Australasian Marketing Journal

Research on how consumers react to Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI) has expanded significantly over the last few years. Scholars have identified the emotions caused by CSI information as an important area of research, since emotions drive consumer behavior. This article proposes a research agenda comprising five topics for future research that promise to advance research in this domain. First, research should develop theoretical explanations that clarify the specific role played by individual discrete emotions. Second, while existing research focuses predominantly on negative emotions, future studies could consider how positive emotions that are independent of the crisis might influence reactions to CSI. Third, scholars could explore in more depth the role that emotions play in avoidance responses, since past research has tended to focus predominantly on consumer aggression and retaliation. Fourth, research would benefit from integrating the current cross-sectional approach with a study of emotional dynamics both at the intrapersonal and at the interpersonal level. Finally, research should integrate dominant psychological perspectives with sociocultural conceptualizations of emotions. The article reviews each topic and proposes specific research questions for each of the areas identified.

The relationship that develops between voters and political entities on social media is under-researched. This study offers insight into this contemporary phenomenon by exploring the factors that initiate and drive social media-enabled voter relationships. Data were collected by conducting three focus groups with young voters. Uses and gratifications theory was used to explore the motivations that stimulate young voters to follow political entities on social media. Secondly, the drivers of the resulting relationship were explained using the concept of the psychological contract. Lastly, the various online interactions that underpin this relationship were investigated using the concept of service-dominant orientation. The findings reveal that social, informational and entertainment gratifications are the primary initiators of this relationship. Further, developmental, individuated, relational and ethical interactions fortify online voter relationships. However, a lack of trust, unmet expectations and an absence of individuated interactions are major challenges. The study recommends humanising politicians through social and emotional content, along with an educational approach towards social media marketing.

In this paper, we offer critical reflections on several contemporary issues in B2B marketing research. Specifically, we consider value, customer solutions, temporary organizations, governance models and sustainability within this literature. Our reflections lead us to suggest that further B2B marketing research is necessary in terms of four main areas (i) integrating complex offers for solutions, (ii) integrating functional activities, (iii) understanding the inter-related societal effects of B2B marketing, and (iv) understanding B2B marketing in information-poor environments. We develop an agenda that could serve to motivate further B2B marketing research while also reminding scholars that ‘it's not just about Artificial Intelligence (AI)’ or Information Technology (IT).

This paper investigates the Natural Monopoly [NM] effect, which is that large brands have buyers who are on average less frequent or ‘lighter’ purchasers of the product category. The study analyzes the NM effect for brands in 28 consumer goods categories in The Netherlands. The analysis employs a multiple regression with category purchase rate as the dependent variable; and brand penetration, together with brand price, brand type, average pack size and promotion incidence as independent variables. The study finds that higher brand penetration is indeed associated with a lower rate of category purchase, controlling for the other variables in the model. The NM effect is reasonably large: the largest two brands in a category tend to have a buyer base that on average purchase the category about 25% less frequently than those of the smallest two. The study also derives an explanation for how large brands are generally purchased more frequently, even when their buyer base on average buys the category less frequently. The findings imply that a focus on heavy category buyers is inconsistent with the goal of growing a brand.

Past research focuses on the location effects in explaining consumers’ responses to service offshoring while the role of service offshoring partners (OSPs)’ characteristics has not yet been addressed. Adapting from information integration and inference theories, this paper develops “service offshoring fit” which is influenced by OSPs’ characteristics and explains the differential responses to service offshoring. Both qualitative and quantitative studies explore the concept of fit and the characteristics of OSPs. The results confirm that corporate reputation of the OSPs and advanced technology owned by the OSPs are the important characteristics that influence service offshoring fit, which in turn affects consumers’ responses to service offshoring. Results also indicate not all the OSPs’ characteristics equally contribute to service offshoring fit but rather be contingent on service types. This study contributes to the current literature as it looks beyond the location effect and explains the differential responses by introducing the concept of fit.

Ineffective paid paternity leave policies perpetuate gender inequality and have significant, long-lasting outcomes for families, organisations, and the economy. They maintain unequal divisions in child-rearing and household chores that restrict families’ decisions about workforce participation and caring responsibilities. Low levels of uptake of paternity leave are caused by workplace practices, social norms, and economic factors that influence the choices fathers make when their children are born, and which become entrenched over time. Fathers’ early involvement in children's lives is profoundly beneficial for families, therefore, we recommend to policy makers and organisations how they can change internal workplace cultures to allow for a more inclusive image of parenting and a more nuanced image of the ideal male worker. We outline a systems social marketing approach that addresses change at the macro, meso and micro levels through the three E's model (establish, explore, and enable), to help policy makers, organisations, and families consider the implications of meaningful parental leave and the importance of increasing fathers’ uptake. Future research questions for increasing parental leave uptake are presented.

Work-integrated-learning (WIL) activities assist development of student skills but the often used placement-based WIL model can be problematic, particularly due to equity issues. The purpose of this paper is to investigate use of a more equitable form of WIL - namely non-placement WIL practical simulations. Case study analysed design and delivery of a WIL practical simulation within an under-graduate marketing subject. Teacher reflection, observation of students, plus survey of students generated extensive data. The student survey, containing predominantly open-ended questions, was thematically analysed. Development of relevant key student skills valued by employers was identified in the activity. Teacher reflection coupled with student feedback generated recommendations for further improving the activity. Findings suggest WIL practical simulations eliminate equity issues associated with placement-based WIL models. WIL is under-utilised and under-researched within marketing subjects. The study contributes by showing how specifically designed WIL practical simulation can be delivered equitably to benefit numerous stakeholders.

The objective of this study was to measure academics’ perceptions towards three key dimensions of a higher education institution (HEI) – teaching quality, research quality and internationalisation – the latter two of which have received relatively scant attention in the context of service quality. Using five Malaysian universities as its context, and importance–performance analysis (IPA) as its method of analysis, the study found that the five universities performed well in relation to 14 of the 26 attributes. However, for each of the three dimensions there was a common theme in regards to the service attributes that fell short of expectations. In the case of teaching quality, this theme related to learning, for research quality it was research collaboration, and for internationalisation, it was international recognition. This study makes two key contributions to new knowledge. Firstly, it measures academic perceptions towards service quality as it relates to research and internationalisation, and secondly, it measures such perceptions using IPA. One of the key findings of the study is that the attitudes of those responsible for providing service quality (i.e. academics) may well differ from the HEI decision-makers that endeavour to manage it.