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OBJECTIVE: This study examined alcohol consumption patterns and trends at a public university in the Northeast from 2002 to 2008., PARTICIPANTS: Stratified random sampling was used to select undergraduate students enrolled in courses during spring semesters in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008., METHODS: Data were collected during regularly scheduled classes for 4 measures of alcohol consumption and 5 demographic categories using the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey., RESULTS: Four groups showed significant increases in both frequency and volume of alcohol consumption-students who were female, over 21 years of age or over, living off-campus, or performing well academically. There were no decreasing trends for any demographic group. These results differ from national college health surveys, which have shown alcohol use remaining steady during this period., CONCLUSIONS: Campus-specific trend data can provide unique perspectives and guide programming efforts. These trends suggest a need for new intervention strategies on this campus.

Identity is recognized as a powerful antecedent of behavior. Social identity denotes the incorporation of culture into a person’s self-concept. A strong correspondence exists between identity with a given social unit and commitment to group values/norms, and thus, how much influence the social unit exerts on the person’s attitudes and behaviors. As a psychological construct, social identity research requires probing how individuals subjectively interpret their own affiliation with one or several collectivities. Cultures are increasingly emancipated from geography in the global era. Because contemporary consumers are continuously exposed to a variety of cultural influences, they may develop polycentric identities. As companies and markets integrate, a key international market segmentation topic relates to consumers’ mindsets about home and extraneous countries/cultures, and subsequently, the products connected with these entities. To date, no research has simultaneously examined the interrelationships of consumer ethnocentrism (bias towards products from one’s national culture), consumer xenocentrism (i.e., preference or orientation towards products from a culture other than one’s own), and cosmopolitanism (i.e., a yearning for and adeptness at mastering cultural diversity) in a single study. Employing an online survey, and drawing from a representative sample (n = 269) of American consumers drawn from all 50 states (plus D.C.), this research also examines the correspondence of these identity-relevant constructs within a nomological net of pertinent concepts (all of which are established in the marketing literature): materialism, consciousness-of-kind, external orientation (cultural open-mindedness and consumption of foreign media), global consumption orientation, and natural environment concern. The survey contained a total of 60 scales corresponding to the 8 constructs, along with a series of key demographic measures. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were applied to the construct measures. Various analytical techniques were employed (tests for convergent/discriminant validity, bivariate correlations, t-tests, MANOVA, two-step clustering, as well as path analyses using structural equation modelling) to test the 19 proposed theoretical hypotheses. Most hypotheses were supported, in terms of statistical significance and magnitude, as well as directional valence. Associative network memory theory and signaling theory implicate how consumers decide from a constellation of local, foreign, and global product options. Upon activation of a brand node by way of retrieval cues (product categories, brand names, and so forth), linkages such product attributes and semantic associations (e.g., ingroups/outgroups and corresponding levels of felt identification) become salient. Firms can manipulate signals, including associations towards or away from countries/cultures, to position products and persuade consumers. Vertical segmentation, the conventional approach to adapting marketing strategies, entails developing marketing mixes for each country, from the near limitless combination of demographic, economic and psychographic variables. Due to the globalization of media and the widespread movement of products and peoples across borders a growing number of researchers instead advocate horizontal segmentation, whereby similar groups of consumers are targeted with an essentially uniform marketing strategy, irrespective of where they might live. Individuals’ inward and outward dispositions—towards their own and different countries, cultures, and products—are sound candidate constructs for designing horizontal strategies.

Purpose - A first objective is to add insight into how constructs of ethnocentrism, xenocentrism and cosmopolitanism relate to each other. Knowledge of how these constructs overlap or work together in affecting consumer preferences will offer global marketers insights for designing appropriate marketing strategies. The second objective is to extend this knowledge by examining the correspondence of these three constructs to a nomological network of dispositional concepts pertinent for product positioning and market segmentation. The third objective is to empirically examine the extent to which the measures, construct structure and associative relationships are robust in different national research settings. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach - Surveying British and American consumers, this study examines and analyzes the correspondence of these identity-relevant constructs within a nomological net of pertinent concepts: consciousness-of-kind, global consumption orientation, materialism and natural environment concern. Findings - The hypothesized negative links between CET-XEN and CET-COS, and the predicted positive connection between XEN-COS were all confirmed on the latent factor results for the combined data set. The negative correlation between CET-XEN was of a considerably lower magnitude than that for CET-COS. Originality/value - To date, no research has used an identity theory framework and simultaneously examined in a cross-cultural context the interrelationships of consumer ethnocentrism consumer xenocentrism and cosmopolitanism - and their differentiating linkages to a multiplicity of consumer dispositions.

Purpose: Problems of relationship quality and interfirm conflict in business-to-business settings are serious concerns that need to be addressed. Thus, the authors have engaged in an extensive review to promote an understanding of these complex issues. This article develops an integrated framework for analyzing wide-ranging relations between individual representatives and patterns of interfirm incompatibility for managerial control.Methodology/approach: The review involves numerous sources that include articles and monographs. A theoretical framework is constructed to integrate fragmented empirical data. In particular, social identity and commitment-trust theories are mobilized for this framework.Findings: The review of studies has a substantial consistency with the theoretical framework. The article outlines a causal chain from interpersonal agent dissimilarities to dysfunctional buyer-supplier relations, culminating in interfirm pathological conflict. Moderating factors in the causal chain are: agent identity differentiation (for interpersonal dissimilarity), supplier relations mismanagement (for buyer-supplier relationship quality), and interfirm opportunism (for interfirm pathological conflict). Buyer-supplier interfirm incompatibility mediates the causal link between interpersonal dissimilarity and buyer-supplier relationship quality. Identity differentiation, the validation of one's self-image, is introduced as a process that determines buyer-supplier agent interpersonal dissimilarity judgments. This framework uses a contextual perspective. It describes interactions between observations of micro-level phenomena of interpersonal dissimilarities and macro-level models of interfirm fit. From a managerial perspective, interpersonal relations between individual buyer and supplier agents may be further strengthened by such strategies as expanding the scope of the interpersonal relationship, relaxation of role responsibilities, and volunteering business-related contact referrals.Originality/value: A new theoretical framework has been devised to predict and explain relationship quality and interfirm pathological conflict in the business-to-business context. The framework contributes to the value of the knowledge base by serving as a means for building new diagnostic tools for assessment of interfirm behavioral issues affecting exchanges. New concepts are introduced to enhance current literature on business-to-business marketing. The framework provides concreteindicators that operationally define ideas and enable or improve measurement for empirical modeling.

Purpose-This paper aims to use goal-setting theory to explain the transfer of knowledge and skills between master of business administration (MBA) and the workplace. Design/methodology/approach-Data were obtained by an online survey of MBA students enrolled in at four US graduate business schools. These were a public and private institution in the Northeast region, a private sectarian institution in the Midwest region and a private institution in the Pacific region. All students worked while attending the university. The sampling frame consisted of each school’s MBA enrollees. Questionnaires were distributed to a random cross-section of part-time students at each graduate school of business representative of returned by 144 students. The profiles of responders were consistent with parameters for the entire MBA student population. Findings-The research shows that multiple goals of reciprocal knowledge and skills transfer may be in harmony and mutually reinforcing. In principle, each goal is more likely to be attained with greater economy of effort than might be surmised. Additionally, the same forces may act similarly to facilitate attainment of two well-integrated goals, in this case transfer betweenMBAstudies and work, as well as between work and MBA studies. Research limitations/implications-The present study involved participants from part-time public and private MBA granting institutions in the USA. The study tested and extended goal-setting theory and introduced the innovative concept of reciprocal transfer. Future studies should seek to generalize the findings to a broader population of part-time MBA students, especially from other nations. Despite its strengths, the findings of this study need to be interpreted in the perspective of some limitations. The current study did not measure transfer climates in either the organization or university settings. Transfer climates undoubtedly have an important bearing on transfer outcomes. Practical implications-Review of the present study suggests that a positive MBA environment is needed to influence motivation to learn and perceptions of the MBA program’s utility, thereby promoting transfer of knowledge and skills to MBA studies from the workplace. A supportive work-to-MBA-studies transfer climate will lead to more active learning of course content that has greater relevance for achieving career goals. Potentially generalizable from the organizational transfer climate literature (Rouiller and Goldstein 1990; Rouiller and Goldstein 1993), positive transfer from work to MBA studies will occur when appropriate situational cues and consequences are present in the program. Social implications-A constructive implication suggested by the findings of this study would be the intervention and transfer management by educators to structure and strengthen the university transfer climate of their part-time MBA programs. Traditionally, the concept of transfer climate has been primarily applied to employee workplace training activity and job performance. The university culture of the MBA student might emphasize and reward continuous learning from workplace experiences. Opportunities at the university should be provided for the exercise of newly acquired workplace skills that reinforce MBA learning experiences. Originality/value-This is the first study that shows how learning goals and performance goals are integrated in the context of a new concept, i.e. reciprocal transfer of knowledge and skills betweenMBA and workplace settings. It also demonstrates, for the first time, the impact of learning and motivation for MBAstudies and perceived utility ofMBAprogram on the extent of transfer of learning and skills from the workplace to the university setting. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

The authors explore how the relationship between part-time master of business administration (MBA) students and their employers changes as students proceed through their MBA program by examining the degree to which students are integrated into their employer organizations. Significant positive relationships observed between students’ progress through their MBA program and the integration factors of coworker support and future prospects with their employers suggest that an MBA education can have a positive effect on employee–employer integration levels. Consequently, in addition to increasing business knowledge and skills, an MBA degree appears to assist with integrating employees and employers. © 2014, Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Successful behavioral change is the Holy Grail for social marketers. Meta-analysis demonstrates that effect sizes of behavioral change in social marketing campaigns is typically low. The present case study uses 4 years of survey data from an Alabama weight loss and behavioral change campaign to develop an explanation for why some people are more successful in lifestyle change efforts than others. Comforting, a communicative form of prosocial behavior, produced the greatest magnitude of change when tested as an independent variable on dependent variables, including pounds lost, amount of dairy products and water consumed, and physical activities undertaken. The case study concludes by discussing implications for social marketing academics and practitioners. © The Author(s) 2013.

The authors utilized an experimental design across six sections of a managerial communications course (N = 173) to test the impact of instructor verbal aggressiveness and class attendance policies on student class attendance. The experimental group received a policy based on the principle of social proof (R. B. Cialdini, 2001), which indicated that for similar students, class attendance was linked to high academic performance. Students also assessed their instructor's level of verbal aggressiveness (D. A. Infante, 1979). Results suggest that instructor verbal aggressiveness did not influence class attendance. However, social proof did positively influence class attendance rates under certain circumstances. The authors discuss the study implications. © 2012, Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Despite the danger of franchisee non-compliance as a severe impediment to overall franchise operation and performance, there is currently minimal understanding of the key factors that lead to these behaviors. Using a foundation of relational exchange theory, we construct and test a model that demonstrates how two distinct forms of trust, based upon perceptions of franchisor integrity and franchisor competence, are critical to explaining the roles that relational conflict and satisfaction play in influencing franchisee compliance. Implications of these findings are then demonstrated to have compelling relevance to the effective management of franchise systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A model of switching costs is applied to ad agency-client relationships using agency theory. Switching costs are comprised of set-up costs that create barriers to switching to new agencies and exit costs that are barriers to severing relationships with current agencies. Switching cost theory offers insights into why large clients can maintain agency relationships. A survey of American clients shows how client size is associated with set-up and exit costs. These relationships are explained through diversity and scope of services, the creative risk associated with major brands, and the need for more sophisticated monitoring, each acting as switching barriers, extending longevity. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

With social interaction, quantity does not equal quality. Persons may have frequent negative social interactions with other persons, such that the interactions are socially undermining, rather than socially supportive. Rook (1984) used regression analysis to demonstrate how negative social interactions impact upon well-being outcomes more powerfully and more consistently than do positive social interactions. Building upon Rook’s work, the present research examines a workplace weight loss intervention and demonstrates the power of socially supportive communication in measures of weight loss and healthy lifestyle changes. Management implications are discussed.

The creation of identities in immersive online digital environments has become commonplace in consumer behavior. Consumers frequently enter into socially networked, computer mediated environments (CME’s) as avatars. A user can design his or her avatar by choosing typologies of facial features, body types and clothing styles. The chapter concerns Avatar analysis as a system for generating and analyzing consumer information of practical value to marketers. Avatar analysis enhances understanding of brand perceptions and meanings, discovers new ways of positioning and differentiating brands, and provides insights for improving the effectiveness of brand communications. Using websites such as Second Life to draw avatars, consumer identity projections are elicited based on consumers’ perceptions and interpretations of their own digital figure drawings i.e., virtual social identities of consumers and brands. These identity projections disclose their real and ideal selves, brand-as-a-person, and imagery of a typical brand user.

We develop a theory of advertising agency compensation, client evaluation and switching costs, with extensions to agency theory. When clients are exposed to high switching costs, they become more vulnerable to the risk of agency costs. In response, clients can select compensation and evaluation decisions that convey fairness, signal their commitment, and invite agency reciprocity. With high switching costs, outcome-based compensation and formal evaluation procedures are likely. High switching costs are associated with signifi'cant relationship investments, mature relationships, large clients, formal evaluation, and with clients that use their agencies as strategic partners. Clients surveyed in North America support the theory. © 2010 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Given the continued importance of the globalization era, there is an ever-increasing interest in the correlation between marketing mix standardization and the firm's market performance. This issue focuses on the firm's pursuit of global markets in an environment conditional to internal and external market factors. The research examines factors on multinational firm's marketing mix (program and process marketing) from Australia, Japan, and the United States and the impact on market performance. The results are mixed providing some support for marketing standardization and profit performance. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Purpose – Globalization has fostered greater interest in all aspects of standardization theory including the 4Ps of the marketing mix or program and process marketing. The purpose of this paper is to probe the question: “Is there a benefit to the firm's strategy of marketing standardization that correlates positively to the firm's profit?”. Design/methodology/approach – Multinational firms from Australia, Japan and the USA operating in a global environment were studied in order to correlate marketing standardization to profit performance. Several methods of analysis were used including regression and analysis of variance measures. Findings – The results indicate there is increasing support for a strategy of standardizing marketing mix components and contributing to a firm's profit performance. Originality/value – The paper adds to the current literature by providing further empirical research correlating marketing mix standardization to profit. © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Globalization has fostered greater interest in all aspects of standardization theory, including the four Ps (product, price, place [distribution], and promotion) of the marketing mix. The study researches the firm's strategy of marketing standardization as it correlates to the firm's profit. Multinational firms from Japan and the United States operating in a global environment were studied in order to correlate marketing standardization to profit performance. The results indicate there is increasing support for a strategy of standardizing marketing mix components and contributing to a firm's profit performance. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Six women faculty came together to research their peers asking other women in COAMFTE-accredited programs about their personal and professional identities. The goal of this research was to develop recommendations for the field of Couple/Marriage and Family Therapy to support the engagement and advancement of women faculty. The research collaboration itself became a heuristic, feminist praxis, a co-creation of insight, support network, and professional relationships which had liberating results for the collaborators. We intended to create a research project that would be collaborative, empowering, and transformative for participants; in the process, the collaboration became empowering and transformative for ourselves. This article will reflect on our experiences and provide recommendations for future feminist research teams. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Trends in popular belief about same-sex relationships have undergone noteworthy change in the United States over the last decade. Yet this change has been marked by stark polarizations and has occurred at varying rates depending upon regional, community, racial, religious, and individual family context. For queer youth and their families, this cultural transformation has broadened opportunities and created a new set of risks and vulnerabilities. At the same time, youth's increasingly open and playful gender fluidity and sexual identity is complicated by unique intersections of class, race, religion, and immigration. Effective family therapy with queer youth requires practitioner's and treatment models that are sensitive to those who bear the burden of multiple oppressions and the hidden resilience embedded in their layered identities. We present case examples of our model of family therapy which addresses refuge, supports difficult dialogs, and nurtures queerness by looking for hidden resilience in the unique intersections of queer youths' lives. These intersections provide transformational potential for youth, their families and even for family therapists as we are all nurtured and challenged to think more complexly about intersectionality, sexuality, and gender. Las tendencias en la creencia popular acerca de las relaciones entre personas del mismo sexo han sufrido un cambio considerable en Estados Unidos durante la ultima decada. Sin embargo, este cambio se ha producido a ritmos diferentes segun las comunidades locales y regionales, y el contexto familiar individual. En el caso de los jovenes queer y sus familias, esta transformacion cultural ha ampliado oportunidades y creado un nuevo conjunto de riesgos y vulnerabilidades. Los jovenes queer y sus familias, al intentar desarrollarse en numerosos contextos, estan marcados por divergencias crueles en actitudes y creencias. Al mismo tiempo, la fluidez del genero y la identidad sexual cada vez mas abiertas y ludicas de los jovenes estan complicadas por intersecciones unicas de clase, raza, religion e inmigracion. Una terapia familiar eficaz con jovenes queer exige modelos de tratamiento y profesionales que sean sensibles a aquellas personas que cargan sobre sus espaldas numerosas opresiones y una resiliencia oculta incorporada en sus identidades multiples. Presentamos ejemplos de casos de nuestro modelo de terapia familiar que aborda el refugio, respalda los dialogos dificiles y apoya la sexualidad alternativa buscando la resiliencia oculta en las intersecciones unicas de las vidas de los jovenes queer. Estas intersecciones ofrecen posibilidades transformacionales para los jovenes, sus familias e incluso los terapeutas familiares mientras nos estimulan y nos desafian a todos a pensar de forma mas compleja acerca de la interseccionalidad, la sexualidad y el genero.

Mindfulness has recently gained significant attention and momentum in academia and popular culture. There is, however, a paucity of literature on how students make sense of contemplative practices. This paper proposes that mindfulness meditation is not merely a useful tool for stress reduction, but also a metacognitive meaning-making practice.