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Academic Doctoral
2009 THEME
The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals
Recently, there has been an explosion of research activity in organizations and government related to sustainability and green initiatives. Much of this is a direct result of the rapid development that we are experiencing around the world as well as consumers realizing the importance of changing the way that they consume products and services so as to reduce our impact on the earth. Sustainability or sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Consider the decision to move your operations overseas because of the relatively inexpensive labor market - what are the sustainability issues that we face as a business? Are sustainability issues considered? If so, how are they considered? If not, why are they not considered? How are managers making these decisions using the guiding principle of "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"? How can marketers be responsive to the needs of all stakeholders when operating in a global environment?
In order to effectively communicate organizations’ green commitments and technologies, companies must bridge the gap between technologies and marketing. Since a large majority of consumers’ link marketers’ social responsibility to their environmental behavior, sustainability must be integrated into an organization’s marketing strategy and mission. This is already evident in such areas as corporate branding (G.E. and EcoImagination), consumer boycotting (GM foods), cause-related marketing (Exxon providing mosquito netting in Central Africa), corporate communication (Toyota publishes annual Sustainability Reports), corporate social responsibility (creating positions of significance in company’s such as P&G’s VP of Corporate Sustainability), new technologies (hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen cars), reputation/image (IBM launching a Eco Data Center), and corporate associations (green labeling).
Researchers have the opportunity to bring more focus and scholarly attention to the marketing of organizations as sustainable products or services. In addition to the traditional focus on product- or service
level marketing, researchers can have input into where the world is going in the 21st century. With this initiative in mind, the 2009 AMA Summer Marketing Educators' Conference is appropriately entitled 'The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization's Sustainability Goals'.
SMEC 2009 Co-Chairs
Michael Kamins is Professor and Area Head of Marketing at the Harriman School of Business at Stony Brook University (SUNY). He received his PHD from NYU and his MBA and BBA from Bernard M. Baruch College of the City University of New York. Dr. Kamins' research interests include on-line auction bidding behavior, brand and human personality congruence, price bundling as well as the study of rumor. He has published over 50 articles in publications such as the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Psychology and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Dr. Kamins has consulted for such companies as Pinkberry, AT&T, BancOne, American Express and such individuals as Muhammad Ali, Bill Medley, the Doors, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Ingrid M. Martin is Professor of Marketing at California State University, Long Beach, California. Her research focuses on public policy questions related to how consumers use warnings, disclosures, and other types of risk information in the context of product use, natural disasters, and marketing communication. She has published in Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Risk Analysis, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing and others. She is on the editorial review board of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.
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