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While perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) has consistently been linked to socially conscious attitudes, the concept appears to have been confounded with other related constructs in the empirical studies measuring its effects on behavior. In addition, the few studies which have considered the effects of PCE on reported behavior have done so only in aggregate. This research demonstrates that PCE is distinct from environmental concern and contributes uniquely to the prediction of certain pro-ecological behaviors. In addition, differences in PCE are shown to be associated with differences in demographics and political affiliation. The results suggest that motivating consumers to express their concern through actual behavior is to some extent a function of increasing their perception that individual actions do make a difference.

Studies the presence of symbols in the service advertisements. Examines the denotative visual content of service advertisements from 1982‐1992 in order to better understand the role relationships between provider and consumer. The study begins with the premise that power and commitment are two dimensions of role relationships which distinguish types of services. The research then explores the various ways in which power and commitment are conveyed through manifest nonverbal symbols.

This study takes an integrative look at the correlates of newspaper nonreadership among teenagers. The author surveys more than a thousand high school students form Dallas, Texas. The results, based on regression analysis, suggest that the most important predictor of nonreadership is perception of time and effort needed to read the newspaper, with nonreaders having neither time nor interest. Nonreaders are also less likely to read magazines. In addition, their home environment is not conducive to newspaper reading. Nonreaders do look at the newspaper for information about products advertised.

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The business community faces tremendous challenges in the 21st century and needs an educated workforce that can navigate the realities of empowered customers, new scientific and media technologies, growing environmental and social concerns, and global competition. Unfortunately, undergraduate business education, for the most part, continues to rely on 20th century theories and practices. Undergraduate marketing education, in particular, seems to have stagnated and continues to fall short on both relevance and rigor. This article presents the results of a two-year departmental initiative to review, revise, and reinvent the undergraduate marketing curriculum at a large public research university’s business school. After analyzing the internal and external forces that were the impetus for change, the article presents the process the marketing department used to reform the undergraduate program. Next, the articles discusses the results of six data collection projects among key constituency groups that revealed weaknesses in the undergraduate program and potential areas for improvement. The article concludes with the presentation of a transformed undergraduate marketing curriculum, along with initial assessment feedback. By engaging in continuous evaluation and improvement, the marketing faculty hope to provide undergraduate marketing students with a more rigorous and relevant academic experience that will enable them to succeed in the professional workforce of the 21st century.

This two‐part investigation examines consumer choice behavior across a total of nineteen different nondurable product categories. Study I utilized a mail questionnaire to measure decision heuristics. In Study II, shoppers were intercepted at the point of purchase. Results of both studies reveal considerable variation in choice rules within subjects and across decision contexts. An attempt is made to assess the importance of task environment variables, including extent of price variation, number of brands available, presence of shelf tags, amount of product class advertising, and amount of shelf space. The findings provide tentative support for the impact of contingent factors on the use of consumer choice tactics.