Big Brands, Big Cities: How the Population Penalty affects Common, Identity Relevant Brands in Densely Populated Areas
The population density of a geographical area has a well-known and strong positive effect on sales in the area. Yet, for some brands, there may be factors that affect the strength of this density-sales relationship. The present research shows that for product categories that consumers use to signal their identities (e.g., clothing, restaurants and cars); the strength of this relationship varies with brand commonness. Consumers residing in densely populated areas are motivated to express their distinctiveness by reducing their preference for identity relevant brands that are common, such as large chains and brands owned by many people.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PDs: Zachary Arens, Ted Matherly

 

The Substitution Strategy Dilemma: Substitute Selection versus Substitute Effectiveness

Many brands build market share by acting as a substitute when competitive brands become undesirable or difficult to obtain. Notably, prior research offers competing strategic recommendations for marketers hoping to encourage consumers to engage in substitution. Past research examining substitute selection—measuring consumers’ beliefs about how well one product will substitute for another—suggests that marketers should offer replacements that are similar to the initially preferred product. In contrast, research examining substitute effectiveness—the consequences of substitution—suggests that differentiated brands will enjoy more long-term success.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PD: Zachary Arens

 

The Rebound of the Forgone Alternative

Fifty years of cognitive dissonance research suggests that when consumers make a difficult choice, the alternative they forgo is devalued for an extended period of time, making it less likely to be chosen in the future. In a series of four studies, we show that completely consuming the chosen alternative moderates this effect. After the chosen alternative has been consumed, creating a sense of consumption closure, the attractiveness of forgone alternative rebounds to its original value.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PD: Zachary Arens

 

Why Focusing on the Similarity of Substitutes Leaves a Lot to Be Desired

Consumers frequently choose substitutes for products that are out-of-stock or unavailable. In a series of studies, we show that focusing on differences between the substitute and the unattained alternative reduces the consumer’s desire for the unattained alternative more than focusing on similarities between them. We demonstrate that focusing on similarities highlights attributes that the substitute and the unattained alternative share, thereby maintaining desire for the unattained alternative, whereas focusing on differences highlights attributes distinct to the substitute. As a result, focusing on differences decreases consumption of the unattained alternative after consuming the substitute, potentially reducing overconsumption and overspending. 

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PD: Zachary Arens

 

Consumer Substitution Decisions: An Integrative Framework

Substitution decisions have been examined from a variety of perspectives. The economics literature measures cross-price elasticity, operations research models optimal assortments, the psychology literature studies goals in conflict, and marketing research has examined substitution-in-use, brand switching, stock outs and self-control. We integrate these perspectives into a common framework for understanding consumer substitution decisions, their specific drivers (availability of new alternatives, internal vs. external restrictions on choice), the moderating role of a consumer’s commitment to an initially desired alternative, and the affective, motivational, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes of substitution. We use this framework to recommend new avenues for research.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PDs: Zachary Arens, Rebecca Hamilton

 

The Duality of Decisions and the Case for Impulsiveness Metrics

Customer metrics help firms manage their performance and predict financial outcomes. While many firms focus on customer satisfaction metrics for this purpose, dual-process theories in psychology and neuroscience show that customer decisions are based on two processes. This suggests that metrics which measure the impulsiveness of purchase decisions might effectively complement customer satisfaction metrics. In a series of experiments, we demonstrate that satisfaction and impulsiveness metrics make distinct but strong predictions of consumer choices. Satisfaction and impulsiveness influence choice in different ways. While impulsiveness relates to choice directly, the satisfaction-choice path is mediated by loyalty intention.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PD: Zachary Arens

 

The Dynamics of Consumer Behavior: A Goal Systemic Perspective

Like most behavior, consumer behavior too is goal driven. In turn, goals constitute cognitive constructs that can be chronically active as well as primed by features of the environment. Goal systems theory outlines the principles that characterize the dynamics of goal pursuit and explores their implications for consumer behavior. In this vein, we discuss from a common, goal systemic, perspective a variety of well-known phenomena in the realm of consumer behavior including brand loyalty, variety seeking, impulsive buying, preferences, choices and regret.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PDs: Zachary Arens, Catalina E. Kopetz

 

Everyday Concepts and Classification Errors: Judgments of Disability and Residence

This article examines two neglected sources of misinterpretations of survey questions. Respondents may misunderstand the questions because the survey uses an everyday term in a technical way that differs from the everyday sense (and respondents fail to recognize the difference); in addition, respondents may have trouble applying the concept to borderline cases, situations that do not map neatly onto whichever sense of the concept they are trying to use. We call these two problems misalignment of the concepts and imperfect fit between concept and instance. We examined two everyday concepts – residence and disability – that figure prominently in surveys.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PDs: Zachary Arens, Roger Touran

 

Salesperson Acceptance of Organizational Service Support Offerings and Related Effects upon Performance

The purpose of this research is to investigate the interface between salespeople and organizationally provided support services. We look at an early-stage support service offering from a firm (i.e., the development of a salesperson’s physical office) and examine how such a service offering may ‘set the stage,’ for salesperson views of organizationally provided service offerings going forward. We examine whether initial service offerings may serve as an enculturation tool to subsequently influence salesperson satisfaction with the service offering and a willingness to engage in positive word-of-mouth regarding the use of the service among other salespersons within the firm.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Lamar University, University of Montana
PI/PDs: Todd Arnold
Lamar University: Ken Evans
University of Montana: Simona Stan

 

Interaction Orientation and New Product Performance: The Role of Strategic Orientations and Innovation Capabilities

Using the research-based-view (RBV) this research seeks to examine the role of interaction orientation (IO) in the context of new product development. Specifically, IO is investigated in relation to its interactive effect with entrepreneurial, technology and learning orientations to explore how such combined influences affect both exploratory and exploitative capabilities, before affecting new product success.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Surrey

PI/PDs: Todd Arnold
University of Surrey: Jane Hemsley-Brown

 

The Influence of a Retail Store Manager in Developing Frontline Employee Brand Relationship, Service Performance and Customer Loyalty

In this study, we present a study that provides an integrative view of how leader-member exchange (LMX) influences the development of a frontline employee’s brand relationship, which ultimately influences retail salesperson performance and customer loyalty/brand equity. The results confirm that LMX is a critical factor to increase the salesperson-brand relationship, which in turn helps to develop beneficial service performance and customer loyalty/brand equity. Further, these relationships are moderated by a store manager’s brand knowledge and strategic knowledge dissemination.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Ohio Northern University, Soongsil University (Korea)

PI/PDs: Todd Arnold
Ohio Northern University: Jin-Ho Jung
Soongsil University (Korea): Jay Yoo

 

Enhancing Perceived Product Value through Peripheral Product Attributes
In this paper, we examine how firms could design their products’ packaging both to help customers socialize more successfully, as well as profit. We investigate how a peripheral product anecdote, or a brief, interesting story that is loosely connected to the product, but not connected to its history or usage, can serve this purpose. For example, Combat Wombat beer is an Australian beer with an anecdote about a wombat, an Australian animal, on its label. Does such a story facilitate social interaction among those who consume the product? This study addresses such a question.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, SUNY Albany
PI/PDs: Todd Arnold, Josh Wiener
SUNY Albany: Hillary Wiener

 

The Costs (and Opportunities) of Highly Involved Organizational Buyers
The authors examine the impact of organizational buyers’ product involvement on customers’ and suppliers’ financial outcomes, driven by buyers’ increased willingness to pay and their perceived credibility in negotiations with the supplier. The effects of these competing mechanisms are moderated by characteristics of the customer firm and the customer-supplier relationship. The authors examine effects of buyer product involvement using a survey of organizational buyers matched with secondary profit data from their supplier. Customer firms should encourage their buyers to be highly involved but limit their influence within the firm. Highly involved buyers can be potentially costly to suppliers.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Missouri
PI/PDs: Todd Arnold, Justin Lawrence, Colleen McClure
University of Missouri: Lisa Scheer

 

End User Engagement with Supplier Firm Brands: Meaningfulness of Work and Differential Impact of Other-Focused versus Self-Focused Marketing Initiatives

Findings suggest a key management concept, meaningfulness of work, can be applied to brand attachment in a work context. More specifically, results illustrate how end users find meaning on their job and develop strong feelings for supplier firm brands. The interaction between meaningfulness of work and supplier firm brand performance demonstrates that end users who find work more meaningful are more likely to both develop strong attachment for a supplier firm brand and more likely to advocate for that brand to superiors and peers.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PDs: Todd Arnold, Amy Fehl

 

Customer involvement and new product performance: the process through the enhancement of marketing and technological capabilities
Using a resource-based view (RBV) and service dominant logic (SDL), this research assesses the role of a mediating mechanism underlying the customer involvement in NPD－New Product Performance relationship. We differentiate two dimensions of customer involvement in NPD: customer involvement in information provision (CIP) and customer involvement in coproduction (CIC) to examine their influence upon the development of firm capabilities.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Chinese Culture University
PI/PDs: Todd Arnold
Chinese Culture University: Yen-Chun Chen

 

Optimizing Frontline Shift Composition

for Increased Customer Satisfaction and Firm Performance

Both academics and marketing managers agree that frontline employees (FLEs) are paramount for the provision of excellent service to customers. What is less well understood in extant research is the impact other employees may have upon a given individual frontline worker. We term this influence the shift climate, defined as the FLE’s perception of the tendencies of other members on the shift toward service behaviors that focus on customer need satisfaction. This study investigates the influence of shift climate on FLE performance.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Michigan State University
PI/PDs: Todd Arnold, Amy Fehl
Michigan State University: Valerie Good

 

Code-Switching for Work Life Self-Preservation: A Study of the Role of Sexual Orientation Discrimination on Employee Job Behaviors and Outcomes

Despite societal advances in LGBT acceptance, perceptions of sexual orientation discrimination may cause individuals to experience threats toward their workplace identity. The current research examines individual reactions to such identity threats, which we demonstrate cause both socio-linguistic and behavioral change (i.e., workplace code-switching). Such change demonstrates effects upon the individual’s workplace self-efficacy and levels of workplace felt stress. It is further demonstrated that efficacy and stress affect job satisfaction and turnover intentions, respectively. Findings also indicate that a key predictor of LGBT individuals’ workplace code-switching is satisfaction with workplace support from the organization.

Sponsor: State of Oklahoma

PI/PDs: Todd Arnold, Nathan Higdon; Maribeth Kuzmeski, Lex Washington

 

Frontline Employee Passion: Understanding and contrasting the dynamics of serving customers and solving problems in both established and emerging markets.

Service is about serving people and solving problems. Through our research, we ask an important question: “Is it possible for frontline employees to activate passion for their roles through service encounters with customers?”  By creating and testing a multi-cultural model that integrates organizationally-controllable antecedents, our research provides evidence that frontline employees across cultures may activate their passion to serve customers and solve problems through service encounters in differential ways

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Thomas More College, Case Western Reserve, Ohio Northern University

PI/PDs: Todd Arnold

Thomas More College: Angela Crawford

Case Western Reserve: Casey Newmeyer

Ohio Northern University: Jin Ho Jung

 

Understanding a Store Manager’s Intra-Organizational Relationship Capacity: A research note

Despite the critical role that store managers play in linking top management teams and service/retail employees, as well as in fulfilling corporate strategy within multi-unit, chain store environments, service management research infrequently addresses the factors that may promote store managers’ effective exchange relationships within the firm and subsequent effects on store operations and profitability. This study focuses on how store managers’ performance orientation, trust of a regional manager’s capabilities, and organizational commitment affect a manager’s intra-organizational relationships relative to regional managers and frontline employees. The direct effect of store managers’ intra-organizational relationship capacity on store performance is also examined.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Babson College

PI/PDs: Todd Arnold

Babson College: Dhruv Grewal

 

Adaptive Selling and Employee Authenticity: Perspectives from customers

This paper aims to shed light on potential moderating conditions between a salesperson’s engaging in adaptive selling behavior and important organizational outcomes. Specifically, the effect of salesperson authenticity acting as a moderating condition is examined. Survey data collected from customers of an insurance firm in South Korea were used to investigate the proposed model. Customer perceptions of salesperson adaptive selling, authenticity, key benefits delivered, and organizational value provision were all captured. The results suggest that authenticity does, indeed, positively influence perceptions of beneficial outcomes related to a transaction with a salesperson.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Soongsil University ROK

PI/PDs: Todd Arnold

Soongsil University ROK: Jay Yoo

 

Entrepreneurial Orientation and Firm Innovation Performance

This study aims to make three vital contributions in marketing and strategic management areas. First, using RBV and a dynamic capabilities perspective as our theoretical foundation, this study contributes to the extant literature by seizing the underlying mechanism through which EO affects firm performance based on the subsequent theoretical linkages: strategic resources strategic actions (organizational responsiveness) competitive advantage performance. Our theoretical rationale is that EO as an important strategic resource contributes to firm performance through a sequential link of EO dynamic capabilities competitive advantages firm performance.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Chinese Culture University Taiwan

PI/PDs: Todd Arnold

Chinese Culture University Taiwan: Peter Chen

 

Alliance Orientation, Competitive Advantage in NPD, and New Product Success

Strategic orientation is a key determinant of new product development (NPD) performance, yet, little is known about the real value of alliance orientation (AO) in the context of NPD, as well as how it contributes to new product success. This study advances knowledge by investigating the role of important mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying the AO new product success relationship. Applying a dynamic capabilities perspective, the research demonstrates that competitive advantage in NPD program and process play a significant and varied role (depending upon environmental conditions) in affecting new product success.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Chinese Culture University Taiwan

PI/PDs: Todd Arnold

Chinese Culture University Taiwan: Peter Chen

 

I Wish the Bears Were Bigger: The Role of Potent Upward Counterfactuals in a Participatory Set Up

The U.S. retail industry makes billions of dollars a year by engaging customers to participate in their business (design, production, delivery of goods and services). In relation to this, the psychological implications of such participation by customers have recently begun to gain scholarly prominence. This paper explores the role of potent upward counterfactual thinking, or the process of looking back at events and thinking about how things could have turned out better, in relation to a participatory set up. More specifically, the role of upward counterfactual potency on perceived ownership towards a co-produced good is examined.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Delaware State University

PI/PDs: Todd Arnold

Delaware State University: Devdeep Maity

 

The Drivers of Salespersons’ Customer Insight Generating Behavior and its impact on Sales Performance Outcomes in a Relationship Selling Context

Little research has addressed the influence of pre-encounter customer research on sales performance success. In this project, we investigate key influences on the performance of customer insight-generating behaviors as well as their influence on sales performance outcomes.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Weber State University, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

PI/PDs: Tom Brown

Weber State University: Nicole Flink

University of Tennessee-Knoxville: Alex R. Zablah

 

An Empirical Investigation of Challenge and Hindrance Appraisals of Customer Demands

For exchange to occur, frontline employees (FLE) must effectively respond to customer requests. Some studies find that – when such requests are rooted in heightened expectations – they can be detrimental to FLE welfare, while others reach the opposite conclusion. Using cognitive appraisal theory to reconcile these mixed findings, we propose that customer requests are neither “good” nor “bad,” but rather, their nature and consequences depend on whether individual FLEs appraise them to be a challenge or hindrance.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

PI/PDs: Tom Brown, Jin Ho Jung

University of Tennessee-Knoxville: Alex R. Zablah

 

The Positive Influence of Watching Others Receive Preferential Treatment: The Role of Envy

The purpose of this research is to examine how and when companies can motivate          

non-prioritized consumers to respond positively to customer prioritization and mitigate their negative reactions. We conducted two studies to test whether non-prioritized customers can respond positively to preferential treatment received by others. We used a video experiment to increase the realism of the manipulation and to establish internal validity and we employed a field survey to demonstrate external validity. We also suggest that the aspect of upward comparison that people pay attention to can influence whether they respond positively or negatively to an upward comparison episode.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Northern Michigan

PI/PDs:  Tom Brown

University of Northern Michigan: Yu-shan Huang

 

But I Want to Help: The Influence of Customer Orientation on Customer-Focused Voice and Rule-breaking
Sometimes frontline employees are prevented from helping their customers. In these situations, the literature offers little guidance about how they respond to their customers. Two possible responses are to speak up to management about needed changes or to simply break company rules to help the customer. This research examines conditions under which customer orientation leads to one or the other response.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, New Mexico State University, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

PI/PDs:  Tom Brown
New Mexico State University: Gabriel Gazzoli
University of Tennessee-Knoxville: Alex R. Zablah

 

The Evolution of Analytics and Implications for Industry and Academic Programs

In this work, we discuss how analytics is evolving in industry and academia. To assess industry needs, we conducted a text-mining study of online job postings for analytics-related positions. We also conducted a survey of academic programs in analytics-related master’s programs to ascertain topic coverage relative to industry needs. Based on these studies, we discuss gaps that we believe need to be addressed. While industry moves along the analytics maturity spectrum from descriptive to predictive to prescriptive optimization-based analytics, analytics master’s programs are focusing less on optimization and heavily on predictive analytics, thus creating a gap in the analytics training.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PD: Goutam Chakraborty

 

Attribute-based Sentiment Analysis in Marketing: Application and strategic implications
Increasingly, customers use social media and other Internet-based applications (e.g., review sites) to voice their opinions and to express their sentiments about brands. These reviews influence brand identity, either directly (by affecting consumer behavior) or indirectly (by generating positive or negative word-of-mouth through online social networks). We present an automated methodology that can be used to collect data from popular brand review sites and discussion boards. Customer feedback is then analyzed using best practices of text mining and supervised sentiment analysis.  Strategic implications of customer sentiments are discussed as we explore the role of sentiment analysis on modification of branding strategy.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PD: Goutam Chakraborty

 

Examining Consumers’ Adoption of Algorithms in Creative Domains
Across four studies, we find that individuals adopt algorithms less than human experts for creative tasks (vs. non-creative tasks). The effect is mediated by the perceived inflexibility associated with algorithms. Moreover, increasing algorithms’ anthropomorphism and using non-creative task framing can enhance consumers’ adoption of algorithms for creative tasks.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Sun Yat Sen University
PI/PDs: Xiang Fang
Sun Yat Sen University: Jifei Wu, Hongyan Yu

 

Touch or Click? The Effect of Direct and Indirect Human-Computer Interaction on Consumer Responses
Human-computer interaction is the way consumers access product, service and information, which affects consumers’ attitude, evaluation and purchase behavior. This paper examines how human-computer interaction affect consumer attitude and purchase intention. Four studies demonstrate that consumer with direct human-computer interaction will generate more favorable consumers’ attitudes and greater purchase intentions than those with indirect human-computer interaction. This effect is mediated by sense of immersion and this effect is moderated by the product haptic importance: sense of immersion significantly mediates the effect of human-computer on consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions for high haptic products.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Sun Yat Sen University
PI/PDs: Xiang Fang
Sun Yat Sen University: Jifei Wu, Hongyan Yu

 

Examining the Effect of a Firm’s Product Recall on Financial Values of Its Competitors Generally, scholars examine the effect of product recall on the recall firms from two different perspectives. One is from a consumer’s perspective, which looks at how product recall affects consumers’ quality perception, brand image, and loyalty. The other stream of research focuses on the impact of product recall on sales, market share, or even stock prices. In this research, we follow the second stream of research and focus on the effect of product recall on financial values.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Towson University, Shanghai Univ. of Finance and Economics
PI/PDs: Xiang Fang
Towson University: Yingying Shao
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: Xiaoyu Wang

 

When Necessary Evil is Good: Examining the Effect of Necessary Evil on Witnessing Customers' Responses in Dysfunctional Customer Encounters
Although service employees are often expected to display positive emotions when encountering dysfunctional customers, we propose that necessary evil represents a better strategy to help employees deal with dysfunctional customer encounters. The findings of three studies suggest that the customers who witness dysfunctional encounters respond more positively if service employees perform necessary evils. The target of a dysfunctional encounter (employee or customer) moderates the effect of necessary evil on service quality and positive word of mouth. Finally, the positive effect is mediated by both interactional justice and deontic justice.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PDs: Sandy Huang, Ruping Liu, Xiang Fang

 

In Human Expert or Algorithm We Trust: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

In this research, we are interested in examining the factors, which influence consumers’ trust in human expert vs. algorithm in cross-cultural context. We study three broad categories: task-related characteristics (e.g., creativity, difficulty, hedonic/utilitarian, objectivity, and familiarity), cultural factors (cultural dimensions), and individual traits (innovativeness and familiarity with technology and AI). In two studies across different recommendation scenarios, we find that consumers in general trust human experts more than algorithm. Furthermore, we plan to conduct several experiments to test the underlying mechanism that accounts for the differences between cultures.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Sun Yat Sen University

PI/PDs:  Xiang Fang

Sun Yat Sen University: Jifei Wu, Hongyan Yu

 

Touch or Click? The Effect of Direct and Indirect Human-Computer Interaction on Consumer Responses

Human-computer interaction is the way consumers access product, service and information, which affects consumers’ attitude, evaluation and purchase behavior. This paper examines how human-computer interaction affect consumer attitude and purchase intention. Four studies demonstrate that consumer with direct human-computer interaction will generate more favorable consumers’ attitudes and greater purchase intentions than those with indirect human-computer interaction. This effect is mediated by sense of immersion and this effect is moderated by the product haptic importance: sense of immersion significantly mediates the effect of human-computer on consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions for high haptic products.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Sun Yat Sen University

PI/PDs:  Xiang Fang

Sun Yat Sen University: Jifei Wu, Hongyan Yu

 

Examining the Effect of a Firm’s Product Recall on Financial Values of Its Competitors

Generally, scholars examine the effect of product recall on the recall firms from two different perspectives. One is from a consumer’s perspective, which looks at how product recall affects consumers’ quality perception, brand image, and loyalty. The other stream of research focuses on the impact of product recall on sales, market share, or even stock prices. In this research, we follow the second stream of research and focus on the effect of product recall on financial values.

Sponsors:  Oklahoma State University, Towson University, Shanghai Univ. of Finance and Economics

PI/PDs:  Xiang Fang

Towson University: Yingying Shao

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: Xiaoyu Wang

 

When Necessary Evil is Good: Examining the Effect of Necessary Evil on Witnessing Customers' Responses in Dysfunctional Customer Encounters

Although service employees are often expected to display positive emotions when encountering dysfunctional customers, we propose that necessary evil represents a better strategy to help employees deal with dysfunctional customer encounters. The findings of three studies suggest that the customers who witness dysfunctional encounters respond more positively if service employees perform necessary evils. The target of a dysfunctional encounter (employee or customer) moderates the effect of necessary evil on service quality and positive word of mouth. Finally, the positive effect is mediated by both interactional justice and deontic justice. 

Sponsor:  Oklahoma State University

PI/PDs:  Sandy Huang, Ruping Liu, Xiang Fang

 

The Effect of Honest and Humble Leadership on Salesperson Customer Orientation

This study examines how characteristics of the leader and the leader-salesperson relationship impact salesperson outcomes. The initial model proposes that leader’s honesty and humility will have a positive effect on salesperson customer orientation and performance via enhanced leader-subordinate relationship quality. Servant leadership is expected to magnify the positive relationship between leader honesty and humility and leader-subordinate relationship quality. Data from 175 salespeople do not support the hypothesis that leader honesty and humility directly impacts relationship quality. However, these data do lend support for an alternative serial mediation model (honesty-humility → servant leadership → relationship quality → customer orientation).

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PDs: Julia Kirkland, Karen Flaherty, Bryan Edwards

 

Managers as Engineers of Market Knowledge Network:  Typology and a Conceptual Framework 

Adopting a grounded theory approach, we offer a typology of manager’s network engineering that is based on three key variables, including managers’ market orientation, their network approach (proactive or reactive), and their servant leadership approach (self-focused or other-focused). Specifically, we propose that marketing managers engineer the social networks of their frontline employees in four unique ways—they may 1) facilitate connections, 2) alter connections, 3) lend connections, or 4) sever connections between the frontline employees and important others.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Baylor University, University of Georgia
PI/PDs: Karen Flaherty
University of Georgia:  Son Lam
Baylor University: Andrea Dixon

Investigating Firm Level Drivers of Salesperson Brand Identification
Taking a social identity theory perspective, we uncover specific actions that firms can take to manage salespeople’s identification with the brands they sell. In particular, we identify five specific brand relationship investments that firms can leverage to increase salesperson’s identification and engagement with the brand, and ultimately performance. These include providing brand specific 1) rewards, 2) communication, 3) productive consumption, 4) leader brand role modeling, and 5) leader effort. Further, we suggest that reactance and social norms moderate these relationships.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PDs: Karen Flaherty, Lee Allison

 

Who will Compromise? The Role of Gender in Joint Ethical Decision-Making
Current understanding of how unethical behavior arises in a business context remains unclear.  This may be due in part to the complex nature of business decisions. In this study, we report the results of an experiment designed to shed some light on factors that influence how moral judgments arise in a team situation. Based on a sample of 249 undergraduate student teams, we first consider the role that the individual’s and their partner’s motivation-to-lead and political skill play in determining the extent to which the person adjusts his/her response to an ethical dilemma to reflect greater sensitivity to moral issues.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PDs: Karen Flaherty, Jim Pappas, Tara Urich

 

Low ‘Fit’ Matters Less to Conservatives: The Moderating Role of Political Ideology in the Effect of ‘Fit’ on the Evaluation of Luxury (or Prestigious) Product to Service Extensions.

Although ‘brand extension fit’ has been regarded as the most important driver of brand extension success, fit would matter less to conservatives (vs. liberals) in luxury extension. We proposed and showed that conservatives (vs. liberals) are more motivated to advocate luxury brand extensions even when ‘fit’ is low. Results of multiple studies show that conservatives evaluate the low fit brand extensions more favorably than liberals do. However, this political ideology effect disappears either when fit is high or when the parent brand is an affordable brand.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PDs: JiHoon Jhang, Pramit Banerjee

 

When to Interrupt with What? Attenuating the Negative Impact of Interruption on Consumers’ Ad Attitudes by Satisfying Consumers’ Information-seeking Goal with Informative Advertisements. 

When is the best time to interrupt consumers with advertisements? When people are interrupted with an ad in the middle of media consumption (e.g., watching TV program, reading newspapers or magazine articles), their responses to the interrupting ad were more favorable toward informative (vs. emotional) ads, but only when the interruption occurs when they were induced with curiosity (by the timing of interruption). Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed. 

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Hanyang University

PI/PDs: JiHoon Jhang, Pramit Banerjee

Hanyang University: Yun-na Park

 

God and Decision Delegation under the Limit Situation.

Although the majority of people over the world are religiously affiliated and think their religious beliefs influence their daily behaviors (Pew Forum 2012), previous research is limited in that it has narrowly focused on the role of religiosity. Drawing on the concept of limit situation (Jasper, 1994) and differential images of God, across five studies, authors found that; 1) those experiencing limit situation (e.g., reminding one’s existential limits) think about the entities without limits (i.e., God, Supreme being), and thus 2) delegate decisions more (vs. less) when they have more (vs. less) favorable images of God (i.e., loving).

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Georgetown University

PI/PDs: JiHoon Jhang, Eunyong Jang, and Minjoo Kim

Georgetown University: Kelly Lee

 

Do Emotional Laborers Help the Needy More or Less? The Mediating Role of Sympathy in the Effect of Emotional Dissonance on Prosocial Behavior

Despite the growing body of research on emotional labor, little has been known about the social consequences of emotional labor. Drawing on emotional dissonance theory, the authors investigate the relationship between the felt emotional dissonance and prosocial behavior (e.g., donation to a charity). Findings from multiple studies suggest that higher emotional dissonance serially influences perceived lack of control, emotional exhaustion, lowered sympathy for others’ feeling, and subsequently lower willingness to help others.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PD: JiHoon Jhang

 

Product Complexity as a Barrier to Consumer Financial Decision-Making

The complexity of financial products has been increasing over time, and represents a major barrier to advantageous financial decision-making. The current experiments use eye-tracking, behavioral, and cognitive measures to investigate how complexity and information load affects consumers’ evaluations of real-world annuity products. (Experiment 1) demonstrates that increased complexity and load leads to distraction away from the materials, as well as missing critical disclosure information. (Experiment 2) demonstrates that even large minimizations in complexity and load have little effect on individuals’ preferences for an objectively better product.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Colorado Boulder

PI/PDs: Jihoon Jang

University of Colorado Boulder: Philip Fernbach

 

Dual Agency in the Sales Role: Effects of Customer Advocacy in Price Negotiation

When should business-to-business (B2B) selling firms encourage their salespeople to advocate for the customer in pricing negotiations? To shed light on this fundamental issue, the authors extend dual agency theory to the sales role. Viewing the salesperson as a dual agent offers new insights and reveals important boundary conditions, particularly in situations when the interests of the customer and seller do not coincide. This research underscores the intertwined nature of the salesperson’s dual agency roles and the boundary conditions that generate synergies between seller advocacy and customer advocacy.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Iowa State University, University of Missouri, University of Georgia

PI/PDs: Justin M. Lawrence

Iowa State University: Andrew T. Crecelius

University of Missouri: Lisa K. Scheer

University of Georgia: Son K. Lam

 

Partnering for Customer Centricity: Effect of Alliance Partners’ Organizational Structures on Short- and Long-Term Performance

In this article, according to event study analyses (Study 1) of strategic alliances by Fortune 1000 firms over a  17 year period, product-centric firms create 2.5 times more value on average when they work with customer- versus product-centric partners, but they also capture significantly less share of the joint alliance value when allying with customer- versus product-centric partners. A complementary panel data analysis (Study 2) details the net long-term performance of a product-centric firm’s alliance portfolio.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Iowa State University, University of Washington

PI/PDs: Justin M. Lawrence

Iowa State University: Ju-Yeon Lee

University of Washington: Robert W. Palmatier

 

Multichannel Discount Contagion in Business-to-Business Markets

In accordance with today’s multichannel B2B environments, the authors theorize differential effects on the seller’s margin via offline and online discount contagion. The authors test their theoretical framework across two large-scale field studies featuring spatial econometric analyses. If managers fail to consider contagion systematically, the effects of targeted discounts can spill over to untargeted buyers, resulting in approximately three times the margin losses. However, contagion-conscious deployment, such as targeting buyers that limit e-commerce price transparency, allows sellers to virtually eliminate adverse effects of discount contagion.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Iowa State University, University of Washington, Colorado State University

PI/PDs: Justin M. Lawrence

Iowa State University: Andrew T. Crecelius

University of Washington: Robert W. Palmatier

Colorado State University: Jonathan Z. Zhang

 

Inside-Out or Outside-In? Dynamic Effects of Sales Channel Specialization in Business-to-Business Markets

In an effort to cost-effectively match sales channels to the shifting needs of customers and reap the benefits of sales specialization, business-to-business sellers are challenged with migrating customers between outside (field) salespeople and inside (remote) salespeople. Prevalent approaches include cost-matching—assigning less-developed accounts to low-cost inside salespeople and migrating them to the costlier outside sales channel once the account grows—and the relationship-driven approach—deploying the richer outside sales channel to establish relationships with newer customers, until the account can be migrated to inside sales.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Iowa State University, University of Washington

PI/PDs: Justin M. Lawrence

Iowa State University: Andrew T. Crecelius

University of Washington: Robert W. Palmatier

 

The Costs and Opportunities of Highly Involved Organizational Buyers

The authors examine the impact of organizational buyers’ product involvement on customers’ and suppliers’ financial outcomes, driven by buyers’ increased willingness to pay and their perceived credibility in negotiations with the supplier. The effects of these competing mechanisms are moderated by characteristics of the customer and the customer-supplier relationship. The authors examine effects using a survey of organizational buyers matched with secondary profit data from their supplier. This study contributes to the limited literature on product involvement and the role of buyer emotions in a B2B exchange setting.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Missouri

PI/PDs: Justin M. Lawrence, Colleen E. McClure, Todd J. Arnold

University of Missouri: Lisa K. Scheer

 

Targeting and Designing Supplier-Initiated Relationship Expansion Proposals

The authors assess effects of relationship expansion proposals contingent on three account opportunity metrics; 1) sales potential, 2) gross margin position, and 3) historical service provision.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Iowa State University, Marquette University, Ohio University

PI/PDs: Justin M. Lawrence

Iowa State University: Andrew T. Crecelius

Marquette University: Jessica L. Ogilvie

Ohio University: Adam A. Rapp

 

Effects of Multichannel Sales Structures on Customer and Firm Performance: Substitution Versus Supplementation Tradeoffs

Business-to-business selling firms (sellers) increasingly assign customers an inside salesperson, in addition to a traditional outside salesperson. These multichannel sales structures are believed to decrease expenses by substituting a less-costly sales channel and increase sales by enabling more efficient exchange. However, the authors theorize that substitution toward the leaner inside channel can also constrain the seller’s relationship building efforts and induce sales headwinds.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Notre Dame, Iowa State University, University of Washington

PI/PDs: Justin M. Lawrence

University of Notre Dame: Vamsi Kanuri

Iowa State University: Andrew T. Crecelius

University of Washington: Robert W. Palmatier

 

Identity-based Defectors and Their Reacquisition

Unlike performance-based defectors who leave firms in response to some form of utility deficit with the offering, identity-based defectors are customers who sever relationships due to a perceived mismatch between their identities and the firm’s identity. This study examines optimal communication strategies for the reacquisition of identity-based defectors. Study 1) shows that corporate brand communications focused on reinforcing positive, social initiatives of the firm are more effective for identity-based defectors. Study 2) demonstrates that identity-based defectors represent more revenue in their second lifetimes when they receive corporate brand communications after their initial defection.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University; Florida State University; University of North Carolina, Greensboro
PI/PDs: Justin M. Lawrence
Florida State University: Colleen Harmeling, Michael Brady
The University of North Carolina, Greensboro: Harrison Pugh 

Consumer Perceptions of Business’ Ethicality, Sustainability and Quality of Life Influence: Implications for the Commons
This research examines the important role of consumers’ perceptions of businesses ethical practices in their corresponding support for sustainable businesses. Based on a study featuring 304 respondents, results suggest that ethical thinking about business positively influences consumers’ regard for sustainable businesses as mediated by perceived quality of life contributions from businesses. Additionally, these effects are only found for those with a high value for nature. These results shed light on sources of commons dilemmas as consumers’ perceptions of business ethicality is what is driving commons-­‐related consumption responses.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Wyoming
PI/PDs: Richie L. Liu
University of Wyoming: Elizabeth Minton, Mark Peterson

The Influence of Brand and Organizational Identification on Sales Employees’ Responses to Rebranding: Implications for Sales Employees’ Motivation and Performance
The present research examines sales employees’ responses to rebranding using a survey methodology with technical sales personnel from a Fortune 100 company in the telecommunications industry. We extend recent work on sales employees and brands into rebranding research to develop and test a model that theoretically links perceived rebranding intensity to sales employees. We posit that the perceived rebranding intensity effect depends on different types of a sales employee’s identification.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Wyoming, Washington State University,  University of California- Irvine
PI/PDs: Richie L. Liu
University of Wyoming: David Sprott
Washington State University: Jeff Joireman, Babu John-­‐Mariadoss
University of California-­‐Irvine: Eric Spangenberg

I Don’t Know You Anymore: The Dark Side of Brand Logo Change and Mitigating Its Negative Effects
Firms invest heavily in their brands to build and maintain consumers’ brand knowledge (e.g. awareness and image). Unfortunately, our insight into consumers’ responses to a brand logo change does not compare to what we know of other brand strategies (e.g., brand extensions and brand alliances). Initial studies demonstrate consumers’ unfavorable responses to a brand logo change. However, exposing consumers to a reminder of the past mitigates consumers’ unfavorable responses to a brand logo change.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Wyoming, Washington State University, University of California-­ Irvine
PI/PDs: Richie L. Liu
University of Wyoming: David Sprott
Washington State University: Jeff Joireman
University of California-Irvine: Eric Spangenberg

Dark Side of Seeking R&D Resource Diversity: Implications for Post-­‐Alliance Innovation Outcomes
Drawing upon the theories of tensions-­‐based view and organizational boundaries, we examine the effects of three different levels of research and development (R&D) resource diversities on post-­‐alliance innovation outcomes, including 1) a firm’s internal R&D resource diversity (within-­‐diversity); 2) the diversity between alliance partners (between-­‐diversity); and 3) the diversity from the allied partners in different industry segments (business relatedness). We found that seeking R&D resource diversity in a strategic alliance often leads to a dark side relationship.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Penn State University-­‐Lake Erie, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce
PI/PDs: Richie L. Liu
Penn State University-­ Lake Erie: Sean Yim
University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce: Sakdipon Juasrikul

 

Conceptualizing Service Captivity

This research conceptualizes an empirically-grounded framework of service captivity, contextualizes captivity within two settings, and highlights its pervasiveness through a typology of captivity archetypes.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Texas State University, San Marcos

PI/PDs: Marlys J. Mason

Texas State University, San Marcos: Steven Rayburn

 

Identifying Rituals of Social Networking Sites

This research identifies and analyzes the types of rituals users engaged in, how these rituals evolved for early adopters of Facebook over time, and their impact on users’ customer journeys. 

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Penn State, Harrisburg

PI/PDs: Marlys J. Mason

Penn State Harrisburg: Darrell Bartholomew

Poverty and Unemployment in Oklahoma: How Do They Affect Health?

The research examines the relationships between poverty, income, unemployment, and health outcomes. General linear modeling examined unemployment and poverty in relation to age-adjusted death rate (AADR). A second model explored the relation between income and self-reported health status. Results indicate the number of Oklahoman’s experiencing poverty continues to rise, which is concerning because AADR was found to be significantly, independently associated with poverty and unemployment status. Self-reported health status was associated with income such that respondents in the lowest income bracket were approximately eight times more likely to report having fair or poor health compared to the highest income group.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State Department of Health

PI/PD: Miriam McGaugh

 

Sex Trafficking – Online ad research

This study examines if phone numbers used in online escort are an important clue for finding ties to human traffickers. We examined the length of time that phone numbers appeared in ads, whether one phone number was used in different locations at the same time or in different locations at different times, and whether ad categories are associated with the amount of time a phone number remains active.  Initial results show that about 65% of phone numbers were still active after 3 months, about 30% were still active after 8 months, and 20-25% were active after 10 months.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Louisiana State University, University of Alabama
PI/PDs: Miriam McGaugh
Louisiana State University: James Van Scotter
University of Alabama: Denise McManus

 

Understanding Stress during Parent-Adolescent Interactions about Sexual Risk Avoidance

The purpose of this study is to examine and understand the amount of stress that occurs during discussions on the topic of sexual risk avoidance by quantifying the amount of stress encountered for parents and adolescent children during structured and unstructured conversations. Participants in the evaluation will undergo the industry standard test for testing cortisol levels, which is conducted with mouth swabs before and after the conversation.  A smaller sub-sample will have biometric measures collected for a 24-hour period to measure indicators of stress.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State Department of Health
PI/PD: Miriam McGaugh

 

Poverty and Unemployment in Oklahoma: How Do They Affect Health?

The research examines the relationships between poverty, income, unemployment, and health outcomes. General linear modeling examined unemployment and poverty in relation to age-adjusted death rate (AADR). A second model explored the relation between income and self-reported health status. Results indicate the number of Oklahoman’s experiencing poverty continues to rise, which is concerning because AADR was found to be significantly, independently associated with poverty and unemployment status. Self-reported health status was associated with income such that respondents in the lowest income bracket were approximately eight times more likely to report having fair or poor health compared to the highest income group.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State Department of Health

PI/PD: Miriam McGaugh

 

Social Network Analysis of Pre-Diabetic and Diabetic Patients

The project will examine patterns among providers and their patients using visual, statistical, and predictive modeling techniques.  Phase 1- conduct descriptive and visual analytics on patients to classify into primary, secondary and tertiary diagnosis status using an existing medical classification system as a target. Phase 2- conducting predictive analytics on patients to determine which social, behavioral and incoming health variables correctly predict primary, secondary, and tertiary classification using the pre-defined medical target. Phase 3- examine the data using social network analysis on the providers of pre-diabetic and diabetic patients within the region in which Oklahoma resides.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PDs: Miriam McGaugh, Saurabh Kokad, Ritesh Vangapalli, Shashank Gudipati

 

The Life Expectancy of Phone Numbers used in Escort Ads

This study examines if phone numbers used in online escort are an important clue for finding ties to human traffickers. We examined the length of time that phone numbers appeared in ads, whether one phone number was used in different locations at the same time or in different locations at different times, and whether ad categories are associated with the amount of time a phone number remains active.  Initial results show that about 65% of phone numbers were still active after 3 months, about 30% were still active after 8 months, and 20-25% were active after 10 months.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Louisiana State University, State of Alabama
PI/PDs: Miriam McGaugh
Louisiana State University: James Van Scotter
University of Alabama: Denise McManus

Understanding Stress during Parent-Adolescent Interactions about Sexual Risk Avoidance
The purpose of this study is to examine and understand the amount of stress that occurs during discussions on the topic of sexual risk avoidance by quantifying the amount of stress encountered for parents and adolescent children during structured and unstructured conversations. Participants in the evaluation will undergo the industry standard test for testing cortisol levels, which is conducted with mouth swabs before and after the conversation.  A smaller sub-sample will have biometric measures collected for a 24-hour period to measure indicators of stress.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State Department of Health
PI/PD: Miriam McGaugh

 

Challenges of Military Veterans in their Transition to the Workplace: A Call for Integrating Basic and Applied Psychological Science,” Perspectives on Psychological Science.

Longstanding structural features of the military have created a culture that is drastically different and disconnected from civilian society. As such, veterans transitioning to civilian society face challenges related to fulfilling basic psychological needs and civilian stereotypes. We integrate social psychological theories and insights with research from sociology, clinical psychology, military psychology, and organizational behavior. This illustrates the opportunity and potential for psychological researchers to conduct basic and applied research of veterans, and for clinicians and managers to draw on basic theory to inform programs and interventions. 

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University, University of California Santa Barbara

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

Duke University: Aaron C. Kay

University of California Santa Barbara: David K. Sherman

 

Differing Terms for the Peer-to-Peer Economy and Their Associations with Race, Morality, and Legitimacy

Adapting from institutional theory, whiteness theory, and stereotyping research, we find across a series of experiments that peer-to-peer (p2p) business activities are rated more negatively and lower in normative legitimacy when their actors are perceived to be Black as opposed to White. Moreover, we find that popular terms for p2p businesses (“sharing economy,” “side hustle”) have racial associations, influencing perceptions of normative legitimacy. However, we also show that this may potentially be altered by the legitimating action (an advertising campaign) of a major p2p company employing these terms.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd, Ted Matherly

 

Customer Empowerment in the Face of Perceived Incompetence: Effect on Preference for Anthropomorphized Brands

Brands often tell consumers that they have power, either directly or by allowing them to exert control over the purchasing process. Would variations in perceived competence affect how power influences social interactions in the marketplace? We found evidence that customer empowerment heightened a sense of social dominance and drove preference for anthropomorphized brands when feelings of competence were high. In contrast, when feelings of competence were threatened, customer empowerment drove people away from anthropomorphized brands.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Zayed University, Grenoble Ecole de Management

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

Zayed University: Olivier Trendel

Grenoble Ecole de Management: Jamel Khenferand

 

Special Edition Packaging and its Negative Effects on Search and the Shopping Experience

Past research offers mixed advice for marketers regarding the benefits of novel packaging. We find that special edition packaging, even when especially visually salient, impedes consumers’ search for the target product and leads to more negative evaluations of the shopping experience. Special edition packaging that retains (vs. abandons) familiar brand elements that are used in search (namely, color) attenuates these negative effects. Pre-shopping exposure to the special edition packaging also attenuates these negative effects. Overall, this research highlights the negative impact of deviating from familiar brand cues and the importance of top-down processes in goal-directed searches. Implications are discussed.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

Duke University: Gavan J. Fitzsimons

 

The Effect of Egocentric Taste Judgments on Stereotyping of Welfare Recipients and Attitudes Toward Welfare Policy

This project identifies the effect of egocentrism on welfare attitudes, whereby a welfare recipient buying an item that the participant personally values less (vs. more) leads to increased stereotyping (e.g., irresponsibility, impulsivity) and favorable attitudes toward policy that would restrict that purchase. This is illustrated with both chronic and situational preferences and across a number of products commonly debated in welfare policy. These effects do not emerge in the context of healthy foods and necessities, nor when information about the target suggests they are otherwise responsible (e.g., budgeting, clipping coupons). Implications for policy and welfare advocacy are discussed.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Oregon

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

University of Oregon: Troy H. Campbell

 

Understanding Contemporary Forms of Exploitation: Attributions of Passion Serve to Legitimize the Poor Treatment of Workers

We explore how the modern cultural emphasis on passion may facilitate the legitimization of unfair and demeaning management practices. We show that people deem poor worker treatment (e.g., asking employees to do demeaning tasks, asking employees to work extra hours without pay) as more legitimate when workers are presumed to be “passionate” about their work. This is due to the belief that the work is its own reward and that the passionate worker would have volunteered anyway. Likewise, people attribute passion to an exploited (vs. nonexploited) worker.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University, University of Oregon

PI/PDs: Steve Shepherd

Duke University: Jae Yun Kim, Aaron C. Kay

University of Oregon: Troy H Campbell

 

Military Veterans are Morally Typecast as Heroic but Unfeeling: Implications for Veteran Employment

What kind of “mind” do people assume those in the military have? Leveraging previous theorizing on mind perception, dehumanization, and career typology, the current research shows that veterans are seen as having a higher capacity for agency but less capacity for experience. As a result, veterans are seen as less (more) suited for careers that require a high (low) capacity for experience. Results are found across laypeople, managers, and employees. Implications for veteran well-being are discussed.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University, Microsoft Military Affairs Research Gifts

PI/PDs: Steve Shephens,

Duke University: Aaron C. Kay

Microsoft Military Affairs Research Gifts: Kurt Gray

 

’Jesus, Take the Wheel’: The Appeal of Spiritual Products in Satiating Concerns about Randomness

Leveraging theorizing regarding the psychological need to perceive the world as orderly and non-random, we posit that products imbued with religious/spiritual significance help manage concerns about randomness and uncontrollability. When randomness concerns were salient, religious consumers showed increased desire to attach religious significance to secular objects (e.g. having item blessed, physically attaching a religious symbol). For spiritual consumers, spiritual products (vs. non-spiritual physically equivalent products) were seen as having (i) non-material efficacy (i.e. efficacy not bound to the purely material world) and (ii) unfalsifiable efficacy (i.e. immune to contrary evidence).

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University

PI/PDs: Steve Shepherd
Duke University: Aaron C. Kay

 

Sincere, Not Sinful: The Unique Role of Brand Personality in Shaping Liberals’ and Conservatives’ Views of LGBTQ Ads

In this research we explore how liberals and conservatives respond to LGBT representation in advertising. Critically, we also test the moderating role of brand personality. While conservatives generally respond more negatively to LGBT representation in ads, this is particularly the case for sincere brand (e.g., brands that are seen as down-to-earth, wholesome, family-oriented), whereas this negative reaction is attenuated for exciting brands.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University, Duke University

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

Duke University: Gavan Fitzsimons, Tanya Chartrand

 

Cultural Diversity in Advertising and Representing Different Visions of America
Cultural diversity in advertising has the potential to reflect American society and embody a view of America that is either consistent or inconsistent with a consumer’s beliefs and values. Our research explores how consumers with differing visions of America and its values evaluate cultural diversity in advertising. Consumers who support America’s dominant ideology more negatively evaluate ads with cultural diversity, particularly for brands that are American as opposed to foreign. We find this is due to the presence of ethnic minorities in ads increases perceptions of threat to American values and culture.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University,

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

Duke University: Gavan Fitzsimons, Tanya Chartrand

 

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The Effects of Victim Vulnerability on Judgments of Harm, Foreseeability, and Company Culpability
We propose that vulnerability visibility (how easily known/observed the vulnerability is), and frequency (how rare/common the vulnerability is) shape whether or not company culpability (e.g., blame, complaining behaviors) is heightened or attenuated. When a vulnerability is more visible or common, harm and company culpability are heightened. However, when a vulnerability is invisible or rare, perceptions of foreseeability and company culpability decrease. Visibility and frequency may be features of the vulnerability itself, or have analogs in the marketing environment (e.g., a service failure happens in-person vs. online).

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Northwestern University

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

Northwestern University: Alysson E. Light

 

Brand Dependence, Domain Complexity, and Motivated Brand Trust

We find that highly victim sensitive individuals want to trust others, but are also very concerned with being taken advantage of. Counterintuitively, we find that these people report increased trust in a brand or service provide when the particular domain at hand is seen as complex (vs. simple), which in turn increases perceived dependence on a particular brand or service. In other words, the concern of being taken advantage of appears to lead one to bolster trust in a brand that one is dependent on.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

Duke University: Gavan J. Fitzsimons

 

Dual Concern: The Persuasive Power of Showing Care For Those You Criticize

Criticizing with Care: The Persuasive Power of Dual Concern in Critical Policy Messages

Marketing communication is regularly used to motivate prosocial behavioral change. This often relies on; 1) showing concern for a harmful outcome, and 2) communicating to a target group that their behavior is harmful and ought to change. As such, we introduce dual concern messaging, which firmly communicates that a target group causes harm while also showing concern for the target group.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Oregon

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

University of Oregon: Troy H Campbell

The Negative Impact of Seasonal/Limited Edition Packaging on Product Recognition and Shopping Experience
Brands often vary their traditional packaging for different times of year (i.e., Coca-Cola’s winter cans), when introducing limited edition products, and when co-branding and crossing promoting products. We find that limited edition/seasonal packaging has a negative impact on consumers’ ability to find the target product. This in turn has a negative impact on their experience, reporting more annoyance with the simulated shopping process. Finally, we show that this is due to the fact that seasonal packaging often eschews familiar brand elements (e.g., color) which are heavily relied on in the search process. Implications for package design and promotion are discussed
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PD: Steven Shepherd

Cultural Diversity in Advertising and Representing Different Visions of America
Cultural diversity in advertising has the potential to reflect American society and embody a view of America that is either consistent or inconsistent with a consumer’s beliefs and values. Our research explores how consumers with differing visions of America and its values evaluate cultural diversity in advertising. Consumers who support America’s dominant ideology more negatively evaluate ads with cultural diversity, particularly for brands that are American as opposed to foreign. We find this is due to the presence of ethnic minorities in ads increases perceptions of threat to American values and culture.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PD: Steven Shepherd

Identifying and Explaining the Gender-Gap in Consumer Responses to Product Failures: Gender Stereotypes Create Victims out of Women
Every year, thousands of consumer complaints are made to regulatory agencies, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Federal Trade Commission, among others. The current research asks if the victim matters is how such incidents are interpreted and reported; specifically, the victim’s membership in a group that is seen as vulnerable (e.g., women, children, elderly). We propose based on various model of person perception and stereotyping that when members of these group are victims of a product failure, consumers will 1) see increased harm done, 2) blame the company more, and 3) show increased tendency to complain about the product failure.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PD: Steven Shepherd

Military Veterans are Morally Typecast as Heroic but Unfeeling
What kind of “mind” do people assume those in the military have? Leveraging previous theorizing on mind perception, dehumanization, and career typology, the current research shows that veterans are seen as having a higher capacity for agency but less capacity for experience. As a result, veterans are seen as relatively ill suited for careers that require a high capacity for experience. Results are found across laypeople and those employed in management and human resources.  Implications for veteran well-being are discussed.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PD: Steven Shepherd

Brand Dependence, Domain Complexity, and Motivated Brand Trust
We find that highly victim sensitive individuals want to trust others, but are also very concerned with being taken advantage of. Counterintuitively, we find that these people report increased trust in a brand or service provide when the particular domain at hand is seen as complex (vs. simple), which in turn increases perceived dependence on a particular brand or service. In other words, the concern of being taken advantage of appears to lead one to bolster trust in a brand that one is dependent on.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PD: Steven Shepherd

The Challenges of Military Veterans in the Workplace: Applications, Integrations, and Opportunities
Understanding disadvantage and how processes of stereotyping, stigma, and social circumstance affect individuals and society has long been an active area of research within psychology. However, how these processes affect military veterans and their transition to civilian life have largely been ignored. We discuss contemporary social psychology theories and relevant recent research that are relevant to challenges veterans encounter when they transition from military. We hope that this synthesis inspires other researchers to conduct research in the context of veterans, and for clinicians to draw on these theories to inform programs and interventions. 
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University
PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd
Duke University: Aaron C Kay

The Effect of Brand Personality and Acceptance of LGBT Representation in Ads Among Liberals and Conservatives
In this research we explore how liberals and conservatives respond to LGBT representation in advertising. Critically, we also test the moderating role of brand personality. While conservatives generally respond more negatively to LGBT representation in ads, this is particularly the case for sincere brand (e.g., brands that are seen as down-to-earth, wholesome, family-oriented), whereas this negative reaction is attenuated for exciting brands.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University
PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd
Duke University: Aaron C Kay

Differing Terms for the Peer-to-Peer Economy and Their Associations with Race, Morality, and Legitimacy
Numerous terms that lack clear definitions are often interchangeably used to refer to the peer-to-peer economy and activities within it. Moreover, the popular press has noted racial disparities in how different peer-to-peer activities are perceived and treated. We find that different terms for the peer-to-peer economy are not equivalent when it comes to perceptions of; 1) who participates in these activities, and 2) their morality. Specifically, despite their overlap in application and usage, the sharing economy is more associated with White actors and increased morality, whereas side hustles are more associated with Black actors and decreased morality.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University
PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd
Duke University: Aaron Kay

 

Passion Exploitation: Legitimization of Taking Advantage of Other People’s Passion for Work

Although passion may indeed be beneficial in many ways, we suggest that the modern cultural emphasis may also serve to facilitate the legitimization of demeaning and unfair management practices – a phenomenon we term the legitimization of passion exploitation. We show that people deem poor worker treatment as more legitimate when workers are presumed to be “passionate” about their work. We demonstrate two mediating mechanisms by which this process of legitimization occurs; 1) assumptions that passionate workers would have volunteered for this work if given the chance, and 2) beliefs that, for passionate workers, work itself is its own reward.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Duke University

PI/PDs: Steven Shepherd

Duke University: Jae Yun Kim, Aaron C Kay

 

Linking Fan Values to their Behaviors: An Investigation of Old School Values In Relationship to BIRGing, CORFing, BIRFing, and CORSing

This study has two main objectives.  First, the work seeks to enrich our understanding of four distinctive fan behaviors.  A survey investigates both the well-established fan behaviors of basking in reflected glory (BIRGing) and cutting off reflected failure (CORFing) as well as the relatively untested fan behaviors of basking in spite of reflected failure (BIRFing) and cutting off from reflected success (CORSing). The second goal of this study is to link these four remarkable fan behaviors to fans’ deeply entrenched Old School values.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, California State University at Chico, California State University Sonoma, Temple University, Western Oregon University

PI/PDs: Ajay Sukhdial

California State University at Chico: Kirk Damon Aiken

California State University Sonoma: Richard M. Campbell

Temple University:  Aubrey Kent

Western Oregon University: Keven Malkewitz

 

Consumer Values and Boredom

Throughout history, philosophers have argued “Boredom is the root of all evil”. Current academic research confirms that, ongoing feelings of boredom, a modern existential condition, are associated with numerous ills in society.  Additionally, researchers have argued that one of the main causes of individuals being in a perpetual state of boredom is that they have lost a sense of purpose in life Our goal is to test whether giving priority to self-enhancement values relative to self-transcendence values is more likely to results is lower levels of subjective well-being and the accompanying higher levels of boredom.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, California State University at Chico

PI/PDs: Ajay Sukhdial

California State University at Chico: Kirk Damon Aiken

 

Understanding Brand Comfort: An investigation of comfort foods and comfort brands

The basic human desire for comfort has been studied in the fields of psychology, sociology, medicine, nutritional science, and economics.  Extant research has also shown that brands can induce comfort amongst consumers (while travelling) by evoking predictability and safety, as well as sensory experiences of home. Thus, the purpose of this work is to explore the intricacies of brand comfort and provide a foundational understanding of the term.  This work investigates the well-documented concept of comfort food and then extends that notion to encompass the new topics of brand comfort.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, California State University at Chico

PI/PDs: Ajay Sukhdial

California State University at Chico: Kirk Damon Aiken

 

How Competing Ad Cues Overwhelm a Brand Alliance Cue

We demonstrate that distraction impairs brand alliance cues in advertising because brand alliance cues are relatively weak. In published research, theorists have demonstrated that a well-known ally brand improves consumer evaluations of a previously unknown focal brand. Mental load, sex appeals, and celebrity endorsers attenuate the effect of the brand alliance on the previously unknown focal brand.

Sponsor: State of Oklahoma

PI/PDs:  Ying Ying Li, YoungOk “Sunny” Song, and Kevin E Voss

 

Emotional Arousal and Perceived Shared Experience: Different Mechanisms in Building Emotional Attachment?

The authors explore alternative antecedents of emotional attachment. Perceived shared experience (PSE) is a consistent antecedent of emotional attachment. The authors find that the effect of experience type (extraordinary vs. ordinary experience) on emotional attachment is mediated by PSE. The authors also demonstrate that fear arousal is an important antecedent of emotional attachment, even when viewers’ emotional arousal is attenuated due to the presence of a previously attached brand.

Sponsor: State of Oklahoma

PI/PDs:  Ying Ying Li and Kevin E Voss

 

Measuring Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance: A Semantic Differential Approach

Marketing researchers are increasingly interested in the effects of attachment styles on important variables in consumer and business-to-business markets. The scales developed herein provide reliable, valid, and generally applicable scales that are shorter than available alternatives. Respondents high in attachment anxiety had significantly lower evaluations of a shoe ad with exciting positioning while those high in attachment avoidance had significantly lower evaluations of a shoe ad with authentic positioning.

Sponsor: State of Oklahoma

PI/PDs:  Ying Ying Li and Kevin E Voss

 

The Effect of Unusual Brand Names on Consumer’s Brand Evaluations

Research to understand companies’ use of brand names that we classify as unusual.  These brand names often use profanity or words that allude to body parts.  A website that tracks these names and has a list of 1,617.  We lack credible research on why marketers choose such names, how consumers view such names, and what impacts these names have on brand building.

Sponsor: State of Oklahoma

PI/PDs:  Richie L. Liu and Kevin E Voss

Building Brand Identification through Cause-Brand Alliances: The Role of Perceived Cause Controversy
Examines the extent to which a cause-brand alliance leads to improved brand identification. In addition, to test whether the attitude toward cause brand alliance is determined, in part, by whether the non-profit organization’s main issue is the subject of controversy. On average, customers’ perception of controversy concerning the nonprofit ally in a CBA influences the average evaluation of the CBA and subsequently the level of identification with the brand ally. Specifically, when there is controversy concerning the non-profit’s issue, customers will have a more favorable attitude toward the CBA and identification with the brand ally only if both partners are credible. 
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PDs: Kevin E Voss, Yasamin Vahdati

Conjunctionitis:  A Call for Clarity in Construct Definitions.
The authors determine the extent to which the use of coordinating conjunctions enhances or impairs definitional clarity.  A sample of 736 construct definitions from Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing Research, and the Journal of Consumer Research over a 30-year period were subjected to judging for ambiguity and vagueness by both academic and lay judges.  The authors demonstrate that constructing definitions using both ‘and’ and ‘or’ increases the ambiguity and vagueness of the construct’s meaning. The most frequently used conjunction is ‘and’ which appeared in 42% of the definitions. A significant percentage (26%) contain the conjunction ‘or’.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PDs: Kevin E Voss, Alex R. Zablah, Yu-Shan “Sandy” Huang

Integrating Reciprocity into a Social Exchange Model of Inter-Firm B2B Relationships
Integrates reciprocity and its antecedents into a social exchange model of inter-firm relationships. The social exchange model includes credibility trust, benevolence trust, information exchange, affective commitment, calculative commitment, and long-term orientation.  Primary data collection from a sample of firms in the Republic of Korea using a questionnaire. The authors used three-stage least squares to fit the model given the mediational and moderating effects.  Adding reciprocity and its antecedents to the social exchange model produce results that differ from previously published findings. Specifically, reciprocity affects information exchanged indirectly through both credibility and benevolence trust.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PDs: Kevin E Voss, Mayoor “Max” Mohan, Emily C. Tanner, Yong-Ki Lee, Hong-Kuen Kim

Support for regulations
There are many regulations that restrict marketing practices. The regulations impose significant costs on business. Public opinion has a strong impact on the likelihood a specific regulation will be imposed. A series of conceptual papers and studies investigate the reasons why individuals will or will not support a regulation.
Sponsor: Oklahoma State University
PI/PD: Josh Wiener

 

Look at Me! Or Don’t…: The Role of Social Presence on Innovation Adoption
Across three studies, we find that the mere social presence of others enhances consumers’ willingness to fund innovative ideas (study 1) and buy innovative products (studies 2 and 3). However, when familiar others are present, the perceived social risk associated with such adoption outweighs the positive signaling effect of uniqueness, thereby attenuating the effect. Importantly, when innovativeness is presented as an accepted norm, the mere social presence of even familiar others leads to higher willingness to buy innovative products. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Connecticut

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

University of Connecticut: Kelly Herd

 

The Cost of Luxury Display: Luxury Self-Display Signals Immorality
The current research examines the stereotypes of those who consume luxury products and services and the downstream consequences of such a stereotype for luxury consumers. Through two pilot studies and five experiments, it was found that observers ascribe a negative stereotype to luxury consumers and perceive those who consume luxury products and services as braggarts. This negative stereotype leads to a perception of inauthenticity and induces the belief that those luxury consumers are more unethical. Further, the effect was attenuated when the observed luxury consumption was inconspicuous in nature and when making observers aware that such a negative stereotype exists.

Sponsor: Oklahoma State University

PI/PD: Lidan Xu

 

Prada Bags and Ice-cream Flavors: How Conspicuous Consumption Experiences Shape Consumer Creativity
The current research examines the cognitive implications of engaging in conspicuous consumption for the self. In a set of four experiments we demonstrate that consuming a conspicuous luxury product in a public setting increases a consumer’s creative performance. Investigation of the underlying process reveals that such conspicuous consumption activates a social-adjustive orientation, which induces a sense of distinctiveness that in turn leads to higher creativity. Finally, we find that the observed effect is unique to the engagement in conspicuous luxury consumption and not an outcome of simple exposure to or usage of luxury products.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Alberta

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

University of Alberta: Jennifer J. Argo

 

The Sweet Taste of Creativity: Can Taste Perceptions Affect Consumer Creativity
The current research examines the effect of the sensory experience of sweetness on consumer creativity. Two pilot studies and six experiments demonstrate that because the sensory experience of sweet taste is grounded in schematic representations of a safe and secure environment, it enhances openness to cognitive exploration, which leads to higher creativity. Alternative explanations such as the pleasantness of the taste experience, enhanced mood, and increased blood sugar levels are ruled out.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of British Columbia

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

University of British Columbia: JoAndrea (Joey) Hoegg

 

Exploring the Role of Creative Engagement on Donation Behavior
The current work proposes and demonstrates creative engagement as one way for marketers to meet this challenge. A set of five studies show that engaging potential donors in creative tasks positively influences their donation behavior. Importantly, the observed effects are shown to be context independent and hold even when potential donors engage in creative tasks and activities that are unrelated to the focal cause of the charity. Our analysis suggests that engaging in a creative thinking task induces a heightened sense of optimism, which then leads to higher monetary donations.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of British Columbia

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

University of British Columbia: Darren W. Dahl

 

Cuteness and Creativity

The current research examines the effect of an important product characteristic, cuteness, on creative cognition and behavior. The authors propose and demonstrate that exposure to cute versus non-cute non-living products enhances creative performance. An investigation of the underlying process finds that exposure to cute products activates a playful mindset that in turn leads to higher originality. Additional evidence for the effect and the underlying process is observed through the moderating role of playfulness on the cuteness – creativity relationship.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

 

Malevolent Creativity

This research examines the effect of engaging in creative tasks with malevolent versus benevolent intentions on creativity of the outcome. It is found that malevolent as compared to benevolent intention induces the perception of grandiose sense of self, which motivates one to be different from others in order to maintain such aggrandized self-image and hence heightens creativity. However, this effect is attenuated when the malevolent intention has unintended benevolent side-effect to help others.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of British Columbia

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

University of British Columbia: Darren W. Dahl

Look at Me! Or Don’t…: The Role of Social Presence on Innovation Adoption
While adoption of innovative products offers an opportunity for consumers to signal their uniqueness, these innovations may also be associated with social risk. The current research highlights how these related and often conflicting factors can, depending on the social context, impact consumers’ willingness to buy innovative products or fund innovative ideas. Across three studies, we find that mere social presence enhances consumers’ willingness to fund innovative ideas (study 1) and buy innovative products (studies 2 and 3). However, when the audience reflects familiar others, the perceived social risk associated with such adoption outweighs the positive signaling effect of uniqueness.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, University of Connecticut
PI/PDs: Lidan Xu
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta,
University of Connecticut: Kelly Herd

Chanel Necklaces and Lego Toys: Exploring the Effect of Conspicuous Consumption on Consumer Creativity
The current research examines how engaging in conspicuous consumption influences creative cognition and behavior. We demonstrate that engaging in conspicuous consumption (through both real and imagined experiences) increases both consumers’ creative performance and willingness to use creative and innovative products. In addition, an investigation of the underlying process reveals that conspicuous consumption activates a differentiation mindset that in turn enhances consumer creativity. Finally, we find that the observed effect is specific to the engagement in conspicuous consumption and not an outcome of exposure to or usage of luxury products.
Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, University of Alberta

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

University of Alberta: Jennifer J. Argo

 

The Sweet Taste of Creativity: Can Taste Perceptions Affect Consumer Creativity

Prior research has shown that a variety of sensory cues such a color and sound can impact creativity. The current research extends this line of work by investigating the effect of sweet taste perceptions on creative cognition and behavior. It is proposed that sweet taste perception prompts childhood associations and activates a playful mindset, which in turn, leads to higher creativity. Two pilot studies demonstrate that sweet taste perception has latent associations with childhood. Further, five main experiments show that sweet taste perception increases the originality dimension of creativity without compromising appropriateness.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, University British Columbia

PI/PDs:  Lidan Xu

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

University British Columbia: JoAndrea (Joey) Hoegg

 

Creating to be a Loner or a Conformer: Role of Creative Thinking on Consumption of Majority-endorsed Products

Consumers are frequently asked to engage in creative thought in the marketplace, and those who come up with original ideas compared to those who do not engage in creative thought. This paper examines the influence of engaging in creative thought on preference for products endorsed by a minority (i.e., less popular) and products endorsed by a majority (i.e., more popular). We find that engaging in creative thought increases preference for minority-endorsed products, but only when this preference will be known by others. Alternatively, engaging in creative thought increases preference for majority-endorsed products when this preference will be known by others.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, Miami University

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

Miami University: Juliano Laran

 

Exploring the Role of Creative Engagement on Donation Behavior

Traditionally, creativity research has focused on examining the antecedents of creativity, with less attention paid to its downstream implications. Importantly, scarce work that does study implications of creativity has examined effects of priming creativity and has demonstrated negative consequences for social behavior. Extending this nascent line of work, current research argues that under the right context, engaging in a creative task may lead to positive social consequences. Results from a set of five experiments demonstrate that creative engagement activates an expansive mindset, which in the context of donation behavior, manifests as moral expansiveness and leads to higher monetary donation.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

 

Cuteness and Creativity

The current research examines the effect of an important product characteristic, cuteness, on creative cognition and behavior. The authors propose and demonstrate that exposure to cute versus non-cute non-living products enhances creative performance. An investigation of the underlying process finds that exposure to cute products activates a playful mindset that in turn leads to higher originality. Additional evidence for the effect and the underlying process is observed through the moderating role of playfulness on the cuteness – creativity relationship.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

 

Malevolent Creativity

Creativity is generally considered benevolent in nature. It helps individuals cope and solve everyday problems, generate new and original findings, and promote societal advancement. However, recent research has started to examine dark side of creativity, and argues that people can engage in creative tasks with malevolent intentions and use it to inflict harm to others. This essay examines the effect of engaging in creative tasks with malevolent versus benevolent intentions on creativity of the outcome. It is found that malevolent as compared to benevolent intention induces the perception of grandiose sense of self.

Sponsors: Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, University British Columbia

PI/PDs: Lidan Xu

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Ravi Mehta

University British Columbia: Darren W. Dahl