Journal Articles (Peer-Reviewed)
(2022): Examining artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in marketing via a global lens: current trends and future research opportunities, International Journal of Research in Marketing, 39 (2): 522-540.
Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) has captured substantial interest from a wide array of marketing scholars in recent years. Our research contributes to this emerging domain by examining AI technologies in marketing via a global lens. Specifically, our lens focuses on three levels of analysis: country, company, and consumer. Our country-level analysis emphasizes the heterogeneity in economic inequality across countries due to the considerable economic resources necessary for AI adoption. Our company-level analysis focuses on glocalization because while the hardware that underlies these technologies may be global in nature, their application necessitates adaptation to local cultures. Our consumer-level analysis examines consumer ethics and privacy concerns, as AI technologies often collect, store and process a cornucopia of personal data across our globe. Through the prism of these three lenses, we focus on two important dimensions of AI technologies in marketing: (1) human–machine interaction and (2) automated analysis of text, audio, images, and video. We then explore the interaction between these two key dimensions of AI across our three-part global lens to develop a set of research questions for future marketing scholarship in this increasingly important domain.
(2022): Guest Editorial: Business Ethics in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, Journal of Business Ethics, 178 (4): 867-869.
(2022): Transition to a hybrid teaching model as a step forward toward responsible management education?, Journal of Global Responsibility, 13 (1): 7-20.
Abstract: Purpose This paper aims to investigate how the COVID-19 health crisis could help business schools move towards more responsible management education (RME). Business schools have been extensively blamed in previous crises for not educating their students in a responsible way. The COVID-19 pandemic could be the pivotal opportunity for business schools to regain legitimacy and a wake-up call to accelerate their journey towards RME. The authors aim to outline an illustration of the transition to a hybrid teaching model and how such educational reconfiguration might lead to more sustainable and RME, also beyond COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach is proposed to analyse and decrypt the challenges and opportunities of a hybrid approach, its implications for the transformation of business schools and RME. This study also includes a state-of-the-art literature review, a specific investigation of the case of ESCP, the European cross-border multi-campus business school, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders impacted by the crisis. Findings The health crisis demonstrated the unprecedented capability of higher education to embrace rapid and profound change. Furthermore, the pandemic served as a wake-up call in that it may even have caused the progress of business schools, previously somewhat reluctant, towards more socially responsible and sustainable thinking. Thus, the schools have used the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to regain legitimacy and be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Practical implications The paper pulls together a multitude of suggestions for higher education in general and business schools in particular. Originality/value Combining two of higher education’s main challenges, namely, digitalisation and sustainability and applying the principles for responsible management education framework to map and analyse the pandemic’s implications, this paper provides a new, compelling and inspiring resource for business schools on their path to a more responsible management approach and education.
(2021): Artificial intelligence and robotics: Shaking up the business world and society at large, Journal of Business Research, 124: 405-407.
(2021): Service transformation: How can it be achieved?, Journal of Business Research, 136: 219-228.
Abstract: Service transformation calls for a revolutionary strategic mindset within service firms. Service firms aspire to achieve a distinctive vision through service transformation, often engaging technology and digitalization as critical partners in creating long-term firm success in the market by nurturing enhanced customer and stakeholder benefits. Therefore, it is imperative for us to examine, understand, and seek ways in which transformation can be utilized effectively by service firms. A new conceptualization is proposed that highlights how service transformation can follow many strategic paths, ranging from a relatively minor linear evolutionary reformation of service offerings to a cyclical and ongoing complete creative destruction and reincarnation of the firm. This manuscript first proposes an organizing framework to understand the internal and external factors that have the potential to render service transformation achievable, as well as the range of internal and external outcomes that can result from successful transformation. We then draw upon theories of evolution to delineate the process of transformation over time in service contexts, resulting in a conceptual model of service transformation that articulates three viable pathways to service transformation, which we call the “3Rs of Service Transformation” – reformation, renovation, and reincarnation. We define and provide examples of these three paths of service transformation and identify situations and contexts in which each approach may be most appropriate for certain firms. We conclude with a discussion of future research directions.
(2020): Artificial Intelligence: Emphasis on Ethics and Education, International Journal of Swarm Intelligence and Evolutionary Computation, 9 (3): 1-2.
Abstract: Artificial Intelligence doubtlessly will lead to several changes in today’s world. There will be massive shifts in employment markets with more and more automated jobs and others newly created. Many, if not all employees, will have to acquire new skills if they do not want to end jobless and be replaced by a machine. On an international scale, artificial intelligence might lead to a new world order with China and the US fighting a cold tech war in which Europe is not even part of the picture. Regulation, international cooperation and diplomacy will aim to remedy adverse effects. In this scenario, two areas will be of particular importance: Ethics and Education.
(2020): Rulers of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence, Business Horizons, 63 (1): 37-50.
Abstract: A decade ago, we published an article in Business Horizons about the challenges and opportunities of social media with a call to action: “Users of the world, unite!” To celebrate its anniversary, we look at artificial intelligence and the need to create the rules necessary for peaceful coexistence between humanity and AI. Hence, we now are urging: “Rulers of the world, unite!” In this article, we outline six debates surrounding AI in areas like artificial superintelligence, geographical progress, and robotics; in doing so, we shed light on what is fact and what is utopia. Then, using the PESTEL framework, we talk about the six dilemmas of AI and its potential threat and use. Finally, we provide six directions on the future of AI regarding its requirements and expectations, looking at enforcement, employment, ethics, education, entente, and evolution. Understanding AI’s potential future will enable governments, corporations, and societies at large (i.e., the rulers of this world) to prepare for its challenges and opportunities. This way, we can avoid a scenario in which we return in 10 years to write the article: “Dreamers of the world, unite!”
(2020): Brave New World? On AI and the Management of Customer Relationships, Journal of Interactive Marketing, 51 (1): 44-56.
Abstract: In light of the emerging discourse on AI systems’ effect on society, whose perception swings widely between utopian and dystopian, we conduct herein a critical analysis of how artificial intelligence (AI) affects the essential nature of customer relationship management (CRM). To do so, we survey the AI capabilities that will transform CRM into AI-CRM and examine how the transformation will influence customer acquisition, development, and retention. We highlight in particular how AI-CRM's improving ability to predict customer lifetime value will generate an inexorable rise in implementing adapted treatment of customers, leading to greater customer prioritization and service discrimination in markets. We further consider the consequences for firms and the challenges to regulators.
(2019): A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence: On the Past, Present, and Future of Artificial Intelligence, California Management Review, 61 (4): 5-14.
Abstract: This introduction to this special issue discusses artificial intelligence (AI), commonly defined as “a system’s ability to interpret external data correctly, to learn from such data, and to use those learnings to achieve specific goals and tasks through flexible adaptation.” It summarizes seven articles published in this special issue that present a wide variety of perspectives on AI, authored by several of the world’s leading experts and specialists in AI. It concludes by offering a comprehensive outlook on the future of AI, drawing on micro-, meso-, and macro-perspectives.
(2019): Artificial intelligence (AI) and management analytics, Journal of Management Analytics, 6 (4): 341-343.
Abstract: Business and management analytics as a field is rapidly evolving. AI, together with big data and machine learning are revolutionizing managerial practices for analyzing performance, developing novel insights, and decrypting ever-more challenging business realities (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2019a). Combining AI and data analytics allows managers to know their customers as good as, or even better than, they know themselves. This in turn enables firms to bolster their sales and increase profitability through optimizing business processes. For example, online retail giant, Amazon, is able to predict what its clients will purchase before they are even close to pushing the ‘checkout’button and leverages this knowledge to improve its inventory management and order forecasting. Although the abovementioned possibilities afforded by advanced AI-driven data analytics were reserved exclusively for big technology players a couple of year ago, they have become much more accessible these days, transforming all kinds of corporations, organizations, industries, and society at large (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2020).
(2019): Digital transformation and disruption: On big data, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other things, Business Horizons, 62 (6): 679-681.
(2019): Siri, Siri, in my hand: Who’s the fairest in the land? On the interpretations, illustrations, and implications of artificial intelligence, Business Horizons, 62 (1): 15-25.
Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI)—defined as a system’s ability to correctly interpret external data, to learn from such data, and to use those learnings to achieve specific goals and tasks through flexible adaptation—is a topic in nearly every boardroom and at many dinner tables. Yet, despite this prominence, AI is still a surprisingly fuzzy concept and a lot of questions surrounding it are still open. In this article, we analyze how AI is different from related concepts, such as the Internet of Things and big data, and suggest that AI is not one monolithic term but instead needs to be seen in a more nuanced way. This can either be achieved by looking at AI through the lens of evolutionary stages (artificial narrow intelligence, artificial general intelligence, and artificial super intelligence) or by focusing on different types of AI systems (analytical AI, human-inspired AI, and humanized AI). Based on this classification, we show the potential and risk of AI using a series of case studies regarding universities, corporations, and governments. Finally, we present a framework that helps organizations think about the internal and external implications of AI, which we label the Three C Model of Confidence, Change, and Control.
(2018): A school is “a building that has four walls…with tomorrow inside”: Toward the reinvention of the business school, Business Horizons, 61 (4): 599-608.
Abstract: Business schools, defined as educational institutions that specialize in teaching courses and programs related to business and/or management, are facing major challenges. These challenges stem from a number of major shifts in the business education landscape, including the rising importance of rankings and accreditations, the increased weight placed on ethical decision making, the ongoing debate on rigor vs. relevance in research, the digital revolution, and the significant decrease in public funding. In fact, they are so fundamental that the coming decade is likely to represent a new era in the history of business education, the fourth since the concept of the business school was created in 1819 with the establishment of ESCP Europe. The purpose of this article is to outline these main changes (TASK: T—from tower to Twittersphere, A—from auditorium to anti-café, S—from stakeholder to shareholder, K—from knowledge to know-how) and to discuss how they impact the different AS-SE-TS of a business school (alumni & students, staff & equipment, teachers & scholars). The article ends with a proposed classification of schools along four corners (culture, compass, capital, and content) and a discussion of which types of schools are best suited to adapt to these changes.
(2018): Le università europee oggi: sfide e nuove strategie, Economia & Management (SDA Bocconi School of Management) (1): 85-95.
Abstract: EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES TODAY: CHALLENGES AND NEW STRATEGIES Over recent years, higher education has witnessed a major shift from being a public good offered by non-profit organizations to being considered as a service delivered by quasi-companies operating in a global and highly crowded marketplace. For the purpose of this transition period, the article aims to isolate and discuss environmental and sectorial trends which influence the strategies of European universities. The paper restates the urgency for universities of having a clear and solid strategy to compete successfully and it concludes by proposing three major challenges: adopt a managerial style increasingly entrepreneurial in nature, extract greater value from key stakeholders, and finally increase the reputation.
(2016): Higher education and the digital revolution: About MOOCs, SPOCs, social media, and the Cookie Monster, Business Horizons, 59 (4): 441-450.
Abstract: Distance learning—that is, providing education to students who are separated by distance and in which the pedagogical material is planned and prepared by educational institutions—is a topic of regular interest in the popular and business press. In particular, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), which are open-access online courses that allow for unlimited participation, as well as SPOCs (Small Private Online Courses), are said to have revolutionized universities and the corporate education landscape. In this article we provide a nuanced analysis of the phenomenon of online distance learning. We first provide an overview of its historical evolution, and subsequently define and classify key concepts. We further discuss in detail the optimal target group in terms of participating students and teaching professors and propose corresponding frameworks for driving intrinsic student motivation and for choosing a successful online teacher. We also outline the benefits that institutions can achieve by offering online distance learning. Finally, we speak about the specific connection between online distance learning and social media by focusing on the difference between MOOCs based on traditional lecture formats (xMOOCs) and connectivist cMOOCs.
(2016): Competition and strategy in higher education: Managing complexity and uncertainty, Business Horizons, 59 (3): 311-320.
(2014): European management and European business schools: Insights from the history of business schools, European Management Journal, 32 (4): 529-534.
Abstract: This article looks at the history of business schools and identifies specific characteristics that are common to European management schools. On the basis of these characteristics, European management is subsequently defined as a cross-cultural, societal management approach based on interdisciplinary principles. In a final step, a closer look is taken at how European business schools should prepare their students for the unique European management context. It is suggested that such schools should provide courses on cross-cultural management and courses explaining the interdependencies between the private and public sector, offer students opportunities to experience other cultures over the course of their studies, and teach management from an interdisciplinary and practically-oriented perspective.
(2014): Collaborative projects (social media application): About Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Business Horizons, 57 (5): 617-626.
Abstract: Collaborative projects—defined herein as social media applications that enable the joint and simultaneous creation of knowledge-related content by many end-users—have only recently received interest among a larger group of academics. This is surprising since applications such as wikis, social bookmarking sites, online forums, and review sites are probably the most democratic form of social media and reflect well the idea of user-generated content. The purpose of this article is to provide insight regarding collaborative projects; the concept of wisdom of crowds, an essential condition for their functioning; and the motivation of readers and contributors. Specifically, we provide advice on how firms can leverage collaborative projects as an essential element of their online presence to communicate both externally with stakeholders and internally among employees. We also discuss how to address situations in which negative information posted on collaborative projects can become a threat and PR crisis for firms.
(2013): Social Media Metrics — A Framework and Guidelines for Managing Social Media, Journal of Interactive Marketing, 27 (4): 281-298.
Abstract: Social media are becoming ubiquitous and need to be managed like all other forms of media that organizations employ to meet their goals. However, social media are fundamentally different from any traditional or other online media because of their social network structure and egalitarian nature. These differences require a distinct measurement approach as a prerequisite for proper analysis and subsequent management. To develop the right social media metrics and subsequently construct appropriate dashboards, we provide a tool kit consisting of three novel components. First, we theoretically derive and propose a holistic framework that covers the major elements of social media, drawing on theories from marketing, psychology, and sociology. We continue to support and detail these elements — namely ‘motives,’ ‘content,’ ‘network structure,’ and ‘social roles & interactions’ — with recent research studies. Second, based on our theoretical framework, the literature review, and practical experience, we suggest nine guidelines that may prove valuable for designing appropriate social media metrics and constructing a sensible social media dashboard. Third, based on the framework and the guidelines we derive managerial implications and suggest an agenda for future research.
(2012): The impact of unprofitable customer abandonment on current customers' exit, voice, and loyalty intentions: an empirical analysis, Journal of Services Marketing, 26 (6): 458-470.
Abstract: Purpose The management of unprofitable customer relationships and particularly their abandonment is a topic that has received increasing interest among practitioners and researchers over recent years. Within this manuscript, the authors aim to analyze the impact of unprofitable customer abandonment on the abandoning firm's current customers, specifically their exit, voice, and loyalty intentions toward the abandoning firm. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on an online experiment conducted among 385 US customers. Respondents were allocated randomly to one of ten conditions (five levels of tie strength x two types of abandonment strategy) and exposed to a scenario describing a customer abandonment decision implemented by a mobile phone provider. The resulting data were analyzed using a combination of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and structural equation modeling. Findings The study shows that current customers are significantly more likely to respond actively to unprofitable customer abandonment (exit/voice) than passively through silence and loyalty. Additionally, it shows that increasing satisfaction or switching cost among current customers are unlikely to limit the potential negative consequences of unprofitable customer abandonment. The only variable that drives the choice between exit, voice, and loyalty is the perceived attractiveness of the best alternative relationship. Originality/value This work analyzes for the first time how existing customers that the firm would like to retain react toward the news that the company proactively terminates unprofitable customer relationships. Therefore, insight is provided into the likely cost associated with unprofitable customer abandonment – a question that has not been the subject of any empirical study as of today.
(2012): If you love something, let it go mobile: Mobile marketing and mobile social media 4x4, Business Horizons, 55 (2): 129-139.
Abstract: Social media applications—including collaborative projects, micro-blogs/blogs, content communities, social networking sites, and virtual worlds—have become part of the standard communication repertoire for many companies. Today, with the creation of increasingly powerful mobile devices, numerous social media applications have gone mobile and new entrants are constantly appearing. The purpose of this article is to take account of this evolution, and provide an introduction to the general topic of mobile marketing and mobile social media. Herein, we define what mobile social media is, what it is not, and how it differs from other types of mobile marketing applications. Further, we discuss how firms can make use of mobile social media for marketing research, communication, sales promotions/discounts, and relationship development/loyalty programs. We present four pieces of advice for mobile social media usage, which we refer to as the ‘Four I's’ of mobile social media. Finally, we conclude by providing some thoughts on the future evolution of this new and exciting type of application.
(2012): Social Media wird mobil – Grundlagen, Gebrauch und Gestaltung mobiler sozialer Medien, Marketing Review St. Gallen, 29 (4): 16-21.
Abstract: Der Artikel gibt einen Einblick in die theoretischen Grundlagen mobiler sozialer Medien und zeigt anhand von Anwendungsbeispielen, wie sich die Ort- und Zeitsensibilität für die Kundenanalyse, - ansprache und -bindung über den Kommunikationskanal nutzen lassen. Abschließend werden drei zentrale Aspekte vorgestellt, die Unternehmen bei der Gestaltung mobiler Marketingaktivitäten berücksichtigen sollten: Beachtung der Privatsphäre, Bedeutung für den Konsumenten und Begeisterung der Massen.Soziale Medien werden als „Gruppe von Internetanwendungen“ definiert, „die auf den technologischen und ideologischen Grundlagen des Web 2.0 aufbauen und die Herstellung und den Austausch von User Generated Content ermöglichen“ (Kaplan/Haenlein 2010, S. 61). Trotz ihres „jungen Alters“ vollziehen sie bereits einen massiven Wandel hin zu standortbezogenen Social Media, also der Nutzung auf mobilen Endgeräten. Für jede der sechs verschiedenen Arten sozialer Medien (Abbildung 1) lässt sich eine Vielzahl an...
(2012): Social media: back to the roots and back to the future, Journal of Systems and Information Technology, 14 (2): 101-104.
Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a viewpoint on the historical roots and future evolution of social media. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a summary of the authors' previous research and experience in the area of social media. Findings This paper contains practical insights on the consumer use and business potential of social media applications. Originality/value This viewpoint provides insights to anyone who is interested in researching consumer use of social media or using social media in a managerial context. It will be particularly helpful to business leaders who are looking for answers in the fast‐moving area of social media applications.
(2012): The Britney Spears universe: Social media and viral marketing at its best, Business Horizons, 55 (1): 27-31.
Abstract: Britney Spears is one of the most successful female recording artists in contemporary music, world-wide. Herein, we analyze how Britney Spears and her team of employees rely on social media applications to communicate around this pop icon, and create and maintain her celebrity brand image. Specifically, we look at the use of social media during the launch of her single ‘Hold It Against Me’ and the associated album Femme Fatale in early 2011. The interplay of postings on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook—combined with comments on her webpage, BritneySpears.com—can be seen as a prime example of social media usage to support new product introductions.
(2011): Médias sociaux et entreprise, une route pleine de défis Commentaires invités, Recherche et Applications en Marketing (French Edition), 26 (3): 117-124.
Abstract: Les opportunités que les médias sociaux offrent aux consommateurs, aux entreprises et aux chercheurs en marketing sont quasiment infinies, comme le montrent, entre autres, les articles de ce numéro spécial. Cependant, nous ne devrions pas oublier que ces opportunités, tout aussi prometteuses qu’elles puissent sembler, ne surviennent pas toutes seules, mais apportent avec elles un ensemble unique de défis. Nous avons demandé à quatre éminents chercheurs spécialisés dans le domaine de la recherche sur les médias sociaux de faire des commentaires sur ces défis. Les médias sociaux impliquent-ils que chaque entreprise devra se considérer comme une maison d’édition dans le futur ? Comment les nouveaux types de données fournis par les médias sociaux doivent-ils être analysés et cela requiert-il de nouvelles approches fondamentalement différentes ? Et comment le « retour sur média social » peut-il être déterminé d’une façon fiable et analytique ? Rejoignez-nous dans la lecture de ce que John Deighton, Peter Fader, Barak Libai et Eitan Muller ont à dire sur ces questions
(2011): The Abandonment of Unprofitable Customer Relationships: an Analysis of Emotional Reactions, Advances in Consumer Research, 38 (1): 787-788.
Abstract: The proactive termination of customer relationships that lack profitability (“unprofitable customer abandonment”) has previously been discussed in academic literature. Based on an online experiment conducted with 428 US customers this study investigates emotional and behavioral reactions to this customer relationship management (CRM) strategy among existing customers the abandoning firm would like to retain.
(2011): Evaluating the consequences of abandoning unprofitable customers: A comparison of direct and indirect abandonment strategies, Journal of Business Economics, 81 (2): 77-94.
Abstract: Due to the increasing use of customer databases in many industries, companies nowadays have high visibility about the profitability of individual-level client relationships. This has led some researchers to recommend the implementation of value-based customer management strategies, including the abandonment of unprofitable customer relationships. In this context firms are faced with the choice between direct and indirect abandonment approaches. While direct abandonment strategies tend to be more efficient than indirect ones (i.e., immediate termination of the relationship vs. hoping that the unprofitable customer may leave on her own) they are also claimed to be associated with more severe negative reactions and higher abandonment cost. Based on two surveys among 965 US customers we provide evidence that, despite these beliefs, direct and indirect abandonment strategies do not differ in their negative impact on the abandoning firm. Given that (indirect) abandonment costs are therefore likely to be similar for both approaches, direct abandonment appears to be the recommendable approach for relationship dissolution.
(2011): The Influence of Observed Heterogeneity on Path Coefficient Significance: Technology Acceptance Within the Marketing Discipline, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19 (2): 153-168.
Abstract: The technology acceptance model (TAM) is arguably one of the most widely used models for studying user adoption in the information systems discipline and has started to be used increasingly within the marketing area. While two of its three main hypotheses have received consistent empirical support, the same is not true for the remaining relationship (i.e., the influence of perceived ease of use on the behavioral intention to adopt a system; PEOU-BI). Previously, this empirical contradiction has been explained by introducing the concept of task motivation borrowed from Davis, Bagozzi, and Warshaw (1992). Our paper provides a different explanation. We show that for the same task (and, hence, the same task motivation), the significance can also depend on observed population heterogeneity. We do this by applying partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) to data stemming from a survey among approximately 2,000 individuals regarding their intention to adopt a customized newspaper. Our findings result in the following three contributions: first, our results provide an alternative explanation for the inconsistent empirical support of the PEOU-BI link within the TAM. Second, we provide a methodological contribution by proposing an approach to control for gamma change when analyzing moderating effects using PLS analysis. Third, our study highlights the importance of conducting a statistical power analysis in order to determine critical t-values in the context of a PLS path analysis.
(2011): Investigation of differences in diffusion between positive and negative Word-of-Mouth, Advances in Consumer Research, 38 (1): 738-740.
(2011): Les médias sociaux sont définitivement devenus une réalité, Recherche et Applications en Marketing (French Edition), 26 (3): 3-5.
(2011): The early bird catches the news: Nine things you should know about micro-blogging, Business Horizons, 54 (2): 105-113.
Abstract: Micro-blogs (e.g., Twitter, Jaiku, Plurk, Tumblr) are starting to become an established category within the general group of social media. Yet, while they rapidly gain interest among consumers and companies alike, there is no evidence to explain why anybody should be interested in an application that is limited to the exchange of short, 140-character text messages. To this end, our article intends to provide some insight. First, we demonstrate that the success of micro-blogs is due to the specific set of characteristics they possess: the creation of ambient awareness; a unique form of push-push-pull communication; and the ability to serve as a platform for virtual exhibitionism and voyeurism. We then discuss how applications such as Twitter can generate value for companies along all three stages of the marketing process: pre-purchase (i.e., marketing research); purchase (i.e., marketing communications); and post-purchase (i.e., customer services). Finally, we present a set of rules—The Three Rs of Micro-Blogging: Relevance; Respect; Return—which companies should consider when relying on this type of application.
(2011): Two hearts in three-quarter time: How to waltz the social media/viral marketing dance, Business Horizons, 54 (3): 253-263.
Abstract: The concept of viral marketing has been discussed in the literature for over 15 years, since Jeffrey Rayport first introduced the term in 1996. However, the more widespread use of social media has recently pushed this idea to a whole new level. We provide insight into the relationship between social media and viral marketing, and illustrate the six steps executives should take in order to dance the social media/viral marketing waltz. We define viral marketing as electronic word-of-mouth whereby some form of marketing message related to a company, brand, or product is transmitted in an exponentially growing way—often through the use of social media applications. We consider the three conditions that need to be fulfilled to create a viral marketing epidemic (i.e., giving the right message to the right messengers in the right environment) and present four different groups of social media viral marketing campaigns (nightmares, strokes-of-luck, homemade issues, and triumphs). We conclude with five points of caution that managers should heed when trying to launch their own viral marketing campaign.
(2010): Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media, Business Horizons, 53 (1): 59-68.
Abstract: The concept of Social Media is top of the agenda for many business executives today. Decision makers, as well as consultants, try to identify ways in which firms can make profitable use of applications such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Second Life, and Twitter. Yet despite this interest, there seems to be very limited understanding of what the term “Social Media” exactly means; this article intends to provide some clarification. We begin by describing the concept of Social Media, and discuss how it differs from related concepts such as Web 2.0 and User Generated Content. Based on this definition, we then provide a classification of Social Media which groups applications currently subsumed under the generalized term into more specific categories by characteristic: collaborative projects, blogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds. Finally, we present 10 pieces of advice for companies which decide to utilize Social Media.
(2010): An Empirical Analysis of Attitudinal and Behavioral Reactions Toward the Abandonment of Unprofitable Customer Relationships, Journal of Relationship Marketing, 9 (4): 200-228.
Abstract: The management of unprofitable customer relationships and in particular their abandonment is a topic that has received increasing interest in both managerial decision making and academic research. However, little is known about the attitudinal and behavioral reactions that companies should expect from current and potential customers in response to such strategies. Based on an online study of 773 customers, we show that the majority of current/potential customers react with affective or cognitive responses toward unprofitable customer abandonment, whereas salient behavioral attitude components are less frequent. In addition, we show that different attitude components lead to different consequences for the abandoning firm and that the salience of behavioral attitude components tends to be associated with more negative reactions. Finally, we show that the potential negative consequences of unprofitable customer abandonment for current customers can be compensated for by improvements in core service quality.
(2009): Flagship Brand Stores within Virtual Worlds: The Impact of Virtual Store Exposure on Real-Life Attitude toward the Brand and Purchase Intent, Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition), 24 (3): 57-79.
Abstract: The authors contributed equally to this work and are listed in alphabetical order. The authors thank the managers from the market research firm, Repères, especially François Abiven and Emilie Labidoire, for their help during data collection. The authors may be contacted at the following e-mail addresses: haenlein@escpeurope.eu; mail@andreaskaplan.eu ABSTRACT Virtual hyperrealities, also referred to as virtual social worlds, have experienced increasing managerial interest in recent years. Although they have also received some attention in the academic literature, the extent to which corporate presences within such environments can influence attitude toward the brand and purchase intent in real life remains unclear. Based on a survey conducted among 580 Second Life residents, we show that exposure to flagship brand stores within virtual worlds positively influences attitude toward the associated brand and real life purchase intent. We furthermore show that a user's purchase experience (shopping frequency, purchase frequency, spending per purchase) and the gratification derived from the use of their purchases have a significant moderating effect on these relationships. Our results are of managerial and theoretical importance as they provide empirical evidence for spill-over effects between virtual worlds and real life and help to develop recommendations on optimal store design within virtual social worlds.
(2009): Les magasins de marques phares dans les mondes virtuels: l'impact de l'exposition au magasin virtuel sur l'attitude envers la marque et l'intention d'achat dans la vie réelle, Recherche et Applications en Marketing (French Edition), 24 (3): 57-80.
Abstract: Les hyperréalités virtuelles, connues aussi sous le nom de mondes sociaux virtuels, ont connu un intérêt managérial gran- dissant durant ces dernières années. Bien qu’elles aient également fait l’objet d’un certain intérêt dans la littérature académique, la mesure de l’influence de la présence des entreprises dans Second Life sur l’attitude envers la marque et l’intention d’achat de la marque dans la vie réelle reste encore floue. À partir d’une étude effectuée auprès de 580 résidents de Second Life, nous mon- trons que l’exposition aux magasins de marques phares dans les mondes virtuels influence positivement l’attitude associée à la marque et l’intention d’achat dans la vie réelle. De plus, nous montrons que l’expérience d’achat d’un utilisateur (fréquence de courses, fréquence d’achat, dépenses par achat) et les gratifications liées à l’usage modèrent significativement les relations citées plus haut. Nos résultats apportent une contribution managériale et théorique dans la mesure où ils fournissent des preuves empiriques d’effets d’imbrication entre les mondes virtuels et la vie réelle et permettent de développer des recommandations sur le design optimal des magasins au sein des mondes sociaux virtuels. Mots clés : Avatar, attitude vis-à-vis de la publicité, attitude vis-à-vis de la marque, magasins phares, hyperréalité, Second Life, média social, monde social virtuel, monde virtuel
(2009): Unprofitable customers and their management, Business Horizons, 52 (1): 89-97.
Abstract: The widespread use of customer relationship management (CRM) applications has provided companies with increasingly detailed insights into the profitability of their individual-level customer relationships. Historically, this information has primarily been used to identify the most profitable customers and to define ways for serving them in an optimal manner. Nowadays, however, companies have become more aware of unprofitable clients, and the fact that these relationships can account for a substantial share of their total customer base. Drawn from a series of research projects conducted by us over the last few years, we herein propose a six-step approach for dealing with such unprofitable customers, a framework we refer to as the ABCs of Unprofitable Customer Management: Avoid their acquisition in the first place, Bear in mind potential rescue operations, Catch the possibility of abandonment, Draw up a cost–benefit analysis, Ensure familiarity with your environment, and Facilitate biting the bullet. We also provide a series of recommendations regarding how best to break up with customers, in order to ensure that firms can separate themselves from unprofitable accounts in the least painful way.
(2009): Consumers, companies and virtual social worlds: A qualitative analysis of Second Life, Association for Consumer Research, 36 (1): 873.
Abstract: In recent months, the virtual social world “Second Life” has received considerable interest in both the popular and the business press. Based on a series of 29 qualitative in-depth interviews we investigate which type of behavior consumers show within this environment and what business opportunities it offers for companies. Our results indicate that users do not consider Second Life as a mere computer game, but as an extension of their Real Life. This has implications for how marketing managers can use this online application that go beyond those known from traditional computer or online games.
(2009): Consumer Use and Business Potential of Virtual Worlds: The Case of “Second Life”, International Journal on Media Management, 11 (3-4): 93-101.
Abstract: Several months ago, the virtual social world “Second Life” (SL) received considerable interest in both the popular and business press. Based on a series of 29 qualitative, in-depth interviews, this article investigates what types of behaviors consumers show within this environment and what business opportunities it offers for companies. The results indicate that users do not consider SL as a mere computer game but as an extension of their real lives. This has implications for how marketing managers can use this online application that go beyond those known from traditional computer or online games.
(2009): The fairyland of Second Life: Virtual social worlds and how to use them, Business Horizons, 52 (6): 563-572.
Abstract: Virtual social worlds, such as the Internet site Second Life, have acquired a high degree of popularity in the popular and business press. In this article we address the increasing importance of virtual social worlds, and discuss how companies can make use of their potential. We first present how virtual social worlds evolved historically, how they fit into the postmodern paradigm of our time, and how they differ from other social media, such as content communities (e.g., YouTube), social networking sites and blogs (e.g., Facebook), collaborative projects (e.g., Wikipedia), and virtual game worlds (e.g., World of Warcraft). We subsequently present how firms can make use of virtual social worlds in the areas of advertising/communication, virtual product sales (v-Commerce), marketing research, human resources, and internal process management. We also highlight the points companies should pay particular attention to in their activities, the 5Cs of success in virtual social worlds, and the future evolutions that we expect to shape this sector over the next 5–10 years: a trend toward standardization and interoperability, improvements in software usability, increasing interconnection between reality and virtual worlds, establishment of law and order, and the transformation of virtual social worlds to business hubs of the future.
(2009): The increasing importance of public marketing: Explanations, applications and limits of marketing within public administration, European Management Journal, 27 (3): 197-212.
Abstract: Summary Although the State and its permanent representation, public administration, account for nearly half of GDP in the European Union, there is a surprising decline in research dealing with this sector in the management and marketing literature over the last 10Â years. The objective of our manuscript is to show how theoretical perspectives, which have emerged in both marketing and public administration over the past few decades, have resulted in a visible and practically relevant convergence between these two disciplines that has previously only been discussed theoretically. We present the applications and limits of public marketing within this framework for the four classical marketing instruments (product development/improvement, price, promotion and place) to show that public marketing (i.e., the application of marketing concepts and tools to public administration) is already a reality in a wide variety of countries. Finally, we report the results of five qualitative in-depth interviews which we conducted with public administration agents from different sectors and countries. These interviews provide an empirical indication for our hypothesis that the historical evolution of the marketing discipline from a transaction- to a relationship-orientation as well as the trend towards "managerialism" in public administration, are likely to lead to an increasing importance of public marketing over the coming years
(2007): A Model to Determine Customer Lifetime Value in a Retail Banking Context, European Management Journal, 25 (3): 221-234.
Abstract: During the past decade, the retail banking industry started to face a set of radically new challenges that had an overall negative impact on industry margin and profitability. In response to these challenges, more and more retail banks have focused on increasing the scale of their operations, which has led to a rising importance of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). From a Marketing perspective, M&A transactions are nothing other than the acquisition of the customer base of one company by another one, usually based on the assumption that the acquiring bank can manage this customer base more profitably than the selling bank was able to. It is therefore not surprising that questions about the valuation of customers have become more important than ever in the retail banking industry. Our article provides a contribution in this area by presenting a customer valuation model that we developed in cooperation with a leading German retail bank, which takes account of the specific requirements of this industry. Our model is based on a combination of first-order Markov chain modeling and CART (classification and regression tree) and can deal equally well with discrete one-time transactions as with continuous revenue streams. Furthermore, it is based on the analysis of homogeneous groups instead of individual customers and is easy to understand and parsimonious in nature. In our article we provide proof of the practical value of our approach by validating our model using 6.2 million datasets. This validation shows how our model can be applied in day-to-day business life.
(2007): Factors Influencing the Adoption of Mass Customization: The Impact of Base Category Consumption Frequency and Need Satisfaction, Journal of Product Innovation Management, 24 (2): 101-116.
Abstract: Mass customization has received considerable interest among researchers. However, although many authors have analyzed this concept from different angles, the question of which factors can be used to spot customers most likely to adopt a mass-customized product has not been answered to a satisfactory extent until now. This article explicitly deals with this question by focusing on factors related to the base category, which is defined as the group of all standardized products within the same product category as the mass-customized product under investigation. Specifically, this article investigates the influence of a customer's base category consumption frequency and need satisfaction on the decision to adopt a mass-customized product within this base category. A set of competing hypotheses regarding these influences is developed and subsequently evaluated by a combination of partial least squares and latent class analysis. This is done by using a sample of 2,114 customers surveyed regarding their adoption of an individualized printed newspaper. The results generated are threefold: First, it is shown that there is a significant direct influence of base category consumption frequency and need satisfaction on the behavioral intention to adopt. The more frequently a subject consumes products out of the base category or the more satisfied his or her needs are due to this consumption, the higher the behavioral intention to adopt a mass-customized product within this base category. Second, the article provides an indication that base category consumption frequency has a significant moderating effect when investigating the behavioral intention to adopt in the context of the theory of reasoned action and the technology acceptance model. The more frequently a subject consumes products out of the base category, the more important will be the impact of perceived ease of use mediated by perceived usefulness. Finally, this article shows that different latent classes with respect to unobserved heterogeneity regarding the latent variables base category need satisfaction or dissatisfaction have significantly different adoption behaviors. Individuals who show a high level of need dissatisfaction are less interested in the ease of use of a mass-customized product than its usefulness (i.e., increase in need satisfaction). On the other hand, subjects who have a high degree of base category need satisfaction base their adoption decision mainly on the ease of use of the mass-customized product. These results are of managerial relevance regarding the prediction of market reactions and the understanding of the strategic use of product-line extensions based on mass-customized products. This work provides an indication that base category consumption frequency and need satisfaction positively influence the behavioral intention to adopt a mass-customized product. Hence, mass customization can be seen as one way to deepen the relationship with existing clients.
(2006): Valuing the real option of abandoning unprofitable customers when calculating customer lifetime value, Journal of Marketing, 70 (3): 5-20.
Abstract: In recent years, several authors have developed models that focus on the allocation of scarce marketing resources based on customer lifetime value (CLV). These approaches use CLV to develop a rank order of customers and recommend devoting more resources to customers with higher ranks. However, it has been discussed in the literature that a simple net present value analysis may not reflect the value of the flexibility to make such decisions. Therefore, some authors recommend the use of a real-options analysis in certain situations. Building on this stream of research and using the case of the option to abandon unprofitable customers, this article proposes an approach that combines real-options analysis and CLV; this approach explicitly values the seller's flexibility to abandon unprofitable customers. Using a combination of examples, empirical analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations, the authors provide evidence that the divergence between CLV that includes and CLV that excludes option value can be substantial and may not be the same for all customers. Therefore, the authors conclude that a distribution of customers based on CLV can change when option value is included. Thus, using CLV as a basis for marketing decisions but not including the value of the option to make such decisions a priori when calculating CLV can lead to an overall biased result.
(2006): Valuing the Real Option of Abandoning Unprofitable Customers When Calculating Customer Lifetime Value, Journal of Marketing, 70 (3): 5-20.
Abstract: In recent years, several authors have developed models that focus on the allocation of scarce marketing resources based on customer lifetime value (CLV). These approaches use CLV to develop a rank order of customers and recommend devoting more resources to customers with higher ranks. However, it has been discussed in the literature that a simple net present value analysis may not reflect the value of the flexibility to make such decisions. Therefore, some authors recommend the use of a real-options analysis in certain situations. Building on this stream of research and using the case of the option to abandon unprofitable customers, this article proposes an approach that combines real-options analysis and CLV; this approach explicitly values the seller's flexibility to abandon unprofitable customers. Using a combination of examples, empirical analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations, the authors provide evidence that the divergence between CLV that includes and CLV that excludes option value can be substantial and may not be the same for all customers. Therefore, the authors conclude that a distribution of customers based on CLV can change when option value is included. Thus, using CLV as a basis for marketing decisions but not including the value of the option to make such decisions a priori when calculating CLV can lead to an overall biased result.
(2006): Toward a Parsimonious Definition of Traditional and Electronic Mass Customization, Journal of Product Innovation Management, 23 (2): 168-182.
Abstract: Although mass customization, a term introduced by Davis (1987) to describe the oxymoron of mass producing customized products, has been part of research for more than a decade, literature has not come up with a commonly accepted definition of this term up to now. The present article attempts to close this gap by proposing a definition of traditional and electronic mass customization, which is based on answering three research questions. First, for which kind of customized goods (products versus services) is mass customization applicable at all? Second, at which step of the value creation process must the customer be given the chance to customize his or her good to be able to speak of mass customization? And finally, which prerequisites in terms of production cost and monetary price need to be fulfilled when comparing mass-customized with mass-produced goods? Using an extensive analysis of extant literature in the field, the authors develop two definitions of traditional mass customization, a working and a visionary one, as well as one for electronic mass customization, stating how new opportunities arising from advances in communication and information technology can influence this concept.
(2006): Mass Customization in the Newspaper Industry: Consumers' Attitudes Toward Individualized Media Innovations, International Journal on Media Management, 8 (1): 9-18.
Abstract: This article applies the concept of mass customization to the newspaper industry. Although the theory of mass customization has received considerable attention in recent years, its application to the printed mass media market has been almost totally neglected. Researchers have not provided any empirical evidence of a substantial market for mass customized printed newspapers, and we do not know much about customer attitudes toward such innovations. This article contributes to research on both issues. Based on an empirical survey (n = 2,114), we examine consumer acceptance of an individualized newspaper. We address the 2 most pressing issues associated with mass-customized products. These are consumer willingness to pay a premium and consumer willingness to devote additional effort to "designing" such a newspaper. The results, based on conjoint analysis, suggest that consumers are generally willing to devote effort to customizing their news. However, only those who are well-educated and belong to the upper socioeconomic strata are willing to pay extra for individualized newspapers. When introducing mass-customized media, management should focus on these customer groups and their respective preferences.
Journal Articles (Professional)
(2016): Contemporary Challenges in Higher Education: Three E’s for Education: Enhance, Embrace, Expand, IAU Horizons, 21 (4): 25-26.
(2011): Twitter voor bedrijven, Management Executive, 9 (5): 12-14.
(2011): Twitter ou le pouvoir de 140 caractères, L'Expansion Management Review, 140 (1): 104-113.
(2010): Uitdagingen en kansen rond social media, Management Executive, 8 (3): 18-19.
(2010): Clients non rentables, quel traitement leur réserver?, Marketing Magazine, 141: 24.
(2010): Mondes virtuels : retour au réalisme, L'Expansion Management Review, 138 (3): 90.
(2009): Ce que dit un consommateur sur son blog est plus crédible qu’une publicité, LE NOUVEL ECONOMISTE, 1473 (2): 46.
(2009): Rapprochement entre le marketing et l’administration publique : Vers une compréhension globale du potentiel du marketing public, REVUE FRANCAISE DU MARKETING, 224: 49-66.
Abstract: Notre objectif est de montrer que le Marketing et l'Administration Publique ont évolué en convergence et que l'existence d'une combinaison entre ces deux secteurs paraît plus réaliste aujourd'hui qu'hier. Cependant, malgré une telle évolution, le Marketing n'a pas encore une place très visible dans l'Administration Publique. Nous essaierons de comprendre pourquoi en adoptant une perspective internationale et en nous appuyant sur cinq entretiens approfondis avec des hauts fonctionnaires de différents pays.
(2009): Second Life : leçons pour le monde réel, L'Expansion Management Review, 133 (2): 58.
(2008): Des clients à deux vitesses, DECISIONS MARKETING, 51: 77-81.
Abstract: La question de savoir que faire des « mauvais » clients est quelque peu rebattue. Ce qui est nouveau ici, c'est que les auteurs proposent des options quant aux mesures qu'il est possible de prendre envers eux. Les philosophies divergent et certaines sont plus radicales que d'autres. Au lecteur de se faire une idée et de choisir.
(2004): A Beginner's Guide to Partial Least Squares Analysis, Understanding Statistics, 3 (4): 283-297.
Abstract: Since the introduction of covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) by Joreskog in 1973, this technique has been received with considerable interest among empirical researchers. However, the predominance of LISREL, certainly the most well-known tool to perform this kind of analysis, has led to the fact that not all researchers are aware of alternative techniques for SEM, such as partial least squares (PLS) analysis. Therefore, the objective of this article is to provide an easily comprehensible introduction to this technique, which is particularly suited to situations in which constructs are measured by a very large number of indicators and where maximum likelihood covariance-based SEM tools reach their limit. Because this article is intended as a general introduction, it avoids mathematical details as far as possible and instead focuses on a presentation of PLS, which can be understood without an in-depth knowledge of SEM.
: Comment les entreprises peuvent-elles se protéger du bad buzz?, Harvard Business Review France: .
: Social media between the real and the virtual: How Facebook. YouTube & Co. can become an extension of the real life of their users-and sometimes even more, Prospective Strategique, 38: 8-13.
: Utilisation et potentiel commercial des hyperréalités : Une analyse qualitative de Second Life, REVUE FRANCAISE DU MARKETING, 222: 69-81.
Books
(2023): Business Schools post-Covid-19: A Blueprint for Survival, 1 ed., Routledge: Abingdon, Oxon, 9781032381046..
Abstract: It all began when the world’s first business school, the European School of Commerce Paris (ESCP), was established in 1819. Criticism notwithstanding, business schools have since continued their path in higher education without facing existential metamorphoses. Covid-19, however, has accelerated business schools’ digital transformation, calling into question the concept of business school itself. Business schools are in a new competitive landscape and profound structural changes seem inevitable. This concise text offers insights into how business schools should rethink their approach to management education, differentiate themselves from new players in the higher education market, and find innovative ways of doing things. The book is a survival toolkit for leadership teams across the world. It examines the rationale of business school and how it has evolved. The purpose of research is explained, and the teaching of management is explored. Kaplan analyzes the current business model in the digital environment. He looks at the business of accreditations and rankings and branding and community-building as strategies to address competition. The book concludes by looking at change leadership at business schools. It will interest both leaders of established academic institutions and alternative educational providers from edtech and big tech planning to enter the management education market.
(2023): ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, BUSINESS AND CIVILIZATION: Our fate made in machines, Routledge: [S.l.], 9781032155333..
Abstract: Artificial intelligence is shaking up economies around the world as well as society at large and is predicted to be either the best or worst thing to happen to humanity. This book looks at what exactly artificial intelligence is, how it can be classified, how it differentiates from other concepts such as machine learning, big data, blockchain, or the Internet-of-Things, and how it has evolved and might evolve over time. Providing a clear and unbiased picture of artificial intelligence, the book provides critical analyses of the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and threats of AI progress for business and civilisation. Solutions and possible directions of how humanity might deal with rapid development and evolutions will be given and discussed, and consider regulation, employment, ethics, education and international cooperation. Unlike existing literature, this book provides a comprehensive overview of AI based on detailed analysis and insight. Finally, several real-life examples from various sectors and industries, including for profit organizations, higher education, and government, will substantiate and illustrate the presented concepts, classifications, and discussions. This book is of interest to researchers, educators, students, and practitioners alike who desire to understand AI in its broad lines and discover the latest research and studies within the field.
(2022): Artificial intelligence, business and civilization: Our fate made in machines, 1st Edition, Routledge: New York, NY, 1032155310..
Abstract: "Artificial intelligence is shaking up economies around the world as well as society at large and is predicted to be either the best or worst thing to happen to humanity. This book looks at what exactly artificial intelligence is, how it can be classified, how it differentiates from other concepts such as machine learning, big data, blockchain, or the Internet-of-Things, and how it has evolved and might evolve over time. Providing a clear and unbiased picture of artificial intelligence, the book provides critical analyses of the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and threats of AI progress for business and civilization. Solutions and possible directions of how humanity might deal with rapid development and evolutions will be given and discussed, and consider regulation, employment, ethics, education and international cooperation. Unlike existing literature, this book provides a comprehensive overview of AI based on detailed analysis and insight. Finally, several real-life examples from various sectors and industries, including for profit organizations, higher education, and government, will substantiate and illustrate the presented concepts, classifications, and discussions. This book is of interest to researchers, educators, students, and practitioners alike who desire to understand AI in its broad lines and discover the latest research and studies within the field"
(2021): Higher education at the crossroads of disruption: The university of the 21st century, Emerald Publishing: Bingley, UK, 978-1-80071-504-2..
Abstract: The digital transformation of higher education has the same reputation as the higher education sector itself: rigid and reluctant to change. Covid-19 has radically changed this rigidity, with thousands of Universities compelled to go 100 percent online in just a few days. Threatened by edtech start-ups, big tech corporations increasingly interested in academia, as well as venture capitalists attracted by the sector's high profit margins, Universities need to change their way of doing business to stay in business. Higher Education at the Crossroads of Disruption: The University of the 21st Century looks at the various areas of higher education that will likely undergo radical changes. Learning and teaching approaches will increasingly move into the digital sphere; advances in artificial intelligence as well as (big) data availability, will change the way academia works. This books examines how teaching formats will vary, and how curricula and course content will evolve. Higher education will most likely focus on skills development, with a stronger emphasis on inter- and multidisciplinary study content, and a steady turn toward society's well-being and sustainability. This is essential reading for those holding a leadership position in higher education, researchers with a focus on higher education, and to anyone interested in the evolution and future of higher education.
(2019): Marketing des médias sociaux, 3 ed., Pearson: Montreuil, 2326002113..
Abstract: Premier manuel à aborder le marketing des médias sociaux, cet ouvrage de référence combine concepts et cas pratiques, en liant le marketing des médias sociaux aux grands principes du marketing mix. Le manuel montre comment les différents types de médias sociaux, tels que les blogs et microblogs comme Twitter, les communautés de contenu comme YouTube et les sites de réseaux sociaux comme Facebook s'intègrent et complètent la boîte à outils des marketeurs. Le manuel traite également de questions essentielles, comme les moyens dont disposent les marques pour gérer leur image et communiquer sur les réseaux sociaux, le rôle des influenceurs et l'origine de leur influence et de leur capital social, ainsi que le calcul du retour sur investissement des médias sociaux. Marketing des médias sociaux permet ainsi de comprendre la manière dont les entreprises utilisent avec succès ou non les médias sociaux pour atteindre leurs objectifs marketing.
(2006): Factors influencing the adoption of mass customization: Determinants, moderating variables and cross-national generalizability, 1 ed., Cuvillier: Göttingen, 3865379176..
Conference Proceedings
: Navigating Complex Waters: Strategizing in the Higher Education Sector, in: Collesei, Umberto and Jean-Claude Andreani (ed.): Proceedings of 15th International Marketing Trends Conference, Marketing Trends Asociation: Paris-Venice, 1-25.
Abstract: The Higher Education sector has been subject to a series of fundamental challenges in the past decade. Education used to be considered as a public good, provided by non-profit organizationsthat were unexposed to market pressure and had a clear societal mission. Now, education is becoming a global service delivered by quasi-companies in an ever-more complex and competitive knowledge marketplace. To cope with these challenges, Higher Education institutions need an appropriate strategy, a necessity reflected in numerous calls for research on strategy in the higher education sector. This conceptual article seeks to contribute to this discussion and proposesa taxonomy of nine trends that will impact Higher Education and academia in the short- to medium-term. Drawing from these trends, we identify three core challenges that Higher Education institutions will face and that have fundamental implications for research and practice: (1) the need to enhance prestige and market share; (2) the need to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset; and (3) the need to increase interactions and value co- creation with key stakeholders
: The impact of unprofitable customer abandonment on current customers’ emotions: Negative other-focused vs. positive ego-focused, in: Easwar, Iyer (ed.): Enhancing knowledge development in marketing, Curran Associates: Red Hook, NY, 252-254.
: Analyzing the feasibility of compensating the negative consequences of abandoning unprofitable customers, in: Brown, James R. (ed.): Enhancing knowledge development in marketing, AMA: Chicago, Ill., 198-199.
: Consumer use and business potential of virtual hyperrealities: A qualitative analysis of Second Life, in: Perks, Keith J. and Paurav Shukla (ed.): Marketing landscapes. A pause for thought, University of Brighton: Brighton.
: Valuing the real option of abandoning unprofitable customers when calculating customer lifetime value, in: Hahn, Scott (ed.): Ama winter educators' conference 2006: Marketing theory and applications, Curran Associates Inc: Petersburg, USA.
: Hochschulbildung in Zeiten der Künstlichen Intelligenz, in: Jens Nachtwei and Antonia Sureth (ed.): Sonderband Zukunft der Arbeit, , 153-156.
Abstract: Der Begriff Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) wurde 1956 in einem Hochschulkontext bei einem Workshop am Dartmouth College geprägt. Heutzutage beeinflussen deren Errungenschaften das Hochschulwesen direkt so- wohl im operativen Ablauf als auch bezüglich der Lehre selbst. In diesem Kapitel werden zuerst Beispiele aufgezeigt, wie die KI schon jetzt im Bildungssektor angewandt wird. Zweitens wird diskutiert, welches die Kompetenzen sind, die Hochschulen ihren Studierenden in dieser neuen Ära der KI vermitteln sollten. Drittens wird abschließend die Frage behandelt, ob KI zur Disruption oder aber zur simplen Transformation des Hochschulsektors führen wird.
Book Chapters
: Virtual Worlds, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality: Review, Synthesis and Research Agenda, in: Zheng Yan (ed.): CAMBRIDGE HANDBOOK OF CYBER BEHAVIOR SET2, CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS UK: [S.l.].
: Voice-powered Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, challenges and marketing implications of voice assistants, in: Zheng Yan (ed.): CAMBRIDGE HANDBOOK OF CYBER BEHAVIOR SET2, CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS UK: [S.l.].
: European Business Cultures: Theory & Practice, in: Riviere, Monica, Johan Lindeque and Gabriele Suder (ed.): ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO EUROPEAN BUSINESS, Routledge: [S.l.].
: Higher Education in Motion: Its Transformation and Potential Disruption, in: Kaplan, Andreas (ed.): Digital Transformation and Disruption of Higher Education: 1 ed., Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 407-412.
Abstract: So as not to face potential disruption, universities will need to actively engage in the sector’s evolution as opposed to passively observing its revolution. To stay competitive, they will need to adapt pedagogy and content to ongoing changes lest they risk their irrelevance. They are advised to create occasions for relationship and community building, fostering students’ affection for and attachment to their alma mater, and to avoid the university’s being abstract in students’ minds. Instead of the current standard of one-time, early-life degrees (intermittence), lifelong learning and persistence over alumni’s entire professional careers appear to be academia’s model for the future. Universities must assure higher applicability of taught material to job requirements, as employers are increasingly launching own corporate universities offering nano- and micro-degrees. Finally, affiliation with edtech start-ups and big tech companies might be necessary to ensure the funding needed to navigate academia’s new online reality and thus bypass isolation.
: Nothing Is Constant Except Change: Academia’s Digital Transformation, in: Kaplan, Andreas (ed.): Digital Transformation and Disruption of Higher Education: 1 ed., Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1-6.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a change in mind-sets in many university leadership teams and faculty members worldwide, previously somewhat vulnerable to the sector's digitalization. Academia proved capable of flexibility, going beyond their reputation of being change-averse, moving entire curricula online within days. Yet, to benefit from higher education's digitalization, propelled by the pandemic, future pedagogical innovation is vital so as not to make other sectors' errors of merely transferring the offline into the online world. Moreover, higher education will need to find responses to several (further) academic, budgetary, legal, and operational issues induced by the sector's digital transformation, potentially leading to its disruption. However, higher education also must evade false ideas such as believing that physical buildings will become redundant due to academia's digitalization: On the contrary, facilities will be more critical than ever.
: Social Media Powered by Artificial Intelligence, Violence and Nonviolence, in: Kurtz, Lester R. (ed.): Encyclopedia of violence, peace and conflict: 3rd ed., Academic Press: Amsterdam, 253-258.
: Artificial Intelligence (AI): When Humans and Machines Might Have to Coexist, in: Verdegem, Pieter (ed.): AI for Everyone?: Critical Perspectives, University of Westminster Press: London, 21-32.
Abstract: This chapter looks at artificial intelligence, its history, and its evolutionary stages. Furthermore, what challenges might arise in the future when humans will have to learn to live among machines and robots are discussed. This will be undertaken by analyzing challenges concerning algorithms and organisations, challenges with respect to (un)employment, and looking at democracy and freedom potentially jeopardised due to the progress of AI.
: Artificial Intelligence, Marketing, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in: Li, Eldon, Bryan Christiansen and Tihana Škrinjarić (ed.): Handbook of Research on Applied AI for International Business and Marketing Applications, IGI Global, 1-13.
Abstract: Artificial intelligence has been part of the world of marketing for some time now. This chapter will look at how artificial intelligence is defined and classified, illustrating its potential for the marketing domain with a variety of examples from various industries and sectors. Ethical concerns arising from the application of AI marketing will be discussed in the second part of this chapter. Before concluding, three brief case studies will give further insights, looking in detail at the AI activities of Airbnb, NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Artificial Intelligence, and retail giant Walmart.
: Your Attention, Please: You’ve Got 15 Seconds! TikTok and How Organizations Can Make Use of It, in: Kolukirik, Suat (ed.): Digitalization and Future of Digital Society, Peter Lang Gmbh, Internationaler Verlag Der W, 367-378.
: Competition in Higher Education, in: Bang, Nguyen, T. C. Melewar and Jane Hemsley-Brown (ed.): Strategic brand management in higher education7: First issued in paperback, Routledge, Taylor et Francis Group: London; New York.
: Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, and Fake News: Is this the End of Democracy?, in: Akkor Gul, Aysen, Yıldız Dilek Ertürk and Paul Elmer (ed.): Digital Transformation in Media & Society, Istanbul University Press, 149-161.
: Retailing and the Ethical Challenges and Dilemmas Behind Artificial Intelligence, in: Pantano, Eleonora (ed.): Retail Futures, Emerald Publishing Limited, 181-191.
Abstract: Learning Outcomes Learn about ethical dilemmas in retailing with the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) Be able to reflect critically about the use and potential misuse of AI within the retailing industry Learn about the history of AI Be able to define and classify AI
: Towards a Theory of European Business Culture: The Case of Management Education at the ESCP Europe Business School, in: Suder, Gabriele, Monica Riviere and Johan Lindeque (ed.): The Routledge companion to European business, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group: London; New York, 113-124.
: European management and European business schools: Insights from the history of business schools, in: Siebert, Sabina (ed.): Management research: European perspectives73, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group: New York; London, 211-225.
: Social Media, in: Warf, Barney (ed.): The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Internet, SAGE Publications, Inc: 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, California 91320.
Abstract: Social media are online forms of communication through which users can share content within networks of individuals and groups. These platforms enable the exchange of ideas, personal messages, photos, and videos, opening up possibilities for users to create and distribute content and to collaborate with other users. Corporations, organizations, and society at large are heavily influenced by social media platforms such as Facebook, Foursquare, Instagram, and Twitter. This entry first provides an overview of social media and its development. It then discusses the basic concepts underlying social media and presents a classification of different types of social media applications, with a focus on the particular characteristics of mobile interfaces.
: Social Media: State of the Art and Research Agenda, in: Jung, Jaemin, Bozena Mierzejewska and Alan Albarran (ed.): Handbook of Media Management and Economics, Routledge, 273-286.
: Academia goes social media, MOOC, SPOC, SMOC and SSOC, in: Rishi, Bikramjit and Subir Bandyopadhyay (ed.): Contemporary issues in social media marketing: 1 ed., Routledge.
Abstract: This chapter starts by outlining three core challenges higher education currently faces: enhancing prestige and market share; embracing an entrepreneurial mindset; and expanding interaction and value co-creation. It shows how social media can play a vital role in overcoming these challenges by attracting future students, augmenting current students' learning experience, and amplifying relationships with past students. The chapter looks at the role of social media in academia's digital transformation process by defining and classifying online courses into massive open online courses (MOOCs), SPOCs, small private online courses (SMOCs) and synchronous small online course (SSOCs), briefly sketching out the history of MOOCs and distance learning, as well as analysing connectivist MOOCs (cMOOCs) as open online courses which are heavily supported by, and based on, social media applications. Social media can play a vital role in increasing the market share of a higher education institution, as well as enhance its prestige.
: O Brave New World that has such Creatures in: How Digital Media shape Corporations, Organizations, and Society at Large, in: Mazurek, Grzegorz and Jolanta Tkaczyk (ed.): The impact of the digital world on management and marketing, Poltext; Kozminski University: Warsaw, 17-22.
: Burger King – Le marketing viral à tout prix?, in: Prime, Nathalie and Jean-Claude Usunier (ed.): Marketing international: Marchés, cultures et organisations: 2 ed., Pearson Education: Montreuil, 333-336.
: Microblogs, in: Ang, Peng Hwa and Robin Mansell (ed.): The International Encyclopedia of Digital Communication and Society, Wiley, 1-8.
: Social Media, in: Cook, Daniel Thomas and J. Michael Ryan (ed.): The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies, Wiley.
: Facebook, Instagram, Sneakerpedia et compagnie : Foot Locker, Inc. sur les Médias Sociaux, in: Peelen, E., Frédéric Jallat, E. Stevens and P. Volle (ed.): Gestion de la relation client: 4 ed., Pearson Education.
: Social Media, Definition and History, in: Alhajj, Reda and J. Rokne (ed.): Encyclopedia of social network analysis and mining: 2nd ed., Springer: New York, 1825-1827.
: Understanding purchasing behavior within virtual worlds: Planned purchases and impulse buying, in: Li, Eldon Yu-zen (ed.): Organizations and Social Networking, IGI Global (701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, USA), 79-101.
: Dell – Social Media is here, in: Levy, Michael, Barton A. Weitz and Lauren Skinner Beitelspacher (ed.): Retailing management: 8 ed., McGraw-Hill/Irwin: New York.
: The Birds are Tweeting – and so am I: An Essay on the Use and Potential of Twitter and Micro-blogging, in: Centeno, Edgar and Cleopatra Veloutsou (ed.): New perspective of contemporary marketing, Athens Institute for Education and Research: Athen, 193-202.
: From Real to Virtual and Back Again: The Use and Potential of Virtual Social Worlds within the IT Industry, in: Dwivedi, Ashish, Panagiota Papadopoulou, Panagiotis Kanellis and Drakoulis Martakos (ed.): Social Computing Theory and Practice: Interdisciplinary Approaches, IGI Global, 285-300.
: Comment utiliser les Medias Sociaux dans une politique de communication ?, in: Frossard, Anne-Laure and Pascale Guceski (ed.): Le tour du marketing en 12 étapes, Dunod: Paris, 237.
: Blogging, Facebook, Twitter: Southwest Airlines et ses relations client via les médias sociaux, in: Peelen, E., Frédéric Jallat, E. Stevens and P. Volle (ed.): Gestion de la relation client: 3 ed., Pearson Education, 372-374.
: Virtual worlds and business schools: The case of INSEAD, in: Wankel, Charles and Jan Kingsley (ed.): Higher education in virtual worlds: Teaching and Learning in Second Life, Emerald Group Publishing: Bradford, 83-100.
: Communautés et marketing relationnel, in: Michon, Christian and Jean-Claude Andréani (ed.): Le marketeur, Pearson Education: Paris, 431-450.
: Développer un marketing en ligne, in: Michon, Christian and Jean-Claude Andréani (ed.): Le marketeur, Pearson Education: Paris, 369-390.
Case Studies
(2022): Fast Fashion Goes Green? AI & the Apparel Industry (H&M, Shein, and Zara), Reference no. 722-0020-1.
Abstract: This case tells the story of Marie-Claire, a student at ESMOD, the World’s First Fashion School (est. 1841), who is currently interning at a recently founded, Berlin-based, fast-fashion retailer, primarily operating online, with only a few brick-and-mortar stores in Germany, Austria, and Poland. During this three-month internship, her main task is to look at how artificial intelligence (AI) could be applied to fast fashion, and specifically how AI could render the industry more environmentally sustainable. One of the tasks involves formulating a benchmark and comparison of three big fast-fashion players: H&M, Shein, and Zara. Moreover, Marie-Claire will analyze how AI might change the future of fashion. She will consider the opportunities extended by AI, and reflect upon potential challenges arising from its application to overcome and watch out for. Although this case addresses the combination of high tech with fashion, more precisely, the application of artificial intelligence to the fashion industry, its key insights and takeaways, apply to a much broader spectrum of sectors and industries. On a side note, the case also illustrates the differing contexts of AI advances between China, the US, and Europe.
(2022): Marrying Cultural Heritage and High Tech: The Use of ARTificial Intelligence in Museums (Beijing’s Palace Museum, NYC’s Met, and Paris’ Louvre),, Reference no. 320-0057-1.
Abstract: This case tells the story of Guillaume, a business school student, who is currently interning at the Louvre in Paris. One of his tasks involves him formulating a benchmark and comparison of three world-famous museums regarding their applications of artificial intelligence (AI): Beijing’s Palace Museum, NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the aforementioned Louvre. Furthermore, Guillaume must analyze how AI might change the future of museums in particular and cultural enterprises in general. He will think about the opportunities with regards to AI as well as reflect upon potential challenges arising from the application of AI to overcome and watch out for. The three museums studied in this case represent China, the US, and Europe, and as such illustrate the various stages of AI use and progress in these regions of the world, with superpowers China and the US clearly in the lead, and Europe lagging behind in this technological (r)evolution. Although this case addresses the combination of high tech with cultural heritage, more precisely the use of AI in museums, its key insights and takeaways apply to a much broader spectrum of sectors and industries.
(2014): Social Media and Viral Marketing at ESCP Europe, the World's First Business School (Est. 1819), Reference no. 514-058-1.
Abstract: ESCP Europe, the world's first business school (established in 1819), is a European cross-border multi-campus school located in Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, and Torino. This structure, unique for a business school, is also reflected in its social media strategy which will be discussed in this case study. Social media and viral marketing play an important role at ESCP Europe for several of the school's marketing and communications activities. To not be perceived as old-fashioned, being the oldest business school worldwide, social media and viral marketing are heavily applied. Being European means embracing maximum cultural diversity at minimal geographical distances. ESCP Europe's five campuses, combined with its culturally diverse student body, make the school a natural expert in cross-cultural management and entrepreneurship education, not only in Europe but beyond. The school's USP, its European identity and citizenship, is largely found across its social media and viral marketing efforts. This case shows the evolution over time of a social media strategy and displays the importance of having clear objectives. Furthermore, this case showcases, among others, that within social media one can re-find an organisational structure on a more general basis. Finally, it covers various success factors for social media and viral marketing.
(2012): Virgin America: Taking Social Media and Viral Marketing to New Heights, Reference no. 512-004-1.
Abstract: Virgin America (VA) is a successful US low-cost airline, which has managed to steadily grow its customer base despite very rough times in the beginnings of its set-up. In particular, Virgin America entered the US market against tough competitor lobbying by asking Americans to raise their voices via the help of a dedicated blog 'Let VA Fly'. This use of social media has been maintained and Virgin America makes ample employment of the different applications such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for promotional purposes, viral marketing campaigns, marketing research, etc. Next to this, the case also illustrates the interdependence between a communication strategy built upon intensive use of social media, viral marketing, as well as user-generated content and the product itself. Indeed, Virgin America with both its peculiar aircrafts equipped with mood violet lighting, ergonomically adapted leather seats, nine inch touch screens, keyboards, WiFi, etc and its innovative loyalty program following a 'dollars spent versus miles accrued' concept, has revolutionized the airline industry.
(2011): Public marketing in the City of Lights: Paris’s innovative electrical car sharing program ‘Autolib’, Reference no. 511-011-1.
Abstract: This case illustrates the challenges and opportunities of public marketing, ie the application of marketing concepts and tools to public administration, using the example of Autolib, Paris''s innovative electrical car sharing program. The objective is to illustrate the specificities of the public administration sector and how this sector can be combined with the marketing discipline. Furthermore, the case also discusses the links between public administration and politics, and the difficulties of sustainable development projects. The case can be used in MBA, Masters Degree or other graduate programs for the following courses: marketing, public administration, public management, public marketing, strategy, and sustainable development. Autolib gives Parisians the possibility to borrow one of around 3,000 electric cars for a couple of Euros - more than the Metro would cost, but definitely less than a taxi. You take the car at one point in the city and leave it at another one of the approximately 1,000 Autolib stations with a parking spot guaranteed - which is a great offer in Paris, because there are rarely any vacant parking spaces. Paris now makes an additional step in its fight against air pollution after its very successful introduction of its bike-sharing program, ''Velib'', offering 20,000 bikes at approximately 1,500 stations all over the city since 2007. In addition to the idea of being ecological by reducing congestion as well pollution, Autolib may have several other advantages such as: encouraging the use of electrical cars, building up the image of Paris as being highly innovative, or just being more affordable than relying on paid parking.