Journal of http://jmd.sagepub.

com/
Marketing Education

Incorporating Transformative Consumer Research Into the Consumer Behavior Course Experience
Ed Petkus, Jr
Journal of Marketing Education 2010 32: 292 originally published online 28 July 2010
DOI: 10.1177/0273475310377784
The online version of this article can be found at:
http://jmd.sagepub.com/content/32/3/292

Published by:
http://www.sagepublications.com

Additional services and information for Journal of Marketing Education can be found at:
Email Alerts: http://jmd.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts
Subscriptions: http://jmd.sagepub.com/subscriptions
Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav
Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav
Citations: http://jmd.sagepub.com/content/32/3/292.refs.html

>> Version of Record - Oct 26, 2010

OnlineFirst Version of Record - Jul 28, 2010
What is This?

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at UNIV FEDERAL DA PARAIBA on August 23, 2014

Article

Incorporating Transformative Consumer

Research Into the Consumer Behavior
Course Experience

Journal of Marketing Education

32(3) 292299
The Author(s) 2010
Reprints and permission:
sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI: 10.1177/0273475310377784
http://jmd.sagepub.com

Ed Petkus Jr.1

Abstract
In contrast to understanding consumer behavior for the benefit of business organizations, transformative consumer research
(TCR) seeks to understand consumer behavior for the benefit of consumers themselves. Following Maris (2008) call for the
incorporation of TCR in doctoral programs in marketing, this article outlines the relevance of TCR to the undergraduate
consumer behavior course experience and develops topical and structural recommendations for implementation. Empirical
evidence indicates positive student perceptions of TCR-based course projects in terms of complementing traditional projects,
personal relevance, awareness of social responsibility issues, and marketing applications.
Keywords
transformative consumer research, experiential learning, consumer behavior, social responsibility
Mrs. ___ understands enough about nutrition to know that
her children eat far too many processed foods and far too few
fruits and vegetables. She reads anything she can find about
healthy eating and often talks to her friends about it. She understands nutritional labels and is skilled at evaluating alternatives in the context of food shopping. She is seriously motivated
to buy healthy food, and despite her relatively low income,
she is willing to pay more for it.
But Mrs. ___ lives in what is known as a food desert.
She has no car, and the only stores to which she has access
via walking or affordable public transportation are convenience stores (which, of course, not only sell mostly processed food but sell it at a higher price). There is one store
that she could walk to that sells some whole foods, but it
involves crossing under a bridge where some dangerous people hang out (her friend was attacked there 6 months ago). So
despite a consumer decision-making process that results in a
strong intention to buy healthy food, Mrs. ___ is in a situation that forces her to make choices that are less than favorable to her and her familys well-being.
This scenario describes a consumer behavior context that
is significantly different from the contexts typically addressed
in a more traditional, managerially focused consumer behavior
curriculum. These situations and ones like them raise important implications for consumer researchersconsiderations
involving not only why and how people make (and are sometimes forced to make) the choices they do but what the impact
of those choices is on their well-being. The question is, Is
there a place for such considerations in the consumer behavior

curriculum? Drawing on the body of knowledge known as

transformative consumer research, this article seeks to shed
light on that question.

What Is Transformative
Consumer Research?
Transformative consumer research (TCR) refers most simply to consumer research whose mission is to improve peoples welfare. A formal definition is found on the TCR link
from the Association for Consumer Research (2010) website: (TCR) is a movement within our association that seeks
to encourage, support, and publicize research that benefits
consumer welfare and quality of life for all beings affected
by consumption across the world. The scope of TCR includes
both micro- and macro-level consumer considerations. In
setting the broad context for increased attention to TCR considerations, Mick (2008, p. 377) remarks, These are . . . the
times in which the ideology and practice of consumption
have multiplied across the earth to levels of complexity, subtlety, and influence that were unimaginable just a few
decades ago.
In short, TCR addresses the avoidance of negative consumer outcomes and the realization of positive consumer
1

Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ, USA

Corresponding Author:
Ed Petkus Jr., Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ 07430, USA
Email: epetkus@ramapo.edu

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at UNIV FEDERAL DA PARAIBA on August 23, 2014

293

Petkus
outcomes. General TCR topic areas include vulnerable populations (e.g., the poor, illiterate, elderly, etc.), negative consumer behaviors (e.g., smoking, poor nutritional habits,
high-risk behaviors, etc.), and positive consumer behaviors
(e.g., environmentally responsible behavior, volunteer work,
organ donation, etc.) (Mari, 2008; Mick, 2006). TCR represents a countervailing approach to the traditional managerial
perspective in consumer behavior; in contrast to understanding consumer behavior for the benefit of business organizations, TCR involves understanding consumer behavior for
the benefit of consumers themselves.
Although Mick (2006) can be credited with developing
the TCR concept, Mari (2008) must be credited with introducing the TCR theme to marketing education. However,
Maris (2008) discussion is entirely limited to doctoral-level
marketing education. This article seeks to extend the Mari
(2008) discussion to undergraduate marketing education.
This article will argue that undergraduate marketing education, specifically the Consumer Behavior course, represents
an effective context for the implementation of TCR.

TCR in the Consumer Behavior

Course: Relevance and Justification
In the marketing education literature, Mari (2008) singularly
provides the direct justification for the curricular consideration of TCR. However, there is a body of scholarship outside the realm of marketing education that addresses the
importance of a consumer welfare perspective in consumer
research. Thus, a primary justification for the incorporation
of TCR rests on the assumption that the consumer behavior
curriculum seeks to tap into the consumer research body of
knowledge in its totality.
Although the purpose here is not to review the entire TCR
body of knowledge, several TCR research themes can be
identified. For example, Bazerman (2001), examining social
issues that affect consumers, identifies three areas of consumer
decision making that provide opportunities for exploitative
marketing practices: negotiations (e.g., for automobile purchase), financial services, and auctions. Another stream of
research focuses on the ways in which consumers increase
their psychological well-being by constructing individual
and collective self-identities (e.g., Schau & Gilly, 2003;
Thompson & Hirschmann, 1995). Other transformative consumer research topics that have been addressed include diffusion of innovations in less-developed countries (Arnould,
1989), the role of materialism in the consumer dynamics of
homeless people (Hill, 1991), consumer assimilation among
immigrants (Mehta & Belk, 1991; Penaloza, 1994), drug
addiction experiences (Hirschmann, 1992), consumer scam
victimization (Deighton & Grayson, 1995), and the consumption of natural foods and alternative health products
(Thompson & Troester 2002).

These articles are cited here because they are among the
classics in the fieldgroundbreaking in terms of TCR
theme (and methodology in some cases). Much more recent
scholarship has carried on in this tradition. In 2007, the first
Transformative Consumer Research Conference was held
at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University; the
second TCR conference was held in summer 2009 at Villanova University. General themes for the conference sessions
included the following:

Poverty
Materialism
Developing Markets
Sustainable Consumption
Empowering Consumers to Live Healthier Lives
Food and Health
At-Risk Groups
Social Justice
Immigration, Culture, Ethnicity

The Association for Consumer Research website offers a

Transformative Consumer Research link that provides
an extensive resource for the most current scholarship in
this area.
In addition to consumer research, scholarship in the context of macromarketing is also relevant to transformative
consumer research. Echoing some of their earlier work (e.g.,
Wilkie & Moore, 1999; Wilkie, William, & Moore-Shay,
1997), Wilkie and Moore (2006) address the responsibility
of the marketing discipline to address issues of the interface
between marketing and society at large, including the influence
of, and on, public policy decisions. They call for a renewed
acknowledgement of the importance of a macromarketing
perspective in understanding the effects of marketing systems on society.
More broadly, the social responsibility and ethical themes
of TCR suggest that its incorporation in the consumer behavior curriculum could enhance the degree to which students
embrace and understand social responsibility and ethical factors in marketing. To the extent that such learning outcomes
are important in the marketing curriculum (e.g., Petkus,
2007; Singhapakdi, 2004; Yoo & Donthu, 2002), TCR can
make a further contribution to their establishment, serving
as the consumer-side complement to marketer-side social
responsibility and ethical decision-making considerations.
In short, the existence of a robust body of prior (and
emerging) scholarship makes a strong case for the relevance
of the TCR perspective in the domain of marketing in general and consumer behavior in particular. It follows, then,
that an infusion of the TCR perspective into the undergraduate consumer behavior course experience is justified. The
body of knowledge is there, ready to be tapped for the development of rich undergraduate learning experiences. The next

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at UNIV FEDERAL DA PARAIBA on August 23, 2014

294

Journal of Marketing Education 32(3)

Table 1. Consumer Behavior Topics, TCR Dimensions, and Related Learning Experiences
Consumer Behavior Topic
Sensory systems/
multisensory perception
Consumer socialization
and learning
Motivation
Materialism/conspicuous
consumption
Self-concept/self-esteem
Consumer decision-making
model
Consumer attitudes

Personality/lifestyle
Reference group/social
influence
Consumer social
responsibility
Cultural influences
Global issues

Relevant TCR Dimensions/Topics

The effect of hedonic consumption on wellbeing and safety
The effect of hedonic consumption on
economic efficiency
Consumer socialization designed to increase
well-being for children and vulnerable groups
Motivational conflicts among positive versus
negative behaviors (e.g., risky shift)
Relationship to debt incurrence and other
economic efficiency issues
Relationship of self-esteem, body image,
and so on, to consumer choices that affect
physical/emotional health
Availability of full and accurate consumer
information
Disconnects among attitudes, behavioral
intentions, and actual behavior
Cognitive dissonance related to conflicts
among positive versus negative behaviors
Attitude change as related to avoiding
negative outcomes and realizing more positive
outcomes
Effects of personality and lifestyle on
positive versus negative consumer well-being
outcomes (e.g., smoking cessation)
Peer pressure resulting in negative outcomes
Social pressures leading to economic
inefficiencies
Negative externalities of consumption (e.g.,
child labor, illegal or harmful ingredients),
carbon footprint, effects of industrial
agriculture, disposal issues
Identification of cultural differences among
vulnerable groups and all aspects of negative
versus positive consumer well-being outcomes
Cultural homogenization
Harmful effects of export of lifestyle
dimensions (e.g., Western diet)

Examples of Learning Experiences

In-class discussion of personal examples/anecdotes
related to negative outcomes of hedonic
consumption
Research project designed to develop
recommendations for using consumer
socialization to positive outcome
Reflective essay to illustrate motivational conflict
(and potential resolution)
Secondary research project summarizing current
consumption/economics issues
Qualitative (interview) research project that
explores relationships among relevant factors
In-class development of consumer decision-making
scenarios that demonstrate disconnects among
model dimensions (small groups or general
discussion)
Reflective essay that applies TCR factors to the
various attitude models and their specific
components (e.g., role of subjective norms in
multiattribute attitude models)
Qualitative research project that explores
relationships among personality, lifestyle, and
TCR-related behaviors
In-class discussion of personal examples/anecdotes
related to social pressures, and so on
Research project that addresses any of many
consumer social responsibility issues; in-class
discussion of relevant current events; broad final
course project
Reflective essay that explores cultural influence
related to TCR topics; broad final course project
Reflective essay that explores global issues related
to TCR topics; broad final course project

Note: TCR = transformative consumer research.

question is, How, specifically, can the TCR perspective be

implemented in the consumer behavior curriculum?

Implementation of TCR
Perspective in the Consumer
Behavior Course Experience
Topical Relevance
The first step in implementation is to match basic consumer
behavior course topics with the TCR body of knowledge.
Table 1 outlines selected potential correspondences among

general consumer behavior course topics and TCR dimensions/

topics. Although the course topics listed in Table 1 are intended
to be rather generic (and thus flexible in application), most
consumer behavior textbooks offer content that is explicitly
relevant to TCR. For example, Solomon (2008) includes a
section called The Dark Side of Consumer Behavior that
draws directly on TCR literature. Topics covered include consumer terrorism (e.g., deliberate introduction of harmful substances into consumer products, such as the Tylenol/cyanide
case), addictive behavior (physical and psychological), compulsive consumption, consumer exploitation, illegal consumption activities, and anticonsumption behavior (deliberate

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at UNIV FEDERAL DA PARAIBA on August 23, 2014

295

Petkus
sabotage or defacement of marketing activities such as cigarette billboards). Other textbook treatments of specific TCRrelated topics include consumer misbehavior (Babin &
Harris, 2008) and consumer advocacy and public policy issues
related to consumer behavior (Lindquist & Sirgy, 2008). In
addition, most consumer behavior textbooks include treatments of broader contextually relevant issues such as marketing ethics and social responsibility.

Learning Experiences
If one accepts that TCR dimensions and topics are relevant
to the consumer behavior course curriculum, the next step is
to develop specific learning experiences for implementation.
These learning experiences generally fall into two categories: in-class experiences and homework/project work. Table 1
offers examples of potential learning experiences for each of
the consumer behavior topics and TCR dimensions. These
examples are intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive; indeed,
any type of learning experience or assignment could potentially be applied to any of the topics, based on instructor interest, preference, and course structure.
Also, it is very important to emphasize that the overall
degree of TCR implementation is very flexible: It could range
from creating an entire course that is TCR themed to occasionally introducing TCR dimensions on an a la carte basis.
Indeed, innovative teaching methods may be applied to the
TCR context; for example, Stern (2008) discusses a course
innovation in which students undertook a discovery walk
in which they directly observed the consumption contexts of
minority consumers. Again, instructor preference, school or
college or department mission, and student interest are some
factors than can help determine the degree of TCR integration in the course. The following sections will offer some
illustrative examples of (a) in-class learning experiences and
(b) student projects from my own experience in fall 2008 and
spring 2009 (the semesters in which, inspired by Mari (2008),
I integrated TCR formally into the curriculum). For context:
I teach at a medium-sized public liberal arts college in the
northeast United States; the School of Business is the largest
of the five schools at the college; we have roughly 225 marketing majors.
In-class learning experiences. In-class TCR-related experiences include (a) discussions of TCR themes and dimension
and (b) the completion of in-class experiential exercises. In
my experience, in-class discussions of TCR topics have been
vibrant, with generally broad participation. In the interest of
full disclosure, an advantage in my classes is that the students were primed to understand TCR topics because their
final project, to be discussed later, was TCR themed, so they
were familiar with the TCR perspective starting with the
first-day discussion of the syllabus. In general, student familiarity with the specific topics, as well as students overall

level of involvement with social issues, would likely be factors in the level of participation in class discussion and the
depth and breadth of student input in those discussions.
In my own classes, I emphasized the congruence of
TCR themes with the liberal arts mission of our college (our
school of business mission also incorporates integration of
business education and the liberal arts). However, any marketing educator seeking to enhance the degree of relevance
of TCR dimensions can call on (a) current events and/or
(b) students own life experiences. For example, the semesters in which I implemented TCR dimensions happened to
coincide with the economic recession of 2008-2009, which
opened up many chances for discussion of how economic
difficulties relate to consumer behavior in terms of motivation,
attitude formation, and consumer decision-making dynamics. In addition, a number of my students were able to share
stories that related to TCR themes. In one notably affecting
example, a students father had recently died from obesityrelated conditions; the student was forthcoming with many
details about his fathers consumption choices (in terms of
food, exercise, and other lifestyle factors), which provided
rich fodder for discussion (and inspired that students group
project topic for the course).
In-class exercises represent an even higher level of TCR
application than does a general discussion. Several times
during the two semesters, I dedicated the last 20 to 30 minutes of class to having the students form small groups and
apply the days material to a minicase that is TCR themed.
For example, the class was asked to devise a draft of a
community outreach strategy that would help children learn
how to understand the basics of nutritional labeling for the
foods they eat. The goal of this exercise was to have students
apply concepts involving consumer socialization and consumer learning. The outcomes of this exercise involved multifaceted appeals drawing on cultural, social, and educational
factors in consumer socialization and consumer learning (as
well as a complementary application of integrated marketing
communication basics). Another example of an in-class TCR
exercise had students rewriting and redesigning advertisements for beauty products. The goal of this exercise was to
apply chapter material dealing with body image, self-esteem,
and sex roles in order to redesign the ads so that they told
the truth. The main TCR-related outcome of this exercise
was that it helped the students understand the links between
marketing/advertising strategies and consumers psychological well-being; however, the in-class time was perhaps too
limited for the students to fully execute their ideas (something to consider for any in-class exercise or assignment).
Student projects/out-of-class assignments. Although in-class
experiences serve to reinforce course material and demonstrate its application in the TCR context, homework assignments and research projects provide an opportunity for
even deeper immersion in and exploration of TCR themes.

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at UNIV FEDERAL DA PARAIBA on August 23, 2014

296

Journal of Marketing Education 32(3)

Assignment breadth and depth can obviously vary greatly, as

can the degree to which the assignment incorporates TCR
themes. TCR-based learning experiences are also a natural
match for service-learning opportunities, in which community organizations that deal with negative consumer outcomes or vulnerable groups (such as, e.g., local food pantries,
local chapters of Consumer Credit Counseling Services,
Better Business Bureau, etc.) benefit from direct student
projects and consultations.
In my courses, the deepest and broadest immersion in the
TCR perspective came in the final group project. For this
assignment, student groups select a TCR-related consumer
phenomenon and complete both secondary and primary
research with the goal of developing recommendations both
to consumers and to any relevant organizations or companies
(all students in the courses completed the TCR-themed project). The project also requires students to apply any fundamental consumer behavior concepts that are relevant to the
topic. Students choose their own topics (though I give them
a list of broad themes, as shown in the outline in the appendix); indeed, they are encouraged to choose a topic in which
they have some personal interest, if possible.
An important aspect of the final project is the emphasis on
developing marketing solutions (or the mitigation of marketing efforts that exacerbate problems) to close the loop
from analysis to recommendation. In other words, it is not
enough to raise these issues; ultimately, the goal is a more
comprehensive learning experience that incorporates marketing applications, in the form of specific recommendations
to both consumers and organizations (companies, government organizations, etc.), based on the analysis. Each group
is required to complete 20 primary data events (personal
interviews, surveys, etc.) to enhance their analysis and support their recommendations. The project outline (see the
appendix) is designed to follow the broader topical outline of
the course.
The TCR-based topics group projects for fall 2008 and
spring 2009 fell into three broad categories. Six of the projects addressed consumer well-being in the context of diet
and fitness; seven projects addressed consumer well-being in
the context of addictive or harmful behaviors. Five of the
projects focused on economic and/or technological issues.
The specific project topics are detailed in Table 2.
As indicated above, an important aspect of the project is
the recommendations that students generate based on their
analysis. Because they develop recommendations for both
consumers themselves and for organizations (businesses,
government organizations, consumer advocacy groups, and
schools) that are relevant to the particular phenomenon, the
students are forced to think through the entire consumption/
marketing cycle that relates to the phenomenon. This adds an
integrative aspect to the project, as students apply marketing
strategy and integrated marketing communication concepts

Table 2. Transformative Consumer ResearchBased Project

Topics (Fall 2008/Spring 2009)
Broad Project Theme

Specific Project Topics

Consumer well-being
(diet/fitness)

Diet versus exercise for weight

management
Effect of technology on exercise
Organic food consumption: College
students
Vegetarianism/veganism
Workplace factors in obesity
Water: Consumption and conservation
Prescription drug addiction
Smoking cessation
Performance-enhancing drugs
Workplace factors in obesity
Video game addiction
Gambling addiction
Body modification
Online banking and personal finance
management
Economic challenges for new college
graduates
Recessionary spending
Online shopping: Senior citizens
Internet safety

Consumer well-being
(addictive/harmful
behaviors)

Economic/
technological
issues

and functions. For example, the students who completed the

project that addressed the effects of consumer technology on
exercise made recommendations to consumers that involved
compensating for sedentary technology experiences with
physical activity (including direct time correspondences and
making decisions that, if possible, combined the two). They
also recommended a public awareness campaign (facilitated
through the Ad Council and the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness) that communicated the importance of balancing
the consumer technology experience with physical activity
and a similar campaign, directly targeting younger children,
to be delivered in the elementary schools.

Students Perceptions of TCR

Implementation: Empirical Evidence
For some, the justification for implementing TCR in the consumer behavior course curriculum would come from its very
nature; that any effort to impart social responsibility into the
marketing curriculum is fundamentally, even morally, justified. However, I was interested in the students reaction to
the TCR orientation of the projects. In June 2009, I sent all
the students who had completed the projects (i.e., both the
fall 2008 and spring 2009 sections) a single-question online
survey that simply asked, In your Consumer Behavior
course, you completed a final group project in which you
researched a topic that dealt with consumer well-being.

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at UNIV FEDERAL DA PARAIBA on August 23, 2014

297

Petkus
Please describe how you feel about doing a project with this
type of objective. Please include as much detail as possible in
your response. Forty-four out of the 60 students responded,
and they were nearly evenly split between the two semesters
(21 from fall 2008 and 23 from spring 2009); given that the
two courses were in the same academic year, there is no reason to expect that there would be any significant differences
between the two groups.
The valence of the responses was overwhelmingly positive, which was not surprising because, as the projects
unfolded during the semesters, there was a generally positive
feeling about the TCR orientation (likewise the comments
in the course evaluations). Beyond that confirmation, I was
interested in the students feelings regarding the learning
outcomes that they had realized in completing the project.
A content analysis of the responses identified four main
themes. First, many students noted the favorable contrast that
the TCR project provided with respect to more traditional
marketing/business-oriented projects. A second theme was
personal relevancestudents commented that they could
relate personally to the TCR topics and that this enhanced
their learning of the concepts. Third, students reported that
the TCR project helped increase their awareness of consumer
well-being issues and social responsibility factors in marketing. Finally, several responses discussed the practical marketing applications that emerged from the project (which is
encouraging in terms of the overall objectives of the consumer behavior course). It is also important to note that two
students commented that they would have liked to either
have had a choice between doing a traditional project or completed a project that somehow combined the traditional with
the TCR approach (indeed, this speaks to the flexible nature
of the degree of TCR implementationcommunication with
students as to the amount of choice that they would like to
see). None of the student comments were critical or disdainful of the project (though I acknowledge that there is no way
to account for potential nonresponse bias). Table 3 offers
some verbatim examples of the students responses for each
of these four thematic categories.

Final Reflections
The total body of consumer research literature is indeed vast,
and no instructor can hope to cover all of it in a semester-long
consumer behavior course experience. Adding a TCR perspective to ones course thus might require that something
else be foregone. However, merely exposing students to the
potential for such consumer research, and to the consumer
well-being issues that are raised, should result in some of the
learning outcomes discussed in the previous section. Moreover, TCR topical coverage would not be limited to the
consumer behavior course; any course that covers consumer
behavior topics and/or social responsibility topics could

Table 3. Students Response to TCR Project (Fall 2008/

Spring 2009)
Students Response
to TCR Project:
General Themes
Contrast with
traditional
marketing
projects

Personal relevance

Awareness of
social/social
responsibility
issues

Marketing
applications

Examples of Verbatim Responses

More appropriate . . . not everything
when dealing with marketing is about
sales; it is important to learn this
Better way to keep students thinking
and involved in the topic
Far more interesting than traditional
business-oriented project
When the assignment was given and
I was informed that we would have
to give recommendations to improve
consumer well-being I became
extremely excited a refreshing change
Different research than other classes
which broadened my learning horizon
Provides students with a holistic view
We are all consumers . . . we learn more
about ourselves as consumers
The project was more personally
relevant . . . these types of topics help us
as consumers to make better decisions
Doing research that reflected and
related to my self and my attitudes
Allowed us to relate the project more
to ourselves than another project might
Conducting the research forces you to
become aware of issues you may not
otherwise think about . . . it encompasses
ethics, law, as well as social sciences
Presented an opportunity to look
outside of the box beyond the actual
product and address the ways in which
in affect the consumers life
Will better our ability to work in a
socially responsible capacity
This project forces you to fix problems
or potential problems and think of ways
to help consumers
Making recommendations allowed us to
use our creativity to its best potential
In learning how we are able to better
our consumers well-being, we were,
inevitably, going to increase sales and
market share
A deeper understanding of marketing
concepts

Note: TCR = transformative consumer research.

potentially find opportunities for implementation. It is important to emphasize here that the TCR implementation described
herein is intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive. Over
time, given some level of increased TCR implementation, we

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at UNIV FEDERAL DA PARAIBA on August 23, 2014

298

Journal of Marketing Education 32(3)

should look for future scholarship to expand on the considerations introduced herein. Also, it is important to reiterate that
this is not a call for a complete, radical overhaul of the consumer behavior curriculum; TCR can serve as a balance to the
predominant managerial focus, but not necessarily a replacement. Again, ultimately, the degree to which TCR is incorporated into the consumer behavior curriculum will likely be
driven primarily by the individual instructors level of interest in the perspective.
Such considerations open the door to a new and broader
question: Should a TCR perspective be part of a larger social
responsibility focus in the overall marketing curriculum?
Most marketing curricula have embraced marketing ethics
across most, if not all, courses. Marketing curricula are
increasingly embracing sustainability issues. Is TCR the next
step in the evolution (enlightenment?) of the marketing curriculum? The student responses to the TCR project experience seem to indicate that this may be the case (see Table 3).
Examples of student responses include conducting the
research forces you to become aware of issues you may not
otherwise think about . . . it encompasses ethics, law, as well
as social sciences; presented an opportunity to look outside of the box beyond the actual product and address the
ways in which in affect the consumers life; and will better
our ability to work in a socially responsible capacity. Although
more research would need to be done in this area, the logical
extension from TCR themes to social responsibility considerations does not appear to be too far a stretch.
Of course, Mrs.___ does not care what we call it. She just
wants to get some healthy food for her kids.

Appendix
Example Outline for TCR Final Course Project
MKTG 310 Consumer Behavior
General Outline for the Final Project
Transformative Consumer Research: Analysis of Consumer
Experience, with Recommendations to Increase Consumer Well-Being
Introduction
1. Description of the Phenomenon/Experience of
Interest
2. Brief Historical Perspective
Part 1: Individual and Decision-Making Perspective
1. Perception/Multi-Sensory Issues
2. Motivation & Values Analysis
3. Self, Personality, Lifestyle, and Attitudinal
Factors
4. Decision-Making Dynamics

Appendix (continued)
Part 2: Sociocultural Perspective
1. Sociodemographic Factors
2. Cultural Influences
3. Global/Multicultural Factors
Part 3: Recommendations to Organizations and Consumers
Please recall that the overarching theme of the project is
transformative consumer research, with a mission of enhancing the well-being of people/society. Some topical areas that
you might address include

Economic efficiency
Health/nutrition/fitness
Environmental/social responsibility
Consumer education (children/youth)
Consumer safety
Psychological and social well-being
Vulnerable groups (poor, elderly, illiterate, etc.)

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the
authorship and/or publication of this.

Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research and/or
authorship of this article.

References
Arnould, E. J. (1989). Toward a broadened theory of preference formation and the diffusion of innovations: Cases from Zinder province, Niger Republic. Journal of Consumer Research, 16, 239-267.
Association for Consumer Research. (2010). Transformative consumer research resources: Retrieved from http://www.acrweb
site.org/fop/index.asp?itemID=325
Babin, B. J., & Harris, E. (2008). CB. Boston, MA: Southwestern.
Bazerman, M. H. (2001). Consumer research for consumers. Journal of Consumer Research, 27, 499-504.
Deighton, J., & Grayson, K. (1995). Marketing and seduction:
Building exchange relationships by managing social consensus.
Journal of Consumer Research, 21, 660-676.
Hill, R. P. (1991). Homeless women, special possessions, and the
meaning of home: An ethnographic case study. Journal of Consumer Research, 17, 303-321.
Hirschmann, E. C. (1992). The consciousness of addiction: Toward
a general theory of compulsive consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 19, 155-179.
Lindquist, J., & Sirgy, M. J. (2008). Shopper, buyer, and consumer
behavior: Theory, marketing applications, and public policy.
Florence, KY: Atomic Dog/Cengage.

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at UNIV FEDERAL DA PARAIBA on August 23, 2014

299

Petkus
Mari, C. (2008). Doctoral education and transformative consumer
research. Journal of Marketing Education, 30, 5-11.
Mehta, R., & Belk, R. W. (1991). Artifacts, identity, and transition:
Favorite possessions of Indians and Indian immigrants to the
United States. Journal of Consumer Research, 17, 398-411.
Mick, D. G. (2006). ACR presidential address: Meaning and mattering through transformative consumer research. Advances in
Consumer Research, 33, 2-5.
Mick, D. G. (2008). Introduction: The moment and place for a
special Journal of Consumer Research. Journal of Consumer
Research, 35, 377-379.
Penaloza, L. (1994). Atravesando Fronteras/Border crossings:
A critical ethnographic study of the consumer acculturation of
Mexican immigrants. Journal of Consumer Research, 21, 32-53.
Petkus, E., Jr. (2007). Enhancing the relevance and value of marketing curriculum outcomes to a liberal arts education. Journal
of Marketing Education, 29, 39-51.
Schau, H. J., & Gilly, M. C. (2003). We are what we post? Selfpresentation in personal web space. Journal of Consumer
Research, 30, 385-404.
Singhapakdi, A. (2004). Important factors underlying ethical intentions of students: Implication for marketing education. Journal
of Marketing Education, 26, 261-271.

Solomon, M. R. (2008). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, &

being (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice-Hall.
Stern, B. (2008). Course innovation: Diverse consumers: Race, ethnicity, religion, social class, and gender. Marketing Education
Review, 18, 55-60.
Thompson, C. J., & Hirschmann, E. C. (1995). Understanding the
socialized body: A poststructuralist analysis of consumers selfconceptions, body images, and self-care practices. Journal of
Consumer Research, 22, 139-153.
Thompson, C. J., & Troester, M. (2002). Consumer value systems in the age of postmodern fragmentation: The case of
natural health microculture. Journal of Consumer Research,
29, 550-571.
Wilkie, W. L., & Moore, E. S. (1999). Marketings contributions to
society. Journal of Marketing, 63, 198-218.
Wilkie, W. L., & Moore, E. S. (2006). Macromarketing as a pillar
of marketing thought. Journal of Macromarketing, 26, 224-232.
Wilkie, W. L., William L., & Moore-Shay, E. S. (1997). Consortium survey on marketing and society issues: Summary and
results. Journal of Macromarketing, 17, 89-95.
Yoo, B., & Donthu, N. (2002). The effects of marketing education
and individual cultural values on marketing ethics of students.
Journal of Marketing Education, 24, 92-104.

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at UNIV FEDERAL DA PARAIBA on August 23, 2014