Societal marketing has gained widespread recognition in the marketing discipline both in academia and the professional industry. The Handbook of Research on Contemporary Consumerism is an essential reference source that provides an in-depth understanding on the various aspects and issues of consumerism and reveals the critical success factors and conceptual and theoretical frameworks of these concepts from recent contexts and perspectives. Additionally, it examines the impact of identity on marketing and branding from the consumerist perspective, discusses consumerism as a source of innovation and product development, and provides insights on consumerism and profitability. Featuring research on topics such as circular economy, digital marketing, and social media, this book is ideally designed for practitioners, managers, marketers, academic researchers, and students.

Measurement in Marketing Research investigates latent variables in marketing, focusing on current paradigms as well as recently suggested alternative concepts. The book proposes a unified scientific definition of measurement that allows for testing the hypothesis of the real existence of a latent variable. Thomas Salzberger analyses current measurement approaches in terms of their compliance with the scientific requirements of measurement. He reaches the conclusion that the predominantly applied practices, to a varying extent, suffer from substantial shortcomings, and suggests an alternative framework of measurement based on the philosophy of Rasch modelling. In the Rasch model great importance is attached to the mathematical principles of measurements, which take precedence over 'flexibility' in terms of accommodating idiosyncrasies of the data. The Rasch model promises to narrow the gap between the quality of measurement in the natural sciences and in the social sciences. The future of measurement in marketing is about to be set. This book aims to raise researchers' awareness of measurement issues and to contribute to a transfer of knowledge from psychometrics into marketing research. Marketing researchers and postgraduate students will find this book invaluable.

The current pandemic intensifies underlying structural bottlenecks and systemic inefficiencies. At the same time, it provokes the hasty adoption of innovations made possible by the already accelerating technological developments before being accompanied by necessary institutional and systemic adjustments. This leads to multidimensional crises as well as new socioeconomic challenges and prospects globally. The book enables readers to anticipate separate, yet interrelated functional spheres of global socioeconomic reality, understand their structure, and recognize potential vulnerabilities and opportunities in light of the current pandemic and the induced transformations. It tackles global aspects of the crisis by means of standard and innovative economic policies at the national and international level, faces challenges by businesses and revealing models of effective transformations and strategies in the present circumstances, and discusses individual and collective societal problems in light of sustaining our constantly upgrading humanitarian values in the 21st century. It is ideal for academicians, master's or Ph.D. degree students, university teachers, and scientists working in the field of management, business, economics, computer science, and engineering.

Social media has opened several new marketing channels to assist in business visibility as well as provide real-time customer feedback. With the emergence of new internet technologies, businesses are increasingly recognizing the value of social media and web presence in the promotion of their products and services. Harnessing the Power of Social Media and Web Analytics documents high-quality research to empower businesses to derive intelligence from social media sites. These emerging technological tools have allowed businesses to quantify, understand, and respond to customers conversations about their corporate reputation and brands within online communities. This publication is ideal for academic and professional audiences interested in applications and practices of social media and web analytics in various industries."

This book is an excellent resource for academics and students interested in ethics and accountability in the public sector, as well as for practitioners, NGO workers and policymakers. Over the last decades, issues in ethical leadership have become central to the global call for higher moral standards on the part of corporate organisations and their leaders and managers. The book's chapters investigate these concerns in Africa, where governance gaps often reflect poor leadership. Parenthetically, in 2001, a UNDP report found difficulties in applying anti-corruption laws and managing public institutions in the continent. Twenty years on, significant efforts have been made to improve the situation, yet extensive challenges still subsist. In this first volume, contributors discuss the practice of ethics, anti-corruption, and performance management, and propose solutions, some general to the continent and others country-specific.

Having a grasp on what appeals to consumers and how consumers are making purchasing decisions is essential to the success of any organization that thrives by offering a product or service. Despite the importance of consumer knowledge and understanding, research-based insight into the buying patterns and consumption habits of individuals in emerging nations remains limited. The Handbook of Research on Consumerism and Buying Behavior in Developing Nations takes a critical look at the often overlooked opportunities available for driving consumer demand and interest in developing countries. Emphasizing the power of the consumer market in emerging economies and their overall role in the global market system, this edited volume features research-based perspectives on consumer perception, behavior, and relationship management across industries. This timely publication is an essential resource for marketing professionals, consumer researchers, international business strategists, scholars, and graduate-level students.

Data is an intrinsic part of our daily lives. Everything we do is a data point. Many of these data points are recorded with the intent to help us lead more efficient lives. We have apps that track our workouts, sleep, food intake, and personal finance. We use the data to make changes to our lives based on goals we have set for ourselves. Businesses use vast collections of data to determine strategy and marketing. Data scientists take data, analyze it, and create models to help solve problems. You may have heard of companies having data management teams or chief information officers (CIOs) or chief data officers (CDOs), etc. They are all people who work with data, but their function is more related to vetting data and preparing it for use by data scientists. The jump from personal data usage for self-betterment to mass data analysis for business process improvement often feels bigger to us than it is. In turn, we often think big data analysis requires tools held only by advanced degree holders. Although advanced degrees are certainly valuable, this book illustrates how it is not a requirement to adequately run a data science project. Because we are all already data users, with some simple strategies and exposure to basic analytical software programs, anyone who has the proper tools and determination can solve data science problems. The process presented in this book will help empower individuals to work on and solve data-related challenges. The goal of this book is to provide a step-by-step guide to the data science process so that you can feel confident in leading your own data science project. To aid with clarity and understanding, the author presents a fictional restaurant chain to use as a case study, illustrating how the various topics discussed can be applied. Essentially, this book helps traditional businesspeople solve data-related problems on their own without any hesitation or fear. The powerful methods are presented in the form of conversations, examples, and case studies. The conversational style is engaging and provides clarity.

In many ways, the appearance of the metaverse is an unparalleled progression. A number of new technologies have come together to enable its vision. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets have become cheaper and more powerful improving the user experience. Blockchain has enabled digital currencies and NFTs. The new methods to transact and own digital goods are allowing creators to monetize their activities through tokens. In addition to monetization, and as a means to exchange value, token-holders can also participate in the platform's governance (e.g., vote on decisions). This democratic ownership economy coupled with the possibility of interoperability could unlock immense economic opportunities whereby digital goods and services are no longer captive to a singular gaming platform or brand. As the world steps into the metaverse, it is imperative to spark conversations with all objects and those interacting within the next dimension. Applying Metalytics to Measure Customer Experience in the Metaverse introduces metalytics, a new perspective on analytics for the new dimension of spatial and immersive Web 3.0. It presents the new conversations in the elements of a new digital age converging at a large scale. Covering topics such as big data analytics, financial services, and network analysis, this premier reference source is an essential resource for business leaders and executives, IT managers, entrepreneurs, financial specialists, consultants, statisticians, marketers, government officials, students and educators of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

To date, a plethora of companies and organizations are investing vast amounts of money on the latest technologies. Information technology can be used to improve market share, profits, sales, competitive advantage, and customer/employee satisfaction. Unfortunately, the individuals meant to use these technologies are not well equipped on how to effectively and efficiently use these tools for competitive advantage and decision making. The Handbook of Research on IT Applications for Strategic Competitive Advantage and Decision Making is a collection of innovative research relevant to the methodologies, theoretical frameworks, and latest empirical research findings in information technology applications, strategic competitive advantage, and decision making. While highlighting topics including agility, knowledge management, and business intelligence, this book is ideally designed for information technology professionals, academics, researchers, managers, executives, and government officials interested in using information technology for strategic competitive advantage and better decision making.

Global economic scenarios are increasing in complexity due to the recent global financial crisis, globalization, the evolution of ICT, and the changing behaviors of consumers. This has made it difficult to predict trends and build strategies within the retail industry. As a result, long-term forecasts and schedules are not possible, and more research is needed to explore today's consumer profile and set the frameworks for future recovery strategies. Predicting Trends and Building Strategies for Consumer Engagement in Retail Environments is a pivotal reference source that provides practical insights into improving the understanding of complex retail environments and consumer shopping behaviors in order to predict trends and develop strategies for retailers in times of economic crisis. While highlighting topics such as consumer engagement, industry models, and market globalization, this publication explores qualitative and quantitative methods of interest and the multidisciplinary approaches revolving around the industry. This book is ideally designed for marketers, managers, practitioners, retail professionals, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on relationship marketing, digital marketing, service management, and complexity theories.