper reporting on this research. How well do these models "fit?" If you had to favor one of these three models, which one would you prefer? Why? What other key pieces of information might help you make this decision? Karl Joreskog developed an overall chi-square test for assessing the fit of a structural equation model (SEM). Today, however, researchers typically assess fit by evaluating a number of indices, and often give little weight to the chi-square. What is the rationale for disregarding the chi-square, or for treating this value as only approximate? Why might researchers conclude that some alternate fit indices are more useful or more appropriate for assessing model fit? Under what circumstances would researchers rely on the chi-square as an exact test of overall model fit? In a recent Journal of Marketing article, Brown, Cron and Slocum (1997) estimated a structural equation model intended to explain links between salesperson emotions and behavior. Their Figure 2, showing their final model, and their Table 2, are reproduced below.

(a) Based on the evidence presented in the figure, and the footnote, evaluate the fit of the model. Does it fit well, or poorly? What additional information would be important in shaping your evaluation? (b) Their initial model did not include the direct path from "Goal-Directed Behavior" to "Positive Outcome Emotion." In the original analysis, the modification index for that path was 13.?_. Brown, Cron and Slocum report adding the path because of the modification index, and because the resulting parameter estimate was interpretable. Comment on their decision. Identify both positive and negative aspects, if any. In defining the term "causation," in connection with the methodology of structural equation modeling, Hair, Anderson Tatham, and Black (1992, p.427) write: "[causation] requires that
there be sufficient degree of association (correlation) between the two variables, that one variable occur before the other (i.e., one variable is clearly the outcome of the other), and that there be no other reasonable cause of the outcome. Although in its strictest terms causation is rarely found, in practice strong theoretical support can make empirical estimation of causation possible." To what

extent do you agree with this statement, and to what extent do you disagree? Be sure to address the argument that we can sometimes estimate causation empirically, particularly in the context of structural equation modeling methods. Be specific. If we can do this, then how do we do it? If we can't do this, then why not. An academic researcher desires to test a simple causal model of the form: 1 31
1

32

The two beta weights in this structural equation model are sample statistic estimators of population parameters. Assume that the research design was a one-shot cross-sectional mail survey of the membership of a professional association, such as the National Association of Purchasing Managers. An overall usable response rate of 18% was obtained. a. What are the major types of validity with which this researcher should be concerned? b. For each type of validity named above, what are the major sources of error threatening validity? c. For each error source named above, what can or should be done to control for, test for a measure the error present? Recent empirical work in relationship marketing suggest the action of suppressor mediating variables in the trust commitment causal path. Several of these variables have been linked with the moderating effect of length of relationship. It is suggested that due to the emergence of these suppressors, trust has greater effect in shorter rather than longer relationships. a. Describe the action of a suppressor mediating variable and the pattern of causal path coefficients one would observe if one is present. b. Discuss the role of a moderator variable in triggering the action of a mediating variable. Provide a statement of a testable hypothesis that captures this effect.

c. Describe a study capable of testing for the action of both moderators and mediators in the same causal network. d. What tests of, or coefficient patterns in, the results would permit disentangling the effects of the moderators and mediators? Explain the important problems associated with combining results from different studies using Meta analysis. What research strategies can be used to overcome these problems? The critical incident technique (CIT) has been used to study factors leading to satisfaction or dissatisfaction with service encounters. (1) Explain what the critical incident technique is. (2) To which gap in the Gaps Model of Service Quality developed by Parasuraman et al. are the findings of CIT research most relevant? (3) Design a CIT study of service encounters between customers and a service-delivery technology (e.g., on-line purchasing, pay-at-the-pump equipment at gas stations). Explain what questions you would ask to apply the CIT. You have been invited by the Journal of Marketing editor to submit a manuscript for a special issue on relationship marketing. The manuscript needs to be an applied piece using appropriate methodologie(s). Outline the components of the manuscript focusing on the research methodology issues. You would need to address and discuss appropriate methodologies you would use, why you would use them, and what you can expect to find that would benefit marketers. You have submitted a paper to a leading marketing journal. In your research you used a linear regression model to study the effect of a key independent variable on a dependent variable, based on time-series and cross-sectional data. You have just received the reviewers comments. Their major concern is that the effect you have observed may be biased. Define what is meant by bias. Discuss the potential sources of bias, the consequences of bias in your analysis, and the analytical techniques you might use to overcome such biases. CHANNELS The study of channels of distribution issues in marketing has a long and rich history. Many of the first marketing textbooks used in the inaugural marketing classes offered at colleges and universities in the early part of this century, in fact, had a distribution focus. Recently, channels issues have returned to the forefront of the marketing literature (recognizing full well that some would argue they never left). In recent years, marketing scholars have been particularly interested in studying the relationships that exist among channel members (consumers included). Many topics have been studied, including the determinants of long-term orientation in buyer-seller relationships, the structure of commitment in exchange, contracting issues, inter-organizational governance, supplier fairness, the role of commitment and trust in relational exchanges, and the antecedents and consequences of relationship marketing in consumer markets. Please integrate the work in this area by responding to the following three questions:

a.

What relationship marketing (please provide multiple perspectives) and why has it become such a high priority topic for study in channels settings? b. Select one conceptual article and one empirical article that you believe made a significant contribution to the literature that focuses on relational exchange issues. Review the nature of the contribution that each article has made, being sure t support and justify your positions. c. Identify two specific issues you believe merit future study in marketing channels research. Explain why these are important topics to examine more closely. There has been a movement toward relationship building in marketing over the past decade or so. This seems to fly in the face of marketing as purely exchange between two parties. How do other ideas of relationships and exchanges relate to one of the following? a. Value chains and logistics b. Electronic marketing c. Sales forces of the future in business-to-business markets. In your answer, be sure to use behavioral concepts like loyalty, perceptions, and risk. Define supply chain management (SCM) and indicate how SCM relates to the following business functional areas: marketing, logistics, accounting/finance, information systems, and general management. Specify the research design(s) you would utilize to accomplish the following tasks (given your definition of SCM): (a) identify and measure outputs of a supply chain; and (b) identify and describe the various components of a supply chain and how they might be interrelated. Traditionally, channel theorists have been concerned with the role of power and commitment/trust among channel actors. More recently, theorists have developed various perspectives on the dimensions and forms of interorganizational governance in marketing channels. What role do power and commitment/trust play within the various types of channel governance structures? In your response, be sure to describe the major approaches to channel governance and to explain in detail how power and commitment/trust operate within each governance form. How are the relationships between members of a channel of distribution governed? Using the major theoretical and conceptual paradigms in distribution channels research, develop your own model that can be used to study the governance of marketing channel relationships. As you explain and justify the constructs and linkages in the model, as well as their motivating paradigms, be sure to distinguish between the antecedents and outcomes of channel governance. Be sure to define your terms. Channels of distribution and business-to-business marketing share a good deal of conceptual ground, yet they are treated as different phenomena in the literature. What are the areas of overlap? What would be the best way to describe the relationship between the two fields? Are channels of distributions part of the business-to-business area, is business-to-business marketing a subset of channels of distribution, or is there a third view? If so what is it?

In 1980 Stern and Reve popularized the Political-Economy (P-E) framework and stated that it "should be seen as an attempt to chart out and classify channels research" (p. 53). In the intervening 15 years, much conceptual and empirical research regarding the "governance of channels" has occurred. How would you organize and classify the contemporary research regarding channel governance and governance-related phenomena according to the P-E paradigm? In your response, explain "why and how" each aspect of research you choose to discuss: a) is "governance", and b) fits into a specific part of the P-E framework. The political economy framework was revived in the early 1980's as a method of analyzing the actions and interactions of firms engaged in channel activities. More recently, theorists have developed a number of unique perspectives on the dimensions and forms of interorganizational governance in marketing channels. Do we need both a governance and a political economy approach to understanding channel phenomena? Why or why not? In your response, be sure to consider both the perspectives of channel theorists as well as of empirical researchers. A number of theories have been developed to conceptualize the relationships that form between organizations. Sometimes these relationships are between buyers and sellers, sometimes between manufacturers and distributors. The theories include transaction cost analysis, powerdependence, agency theory, and others. Is there some way to organize these theories into a meaningful structure that helps indicate when each theory may be more applicable than another? The analysis of behavioral and economic phenomena that characterizes the interaction between channel members has a long research tradition. However, recently a "channel governance" perspective has preoccupied channel theorists. What is the "common ground" between the most prominent frameworks from the behavioral-economic school and the governance school? Conversely, in what ways do these schools differ? What is known about the role of "Trust" and "Commitment" in relationships between members of a distribution channel? Using the major theoretical paradigms from distribution research, as well as from specialized trust and commitment studies, explain in detail what these constructs are and how they function within channel systems. In terms of theory development and empirical findings, how would you evaluate the state of "Trust" and "Commitment" research in channels today? Relationships in business and consumer settings are becoming increasingly important as firms look to find and keep profitable customers. What is the role of the salesperson/selling function in building and maintaining good customer relationships? What theoretical frameworks have been used and/or can be used to guide research in this area? What issues related to this area appear to be good future research topics? Why do you think those topics are important? The topic of relationship marketing has received relatively extensive research attention in recent years. While most of the research and attention has been directed toward business-to-business markets, there has been some research, as well as business press books, addressing relationships with individual customers (the final user). Specifically, is relationship marketing an important topic in either or both of these markets? Does it differ for business versus consumer markets? If so, tell how. If not, tell why not. What are the primary promotional tools that can be used to

support relationship marketing in these different markets? Support your position regarding similarities or differences in relationship marketing's validity for these two markets with citations from relevant research and your own original thinking. Relationship marketing is an integral part of the strategy of firms operating in both the businessto-business and the business-to-consumer markets. Summarize the literature on relationship marketing, citing influential authors. In doing so, be sure to: 1) Define what is meant by And why it is important to firms. 2) Identify two streams of research that have affected the relationship marketing research, and identify the most important concepts they use. 3) What does research show about how these concepts are related? Draw a model illustrating those relationships. 4) Suggest two testable hypotheses from this literature, and design a study that would allow you to empirically test those hypotheses. You have been invited by the Journal of Marketing editor to submit a manuscript for a special issue on relationship marketing. The manuscript needs to be an applied piece using appropriate methodologie(s). Outline the components of the manuscript focusing on the research methodology issues. You would need to address and discuss appropriate methodologies you would use, why you would use them, and what you can expect to find that would benefit marketers. In the channels literature, there has been an evolution. Research on power and conflict from a unilateral perspective has given way to research on trust and commitment from a bilateral perspective. What are the major reasons for this occurrence? In your answer, summarize stateof-the are literature in inter-organizational relationships. Note progress that has been made and issues that remain unresolved. BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS/ORGANIZATIONAL BUYING BEHAVIOR How is organizational buying behavior effected by national economic conditions? Is there a significant difference in OBB in developed countries, transition economies, and developing countries? Channels of distribution and business-to-business marketing share a good deal of conceptual ground, yet they are treated as different phenomena in the literature. What are the areas of overlap? What would be the best way to describe the relationship between the two fields? Are channels of distributions part of the business-to-business area, is business-to-business marketing a subset of channels of distribution, or is there a third view? If so what is it? For 20 years the "buying center" has been the main conceptual underpinning for organizational buying behavior. The field now seems to be branching off into two directions: communication/network analysis and strategic partnerships. Do these represent logical advances of the buying center framework, or has the buying center perspective been abandoned? Justify your answer. What future directions do you see organizational buying behavior taking? Discuss the strengths and weakness of a "network" approach to examining OBB. How do these change as the unit of analysis used for the nodes (individual versus company) change?

A primary distinction often made between organizational and consumer behavior is the difference in the buyer's level of involvement in decision-making. Discuss, from a theoretical perspective, how involvement is likely to affect decision-making in organizational and consumer decision-making. Then indicate how level,of involvement can be ascertained, manipulated and controlled to improve prediction of decision-making. Be sure to include how these processes might be different given the context (organizational versus consumer). TRUST & COMMITMENT What is known about the role of "Trust" and "Commitment" in relationships between members of a distribution channel? Using the major theoretical paradigms from distribution research, as well as from specialized trust and commitment studies, explain in detail what these constructs are and how they function within channel systems. In terms of theory development and empirical findings, how would you evaluate the state of "Trust" and "Commitment" research in channels today? PERSONAL SELLING/SALES FUNCTION Relationships in business and consumer settings are becoming increasingly important as firms look to find and keep profitable customers. What is the role of the salesperson/selling function in building and maintaining good customer relationships? What theoretical frameworks have been used and/or can be used to guide research in this area? What issues related to this area appear to be good future research topics? Why do you think those topics are important? SERVICES Is there a difference between goods and services marketing? Justify your answer citing the relevant literature. In answering the question, please consider both theory and application. The services marketing paradigm received considerable attention and development by marketing scholars between 1980 and 1990. A number of services marketing related articles appearing in issues of the Journal of Marketing from January of 1980 to January of 1990 are considered to be major contributions to the development of theory in the services marketing area. Describe, explain, and critique where appropriate the contributions to the development of services marketing thought that appeared in the Journal of Marketing during this time period. Define service quality using the conceptualizations of Parasuraman, et al. Assume that a service organization uses SERVQUAL and finds that customers perceive its service quality to be low. Discuss ways of reducing this service quality gap, (1) using concepts and research results from the services marketing literature, and (2) framing your answer using the Extended Model of Service Quality developed in Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman (1988). Define the concept of service quality. How is this concept both different from and similar to customer satisfaction with services? From the literature, select a model of service quality and a

model of customer satisfaction and describe each of them. Finally, integrate these two models into your own model of customer satisfaction with services. The critical incident technique (CIT) has been used to study factors leading to satisfaction or dissatisfaction with service encounters. (1) Explain what the critical incident technique is. (2) To which gap in the Gaps Model of Service Quality developed by Parasuraman et al. are the findings of CIT research most relevant? (3) Design a CIT study of service encounters between customers and a service-delivery technology (e.g., on-line purchasing, pay-at-the-pump equipment at gas stations). Explain what questions you would ask to apply the CIT. SATISFACTION How would you respond to the following comments by 2 bright MBA students. One, who works for Coca-Cola, asserts in class: "Customer satisfaction measurement is worthless. It hasn't lived up to any of the promises that were made for it. Our data clearly show that satisfied fountain customers will often defect to competing vendors." The other student who works for Microsoft asserts: "We have several dissatisfied customers who will not switch to our competitor products." Develop a conceptual model explaining why customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction may or may not lead to brand switching. Most scholars and practitioners agree that postpurchase satisfaction is essential if the consumer is to repeat-buy products and services. Unfortunately, the more research that is done in this area, the more complicated the processing of attribute experiences into summary form reflecting satisfaction appears to be. Considering this background, do the following: a. Describe the consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction model that you believe is best supported by the literature. In doing so, provide appropriate citations. b. Present a diagram of this model and explain how it might be tested using structural equation analysis. c. Discuss how you would measure the concepts in your model, including potential moderator variables, situational effects and involvement level. The critical incident technique (CIT) has been used to study factors leading to satisfaction or dissatisfaction with service encounters. (1) Explain what the critical incident technique is. (2) To which gap in the Gaps Model of Service Quality developed by Parasuraman et al. are the findings of CIT research most relevant? (3) Design a CIT study of service encounters between customers and a service-delivery technology (e.g., on-line purchasing, pay-at-the-pump equipment at gas stations). Explain what questions you would ask to apply the CIT. VALUE Recently there has been a growth in interest in the term "value", not only in marketing but also in business literature in general. Assume you were asked to design a new measure to assess consumers' perceptions of value. How would you proceed? Explain clearly and in detail paying particular attention to the following: How would you evaluate the psychometric soundness of your measurement tool? What psychometric issues are important and how would you evaluate your measure's performance on them?

RELATIONSHIP MARKETING (CONSUMER) Relationships in business and consumer settings are becoming increasingly important as firms look to find and keep profitable customers. What is the role of the salesperson/selling function in building and maintaining good customer relationships? What theoretical frameworks have been used and/or can be used to guide research in this area? What issues related to this area appear to be good future research topics? Why do you think those topics are important? The topic of relationship marketing has received relatively extensive research attention in recent years. While most of the research and attention has been directed toward business-to-business markets, there has been some research, as well as business press books, addressing relationships with individual customers (the final user). Specifically, is relationship marketing an important topic in either or both of these markets? Does it differ for business versus consumer markets? If so, tell how. If not, tell why not. What are the primary promotional tools that can be used to support relationship marketing in these different markets? Support your position regarding similarities or differences in relationship marketing's validity for these two markets with citations from relevant research and your own original thinking. You have been invited by the Journal of Marketing editor to submit a manuscript for a special issue on relationship marketing. The manuscript needs to be an applied piece using appropriate methodologie(s). Outline the components of the manuscript focusing on the research methodology issues. You would need to address and discuss appropriate methodologies you would use, why you would use them, and what you can expect to find that would benefit marketers. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-GENERAL In consumer research, four terms are tossed around that are frequently defined in a similar manner by researchers, namely attitude, affect, mood, and cognition. Carefully define these terms, and comment on the similarities and differences among them (note: the similarities and differences should encompass both antecedent influences and consequent effects). Then, describe how the concepts might be interrelated in a particular marketing context, such as understanding ad effectiveness (include a box-and arrow diagram in your anser, and cite support for the relationships you propose). CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-ATTITUDES The Elaboration Likelihood Model was offered by Petty, Cacioppo and colleagues as a way of understanding attitude formation and change when the level of involvement differs. Researchers have traditionally decided what the level of involvement should be based on either what the product was or what decision had to be made. Increasingly, researchers realize that such approaches may be inappropriate because the choices represent the researcher's opinion not the consumer's reality. Discuss how level of involvement in decisions can be determined from the consumer's reaction to stimuli.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-INVOLVEMENT A primary distinction often made between organizational and consumer behavior is the difference in the buyer's level of involvement in decision-making. Discuss, from a theoretical perspective, how involvement is likely to affect decision-making in organizational and consumer decision-making. Then indicate how level of involvement can be ascertained, manipulated and controlled to improve prediction of decision-making. Be sure to include how these processes might be different given the context (organizational versus consumer). The Elaboration Likelihood Model was offered by Petty, Cacioppo and colleagues as a way of understanding attitude formation and change when the level of involvement differs. Researchers have traditionally decided what the level of involvement should be based on either what the product was or what decision had to be made. Increasingly, researchers realize that such approaches may be inappropriate because the choices represent the researcher's opinion not the consumer's reality. Discuss how level of involvement in decisions can be determined from the consumer's reaction to stimuli. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-DECISION MAKING A primary distinction often made between organizational and consumer behavior is the difference in the buyer's level of involvement in decision-making. Discuss, from a theoretical perspective, how involvement is likely to affect decision-making in organizational and consumer decision-making. Then indicate how level of involvement can be ascertained, manipulated and controlled to improve prediction of decision-making. Be sure to include how these processes might be different given the context (organizational versus consumer). In the marketing discipline, considerable research effort has been directed at decision making and the decision making process. a. Organize the judgment and decision making literature by identifying and discussing several dimensions/approaches for classifying the research. Use examples from the literature as illustrations of the various approaches. b. Streams of research within the various categories have different strengths and weaknesses. Discuss these strengths and weaknesses. Based on your answer to part b, identify and discuss areas for future research CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-ETHNICITY Popular press tends to generalize ethnic consumer behavior. For example, one often sees statements such as "Ethnic consumers (both Hispanic and African-American) are brand loyal and will not use coupons." Academic researchers claim that this is not true and that it is a function of the ethnic consumer's strength of ethnic identification. What is strength of ethnic identification? How can one measure strength of ethnic identification? Hypothesize what other ethnic consumer behavior or attitudes are likely to be influenced by the ethnic consumer's strength of ethnic identification? Cite and summarize relevant literature to support your hypotheses. The impact of ethnic identity on various aspects of consumer behavior has been gaining increasing managerial and research attention. Describe and discuss the particular research issues being faced by those interested in studying the measurement of the ethnicity construct, then

discuss illustrative literature that is relevant for this issue (e.g., availability of approaches to resolving methodological issues, relative desirability of competing or alternative approaches if they exist, implications of alternative approaches etc.). Many researchers now seek to extend findings of U.S. based studies to international contexts. For example, Shimp and Sharma developed a measure of consumer ethnocentrism based on U.S. samples and assumptions. What difficulties, if any, (and other than direct translation) would a researcher face in conducting a reliable and valid study which includes using measures such as the ethnocentrism scale in other countries? CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-RATIONAL VS. EMOTIONAL The 1980's brought criticism of research which viewed consumer behavior as rational, logical etc. Since that time a great deal of emphasis has been on topics such as experiential consumption, symbolism and semiotics, mood and emotion. Discuss how a researcher's approach varies depending on the adopted view of buyer behavior. Demonstrate your understanding of the issues related to how buyer behavior differs under these research streams as well as how to identify the relevant approach for different decision tasks. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-KNOWLEDGE "Knowledge" is a construct that has received attention in the consumer behavior literature. Please respond to the following questions on this construct: 1. Knowledge can be measured or manipulated in consumer research. Explain the tradeoffs involved in this decision and factors a researcher may wish to consider in choosing between the two. 2. Knowledge can be defined as "subjective knowledge" or "objective knowledge." Conceptually and operationally, how do these constructs differ? Explain criteria a researcher might use in deciding which to use. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-COGNITION Psychology and marketing literature contain extensive theoretical and empirical work concerning cognitive processing. In both disciplines, there are theories and research that focus on models of aggregating information across attributes and brands to arrive at overall judgments. Others focus on how judgments are arrived at without any significant processing of information. What determines which model might be appropriate? What other consumer or environmental characteristics would cause the same person to use one model for one judgment and a separate model for a different judgment? CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-INFORMATION PROCESSING In studying choice behavior, consumer information processing researchers have used many concepts and variables. Perusal of the literature shows that some concepts consistently prove to be winners and others consistently prove to be losers. Identify two concepts that, in your opinion, are winners and two that are losers. Define each concept and describe the criteria you used in classifying it, citing relevant research. If you had to use the two loser variables in a study of buyer choice, what would you do to turn losers into winners?

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR-VALUES Some researchers believe values underlie all consumer behavior. Others disagree. Define and discuss the term values. Present a model (box and arrow diagram) of how values affect consumer choice. Based on this model, state two testable hypotheses. Then describe an experiment to test those hypotheses. In doing so, be sure to test those hypotheses. In doing so, be sure to discuss stimuli, manipulations, measures, procedure and statistical tests. ADVERTISING Using theoretical constructs from appropriate social sciences, answer the following charges frequently leveled at advertising: a. Advertising only works when people pay attention to the ad. b. Television and radio are low involvement media thus advertising can have little effect on those consumers' learning, attitudes or behavior. c. A person would have to see/hear an ad at least 3 times before they would get anything from it, so repetition is the name of the game. Managerial practice and academic theory sometimes get out of synch in marketing. Consider the assessment of advertising effectiveness. Define briefly the current popular approaches to assessing ad effectiveness. Then, describe what you consider to be the major ways practice deviates from a theory-based view of ad effectiveness. Make sure you carefully identify the source of the deviation, and then explain why you consider the difference to be important. Also, take care to cite appropriate research to support your answer. ADVERTISING/PUBLIC POLICY Of all the areas in marketing that are criticized by social and economic commentators, advertising is probably the single area most frequently and most vigorously attacked for its undesirable social and economic consequences. a. Identify four of the most commonly made criticisms or lines of attack against advertising in our society. b. Discuss and evaluate the pros and cons of each of the four criticisms. COMPETITION-ORDER OF ENTRY Is pioneering advantage a myth or a reality? Do pioneering brands always perform better than the followers? Using existing literature develop a contingency model of pioneering advantage. Recently studies in marketing and strategic management have examined the advantages and disadvantages of pioneering (i.e., first-entry) strategies. In the face of mixed findings and views, some have argued in favor of a contingency approach to examine the effects of pioneering on firm performance. 1. Summarize important aspects of the current state of the debate. 2. Develop a model providing the appropriate context within which effects of order of entry (i.e., pioneering versus late entry) on performance can be best understood (a-la

contingency perspective). Make sure to include the appropriate market strategy and marketplace variables. Much has been written and discussed in marketing strategy about the advantages and disadvantages of being first to market with a product or technology, i.e., having a first-mover or pioneering advantage. In addition, this issue has also been informed by research in other related literatures, e.g., strategic management and economics. Summarize the contributions of the strategic management and economics disciplines to marketings understanding of the pioneer/ first mover advantage. Be sure to discuss the different points of view addressed by scholars in the two different points of view addressed by scholars in the two different disciplines to arrive at a richer understanding of the phenomenon. The Marketing Science Institute has invited proposals for a competition on Order/Timing of Entry and Market Performance. You are interested in submitting a proposal. Provide an overview of a proposal keeping in mind that your proposal needs to address the following issues. a. The first part of the proposal should review the important developments in the literature. Specifically, this review should reflect the current understanding of what the sources of advantage for the pioneer and the late mover are, and under what conditions should firms considering pioneering or late entry. b. The second part of the proposal should reflect a gap in the current understanding of the broad area of relationship between order/timing of entry and market performance and identify a research problem that you are proposing to study. c. The final part of the proposal should outline a set of testable hypotheses that underline the research problem you have identified and suggest a suitable methodology. The proposal should clearly state your contributions from both academic and practitioner standpoints. Numerous conceptual and empirical studies advance the notion that first movers achieve longterm competitive advantages. Develop and discuss a conceptual framework identifying factors behind the first-mover advantage and product-market contingencies that moderate the order of entry/competitive advantage relationship. Outline a related set of research propositions that are testable. COMPETITION-COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE The concept of long-term sustainable competitive advantage is central to the marketing strategy literature. Within this context: A. Develop a simple model to show how firms pursue sustainable competitive advantage. What are the critical steps leading to long-term sustainable competitive advantage? B. Integrate important research into your model in terms of (1) support for the model and (2) ability to shed light on key aspects of the competitive advantage process. In your answer be sure to define what you mean by long-term sustainable competitive advantage. COMPETITION-SPATIAL Marketing modelers often claim that "optimal site selection for a new retail outlet in geographic space is similar to optimal positioning of a new product in perceptual space." Briefly review modeling approaches in these 2 areas and identify (or develop / propose) a model that can be used (with few modifications) for retail site selection and optimal product positioning.

RETAILING-LOCATION THEORY Marketing modelers often claim that "optimal site selection for a new retail outlet in geographic space is similar to optimal positioning of a new product in perceptual space." Briefly review modeling approaches in these 2 areas and identify (or develop / propose) a model that can be used (with few modifications) for retail site selection and optimal product positioning. E-COMMERCE The Internet has revolutionized the way commerce is being conducted in the world. The impact of the Internet on marketing has not yet been widely studied. There are two general approaches that could be used to study the impact of the Internet on marketing: a. Marketers could explore the impact of the Internet as a wholly new paradigm in marketing, abandoning previous literature and embracing a new approach. b. Marketers could explore its impact under the traditional rubric of the 4-Ps, product life cycle, diffusion of innovation, relationship marketing, logistics, and other traditional marketing knowledge bases. What do you believe would determine which approach would be better? What would be the relevant issues that would determine which approach is better? Electronic commerce has received a great deal of attention recently in the popular business press. Consumer marketing applications of electronic commerce and business-to-business marketing applications have received considerable attention. The rate of growth predicted for business-to-business electronic commerce sales volume far outpaces predictions for consumer e-commerce revenues. Many of the electronic commerce topics that are discussed are marketing-related, including applications in supply chain management and the use of web-portals for purchasing. In your opinion, will electronic commerce fundamentally reshape academic marketing, marketing theory, and marketing curriculae? Why or why not? In your estimation, how profound will the changes be that electronic commerce brings to marketing practice, marketing education, and marketing theory? NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT At the millennium, it is fashionable to take stock of the situation, and to speculate about the future. Consider the new product development literature. What do you think have been the major historical developments in that field? On the other hand, what do you see are the major weak spots or omissions to this point in time? Expand on you answer, carefully defining a short term research agenda covering the next three to five years, or so. In your agenda, clearly identify the key research issues or questions you feel should be researched, taking care to provide relevant conceptual or managerial background to support your selection. If you have any methodological concerns with a particular issue, briefly state them, and suggest their possible resolution. Throughout your answer, be careful to cite relevant research that supports your arguments.

BRAND CHOICE/BRAND EQUITY/BRAND LOYALTY Brand equity has been defined and researched primarily in the consumer behavior (CB) literature. Conversely, brand choice has been defined and researched primarily in the modeling literature. a. Explain what equity and brand choice mean, and how brand loyalty relates to each one. b. Discuss the major CB concepts and modeling concepts that are germane to understanding what brand equity and brand choice mean. c. Are the findings of the brand equity and brand choice literatures consistent in any way? If so, how and if not, why not? d. Considering both of these literatures, what are some promising areas for future research in branding? PRICING Everyday low pricing (EDLP) is typical of discount retailers such as Wal-Mart that sell their products at the same price all the time. High/low (Hi/Lo) pricing is typical of conventional retailers, such as Hechts, that frequently run sales on many items. Develop and discuss a conceptual framework or frameworks showing how you think EDLP and Hi/Lo pricing affect consumer buyer behavior. In doing so, consider the promotion, price-quality and reference price literature. From your conceptual framework(s), develop testable hypotheses and describe how you would test them. An important way in which firms vary price is by promotions. Researchers often ask, Why use promotions, rather than simple price changes? Many explanations have been developed, by borrowing concepts from different disciplines, including economics and psychology. Discuss and integrate these research findings. What are the implications for marketing managers? INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS Many researchers now seek to extend findings of U.S. based studies to international contexts. For example, Shimp and Sharma developed a measure of consumer ethnocentrism based on U.S. samples and assumptions. What difficulties, if any, (and other than direct translation) would a researcher face in conducting a reliable and valid study which includes using measures such as the ethnocentrism scale in other countries? Most Marketing concepts and models have been developed in North America. However, given the global nature of today's business, there may be a need to validate and modify these using consumers from different cultures. Pick a Marketing concept or model (e.g., brand equity, market orientation, or consumer information search etc.), and explain how cross-cultural differences may effect the current understanding of the phenomenon. Develop 2 or 3 hypotheses about the cross-cultural effects and explain how you would go about testing them.