Robert Bartels and the History of Marketing Thought

Abstract

Robert Bartels was one of marketing's most prolific scholars. His research covered a broad array of marketing topics, including the marketing-as-a-science debate, theory, metatheory, the nature and scope of marketing, credit management, international marketing, comparative marketing, macromarketing, and marketing education, among others. Bartels's most significant and enduring contribution, however, was his fifty years of ongoing research, from dissertation to last publication, in the area with which his name became synonymous-The History of Marketing Thought. Although not without criticism, no other work provides such a long view of marketing's past and wide sweep of its subdisciplines. By tracing the history of marketing thought in the twentiethcentury American academy, Bartels nurtured the interest in marketing's heritage and established a common knowledge base for generations of marketing students. RobertBart els's academic contributions to the marketing discipline are numerous and varied. He wrote books and articles on credit management, international marketing, and comparative marketing. Passionate about teaching, he wrote articles on improving marketing education. He also made frequent and significant contributions to the literature in the areas of marketing as a science, the nature and scope of marketing, marketing principles, marketing theory, and metatheory in marketing. Bartels received many prestigious awards for his scholarship; in 1977, his article "Macromarketing" (Bartels 1977) earned the Journal of Marketing's Harold H. Maynard Award, named after his mentor, for its contribution to marketing thought and theory. His book Marketing Theory and Metatheory (Bartels 1970a) received the Paul D. Converse Award in 1981 for its contribution to the advancement of the science of marketing. The focus of the present article, because it affected Bartels's thinking during his entire academic career, influenced much of his writing in other areas, and represents his greatest intellectual contribution, is the work with which Bartels's name has become synonymous-The History of Marketing Thought (Bartels 1976, 1988).

Brickbats and bouquets for marketing

“…For example and before proceeding , we consider the work of theorist Richard Bartels. He was perhaps one of the most prolific writers on the subject of marketing thought and marketing development (see for example, Shaw and Tamilia, 2001), and in 1962, he envisaged what he described as 'the maturing of marketing thought' (see Bartels, 1964). His book contains a full bibliography of the marketing literature from 1900 to 1960.…”

Kesesuaian Pilihan Konsep Bisnis, Operasionalisasi Kegiatan dan Penelitian dalam Pemasaran

“…Di samping itu Bartels (Shaw and Tamilia, 2001) menceriterakan saat istilah pemasaran pertama kali digunakan sebagai kata benda yang menunjukkan arah pemikiran pemasaran, dan kemudian berkembang menjadi kata kerja yang menunjukkan ke arah praktek pemasaran. Bartels juga mengelompokkan pengembangan pemikiran pemasaran melalui periode waktu diskrit, dengan dimulai pada Periode Discovery 1900-1910, Periode Konseptualisasi 1910-1920, Periode Integrasi 1920-1930, Periode Pembangunan 1930-1940, Periode Penilaian kembali 1940-1950, Periode Reconceptualization 1950, Periode Diferensiasi 1960-1970, dan Periode Sosialisasi dari 1970.…”

“…Lebih lanjut Bartels (Shaw and Tamilia, 2001) menyatakan s umber munculnya perspektif waktu tersebut adalah nilai (value) yang saling menguntungkan untuk melakukan transaksi dan hubungan. Nilai tersebut dapat ditingkatkan dengan pendekatan ekonomi, perilaku ilmiah, persepsi, dan informasi.…”

“…Evolusi itu tidak saja terjadi antara spesialis pemasaran dengan spesiali s pemasaran yang lain dengan berbagai dasar pemikiran yang mungkin berbeda, tetapi bisa juga evolusi dari seorang spesialis pemasaran sendiri, misalnya yang dilakukan oleh Kotler (1984;Kotler and Keller, 2009) atau yang diidentifikasikan Bartels (Shaw and Tamilia, 2001). Adanya evolusi tersebut, bahkan jika pun adanya perbedaan, adalah sesuatu yang wajar dan akan membantu pada perkembangan disiplin pemasaran (Brown, 2002) ke arah yang lebih cepat dan kaya (Bagozzi and Nataraajan, 2000), seperti yang dinyat akan Mintzberg di atas.…”

Teaching Media and Methods in Marketing: European and North American Universities

“…Vila and I. Kü ster teaching marketing, given that the marketing discipline is younger in the European continent. North American colleges will have improved teaching/ learning marketing methods as a result of their long experience, as different marketing researchers have shown (Tvede & Ohnemus, 2001;Shaw & Tamilia, 2001;Yoshida, 1994). Kinell (1989) emphasizes the pioneer role of American universities in teaching marketing.…”