Research Update Critical Research in Marketing and Society (CReiMS) www.sheffield.ac.uk/management/research/creims
Introduction to CReiMS The Critical Research in Marketing and Society (CReiMS) research cluster draws upon the strong narrative of sustainability, ethical, international and consumer research that is currently an integral part of Sheffield University Management School’s Marketing/Creative and Cultural Industries division. We have a coherent thread joining several members of the aforementioned division, plus colleagues in the Management and Finance divisions of the School. A significant amount of research from the Marketing division has focused on international or cross cultural research with growing emphasis on consumer markets. Along with colleagues in Strategy and International Business, CReiMS adopts a critical approach to research in global markets. The cluster is dedicated to providing focused direction by identifying and concentrating on two key themes within the marketing field: Socially Responsible Marketing and International Marketing and Consumer Research.
Exciting new PhD students CReiMS’ members have proposed three projects to attract new PhD students: researching sustainability at work and home; reverse eco-socialisation; and social value and sponsorship. These projects will contribute to our growing PhD community who are involved in researching different aspects of ethical and sustainable marketing
Sustainability: Journal editorship special issue DR CAROLINE OATES and DR JULIE ALEVIZOU are currently editing (with Professor Seonaidh McDonald at Robert Gordon University) a special issue of the online journal Sustainability ‘Challenges for Marketers in Sustainable Production and Consumption’ for publication in 2015. Sustainability cuts across all areas of production and consumption. This indicates a need to address sustainability holistically so as to understand the challenges we face today in attempting to decrease our environmental impact on society. Evidence suggests that there is increasing pressure from stakeholders about the social and environmental responsibilities of companies (for example, those responsibilities concerning how products are manufactured and marketed to consumers). Recent events, such as the factory collapse in Bangladesh, have highlighted unacceptable and unethical practices in production, thus prompting, at the very least, a media backlash against the companies involved. Therefore, one of the many challenges for consumers choosing between different brands is to inform and possibly educate buyers about brands’ sustainable production practices, so as to convey potential advantages for sustainable brands over similar but less sustainable ones.
Dr Caroline Oates
The interface between companies and consumers in promoting sustainable production and consumption is reflected in contact points, such as advertising, packaging, and labelling. Such points are key providers of information concerning how products are sourced, manufactured and used. However, consumers themselves are faced with a bewildering range of product choices and increasing information, which raises questions about the links between sustainability in production and consumption. Though the submission deadline has now passed, the editors invited papers that examined the relationship between how organisations attempt to produce and market sustainable products/ services, and how these are understood and consumed by the target audience. You can read more about the issue here: bit.ly/CReiMS-sustainability
Engaging in greener marketing Placing the British economy on a much more sustainable footing will require entrepreneurs and government to be innovative over the next four decades, if the country is to make a successful shift towards greener ways of doing business.To assist this transformation a team of leading researchers from across the UK have been tasked with addressing six different, but related, challenges facing policy makers and business leaders in the coming decades as Britain attempts to make the transition to a more carbon neutral future. According to CReiMS leader DR DIANA GREGORY-SMITH (pictured above): “It is widely acknowledged that this transition to a low carbon economy is unlikely to occur unless radical changes take place on the policy and technology fronts as well as within the organisational structures and how companies see their relationship with the environment. Yet, the presence of various market failures dominate the scene and, as a result, many radical low carbon innovations – including photovoltaic systems, offshore wind and carbon capture and storage projects – will not efficiently materialise unless there is a better coordination within the private sector driven by an efficient environmental and innovation policy; as well as significant public support.” Dr Gregory-Smith is one of a team of academics tasked with looking at how this transition could be made more efficiently. In 2014 she hosted one of six seminars across the country, drawing together leading researchers, policy makers and business leaders. The first two seminars focused on the technological and organisational environmental innovations in order to explore the characteristics of the UK’s environmental innovations, while the following two seminars looked at the central role of government policies and the public’s consumption attitudes toward environmental matters. In the final two seminars, researchers will investigate the role and characteristics of the environmental sector’s SME section in driving the UK’s clean technology innovations and the financing needs of the environmental sector. Dr Gregory-Smith added: “I am particularly interested in how marketing can be used as a tool to change consumer spending habits, and drive the demand for greener goods and services. Nothing stimulates innovation and growth more than an untapped demand, so this could be a valuable tool in making the transition to the low carbon economy.” Dr Gregory-Smith’s well-attended seminar focused on Driving Consumer Demand for Green Products and Services. Alongside Management School colleagues, the topic attracted attendees from across the university sector, policy makers and UK business leaders.
CReiMS’ funded project launches CReiMS members DR JULIE ALEVIZOU and DR RANIS CHENG are currently working as part of a cross-cultural, cross-national research team (with Dr Janice Redmond, Edith Cowan University, Australia) on an innovative project titled “Finding the Common Ground: Solutions to SME Environmental Management System Uptake”, funded by Sheffield University Management School’s Research Stimulation and Impact Fund.
RECENT AND FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS Wells, V. K., Manika, D., Gregory-Smith, D., Taheri, B., & McCowlen, C. (2015). Heritage tourism, CSR and the role of employee environmental behaviour. Tourism Management, 48, 399-413. Gregory-Smith, D., Wells, V. K., Manika, D., & Graham, S. (2015). An environmental social marketing intervention among employees: assessing attitude and behaviour change. Journal of Marketing Management, 31(3-4), 336-377 Henninger, C.E., Alevizou, P.J., Oates, C.J., & Cheng, R. (2015) Supply chain considerations in the sustainable slow-fashion industry. - Invited chapter in Springer’s Handbook Series on: Sustainable Fashion Supply Chain Management: From Sourcing to Retailing, edited by Dr Tsan-Ming Choi. Simpson, M. Walker, E. A, Redmond, J & Parker, C (2014). Australian SMEs waste to landfill. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management. Oates, C.J. & McDonald, S. (2014). The researcher role in the attitude-behaviour gap. Annals of Tourism Research, 33 (2) 137-145. Verhellen, Y., Oates, C.J., De Pelsmacker, P. & Dens, N. (2014). Children’s responses to traditional versus hybrid advertising formats: the moderating role of persuasion knowledge. Journal of Consumer Policy, 37 (1). Sarala, R.M., Cooper, C., Junni, P. and Tarba, S. (2014). A sociocultural perspective on knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions Journal of Management Blades, M., Oates, C.J., Blumberg, F.C. and Gunter, B. (eds.) (2014), Advertising to Children: New directions, new media. Palgrave Macmillan.