Barbara L Gross | California State University, Northridge (original) (raw)
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Papers by Barbara L Gross
Journal of applied marketing theory, Jun 21, 2024
User-generated reviews have become important to consumers in evaluating market offerings and maki... more User-generated reviews have become important to consumers in evaluating market offerings and making purchase decisions. This study takes an overall look at the evolving sources of information from which consumers draw to get information about products and services and focuses specifically on an electronics product, a smart phone. We examine the influence of online product ratings and reviews on consumers. Results from data analysis found that online consumer ratings may have more of an impact on consumers than do the ratings of experts. Consumers were more likely to purchase products receiving high ratings from consumers despite receiving low ratings from experts, compared to products receiving high ratings from experts but low ratings from consumers. This suggests that consumers may trust other consumers more than they trust experts to rate products and services. In addition, results suggest that online ratings have more of an impact on high-priced products than they do on lowpriced products. Unique patterns in search behavior are also found for inexpensive products. Implications are discussed for both theory development and practice.
Journal of Marketing for Higher Education
There clearly exist behavioral impediments to starting and completing tasks, both for students (A... more There clearly exist behavioral impediments to starting and completing tasks, both for students (Ackerman and Gross 2005) and for faculty (Ackerman and Gross 2006). Ackerman and Gross (2005) found that, for students, task factors such as interest, rewards, clarity of instructions, and interdependence of needing to complete one part of an assignment before starting another all influenced whether they procrastinated. In this special session, we explore motivational characteristics of assignments that evoke discomfort and therefore are expected to affect procrastination. We suggest that this discomfort often leads to delay, but sometimes it may actually elicit a quicker response in starting. We identify several types of motivational task characteristics that may affect procrastination. First, and probably most important, is the degree of change a task would bring into a person's life. Change is difficult. We rely on habit and wellrehearsed scripts to get us efficiently through most ...
Marketing Education Review
The research reported in this paper examined the use of synchronous online discussion board as th... more The research reported in this paper examined the use of synchronous online discussion board as the primary mode of teaching by one instructor teaching two sections of a senior-level undergraduate Marketing Strategy course during the COVID-19 pandemic Decisions were made to use a synchronous online discussion board as the primary online meeting space and mode of instruction for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester and continuing into the fall 2020 semester Both before and after the transition to online instruction, the primary activities of the class were analysis of marketing cases and participation in a marketing strategy simulation game, which were accomplished both individually and as student teams Results from this research suggest that synchronous written discussion boards have a place in instruction Student-perceived benefits included better access to and retention of material from the course as well as the ability to learn more during class time Students scored higher on an examination on material delivered by written discussion board than by Zoom Negatives revolved around frustration with the online interface [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Marketing Education Review is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
This study examines the effects of amount of choice given stu-dents in selecting courses to compl... more This study examines the effects of amount of choice given stu-dents in selecting courses to complete a marketing minor, referred to as a marketing option. It examines how differing levels of choice can affect perceptions of, and feelings about, a marketing option. The course choice process is also explored. The impact of choice on students ’ desire for the option depended on the level of interest in the courses avail-able. Perceived value of the marketing option to employers and for student’s future careers was greatest when there was some choice, but not too much. Tests for emotional reactions supported the findings in that they also indicated that choice can be associated with diminishing returns, especially when the choices are not particularly interesting. The results of this study suggest that students do want choice, but within limits, and they do appear to place value on guidance and direction.
Procrastination can have a negative effect on learning. Many previous studies have examined perso... more Procrastination can have a negative effect on learning. Many previous studies have examined personality factors that con-tribute to procrastination. This study examines selected assignment characteristics controllable by the instructor that might influence student procrastination. Results found less procrastination on assignments that were perceived as inter-esting, that required students to use a variety of skills, for which students perceived social norms and rewards for start-ing promptly, and for which the instructor provided clear instructions. Procrastination was not affected by fear, dead-line pressure from other assignments, or the degree to which the task was perceived as difficult or time consuming.
This study is an exploratory examination of how time pressure affects university students. Recent... more This study is an exploratory examination of how time pressure affects university students. Recent news articles have focused on what appears to be an increasing amount of time pressure and stress felt by students (Weiss 2000; Wolgoren 2000). This study helps shed light for marketing educators on the scope and consequences of this trend. The annual "American Freshmen Survey" conducted by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute found in surveying the year 2000 entering freshman class that a record 30.2 percent felt "frequently overwhelmed by all I have to do." This continued the steady upward trend in agreement with this item from just 16 percent in 1985 when the item was first included on the survey (Weiss 2000). Some articles reporting on time pressure among university students have focused on its injurious effects on physical health. Others have discussed negative emotional responses, including depression and rage; and corollary detrimental effects on the...
This special session is about traversing various boundaries in marketing education, with the purp... more This special session is about traversing various boundaries in marketing education, with the purpose of providing insights and directions for future research. Marketing education is offered in diverse environments and settings and to students from a wide variety of backgrounds. A question that arises is, how much is marketing curriculum designed for one context effective in another? This special session uses the metaphor of travel because travel enables us to see familiar patterns of life in unfamiliar forms and settings. As travel writer Pico Iyer (2000) describes, travelling “turns you upside down, and stands everything you took for granted on its head.” Hopefully, this special session will help participants do the same regarding “comfortable” experiences and routines of marketing education.
In his classic book The Marketing Imagination, Levitt (1986) stated that organizational success i... more In his classic book The Marketing Imagination, Levitt (1986) stated that organizational success is predicated on the use of the marketing imagination and generation of creative ideas. As creativity is a sine qua non for organizational growth and success, a recent Harvard Business Review article, “Managing for Creativity,” states that an organization’s most important asset is its “arsenal of creative thinkers whose ideas can be turned into valuable products and services” (Florida & Goodnight, 2005, p. 2). Recent business press has also emphasized the importance of creativity in fostering organizational revenue growth (Coy, 2000) and discussed the increasing attention given by large corporations to fostering creativity (Nussbaum et al., 2005). Naturally, marketing educators are focusing their attention on methods for developing creativity in their students and across the marketing curriculum (Anderson, 2006; Gilbert, Prenshaw, & Ivy, 1996; McIntyre, Hite, & Rickard, 2003; Ramocki, 199...
Universities use diverse informants to evaluate teaching effectiveness and student learning. Prof... more Universities use diverse informants to evaluate teaching effectiveness and student learning. Professors evaluate students before and/or after instruction. Students evaluate their instructors, and also may evaluate other students (student peer evaluation). Finally, instructors evaluate other instructors (faculty peer evaluation). This Special Session discusses the multidimensional construct of teaching and the process of measuring learning and teaching effectiveness. We consider the implications of using faculty (expert) versus student (novice) evaluations, and the contexts within which they are most appropriate. STUDENT EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTORS Most marketing departments use end-of-term student evaluations of teaching (SET) to assess instructor effectiveness. These allow instructors to gain a clearer idea of their strengths and weaknesses in the classroom from the point of view of students, and they provide input so department chairs can better match instructors with attributes imp...
Procrastination can be a crucial factor inhibiting facultysuccess. Many important tasks, especial... more Procrastination can be a crucial factor inhibiting facultysuccess. Many important tasks, especially publications forpromotion or tenure, are typically associated with deadlinesthat are far in the future. As a result, time management skillscan make or break the success of new faculty. This studyexamines task characteristics of procrastination in facultywork. It extends work by Paden and Stell and Ackerman andGross to the context of procrastination by faculty members.An online survey asked respondents to recall important proj-ects they had recently completed. The results suggest thattask characteristics influencing procrastination in startingand in completing tasks and projects are quite different. Awider variety of factors affected faculty member procrasti-nation in completing tasks and projects than in startingthem. These included departmental norms, competing dead-line pressures, perceived difficulty of the task or project inquestion, and clarity about how to proceed.
Students with various backgrounds and conditions can benefit from special nurturing and support. ... more Students with various backgrounds and conditions can benefit from special nurturing and support. Discussed are the cases of international students. students on the autistic spectrum, first generation college students, and students with learning disabilities.
Journal of applied marketing theory, Jun 21, 2024
User-generated reviews have become important to consumers in evaluating market offerings and maki... more User-generated reviews have become important to consumers in evaluating market offerings and making purchase decisions. This study takes an overall look at the evolving sources of information from which consumers draw to get information about products and services and focuses specifically on an electronics product, a smart phone. We examine the influence of online product ratings and reviews on consumers. Results from data analysis found that online consumer ratings may have more of an impact on consumers than do the ratings of experts. Consumers were more likely to purchase products receiving high ratings from consumers despite receiving low ratings from experts, compared to products receiving high ratings from experts but low ratings from consumers. This suggests that consumers may trust other consumers more than they trust experts to rate products and services. In addition, results suggest that online ratings have more of an impact on high-priced products than they do on lowpriced products. Unique patterns in search behavior are also found for inexpensive products. Implications are discussed for both theory development and practice.
Journal of Marketing for Higher Education
There clearly exist behavioral impediments to starting and completing tasks, both for students (A... more There clearly exist behavioral impediments to starting and completing tasks, both for students (Ackerman and Gross 2005) and for faculty (Ackerman and Gross 2006). Ackerman and Gross (2005) found that, for students, task factors such as interest, rewards, clarity of instructions, and interdependence of needing to complete one part of an assignment before starting another all influenced whether they procrastinated. In this special session, we explore motivational characteristics of assignments that evoke discomfort and therefore are expected to affect procrastination. We suggest that this discomfort often leads to delay, but sometimes it may actually elicit a quicker response in starting. We identify several types of motivational task characteristics that may affect procrastination. First, and probably most important, is the degree of change a task would bring into a person's life. Change is difficult. We rely on habit and wellrehearsed scripts to get us efficiently through most ...
Marketing Education Review
The research reported in this paper examined the use of synchronous online discussion board as th... more The research reported in this paper examined the use of synchronous online discussion board as the primary mode of teaching by one instructor teaching two sections of a senior-level undergraduate Marketing Strategy course during the COVID-19 pandemic Decisions were made to use a synchronous online discussion board as the primary online meeting space and mode of instruction for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester and continuing into the fall 2020 semester Both before and after the transition to online instruction, the primary activities of the class were analysis of marketing cases and participation in a marketing strategy simulation game, which were accomplished both individually and as student teams Results from this research suggest that synchronous written discussion boards have a place in instruction Student-perceived benefits included better access to and retention of material from the course as well as the ability to learn more during class time Students scored higher on an examination on material delivered by written discussion board than by Zoom Negatives revolved around frustration with the online interface [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Marketing Education Review is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
This study examines the effects of amount of choice given stu-dents in selecting courses to compl... more This study examines the effects of amount of choice given stu-dents in selecting courses to complete a marketing minor, referred to as a marketing option. It examines how differing levels of choice can affect perceptions of, and feelings about, a marketing option. The course choice process is also explored. The impact of choice on students ’ desire for the option depended on the level of interest in the courses avail-able. Perceived value of the marketing option to employers and for student’s future careers was greatest when there was some choice, but not too much. Tests for emotional reactions supported the findings in that they also indicated that choice can be associated with diminishing returns, especially when the choices are not particularly interesting. The results of this study suggest that students do want choice, but within limits, and they do appear to place value on guidance and direction.
Procrastination can have a negative effect on learning. Many previous studies have examined perso... more Procrastination can have a negative effect on learning. Many previous studies have examined personality factors that con-tribute to procrastination. This study examines selected assignment characteristics controllable by the instructor that might influence student procrastination. Results found less procrastination on assignments that were perceived as inter-esting, that required students to use a variety of skills, for which students perceived social norms and rewards for start-ing promptly, and for which the instructor provided clear instructions. Procrastination was not affected by fear, dead-line pressure from other assignments, or the degree to which the task was perceived as difficult or time consuming.
This study is an exploratory examination of how time pressure affects university students. Recent... more This study is an exploratory examination of how time pressure affects university students. Recent news articles have focused on what appears to be an increasing amount of time pressure and stress felt by students (Weiss 2000; Wolgoren 2000). This study helps shed light for marketing educators on the scope and consequences of this trend. The annual "American Freshmen Survey" conducted by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute found in surveying the year 2000 entering freshman class that a record 30.2 percent felt "frequently overwhelmed by all I have to do." This continued the steady upward trend in agreement with this item from just 16 percent in 1985 when the item was first included on the survey (Weiss 2000). Some articles reporting on time pressure among university students have focused on its injurious effects on physical health. Others have discussed negative emotional responses, including depression and rage; and corollary detrimental effects on the...
This special session is about traversing various boundaries in marketing education, with the purp... more This special session is about traversing various boundaries in marketing education, with the purpose of providing insights and directions for future research. Marketing education is offered in diverse environments and settings and to students from a wide variety of backgrounds. A question that arises is, how much is marketing curriculum designed for one context effective in another? This special session uses the metaphor of travel because travel enables us to see familiar patterns of life in unfamiliar forms and settings. As travel writer Pico Iyer (2000) describes, travelling “turns you upside down, and stands everything you took for granted on its head.” Hopefully, this special session will help participants do the same regarding “comfortable” experiences and routines of marketing education.
In his classic book The Marketing Imagination, Levitt (1986) stated that organizational success i... more In his classic book The Marketing Imagination, Levitt (1986) stated that organizational success is predicated on the use of the marketing imagination and generation of creative ideas. As creativity is a sine qua non for organizational growth and success, a recent Harvard Business Review article, “Managing for Creativity,” states that an organization’s most important asset is its “arsenal of creative thinkers whose ideas can be turned into valuable products and services” (Florida & Goodnight, 2005, p. 2). Recent business press has also emphasized the importance of creativity in fostering organizational revenue growth (Coy, 2000) and discussed the increasing attention given by large corporations to fostering creativity (Nussbaum et al., 2005). Naturally, marketing educators are focusing their attention on methods for developing creativity in their students and across the marketing curriculum (Anderson, 2006; Gilbert, Prenshaw, & Ivy, 1996; McIntyre, Hite, & Rickard, 2003; Ramocki, 199...
Universities use diverse informants to evaluate teaching effectiveness and student learning. Prof... more Universities use diverse informants to evaluate teaching effectiveness and student learning. Professors evaluate students before and/or after instruction. Students evaluate their instructors, and also may evaluate other students (student peer evaluation). Finally, instructors evaluate other instructors (faculty peer evaluation). This Special Session discusses the multidimensional construct of teaching and the process of measuring learning and teaching effectiveness. We consider the implications of using faculty (expert) versus student (novice) evaluations, and the contexts within which they are most appropriate. STUDENT EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTORS Most marketing departments use end-of-term student evaluations of teaching (SET) to assess instructor effectiveness. These allow instructors to gain a clearer idea of their strengths and weaknesses in the classroom from the point of view of students, and they provide input so department chairs can better match instructors with attributes imp...
Procrastination can be a crucial factor inhibiting facultysuccess. Many important tasks, especial... more Procrastination can be a crucial factor inhibiting facultysuccess. Many important tasks, especially publications forpromotion or tenure, are typically associated with deadlinesthat are far in the future. As a result, time management skillscan make or break the success of new faculty. This studyexamines task characteristics of procrastination in facultywork. It extends work by Paden and Stell and Ackerman andGross to the context of procrastination by faculty members.An online survey asked respondents to recall important proj-ects they had recently completed. The results suggest thattask characteristics influencing procrastination in startingand in completing tasks and projects are quite different. Awider variety of factors affected faculty member procrasti-nation in completing tasks and projects than in startingthem. These included departmental norms, competing dead-line pressures, perceived difficulty of the task or project inquestion, and clarity about how to proceed.
Students with various backgrounds and conditions can benefit from special nurturing and support. ... more Students with various backgrounds and conditions can benefit from special nurturing and support. Discussed are the cases of international students. students on the autistic spectrum, first generation college students, and students with learning disabilities.