You are required to provide a written conceptual paper on a marketing topic of your choice. Your goal is to make a conceptual contribution to the scholarly marketing literature to advance current knowledge in your chosen area. It is likely that the readings from the lecture topics will inform your choice of a conceptual paper topic. Moreover, it is likely that the range of theories addressed in the articles throughout the semester will help inform your own choice of a relevant supporting theory for your paper.
This is a research assignment and you will consult and critically review the relevant extant marketing literature whilst developing your conceptual paper.
The purpose of this task is fourfold:
1. Identify a conceptual question that is both important and interesting to address, based on your command of seminal and contemporary literature relevant to your chosen marketing topic.
2. Integrate a meaningful theory which helps explain the conceptual gaps or assumptions that you will challenge as a result of your literature review in seeking to address your conceptual question.
3. Develop a conceptual model diagram with a series of related conceptual propositions which explains the resolution to your conceptual question.
4. Identify and discuss the theoretical and practical implications of your conceptual model.
Additional Information: 1. It is likely that the structure and style of the conceptual papers studied in this course will help guide your thinking and will inform the style of writing and tone that you can adopt in your own work. 2. You are required to present a conceptual paper that addresses points or which makes conceptual claims which have not already been substantially covered in the extant marketing literature. 3. You are required to find articles from the extant marketing literature to support your conceptual claims. You are advised to access literature from marketing journals on the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) list. Aim for A* and A level marketing journals where possible. An excerpt of A* and A level marketing journals from the ABDC 2013 list is provided below for your reference.
Table 1. Excerpt from the ABDC 2013 List A* and A Level Marketing Journals
European Journal of Marketing Industrial Marketing Management International Journal of Research in Marketing Journal of Consumer Research Journal of Marketing Journal of Marketing Research Journal of Retailing Journal of Service Research Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Marketing Science International Journal of Consumer Studies International Journal of Public Opinion Research International Marketing Review Journal of Advertising Journal of Advertising Research Journal of Brand Management Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing Journal of Business Research Journal of Consumer Affairs Journal of Consumer Psychology Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management Journal of Interactive Marketing Journal of International Marketing Journal of Macromarketing Journal of Marketing Management Journal of Public Policy and Marketing Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Journal of Services Marketing Journal of Strategic Marketing Journal of Service Theory and Practice (formerly Managing Service Quality) Marketing Intelligence and Planning Marketing Letters Marketing Theory Psychology and Marketing Public Relations Review Quantitative Marketing and Economics
The conceptual paper must include all of the following sections which are to be used as sub-headings:
1. Abstract (100-150 words)
Provide a concise summary of your conceptual paper enticing your reader to read on. Outline your chosen topic as it is related to extant marketing literature, your conceptual claims, your key theory/theories used to inform your work, and your conceptual contributions (managerial and theoretical).
2. Introduction (150-200 words)
Provide a broad overview of the conceptual research question/s and the context for your conceptual paper. You will likely have between 1-2 central conceptual questions that your paper seeks to address. Describe why your selected topic is an important one to the marketing literature. You will likely provide some key references (i.e., seminal and contemporary) to indicate to the reader the literature that your work is grounded in. What are your key conceptual contributions; that is, what is novel, interesting, unique, or important about your conceptual work? In what ways does it extend current marketing knowledge? Provide an outline of the structure and organisation of your paper.
3. Literature Review (800-1000 words)
Review the relevant literature as related to your chosen marketing topic. You will demonstrate your knowledge through an organised, systematic discussion of extant marketing literature, including in-text references. It is likely that you would have somewhere between 15 relevant references to extant literature in-text from quality marketing journals to support this goal (or perhaps more, if relevant). Your literature review should be organised in some way, perhaps thematically, or chronologically. Choose a structure that makes sense for your paper. It is likely that you will use sub-headings to guide the reader. Ultimately, you should aim to synthesise across the literature rather than describing each article separately or individually.
4. Theoretical Development (500-750 words)
What theory are you using to support your conceptual paper? It is likely that some of the theories studied in the lecture topics will provide a useful point of departure. You may source theories from other articles not covered in lectures if appropriate. Will you use one theory, or integrate aspects of two theories? Summarise your chosen theory or theories here so the reader understands the basis for your conceptual model. Note: it is best to avoid too many theories. Choose one or perhaps integrate elements of two complementary theories as advised. You will integrate references to support your claims in this section.
5. Conceptual Model and Propositions (1000-1200 words)
Here you will provide your own new ideas and insights, integrating and synthesising the literature in a novel way. Perhaps you will build on an existing model from the literature. Perhaps you will use theory to challenge an existing model. The choice is yours. Focus on the logic of your claims (i.e., your conceptual propositions). You will advance a series of conceptual propositions in this section, supported by your
theoretical rationale and references to extant literature. Where appropriate, provide a conceptual model (a visual diagram) at the end of this section summarising your conceptual propositions. Indicate the nature of the propositions as being either positive or negative if you are positing causal relationships (this is highly likely).
6. Discussion (300-500 words)
Having reviewed the literature and presented your conceptual model and propositions, you must discuss the importance of your model. Discuss theoretical implications stemming from your work for academics and/or marketing educators. Relate your work to existing literature and clearly state the contributions you have made to extend or challenge this literature. Discuss any practical implications that you envisage for policy makers and/or marketing practitioners. Discuss any limitations of your conceptual model and/or propositions. Use this as a stepping stone to provide suggestions for future research or additional conceptual work. It is likely you will use sub-headings to guide the reader. The italicised words in this paragraph are suggested sub-headings for you to use in this discussion section.
Note: By acknowledging any limitations, minor flaws or potential drawbacks you merely delineate the boundaries of your work. View this as an opportunity to motivate a rationale for more work that needs to be done in your important topic area!
7. Conclusion (150-200 words)
Provide a brief summary of your conceptual paper. Demonstrate how you have addressed the conceptual questions proposed in your introduction and whether/how your review of key literature and your conceptual model/propositions has resolved these questions.
8. Reference List
Provide a list of citations only to the articles that you have critiqued, reviewed and/or to the article/s used to support your conceptual paper. Remember you should try to aim for at least 17 relevant references from the recommended journals for your literature review alone. Note that you might have other additional articles from which you source your theoretical framework.
Possible Sources
Week 1 Course Introduction
1. MacInnis, Deborah J. (2011), A Framework for Conceptual Contributions in Marketing, Journal of Marketing, 75 (July), 136-54.
2. Sutton, Robert I. and Barry M. Staw (1995), What Theory Is Not, Administrative Science Quarterly, 40 (3), 371-84.
3. Alvesson, Mats, and Jorgen Sandberg (2011), Generating Research Questions Through Problematization, Academy of Management Review, 36 (2), 247-71.
Week 2 Theories of Competition
1. Hunt, Shelby D. and Robert M. Morgan (1995), The Comparative Advantage Theory of Competition, Journal of Marketing, 59 (April), 1-15.
2. Dickson, Peter R. (1996), The Static and Dynamic Mechanics of Competition: A Comment on Hunt and Morgans Comparative Advantage Theory, Journal of Marketing, 60 (October), 102-06.
3. Hunt, Shelby D. and Robert M. Morgan (1996), The Resource-Advantage Theory of Competition: Dynamics, Path Dependencies, and Evolutionary Dimensions, Journal of Marketing, 60 (October), 107-14.
4. Delignl, Z. Seyda and S. Tamer avu?gil (1997), Does the Comparative Advantage Theory of Competition Really Replace the Neoclassical Theory of Perfect Competition?, Journal of Marketing, 61 (October), 65-73.
5. Hunt, Shelby D. and Robert M. Morgan (1997), Resource-Advantage Theory: A Snake Swallowing Its Tail or a General Theory of Competition?, Journal of Marketing, 61 (October), 74-82.
Week 3 Market Orientation
1. Kohli, Ajay K. and Bernard J. Jaworski (1990), Market Orientation: The Construct, Research Propositions, and Managerial Implications, Journal of Marketing, 54 (April), 1-18.
2. Slater, Stanley F. and John C. Narver (1995), Market Orientation and the Learning Organization, Journal of Marketing, 59 (July), 63-74.
Week 4 Services Marketing
1. Shostack, G. Lynn (1977), Breaking Free From Product Marketing, Journal of Marketing, 41 (April), 73-80.
2. Vargo, Stephen L. and Robert F. Lusch (2004), Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing, Journal of Marketing, 68 (January), 1-17.
Week 5 Servicescapes, Service Encounters
1. Solomon, Michael R., Carol Surprenant, John A. Czepiel, and Evelyn G. Gutman (1985), A Role Theory Perspective on Dyadic Interactions: The Service Encounter, Journal of Marketing, 49 (Winter), 99-111.
2. Bitner, Mary Jo (1992), Servicescapes: The Impact of Physical Surroundings on Customers and Employees, Journal of Marketing, 56 (April), 57-71.
MKTG3509 Contemporary Issues in Marketing Reading List
Week 6 Branding & Brand Equity
1. Keller, Kevin Lane (1993), Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-Based Brand Equity, Journal of Marketing, 57 (January), 1-22.
2. Erdem, Tlin and Joffre Swait (1998), Brand Equity as a Signaling Phenomenon, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 7 (2), 131-57.
3. Brown, Stephen, Robert V. Kozinets, and John F. Sherry Jr. (2003), Teaching Old Brands New Tricks: Retro Branding and the Revival of Brand Meaning, Journal of Marketing, 67 (July), 19-33.
Week 7 Brand Communities
1. McAlexander, James H., John W. Schouten, and Harold F. Koenig (2002), Building Brand Community, Journal of Marketing, 66 (January), 38-54.
2. Algesheimer, Ren, Utpal M. Dholakia, and Andreas Herrmann (2005), The Social Influence of Brand Community: Evidence from European Car Clubs, Journal of Marketing, 69 (July), 19-34.
Week 8 Consumer Culture
1. Belk, Russell W. (2013), Extended Self in a Digital World, Journal of Consumer Research, 40 (October), 477-500.
2. Kozinets, Robert V. (2001), Utopian Enterprise: Articulating the Meanings of Star Treks Culture of Consumption, Journal of Consumer Research, 28 (June), 67-88.
Week 9 Relationship Marketing
1. Morgan, Robert M. and Shelby D. Hunt (1994), The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing, Journal of Marketing, 58 (3), 20-38.
2. Price, Linda L. and Eric J. Arnould (1999), Commercial Friendships: Service Provider-Client Relationships in Context, Journal of Marketing, 63 (October), 38-56.
Mid Semester Break: No Lectures or Tutorials
Week 10 Customer Value & Marketing Metrics
1. Reinartz, Werner J. and V. Kumar (2000), On the Profitability of Long-Life Customers in a Noncontractual Setting: An Empirical Investigation and Implications for Marketing, Journal of Marketing, 64 (October), 17-35.
2. Rust, Roland T., Katherine N. Lemon, and Valarie A. Zeithaml (2004), Return on Marketing: Using Customer Equity to Focus Marketing Strategy, Journal of Marketing, 68 (January), 109-27.
Week 11 New Product Diffusion & Innovation
1. Mahajan, Vijay, Eitan Muller and Frank M. Bass (1990), New Product Diffusion Models in Marketing: A Review and Directions for Research, Journal of Marketing, 54 (1), 1-26.
2. Wood, Stacy L. and C. Page Moreau (2006), From Fear to Loathing? How Emotion Influences the Evaluation and Early Use of Innovations, Journal of Marketing, 70 (July), 44-57.
Week 12 Marketing Ethics & Consumer Policy
1. Mizerski, Richard (1995), The Relationship Between Cartoon-Trade Character Recognition and Attitude toward Product Category in Young Children, Journal of Marketing, 59 (4), 58-70.
2. Smith, N. Craig and Elizabeth Cooper-Martin (1997), Ethics and Target Marketing: The Role of Product Harm and Consumer Vulnerability, Journal of Marketing, 61 (July), 1-20.
3. MacInnis, Deborah J. and Gustavo E. de Mello (2005), The Concept of Hope and Its Relevance to Product Evaluation and Choice, Journal of Marketing, 69 (January), 1-14.
