In a hermeneutical analysis of 11 in-depth interviews with past study abroad participants and 65 photographs shared by these participants, we affirm the findings of Wright and Larsen (2012 and 2016) that study abroad is an ‘extraordinary experience.” We also discover five additional emergent themes: sight versus blindness, words versus actual experiences, emotional intensity, extreme enjoyment and personal growth and awakening. We then interpret these five new themes as Transcendent Customer Experiences, following Schouten et al. (2007), to explain the high levels of satisfaction and delight produced in participants of study abroad programs. The paper concludes with a discussion of the similarities and differences between TCEs and extraordinary experiences.

The purpose of this article is to propose a general theory of marketing grounded in consumer satisfaction. The article reviews past definitions of marketing and key concepts applicable to the definition of marketing. It suggests that marketing is a discipline that has as its telos the sustainable optimization of aggregate consumer satisfaction.

On the 30th anniversary of its first publication, this article focuses on the people and practices that have shaped the Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior. It also focuses on the influence that the journal has had on our understanding of consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The article suggests that the journal has not only developed knowledge about how consumer satisfaction is created, dissatisfaction avoided; it has also applied that understanding to enhance the value of the journal itself.

INTRODUCTION Analyzing an unusual data set--graffiti left by American business and marketing students studying abroad in Europe over seven consecutive semesters--Wright and Larsen (2012) identified three themes associated with study abroad program (SAP) for U.S. universities in Europe. These themes were travel trophies on the wall, magic moments and communitas. They interpreted these three themes in the context of study abroad as an Arnould and Price (1993) described extraordinary as intense, positive, intrinsically enjoyable experiences that entail sense of newness of perception and process. Extraordinary are by levels of emotional intensity (p. 25) arising from positive interactions with other participants. They are unrehearsed, authentic, spontaneous and can create high levels of satisfaction and delight. Service providers participate in and share the extraordinary experience with customers in an authentic and spontaneous way. Further, participants in extraordinary interpret these life changing, self-defining episodes within the broader context of their lives. Using several qualitative methodologies (depth interviews, autodriving [Heisley u0026 Levy 1991], and a textual analysis of graffiti left by departing students), Wright and Larsen (2012) persuasively argued that SAPs were more than just a trip to Europe or an academic experience; they were, to use a phrase employed by Schouten, McAlexander and Koenig (2007), transcendental customer experiences, or TCEs. According to Schouten, McAlexander and Koenig (2007), TCEs are characterized by feelings such as self-transformation or awakening, separation from the mundane, and connectedness to larger phenomena outside the self. TCEs may also be marked by emotional intensity, epiphany, singularity and newness of experience, extreme enjoyment, oneness, ineffability, extreme focus of attention, and the testing of personal limits (p. 358). However, Wright and Larsen (2012) mentioned that, due to space constraints, they did not examine several other themes in their data. One element they explicitly left out of their analysis was the role of alcohol in the study abroad experience. We reanalyze their data set (photographs and transcriptions of the graffiti and transcriptions of the depth interviews) from marketing and business students with particular attention to the role alcohol plays in transforming a study abroad experience in Europe into an extraordinary experience. ALCOHOL AND STUDY ABROAD Alcohol use and abuse has long been recognized as a problem in study abroad programs. Gordon and Smith (1992) identified alcohol overindulgence as one of the challenges faculty will face when leading students abroad. Koernig (2007) suggests some guidelines for disincentivizing alcohol overindulgence, ranging from grade deductions to sending students home for inappropriate alcohol use and abuse. Legal drinking age varies by country and Luethge (2004) recognizes that alcohol consumption can be a major attraction (p. 41) for students who can legally drink abroad, even if they are under the legal drinking age in the U.S. Not all research about alcohol and study abroad is negative. Gaw (2000) studied reentry shock of returning study abroad students and concluded that increased alcohol use abroad did not contribute to reentry shock. Pedersen, LaBrie, and Hummer (2009) suggested that alcohol might serve as a bonding agent between SAP participants in a foreign culture. Wielkiewicz and Turkowski (2010), while recognizing that alcohol use is a problem in study abroad programs, suggested that study abroad students are, on average, older and more likely to accurately report on alcohol consumption (a point they subsequently confirmed in the study). They also pointed out that alcohol consumption was significantly correlated with group cohesiveness for those who studied abroad and that lower levels of academic rigor and studentsu0027 desire to experience the local culture also contributed to greater alcohol consumption. …

Employers of marketing graduates view good writing as a core marketing skill, but many marketing students are weak writers. The improvement of student writing should therefore be an important objective in a well-designed marketing curriculum. One-page papers combine the effective teaching of marketing concepts with writing instruction while keeping demands on instructor time manageable. This innovation most improves the writing of weaker writers in a class. Combined with a more challenging group writing assignment, it provides a mechanism for improving the writing skill of all class members while fostering an ability to thoughtfully apply marketing concepts to solve unstructured problems.

INTRODUCTION Shopping malls are major centers of retail activity in the United States and around the world. The exponential growth of the Internet notwithstanding, they remain an important channel through which goods and services flow to the public. The identification of factors that drive or discourage mall sales is, consequently, a critically important question for marketers. Indeed, as malls and shopping centers face additional competitive pressure, it becomes all the more important for them to understand what factors affect attitudes and patronage of their business. Researchers have studied malls from a variety of points of view over the years. Exploring the old adage, location, some researchers have developed a gravitational model that focuses on location and proximity as predictive factors in shopping mall patronage (Bucklin, 1971; Nevin and Houston, 1980). But the effects of these factors have proven to be inconsistent (Cox and Cooke, 1970). In a more recent study, Eppli and Shilling (1997) found that distance was not predictive of patronage, but the agglomeration of stores and store synergies was an important predictor. Synergies between stores have also been found such that sales for small specialty stores in a category are larger when the store is located near a bigger store selling the same merchandise (Mejia and Eppli, 1999). In this study, the finding that distance is not a predictor of preference will be supported for contemporary shoppers. Other researchers have focused on various characteristics of shoppers that affect mall patronage. In a study that linked both personality and gravitational factors Burns and Warren (1995) found that willingness to shop at the nearest mall versus outshopping a mall further away was affected by a personality characteristic of the shopper--degree of need for uniqueness. In a study that focused exclusively on consumer attributes, Babin and Darden (1996) found that the mood of shoppers, especially negative moods, had a strong effect on satisfaction with the mall but not on spending. In a more broad based study, Swinyard (1998) found that mall patronage was driven by shopper values, with shopping incidence being high for shoppers with high need for sense of belonging, warm relationships, and security but low for those with high need for self-fulfillment, self-respect, and sense of accomplishment. Apart from distance from the home of the shopper, past researchers have paid less attention to specific attributes of the mall itself, but Bloch, Ridgway, and Dawson (1984) using an ecological framework, studied the mall as consumer habitat and identified various habitat related activity patterns and shopping orientations that affected mall performance. More recently, one specific attribute, scent, has received attention of various researchers who have found that is has important effects on mall shopping behavior (Chebat and Michon, 2003). But perhaps because of its relative decline compared to alternatives such as the Internet, shopping malls and shopping centers have received comparatively little attention from academic researchers in the past fifteen years, and certainly much less than they received prior to that time. And yet, space devoted to shopping mall retailing increased 12% from 2006 to 2011 to a total of more than one billion square feet of retail space (Brown and Kircher, 2011). In light of that major presence in the market and the additional five percent increase in free standing retail center space to more than 3.3 billion square feet, continued attention to the drivers of retail effectiveness in the traditional retail venues is warranted. Focusing on the young consumers whose behavior will determine the retail landscape in the future, this study examines various factors that influence shopping center patronage behaviors of millennial shoppers. SEMANTIC DESCRIPTORS OF TRADITIONAL RETAIL LANDSCAPE The objective of this study was to sample broadly attributes of shopping centers that may affect attitudes toward these shopping venues, then determine which attributes in fact affected consumer attitudes. …

A Study was conducted to ascertain the reliability and validity of two key measures of materialism, the Belk’s (1985) scale and the Richins’ (1987) scale. Both Belk’s and Richins scale showed evidence of convergence, and both showed evidence of nomological validity by correlating negatively with life satisfaction measures.

Is there a commercially viable market in the United States for movies made for Mormons? David "Dutch" Richards, a graduate of Brigham Young University's School of Film, thinks there is. He believes that in the Western United States, especially in Utah and the Intermountain West, there are enough Mormons who would pay to watch a film by, for, and about Mormons that this genre of film could make money. Filmmakers produce and market films for other minority groups, including Asians, Hispanics, and gays and lesbians. Richards believes the same could be done for the Mormon market. But it has never been done before, so he can't be certain. This case poses a set of questions Richards must address to determine whether he is right about the viability of this new product. It follows him as he pitches his movie idea to a savvy potential investor.

Research on study abroad programs (SAPs) has traditionally focused on logistics or the development of attitudes and skills. Less attention has been given to the subjective value of the participants' experience. This study focuses attention on that neglected topic. Drawing insights from an evolving genre of graffiti data and autodriving interviews, the study identifies dimensions of the study abroad experience that cause participants to describe it as life changing and the best experience of their lives. Key dimensions include program-directed and self-directed travel, magic moments, and the experience of communitas. The paper discusses the implications of its findings for SAP management.

INTRODUCTION One challenge in teaching international or global courses is to vividly illustrate the importance of cultural differences and, thus, sensitize students who have never been abroad to the important role of culture in global marketing. Cultural misunderstandings can have serious and important consequences in international politics, business, and social encounters. It can be very hard for Americans students (and professors, for that matter) to think outside of the North American box (Gorn 1997). This is especially true because much research ethnocentrically reflects a U.S. reality (van Raaij 1978). Indeed, Usunier (1993) proposes that the very idea of marketing is culture bound, that the concept was initially and for the most part developed in the United States (p. 12), as evidenced by reference sources, study subjects, and the origin of the literature which defines it as an area of knowledge. Since much of one's own culture is invisible (Lee 1966), students often have difficulty internalizing cultural concepts when they are taught in the ordinary way in an international course. This is especially true for students who have not ventured very far beyond the confines of their own cultures. Culture is an integral part of most texts on global or international marketing. Cateora and Graham (2005) devote an entire section of their text, consisting of five chapters, to the cultural environment of global markets. Johansson (2006) includes a chapter on cultural foundations and Czinkota and Ronkainen (2007) devote a chapter to the cultural environment. Usunier and Lee (2005) go a step further and write an entire international text from a cultural perspective. So clearly, teaching cultural concepts is an integral part of the international course. The problem is to make culture come alive in a classroom setting when many students have never been deeply immersed in another culture. A study abroad is a great way to learn about culture (Clarke et al. 2009; Wright and Clarke 2010), but the expense of these programs rules them out for many students (Henthorn, Miller, and Hudson 2001; Munoz, Wood, and Cherrier 2006). Thus, other less expensive techniques for developing a vivid and deep understanding of cultural differences and their importance should be explored. Experiential learning is sometimes proposed as a way to give students a life exposure to the importance of culture. Some have suggested that a computer simulation of one type or another be used to develop cultural awareness (e.g., Li, Greenberg, and Nicholls 2007), for example, an international business negotiation simulation (e.g., Culpan 1990). Others (e.g., Punnett 2005) propose experiencing the international business environment through a series of exercises, projects, and cases. Still others suggest that the real-life experiences of students who have been immersed in more than one culture--i.e., foreign students in the class or domestic students who have lived abroad--be used to highlight the importance and effects of culture (Curran-Kelly 2005). Munoz, Wood, and Cherrier (2006) suggest using the Internet to do a cross-cultural collaborative exercise in which classes in different parts of the world complete an exercise, then compare and contrast the results, teasing out cultural similarities and differences. LITERATURE AND LEARNING Literature is still another way to help students vividly and deeply and understand the importance of key business concepts. Recently, Kimball (2007) used assigned readings in contemporary American literature to teach ethical decision making. Kimball argued that this approach better prepared graduates for the real world by creating a learning laboratory in which graduates can have the business world come alive as a vicarious experience (p. 64). Since art often imitates all the variety and complexity of life (Auerbach 1953), works of art can serve as manageable and yet relatively verisimilar data sets to teach concepts and to formulate and test theories. …

Utility theory and equity theory make contradictory predictions about the effects of declining costs on consumer satisfaction. In a standard economic analysis, satisfaction increases as costs fall but in an equity theoretical analysis, satisfaction decreases as costs fall when falling prices mean the consumer receives more than she gives up in exchange for a benefit. This study demonstrates that the claims of both these widely accepted theories may be valid if the effects of cost on satisfaction are moderated by degree of acquaintance with the exchange partner. Where personal acquaintance is high, the effects predicted by equity theory predominate. Where acquaintance is low, the effects predicted by utility theory predominate. Secular changes in marketing philosophy (the shift to a service dominant logic in marketing) and the growth of technologies that facilitate mass personalization (the Internet, databases, social networking) make degree of perceived acquaintance an important marketing variable.

In the future, marketing graduates will face an increasingly diverse and multicultural workplace both within and outside their home countries. A crucial question is, how can marketing educators better prepare students for this complex and changing work environment? One solution is a study abroad program (SAP). This study tests some anecdotal claims about the value of the SAP in preparing students for this work environment. Empirical results show that the SAP helps students become more globally minded, communicate better across cultural and national boundaries, and become more sensitive to new and different cultures. Suggestions for improving SAPs for marketing students conclude the paper.

In the past decade, study abroad programs (SAPs) have more than doubled, where today, about 223,000 U.S. college students study abroad, immersing themselves in foreign language, culture, and business practices. It is customary to hear students describe these experiences as "life changing," yet little empirical evidence exists to establish the specific areas of personal development achieved in a SAP. This study investigates several of the potential intercultural influences of a semester abroad for students from the United States. Findings reveal that students who study abroad may have greater intercultural proficiency, increased openness to cultural diversity, and become more globally minded than those students remaining in a traditional campus setting. Students who participate in SAPs perceive themselves as being more proficient, approachable, and open to intercultural communication.

How do individuals with strong grudgeholding and avoidance attitudes react to counterattitudinal information that is factual and objective and comes from credible sources? Using the elaboration likelihood model, social judgment theory and the characterization-correction model (Ahluwalia 2000), this article discusses the rationale and proposes a framework behind a change in grudgeholding and avoidance attitudes of individuals. The reduction in grudgeholding and avoidance attitudes of individuals over time, when individuals are exposed to factual and objective counterattitudinal information from credible sources, is modeled as a finite markov chain.

ABSTRACT Information management is, increasingly, becoming a fundamental marketing skill. But this fact is not reflected in the traditional marketing which gives little attention to the hands-on use of databases and statistical packages. So this article proposes a curriculum change--the introduction of a new course, Market Database Development--designed to address this lack of training in information management and to implement the three-stage learning process of King, Wood, and Mines (1990). The article discusses the content and structure of the new course and its position within an updated Marketing curriculum. INTRODUCTION The past decade has produced enormous changes in marketing practice. With some lag, those changes in practice--and new AACSB standards (AACSB 2000)--are beginning to stimulate substantial changes in marketing education, particularly with respect to globalization and technology (Graef 1998; Moon 1999; Pharr and Morris 1997; Smart, Tomkovick, Jones and Menon 1999). But the transformation of marketing education is far from complete, and the marketing curriculum continues to be criticized by students, legislators, and business leaders for being static and unchanging (Butler and Straughn-Mizerski 1998), unresponsive and irrelevant (Smart, Kelly, and Conant 1999), and ineffective and out of touch (Catterall and Clarke 2000; Smart, Kelly, and Conant 1999). So while changes are occurring, marketing educators are, nevertheless, accused of changing their programs too slowly and infrequently. In effect, they are accused of violating their own dicta, of teaching students that businesses must anticipate change and adapt quickly but of not practicing what they preach (Shuptrine and Willenborg 1998). These criticisms and environmental changes have produced calls for a root-and-branch rethinking of marketing education at the undergraduate (Lamont and Friedman 1997; Smart et al. 1999) and graduate levels (Ghandi and Bodkin 1996; Moon 1999; Smart, Kelly, and Conant 1999), including calls for the development of a fourth generation marketing curriculum, a curriculum that emphasizes communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and technology skills, all within a global, ethical perspective (Hill 1997; Pharr and Morris 1997). These calls from inside and outside the marketing education community highlight the growing importance of an ability to use technology to define and solve marketing problems (Shuptrine and Willenborg 1998). This paper discusses the effort of one marketing program to address these concerns by replacing its traditional marketing curriculum with a new curriculum more suitable for the new economy. Specifically, it discusses changes made in the marketing curriculum at [University Name] to more fully develop technology and problem solving skills. The most important part of this curricular change was a radical restructuring of the traditional Marketing Research course, a transformation that narrowed the focus of the course while expanding the coverage of issues related to the use of information in marketplace decision making. This was accomplished by breaking apart and distributing the content of the traditional course over other courses and by creating a new technology and information intensive course, Market Database Development. This paper focuses upon the content of this new course, which was specially designed to help students position themselves at the nexus of technology and business decision making. After discussing at some length the logic and structure of this new course, the paper concludes with lessons learned in this effort to transform the marketing curriculum and make it more relevant to current business practice. MARKETING CURRICULUM Many studies have emphasized the centrality of technology in the transformation and revitalization the marketing curriculum (Benbunan-Fich, et al. 2001; Butler and Straughn-Mizerski 1998; Castleberry 2001; Floyd and Gordon 1998; Gault, Redington, and Schlager 2000; Ghandi and Bodkin 1996; Koch 1997; LaBarbera and Simonoff 1999; Lamb, Shipp, and Moncrief 1995; Lamont and Friedman 1997; Moon 1999; Siegel 2000; Shuptrine and Willenborg 1998; Sterngold and Hurlbert 1998). …

CASE DESCRIPTION The primary focus of this case concerns the borrowing needs of a start-up business, taking into account the financing feedback associated with interest expense. Instead of using the traditional iterative method for debt determination, enough information is provided so the better students could express the relationship in an algebraic construct and solve directly for the requisite loan amount. Secondary issues include developing a forecasted statement for the first year of a start-up business. The case has a difficulty level of three, and is positioned for use in junior level principles of finance courses as well as in integrated business curriculum classes for juniors. The case is designed to be taught in two class hours and is expected to require three to six hours of outside preparation by students. CASE SYNOPSIS Bob Fortune has spent a number of years in the candle-making industry and has decided to start his own business. Using a made-to-order approach, he is hoping to carve out a niche in the market. He has obtained $260,000 in equity investment for his business but still needs additional funds and plans to use a line of credit. To determine the amount he needs to borrow, Bob needs to develop his first year financials. Not only does he need to completely forecast his income statement and balance sheet, he also needs to determine the amount of debt financing needed to reach his target cash balance. Deriving the amount of financing needed is complicated by the financing feedback effect, wherein the more he borrows, the more interest he pays. INTRODUCTION Bob Fortune had always dreamed of owning his own candle making business. Having worked in the industry for 21 years, he looked forward to less travel and to using the candle making experience he had acquired. Over the years, Bob saved $60,000 for this venture, and was eager to strike out on his own. At last he decided to make the plunge as an entrepreneur. His first problem was financing this venture. He ultimately raised $200,000 from outside investors, but apparently he had tapped out this source of financing, as no one else seemed interested in investing equity in his vision. Unfortunately, the combined equity from the two sources wasn't going to be enough to launch his business. Having developed a great banking relationship with Dan Miller at Sunshine Community Bank. When he saw Dan at the Country Club, Bob casually asked him about arranging a line of credit. Sure can arrange a line of credit for you, said Miller. How much do you need? a good Bob said to himself silently, thinking about his business plan. Even though he thought he had made plenty of good assumptions about the future of his business, his financial statements just wouldn't balance. The problem perplexed him. If he didn't know the amount of debt he needed to meet his target ending cash balance, then he couldn't calculate his interest expense. However, he couldn't find the amount of debt he needed until he took into account the interest expense associated with the debt borrowed. Bob knew that his financiais had to be constructed properly in order the get the line of credit as Dan was a stickler for accurate forecasts. He wondered how he could close the loop on his financial statements and find the amount of debt financing needed. That's a good question, he answered. I probably won't have to borrow more than $200,000, but don't know for sure. Let me see if can come up with a concrete number and get back to you. Sounds good to me, said Miller. THE IDEA The next day, Bob sat in his office. His idea for was to start a candle making company called Create-a-Candle, Inc. (CC) by the beginning of 2005. CC would allow for customized production of candles in jars. Customization would differentiate CC from its competition as customers would be able to create the jars with their desired shape, color and fragrance. …

CASE DESCRIPTION The primary focus of this case concerns the borrowing needs of a start-up business, taking into account the financing feedback associated with interest expense. Instead of using the traditional iterative method for debt determination, enough information is provided so the better students could express the relationship in an algebraic construct and solve directly for the requisite loan amount. Secondary issues include developing a forecasted statement for the first year of a start-up business. The case has a difficulty level of three, and is positioned for use in junior level principles of finance courses as well as in integrated business curriculum classes for juniors. The case is designed to be taught in two class hours and is expected to require three to six hours of outside preparation by students. CASE SYNOPSIS Bob Fortune has spent a number of years in the candle-making industry and has decided to start his own business. Using a made-to-order approach, he is hoping to carve out a niche in the market. He has obtained $260,000 in equity investment for his business but still needs additional funds and plans to use a line of credit. To determine the amount he needs to borrow, Bob needs to develop his first year financials. Not only does he need to completely forecast his income statement and balance sheet, he also needs to determine the amount of debt financing needed to reach his target cash balance. Deriving the amount of financing needed is complicated by the financing feedback effect, wherein the more he borrows, the more interest he pays. INSTRUCTORS' NOTES Learning Objectives After successful completion of this case, students will: ** create a forecast for the first year of a start-up business ** describe the impact of financing feedback on financial statements for an S-Corporation and C-Corporation ** solve for the ending debt balance of an S-Corporation which takes into account the financing feedback associated with interest expense on new debt borrowing ** solve for the ending debt balance of an C-Corporation which takes into account the financing feedback associated with the tax deductibility of interest expense on new debt borrowing Theoretical Frameworks To successfully analyze this case, students must be familiar with: ** Accounting concepts and terminology. Students must understand basic accounting concepts (e.g. depreciation, cost of goods sold, accounts receivable, etc.) and terminology used to present the assumptions. ** Financial forecasting assumptions. This case provides students with enough information to construct financial statements (income statement and balance sheet) for a 1-year period. Students will need to take information presented in the text and in exhibits and convert this information into financial statement information. ** Financial forecasting methods. Students must understand the basics of forecasting financial statements (transaction-based) and the interrelationship between the income statement and balance sheet. ** Financing feedback. Students should be aware of the debt/interest loop encountered when forecasting financial statements. They should understand the meaning of financing feedback as it relates to new debt borrowing. ANCILLARY READINGS Financial forecasting assumptions. A realistic and comprehensive financial planning example is provided in: Lasher, William R. (2005). Practical Financial Planning, Fourth Edition. United States: Thomson Southwestern, 636-646. Financial forecasting methods. An example of the transactions-based approach, presented as an accounting equation is in: Needles, Belverd, et al, (2002). Principles of Accounting, United States: Houghton-Mifflin, 16-23. Financing feedback. The iterative technique for solving for debt given financing feedback is presented in: Brigham, Eugene & L. …

This study develops a macro measure of consumer well-being based on the notion that consumer well-being is determined by satisfaction with the acquisition, possession, consumption, maintenance, and disposition of consumer goods and services. In a survey of 298 university students, the proposed measure was found to have predictive (nomological) validity in relation to life satisfaction for three out of its five dimensions—acquisition, possession, and consumption. In sum, satisfaction in the consumer life domain was demonstrated to be an important component of life satisfaction.

An assortment of courses, minors, majors, degree and certificate programs, and “centers” addressing internet marketing, e-commerce, and e-business is emanating from colleges and universities globally. There's no debate regarding the appropriateness of incorporating into curricula “digital” content, nor does there seem to be contention regarding relevant topical coverage. Whether to integrate digital content into existing course work or create a dedicated curriculum is a “hot button.” This article describes the authors’ experience in addressing these matters as they work to implement a B.S. degree program in e-business at their state supported institution.

Experts cite the lack of a sound business plan and a diminished regard for basic marketing and management practices as major reasons for the failure rate of Web‐based retailers. The dot‐com platform alone was often viewed as a sufficient basis for business success. This article provides a guide in applying marketing management principles to Internet‐based retailers. The format for this guide uses marketing management plans, providers, access, distribution, markets, products, prices, and promotions. The practices and examples provided in this guide are useful for gaining competitive advantage in the retail, dot‐com marketplace.