Transcript Enhancing Theory Development and Strengthening

Enhancing Theory Development and Strengthening
Knowledge Development in the Marketing
Discipline
Rajan Varadarajan
Texas A&M University
[email protected]
AMA 2010 Marketing Theory Preconference (August 13, 2010. Boston)
Theory is the Oxygen of Academic Disciplines
What Explains the Effectiveness of an Electric Fan as a Mosquito Repellant?
Carbon dioxide, sweat, lactic acid, body heat, wind velocity, and mosquito body mass.
“Studies have found that wind is an effective method against mosquitoes and other airborne
pests. The reason seems obvious: it prevents them from circling and landing on you, like a
windstorm keeping a plane from its descent. But that is not entirely the case. A fan dilutes
and disperses the carbon dioxide you exhale. Carbon dioxide is one of the major chemicals
that attract mosquitoes. The wind from a fan also cools you off. Sweat, lactic acid and body
heat attract mosquitoes — factors that a fan can help minimize.
In one study in 2003, entomologists at Michigan State University used traps set up in a
wetland by the C.D.C. to attract mosquitoes. Releasing carbon dioxide attracted more pests
to the trap, and the more carbon dioxide, the more mosquitoes.
Using fan-generated wind of various speeds helped keep them away. But there was no link
between wind “velocity” and “mosquito body mass.””
Source: Anahad O’Connor, “The Claim: To Repel Mosquitoes, Use a House Fan,” New York
Times, July 12, 2010.
Session Focus
• How can theory development efforts be enhanced
in the marketing discipline?
• What factors currently impede theory development
efforts in the marketing discipline?
1. How can theory development efforts be enhanced
in the marketing discipline?
• Theory development in the marketing discipline in
the context of multidisciplinary business problems.
• A broader perspective on the scope of theory
development efforts and outcomes.
Many Important Research Questions Are Multidisciplinary
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“Nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security research are inherently
multidisciplinary. Even at the most fundamental level, nearly all nuclear
nonproliferation and security problems involve core aspects of technology, natural
sciences, and social sciences. ... Relevant knowledge that typically must be brought
to bear includes
nuclear engineering, mathematics, and computer science for radiation transport;
electrical engineering for signal analysis;
computer science for data integrity and verification;
physics for particle detection;
chemistry for environmental sample analysis;
mechanical engineering for robotics;
systems analysis for optimizing performance of layered defenses;
political science for policy analysis of technology decisions, including game
theoretical modeling; and
psychology and social science for analysis of adversary intentions.”
Source: Anon
Note: Embellishment such as reformatting material presented as running text in the
original source as bullet points are mine.
Many Important Problems Confronted by Business
Organizations Are Multidisciplinary
Theory development in the marketing discipline in
the context of multidisciplinary business problems.
A Broader Perspective on the Scope of Theory
Development Efforts and Outcomes
• Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
• Newton’s Laws of Motion
• First Law of Thermodynamics, Second Law of Thermodynamics, Third Law
of Thermodynamics
• Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle
• Avogadro’s Hypothesis
• Poincare Conjecture
• Hubble Effect
• … Axiom
• … Conundrum
• … Enigma
• … Paradox
• … Constant
• … Quotient
• … Distance
A Broader Perspective on the Scope of Theory Development Efforts and Outcomes
Some Eponyms in Physical Sciences
Some Eponyms in Marketing
• Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
• Newton’s Laws of Motion
• Heisenberg’s Uncertainty
Principle
• Avogadro’s Hypothesis
• Poincare Conjecture
• Hubble Effect
• … Axiom
• … Conundrum
• … Enigma
• … Paradox
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Bass’ (1969) Diffusion Model
Howard and Sheth’s (1969) Theory of
Buyer Behavior
Kotler’s (1972) Generic Concept of
Marketing
Bagozzi’s (1975) Exchange Paradigm
Hunt’ (1976) Three Dichotomies
Framework of the Nature and Scope of
Marketing
Bettman’s (1979) Information Processing
Theory of Consumer Choice
Churchill’s (1978) Paradigm for Scale
Development
Zaltman’s (1982) Methodology for Eliciting
Theories-in-Use by Marketing Practitioners
Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry’s (1985)
GAPS Model of Service Quality
Buzzell and Gale’s (1987)Profit Impact of
Market Strategy (PIMS) Principles
Hunt’s (2000) Resource Advantage Theory
of the Firm
• Efficient market hypothesis
• Relatedness hypothesis
Conceptual Framework: A Building Block in Theory
Development
• “A framework, like a model, abstracts from reality.
It endeavors to identify classes of relevant
variables and their interrelationships. A framework
is less rigorous than a model as it is sometimes
agnostic about the particular form of the
theoretical relationship that may exist” (Teece,
Strategic Management Journal, 2007, p. 1320).
• What factors currently impede theory development
efforts in the marketing discipline?
• Ambiguity and lack of precision
• Marginalization of marketing theory in doctoral
programs
Environmental Economics 101
“If there’s a single central insight in economics, it’s this: There are
mutual gains from transactions between consenting adults. …
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But what if a deal between consenting adults imposes costs on
people who are not part of the exchange? What if you
manufacture a widget and I buy it, to our mutual benefit, but the
process of producing that widget involves dumping toxic sludge
into other people’s drinking water? When there are “negative
externalities” — costs that economic actors impose on others
without paying a price for their actions — any presumption that
the market economy, left to its own devices, will do the right thing
goes out the window. So what should we do? Environmental
economics is all about answering that question.” (Paul Krugman,
“Building a Green Economy,” The New York Times Magazine, April
11, 2010. p. 36)
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Some Specialized Streams of Inquiry In Marketing
Base of Pyramid (BOP) Marketing
Business-to-Business (B2B)Marketing
Cause-related Marketing
Direct Marketing
Ethnic Marketing
Experiences Marketing
Goods Marketing
Global Marketing
Green Marketing
High-technology Products Marketing
Ideas Marketing
Information Products Marketing
Internal Marketing
International Marketing
Internet Marketing
Interactive Marketing
Macromarketing
Megamarketing
People Marketing
Place Marketing
Services Marketing
Shopper Marketing
Social Marketing
Sports Marketing
Sustainable Marketing
Tourism Marketing
Word-of-Mouth Marketing (Referral Marketing)
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Other Specialized Streams of Inquiry in Marketing
(Including Some in the Genre of Flavor-of-the-month)
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Buzz Marketing
Gorilla Marketing
Maxi Marketing
Network Marketing
Permission Marketing
Stealth Marketing
Techno Marketing
Turbo Marketing
Viral Marketing
...
“Developing general marketing theory requires either integration
of new lessons at a higher conceptual level than the theory
already in existence, or more radically, a change in its very
foundation.” Lovelock and Gummesson 2004, p. 22)
The Flora and Fauna of a Knowledge Ecosystem
• What will happen to the fauna (the animals of a given region or time) in a natural
ecosystem if the flora (plants of a particular region or time) on which they feed
were to disappear?
• What might be the consequences of similar developments in a knowledge
ecosystem (e.g. marketing knowledge ecosystem)? Specifically, the marginalization
of marketing theory in doctoral programs in marketing.
• Under the scenario of doctoral seminars on marketing theory being gradually
phased out of doctoral programs, the next generation of scholars (the current
generation of doctoral students) will come of age without having been exposed to
the requisite skills repertoire to make important contributions to the advancement
of marketing theory.
• Under the scenario of leading scholarly journals in the marketing discipline not
being receptive to publishing articles whose potential contribution is limited to
advancing marketing theory (and lacking an empirical component), over time they
may face gradual extinction from its knowledge ecosystem.
• In turn, the next generation of scholars (the current generation of doctoral
students) will come of age without having been exposed to such papers, and the
requisite skills repertoire to think at a conceptual level
Source Credit: Adapted from observations by Dr. Yvonna Lincoln, University
Distinguished Professor at Texas A&M University during an informal conversation
(March 7, 2008).