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There are fourteen tracks for the Summer 2009 Marketing Educators' Conference

1. Consumer Psychology and Behavior
2. Branding and Marketing Communications
3. Sales and Sales Management Track
4. Global and Cross-cultural Marketing
5. Services Marketing and Management
6. Marketing Research and Technology Track
7. Channels of Distribution, Supply Chain Management, Business-to-Business Marketing and Interorganizational Issues
8. New Product Development, Product Management and Entrepreneurship
9. Retailing and Pricing
10. Marketing Education and Teaching Innovation
11. Public Policy and Ethical Issues
12. Marketing Strategy/Marketing Management for Value Creation
13. E-Commerce and Technology
14. Special Interest Groups

1. Consumer Psychology and Behavior

This track focuses on the nexus of the consumer, the company and the product. In keeping with the theme of the conference, “The role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.”, we invite research on consumer behavior as it pertains to not only products and services but also the organization’s sustainability practices. Specific topics include, but are not limited to, assortment effects, attitudes, atmospherics, consumer boycotts, consumer reactions to corporate social responsibility, organizational identification, judgment and decision making, demographics, emotions, framing, gender differences, hedonic consumption, information processing, linguistics, materialism, memory, automatic and non-conscious processing, personality, pricing, satisfaction, skepticism, time perceptions, or issues dealing with other cultural, psychological, situational, or social influences on consumer behavior. We welcome special sessions and papers that are theoretical or empirical in nature and are open to diverse methodological approaches.

2. Branding and Marketing Communications

This track invites innovative papers that provide critical insight into both traditionally important and emerging issues regarding marketing communications and branding. Communications and branding are more important than ever for companies competing in both mature and emerging markets against global competition. Although we are interested in papers examining all aspects of marketing communication and branding, we are particularly interested in topics that relate to the conferences overarching theme of sustainability. Rigorous and thoughtful papers reflecting a range of theoretical and methodological approaches are encouraged. Therefore, special consideration will be given to papers that rigorously examine sustainable brands or marketing communications. Special preference will be given to papers that are consistent with this year’s theme, “The role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals”.

3. Sales and Sales Management Track

Authors are encouraged to submit their ongoing and emerging research in areas relating to relationship marketing and/or sales and sales force management. Topics may include but are not limited to, managing sales people, how the sales force creates and delivers value to customers, how technology can aid the sales function, knowledge-based selling, sales force strategy, performance assessment, managing cross-functional selling teams, relationship selling, emotional intelligence issues in selling, knowledge transfer among salespeople, the impact of technology on compensation and other performance management issues, sales forecasting models/methods and managing high-performance sales teams. Papers that provide new conceptual and/or empirical insights into research on sales force management are especially encouraged. Special preference will be given to papers that are consistent with this year’s theme, “The role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals”.

4. Global and Cross-cultural Marketing

This track invites papers that address issues relevant to the global aspects of marketing the organization and its products and services. Topics may include, but are not limited to: global marketing strategy; global market segmentation; market assessment and entry decisions; adaptation/ standardization of global marketing programs; export and import marketing issues; comparative marketing systems; technology and global marketing; supply-chain strategies in global operations; global account management; global product innovation management; global branding; product-country image and country of origin effects, global alliances in marketing; global marketing in emerging country markets; cross-cultural consumer behavior; and cross-cultural marketing research issues. Consistent with this year’s theme, special sessions and papers exploring global aspects of “The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.” are highly encouraged.

5. Services Marketing and Management

The Services Marketing track invites papers and special session proposals that reflect a wide range of substantive, theoretical, and methodological issues in the domain of services marketing and management. Topics may include, but are not limited to: services branding, service alliances, e-services, the service experience, service quality, satisfaction and value, service failure and recovery, customer commitment and loyalty, service innovation, service science, relationship management, service design, and service human resources. Diverse research approaches that address services marketing issues are encouraged, including, but not limited to: behavioral / experimental, survey-based research, quantitative models, and ethnographic research. Consistent with this year’s theme, special sessions and papers exploring service management aspects of “The role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.” are highly encouraged.

6. Marketing Research and Technology Track

This track seeks papers that offer methodological advances in the areas of marketing and consumer research. These advances can be in one of three areas: a) innovative methodologies the authors have worked to develop, particularly as they relate to advances in technology, b) improvements in the approach to analysis (including the identification of problems with current practices), and c) methodological considerations specific to a given topic or domain, such as cross-cultural consumer research. Examples of issues appropriate for this track might include (but are not limited to): approaches to the analysis of mediated relationships, difficulties with yea-saying or other response biases, approaches to modeling multiple levels of data, the difficulties of cataloging and coding ethnographic interviews, unique analytic considerations posed by within-subjects designs, or any of the wide variety of opportunities and methodological challenges marketing scholars confront in the conduct of their research. We welcome innovations from both the quantitative and interpretive sides of the field. Though we are interested first and foremost in the quality of the research, a strong fit with the conference theme of, “The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.” will be given particular consideration.

7. Channels of Distribution, Supply Chain Management, Business-to-Business Marketing and Interorganizational Issues

This track invites both conceptual and empirical research focusing on a wide variety of theory, practice, and methods relevant to the interorganizational issues in channels of distribution, business-to-business marketing, supply chain management, and related domains. We strongly encourage works related to newly emerging theory and topics as well as applications and extensions of existing theory and traditionally important topics. Suitable topics span the broad domain suggested by the title of track, and can range from channel efficiency to industrial buyer behavior to relationship marketing. Given the rapid pace of change in the business environment, we welcome submissions that center on technology, networks, and learning as they relate to topics within the domain of this track. In support of the theme of this year’s conference, we particularly encourage special sessions and papers that examine channel issues that relate to “The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.”

8. New Product Development, Product Management and Entrepreneurship

This track covers the development of new products and services in consumer and business-to-business contexts. More generally, the domain is the management of innovation. Papers that address relevant issues in new as well as established firms are of interest. Suitable topics for this track include, but are not limited to: product design and development, product introduction and evolution, cross-function, cross-unit, and/or cross-firm (network) issues in product development, the role of industry standards in product development and commercialization, the role of customers and suppliers in product development and innovation, characteristics of innovative consumers and firms, role of product deletion in product development and management, role of licensing, joint ventures, alliances, and acquisitions in innovation, innovation and entrepreneurship in international and non-profit settings, role of government, society, and competition in innovation and entrepreneurship, role of top management in innovation, including resource allocation across projects, organizational structures for product development and management, overcoming inertial barriers to innovation in the established firm, launching products that create entirely new markets. The theme of this year’s conference is “The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.” Consistent with this theme, special sessions and papers that explore topics such as energy efficiency, resource allocation, green marketing, and environomental stewartship in the context of new product innovation are highly encouraged. Both conceptual and empirical works are welcome, as are both qualitative and quantitative research approaches.

9. Retailing and Pricing

This track invites papers pertaining to retailing and/or pricing. In keeping with the conference theme, we particularly encourage works that explore how the use of technology in marketers’ retailing and pricing of products can impact business practice and/or customer decision processes, although explorations of more traditional issues relating to retailing and pricing are also appropriate for submission. To this end, we are soliciting works related to newly emerging theory and practice in retailing and pricing as well as applications and extensions of existing theory in these areas. Possible retailing topics include (but are not limited to) multi-channel retailing, technologies that enable retailers to better integrate multiple retail channels, retail efficiency analysis, identification and valuation of intangible retail assets, and the role of retail environments on buyer decision-making. Similarly, some potential pricing topics involve Internet pricing, auction pricing, price promotions, price fairness issues, price bundling, partitioned pricing, and information processing issues relating to alterative price strategies and formats. Consistent with this year’s theme, special sessions and papers exploring retailing and pricing aspects of “The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.” are highly encouraged.

10. Marketing Education and Teaching Innovation

This track seeks papers emphasizing a scholarly approach to marketing education, particularly those that focus on the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability. Topics may include but are not limited to: the scholarship of teaching and learning in marketing, the use of technology in marketing education, curriculum development, pedagogy, active learning techniques, effective teaching techniques in large and small sections, the application of marketing concepts and techniques to aid profit-oriented businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies through service learning, motivating and mentoring students, training doctoral students, teaching the connection between marketing and creating customer value and long-term relationships with customers, interdisciplinary teaching techniques, faculty development, and assessment. Consistent with this year’s theme, special sessions and papers exploring marketing education aspects of “The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.” are highly encouraged.

11. Public Policy and Ethical Issues

This track seeks papers and special sessions that examine the interplay between marketing and its larger societal domain. The regulatory and public policy activities of federal, state and local agencies; growing societal expectations of corporate social responsibility and ethical behavior; the increasing prominence of marketing in our culture and the resulting economic, social and cultural consequences; exponential advances in technology and its effects on consumers, are but a few factors that fuel the importance of this topic area. Thus, innovative papers are sought that provide new insights into such topics as (but not limited to) public policy and regulatory consumer protection issues (i.e. deceptive/misleading advertising and labeling, competition policy, consumer privacy, environmental protection etc); consumer (mis)comprehension of marketing communications; marketing’s economic, social and cultural impact on society; marketing to vulnerable populations; marketing ethics and social responsibility; social marketing and marketing for not-for-profit organizations. In keeping with the conference theme, papers that explore implications of “The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals,” on consumer behavior are also strongly encouraged (for example, issues related to consumer perceptions of “greenwashing,” marketing contributions to sustainable economic development, ethical representation of the brand and company in the era of sustainable organization). Both conceptual and empirical works are welcome, as are both qualitative and quantitative research approaches.

12. Marketing Strategy/Marketing Management for Value Creation

This track welcomes conceptual, empirical, or review papers that cover a broad range of marketing strategy and management topics. Topics that may be addressed include, but are not limited to: marketing strategy development and implementation; strategic/cultural orientation and marketing; profit impact of marketing strategies; market entry and exit decisions; competitive dynamics and market evolution; market sensing and seizing opportunities; business model innovation and the role of marketing; path-breaking change of marketing strategy; firm networks and alliances; developing marketing resources and competences; forces and trends affecting the present and future of marketing. Papers focusing on “The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals” are strongly encouraged.

13. E-Commerce and Technology

This track invites papers that explore the impact of e-commerce and technology on business, consumers, and society. We particularly welcome contributions that examine how work in this field can contribute to the overall conference theme “The role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.”. Other topics relevant to this track include but are not limited to: 1) the relative benefits and dis-benefits of electronic markets; 2) ethical issues in e-commerce and technology (e.g., data protection, database marketing, privacy issues); 3) word of mouth and activism in virtual/online communities, 4) marketing implications for advanced technologies and networking enterprises (e.g., Second life, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube) 5) call center management from both a customer and employee perspective; 6) the integration of the consumer into logistics and channel design; 7) the integration of logistics and information flows and 8) how technology impacts consumer trust in a business transaction. Empirical and conceptual papers are equally welcome as are innovative proposals for special sessions linked to this track.

14. Special Interest Groups

The objective of SIG-related Special Sessions is to acquaint marketing educators and researchers with new perspectives, theories, and provocative ideas. Proposals for these Special Sessions should describe the topic and its importance to marketing, summarize the issues to be covered, and identify individuals (with their qualifications) who will participate. Anyone interested in proposing SIG programming should contact the appropriate SIG leaders to seek endorsement by the SIG for the session. The list of current SIGs and contact information is available on the ARC and visible if you click this link.

Doctoral students: Please note that the Doctoral Students' SIG does not have a specific Doctoral SIG track in the Conference. Accordingly, doctoral students are invited to submit manuscripts and/or special session proposals to any tracks or through a SIG.

Accepted SIG sessions will be scheduled in two premium time periods: (1) the second session of the first day and (2) the last session of the second day. These sessions are set aside to guarantee that SIGs have blocks of prime time set aside to request programming for special topical sessions, guest speakers, and panels. SIG Business Meetings should be scheduled separately (see link to SIG Business Meetings). Specificity in the proposal is important. Selection criteria include the general quality of the proposal, the level of interest the session is likely to generate at the conference, and the session’s relevance to the conference theme of “The Role of Marketing in Defining the Organization’s ‘Sustainability’ Goals.”