Usyd Powered By Research Report 2009 by toottootdesign

Powered By Research Faculty of Economics and Business This brochure was produced by the Faculty of Economics and Business at The University of Sydney in May 2009.  The information set out in this brochure was based upon the information available at the time of printing. It is an expression of intent only and should not be taken as a firm offer or undertaking. The University reserves the right to make alteration to any information contained within this publication without notice.  CRICOS Provider Code 00026A.

A Faculty Powered by Research

The Powered By Research Series

brings together a range of insights across all discipline areas. In the first instance we take a look at the research being conducted by the Discipline of Marketing.

We are proud of this fact. To this end we have created - Powered By Research – a vehicle to highlight the impressive achievements of our leading academics and the significant relevance of our research to government, business and society.

Faculty of Economics and Business

The Faculty of Economics and Business at The University of Sydney is internationally recognised as a significant centre of academic research. The amount of research grants and refereed publications we produce is continuing to increase. Our exceptional research scholarship underpins our teaching across the Faculty.

Of particular relevance in these turbulent economic times is Dr Paul Henry’s research into how consumers are saving and spending their hard earned cash. Marylousie Caldwell’s fascinating research into HIV/AIDS in Botswana and Christina Anthony’s work on counterfactual thinking also have significant relevance to marketers. We hope this document provides you with a valuable insight into some of the practical applications of our current research and we look forward to engaging with you about the other major research activities being conducted within the Faculty over the coming months. Professor David Grant, Associate Dean (Research)

Faculty of Economics and Business

The Faculty of Economics and Business

Our research excellence

The Faculty of Economics and Business has enjoyed a rich history of outstanding scholarship since its founding in 1920. As one of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier learning centres in economics and business related disciplines, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve established a reputation for excellence in teaching and quality research. Our vibrant and international learning community incorporates academics, students, corporate partners, governments, schools, and other universities and research institutions. Central to this community is an understanding that research is the foundation of everything we do, and the platform from which future learning and development can grow and flourish.

High performing scholars and students

Many members of our Faculty are distinguished scholars who have been elected fellows of the Academies of the Social Sciences and Humanities in Australia in recognition of their outstanding contributions to research and scholarship. Many are regarded as public intellectuals not only in Australia but in the global arena. The media frequently call upon our experts to contribute to debates on issues within their field of expertise. As our reputation as a research-intensive university grows, so too does our ability to attract and retain high-performing staff and outstanding research students.

We place immense importance on fostering an environment that values research and ultimately delivers cultural, social, economic and political benefits to the community. Through our research we also strive to help business, industry and government overcome the challenges they face. Research-led teaching benefits our students, and fulfils our overarching commitment to intellectual discovery and development. Our postgraduate research programs attract an increasingly large number of domestic and international students each year. More than 210 doctoral candidates are currently enrolled.

A strong research presence

Inside the academic arena we have a significant research presence, with nearly 1800 contributions to DEEWR-audited publications over the last five years. Over half of these were in peer reviewed journal articles. We host 16 in-house journals where Faculty members occupy senior editorial positions. Additionally, many of our Faculty members sit on editorial boards of high profile international research journals. Their work has also resulted in a presence outside of the academic arena, with a large number of books with leading commercial publishers. This strong research presence will undoubtedly continue into the future, thanks to our success in attracting competitive research funding. Faculty staff currently hold a record 40 Australian Research Council grants, and over the last five years we have received more than $17 million in research income.

Over the last nine years we have tripled the number of professors in our Faculty, which has substantially strengthened our intellectual capacity. In 2008 alone we appointed 10 new full professors from Australia and around the world. Further professorial appointments are underway.

our research excellence

Our focus is on research that influences practice, policy and regulation both nationally and internationally. Staff are regularly engaged in consulting projects and deliver applied research for major international bodies, governments, industry groups and individual companies.

Interdisciplinary and collaborative

A distinguishing feature of our Faculty is our dedication to producing research that crosses disciplines and borders. Collaboration brings context and depth to the research we undertake and leads to research with broader industry relevance. We place a high value on collaborative research and development across disciplines, between faculties and through partnerships with business, industry, government, nongovernmental and international agencies, and other universities. Research groups such as the Graduate School of Government and the Behavioural Choice Group are expressions of this approach.

In addition to contributions to publications, our effectiveness as a Faculty is measured by the impact of our research and scholarship. Our priority is to conduct research projects that genuinely advance knowledge, and that can be applied to meet the challenges faced by business, industry and government.

Faculty of Economics and Business

Making a meaningful contribution

We actively promote the transfer of knowledge to the public and private sectors, through the commissioned research and research-related consultancies we undertake for business, government and professional organisations. Our scholarly expertise is international in scope and the outcomes of our research are disseminated widely. Both staff and students have been active in presenting at international and national conferences and a number have been invited to take up prestigious visiting positions at overseas institutions.

our research excellence

Faculty of Economics and Business

Research in Focus

Latest thinking from the Discipline of Marketing by Paul Henry

Consumer Spending, Saving and Budgeting in Uncertain Times

As nervous consumers react to a stream of economic bad news, many are tightening their belts. For some marketers, the temptation to group all consumers under one bleak umbrella during a downturn can be irresistable.

Yet however tempting it is to conclude that all consumers behave the same way when times are bad, research suggests that this may not be the case. Understanding the general current of consumer behaviour during a downturn is helpful. Research suggests that consumer spending, budgeting and money management behaviour are not necessarily as uniform as is popularly believed. Since marketing developed as a discipline some 50 years ago, a central tenant has been to break customers into like groups â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and decide which group to focus on. This tenant still applies even more in the case of a downturn, when marketers need to look at the particular distinctive ways of thinking of their primary consumer group, and how they are likely to cope. Marketers would do well to consider their group of interest and how the particular worldview they hold, affects their spending habits.

The popular belief is that in a downturn, consumers are more likely to think carefully before spending, and that a dent in sentiment is shared by both those facing job losses or cut backs in working hours and pay, as well as the majority that will end up retaining their jobs. This view is supported by the contraction of dollar sales across many product categories such as automobiles, restaurants and cafes, alcohol, cigarettes and clothing (December quarter 2008, Australian Bureau of Statistics). Supermarket food performance, on the contrary, has been more resilient as consumers on the whole stay at home.

research in focus

‘Debt is out, and saving is in’ – but is that really the whole story? Some Australian households are indeed on a savings spree. National accounts data for the December quarter indicates the largest growth in saving since September 1990. Many people are putting their money where their mortgage is, and/or removing themselves of credit card debt. Reserve Bank (RBA) data statistics in December 2008 recorded the highest monthly credit and charge card repayments ever.

The big picture may mask spending and saving across Australian households

Another factor to consider in differing spending and saving habits is the uneven distribution of resources across households. A range of data indicates that there are systemic differences across suburb, with financial crisis hitting the poorest areas first and hardest. The mean taxable income ranges from about $30,000 in the poorest NSW postcode through to about $160,000 in the wealthiest. Home owners in affluent suburbs who are mortgage free and have greater job security are likely to feel less stress. Add the compounded positive effect of tax cuts, lower petrol prices and interest cuts, and many employed people are objectively better off now than in recent times.

Faculty of Economics and Business

consumer sentiment is less likely to impact people in occupations that are deemed ‘recession proof’ – teachers and emergency services workers, for example. On the other hand, real estate and financial services are sectors where significant layoffs have already occurred.

The same RBA report, however, suggests that other Australian households may actually be on a spending spree thanks in large part to the government’s recent fiscal stimulus package. Data shows December also having the highest ever dollar spend on credit and charge card purchases and cash advances. This difference clearly suggests that there is more diversity of spending and saving across Australian households than aggregate data would imply. There are a number of reasons for this phenomenon. Some of the differences can be attributed to household makeup and life stage. Economic gloom and its negative effect on

research in focus

Faculty of Economics and Business

Calculative money planners: an empowered view of self

Calculative money planning is a particularly ingrained practice amongst those in higher educated professional occupations, a group more likely to cope better during a downturn. This practice stems from an overall view of self that is empowered and confident. People who fall into this group are more likely to see opportunity in the face of threat. They are generally more deliberative problem solvers, future oriented and goal directed. They employ more adaptive coping strategies.

Worldview and consumer behaviour

While broad consumer purchasing sentiment and purchasing trends may move with the economic cycle, underneath lies a set of reasonably stable and systematic differences in consumers’ worldviews. These comprise typical modes of thinking and ways of handling the world, together with sense of self and place in the social and economic system. Several types of worldviews have been found to influence the ways that people approach spending, budgeting and money management. The first dimension ranges from ‘living in the moment’ through to calculative money planning. The second dimension ranges from ‘call for help’ through to a deeply ingrained ethic of self-reliance. Calculative money planning is linked with occupational status, not income. An ethic of self-reliance is more evenly distributed across occupations. Neither dimension is found to be age-related, since they are primarily instilled through childhood socialisation processes. The following research describes extreme ranges of both dimensions.

These ingrained qualities result in distinctive money management practices. For example, they take more care and put more time into budgeting and monitoring their spending. They know where they stand day-to-day and weekto-week. When it comes to investment, they take a longer term view and are more likely to explore a broader range of investment options. Despite this practice often occurring in people with higher incomes, this distinct set of attitudes can’t be simply attributed to income. For example, differences in worldviews were found when comparing young people (aged in their 20s) in professional and manual working occupations who were earning similar amounts. The careful budgeting exhibited by calculative money planners does not mean that these people don’t lash out and spend on luxury and hedonic products—they do. The difference is that these people allocate money to discretionary items (like expensive restaurant meals) through a conscious balance between quality of lifestyle and investing for the future.

research in focus

Akin to a right wing political ideology, the ethic of self-reliance is very much about belief that the individual should remain financially unencumbered and take care of themselves. One way to ensure this is to spend frugally and disavow the culture of consumption that they believe dominates contemporary society.

Coping with a downturn: world view matters

When facing economic stress, consumers look at the problem through the lens of their distinctive world view. People who are high on calculative planning will be best equipped to adapt. They will be less threatened and work to rebalance their thinking towards getting through the short-term difficulties, without completely losing sight of longer term goals. People who seek self-reliance through frugality are likely to be more threatened by a downturn and the prospect of dependence. However, given that their primary strategy relies on frugality, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have many options when income declines. People who are low on both calculative planning and self-reliance are the worst placed to get through a downturn. They feel their world is out of control, and a sense of helplessness is likely to set in as their coping strategies are the least effective of all.

research in focus

While the tendency is for people to tighten their belts during a downturn, there are underlying differences among groups of consumers, either because they are economically stable or because they are better at coping during a downturn. These two factors tend to go together and move with social class. Marketers need to take into consideration the distinctive ways of thinking of their primary consumer group. Well educated consumers from an upper strata social class tend to have more adaptive and abstract ways of thinking, largely due to education advantages. Marketers need to evaluate whether their group of interest sees a great threat or not, and whether they have the skills and mechanisms to adapt and cope. They arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t likely to change their fundamental worldview dramatically during a downturn. For some, the downturn will have dire effects, but for others, the effects will be minimal and their saving, spending and budgeting habits will remain consistent during a downturn.

Unlike a calculative money planner who is careful but creates a balanced life, the purely self-reliant individual achieves their end goal through abstinent living. Another difference is that people adhering to this belief system express is a fear of debt in all circumstances, whereas the calculative planner is ready to borrow if future returns are anticipated.

Implications for marketers

Faculty of Economics and Business

Ethic of self-reliance: dismissal of consumption

Marketers must consider the pockets of diversity in household situations across the nation in addition to the overarching trends in consumer sentiment and spending. Disposable income, uncertainty about the future and ingrained worldview vary across households. Particularly when it comes to developing strategies, marketers need to assess where their customer base sits on these types of variables. By doing so, they will add further depth of understanding to the aggregate generalisations. 9

Faculty of Economics and Business

Paul Henry Chair Discipline of Marketing, The University of Sydney

Jane Caro – Breakfast Host Principal Jara Consulting Pty Ltd

Lecturer, Advertising Creative, School of Communication Arts, University of Western Sydney (UWS) Jane Caro has been an advertising writer for almost 30 years. She has worked for many of Australia’s top agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, The Campaign Palace and JWT.

Her work has won many awards and she remains the first and only woman to be Chair of Judges for AWARD (Australasian Writers and Art Directors Society). She is a frequent commentator in the media (Channel 7 Sunrise, Radio National, Local ABC Radio, ABC TV’s Q&A, SMH, The Age and The Sunday Age) on issues relating to education, women, marketing and advertising. She currently runs her own creative consultancy, is in frequent demand as a speaker, consultant, freelancer, workshop facilitator, and is a part-time lecturer (Advertising Creative) at UWS. She sits on the board of the NSW Public Education Foundation and is a Board member elect for Bell Shakespeare. 10

panelist profiles

Angus’s current role sees him head up all strategic projects for one of Australia’s largest independent communications groups. They work with clients across media planning and buying, strategy, digital media and marketing, branded entertainment, public relations, brand experience, sponsorship, sportsground marketing, direct marketing and corporate social responsibility.

Michael Stutchbury Economics Editor, The Australian Peter Drinkwater Director, Added Value

Peter is a Director, Added Value Australia, having just returned from two years in Added Value’s London office. Added Value is the International marketing company WPP’s, global brand strategy and insight consultancy with offices in 15 countries. They specialize in solving challenging marketing issues through brand positioning, innovation, qualitative and quantitative research, segmentation and cultural insight. Peter has particular expertise in defining what ‘value’ means for brands beyond just price. Local clients include Diageo, Vodafone, PepsiCo, Nestle, Arnott’s Campbells and McDonalds.

panelist profiles

Michael Stutchbury last year became Economics Editor of The Australian, returning to a round he last covered during the HawkeKeating reform period of the 1980s. Michael was Editor of The Australian between 2001 and 2006, a period of mega news stories from the September 11 terrorist attack and the Bali bombings to the Iraq war and the Asian tsunami. He has also worked as Business Editor for The Australian. Before joining The Australian, he was Economics Editor, Washington correspondent and Opinion Editor for The Australian Financial Review. He has a firstclass honours degree in economics from the University of Adelaide and also has worked in the economics division of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Mitchell’s stated mission is to deliver clients’ communications to the right people – at the right time, in the right place with the right message at the best possible price.

Faculty of Economics and Business

Angus Frazer Head of Strategy, Mitchell & Partners

Faculty of Economics and Business

Current Research Projects in the Discipline of Marketing

Dr Marylouise Caldwell’s research focuses on the barriers that consumers experience with respect to accessing public health services in developing nations. She is currently investigating barriers to early adoption of HIV/ AIDS public health innovations in Botswana and how grassroots consumer activity can accelerate early adoption. Marylouise’s other research interests include the impact of changing gender roles and beliefs about femininity and masculinity on the consumption of public and commercial goods and services. Dr. Christina Anthony’s research examines the role of affect and emotions in consumer judgment and decision-making. Her current research investigates consumer lying behavior, and the conditions under which lying taints or improves consumers affective evaluations and memory of their consumption experience. Other research, in the context of gambling, examines how the anticipation of future better outcomes results in emotional numbing. Her research interests include affective forecasting, emotional regulation and counterfactual thinking processes.

Associate Professor Paul Henry studies consumer behaviour by drawing on a range of perspectives and methodologies. These include ethnographic methods drawn from cultural anthropology, societal structures from sociology, and the psychology of individual consumer decision processes. Paul has particular interest in understanding the ways that lived experiences shape peoples’ worldviews, and the ways in which sense of self and place in the world translates into distinctive consumption patterns. Prior to joining The University of Sydney he was Planning Director at Ogilvy & Mather in New York City. Professor Donnel Briley studies consumer choice and international marketing issues. His current research focuses on understanding the influence of culture and ethnicity on consumers’ judgments and decisions. He has recently conducted research in the area of cultural change and marketing, and cultural influence on consumer motivations.

current research projects

Professor Elizabeth Cowley studies consumer memory and decision making. Her memory research concerns how and when consumers’ memory of their own experiences change after exposure to advertising and/or word of mouth. Her research findings suggest that altering moments of consumers’ memory is easier than one might imagine. Her findings also suggest that consumers are also able to reconstruct their memory strategically in order to justify engaging in potentially irresponsible behaviour such as gambling, smoking or drinking too much.

Dr. Iain Black’s research looks at marketing in the context of key environmental sustainability issues. Recent research he has conducted investigates the gap between consumers’ positive attitudes and beliefs towards green products and their relative lack of action in purchasing these products. His areas of expertise include consumer identity negotiation, ethnography, and pharmaceutical marketing.

Faculty of Economics and Business

Associate Professor Ellen Garbarino studies consumer decision making, consumer relationship management, psychological responses to price, and internet retailing. Her research focuses on issues of consumer trust, loyalty, risk perception and fairness judgments. She has recently studied the role of body attitudes in online shopping, how social norms influence responses to novel pricing practices and the evolution of online prices as internet retailing has matured. She works in both the not-for-profit and commercial sectors, and is currently researching the use of social norms to increase blood donations and energy conservation.

Dr. Steven Lu is a quantitative researcher who uses data analysis methods drawn from statistics and economics to solve marketing problems. Many of his findings suggest that the secondary data largely ignored by many firms can have useful implications when the right quantitative techniques are used. He has recently conducted research measuring brand value in an equilibrium framework. His areas of expertise include pricing and promotions, brand equity, consumer choice modelling, online marketing and Bayesian statistics.

Dr. Pennie Frow studies strategic marketing with a focus on customer relationship management. Her research fouces on considering customer value and enhancing the customer experience. In particular, the issues related to professional services firms building and maintaining strong client relationships. She is currently studying the process of co-creating value between suppliers and customers in a variety of industry settings.

Dr. Ranjit Voolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research involves the Jeffery Lim is a consumer researcher with application of strategic marketing concepts expertise in internet and interactive marketing. in various contexts, including international His focus is on how people make decisions in marketing. His areas of expertise include light of uncertainty information. He explores business to business marketing, corporate the heuristics people use to handle and and marketing strategy, technology and understand different uncertainty conditions, learning. His research examines how a firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the influence of uncertainty information capabilities, such as its ability to understand on decision making. His research also consumers, influences its performance. He contributes to the debate on the usefulness of has also conducted qualitative research into computerised decision aids by investigating the how the entrepreneurial abilities of Australian different approaches decision makers utilise and Small Medium Enterprises influence their their contributions towards decision quality. international performance. Professor Chris Styles researches international Jeaney Yipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s area of research is the nexus marketing and strategy, with a focus on issues of consumption and culture, with a focus relating to the internationalisation process, on women, ethnic, young people and international alliances and international religious subcultures. Her research explores entrepreneurship. His areas of expertise include how corporate identities are constructed, Asian business, corporate and marketing positioned and marketed in the context of strategy, entrepreneurship and international churches and non-profit organisations, an marketing. Recent research he has conducted area that has implications for how products looks at client-perceived performance and such as religion and social ideas are marketed. value in professional business to business She is currently conducting research on the services from an international perspective. representation of women in Christian media, and on how Christian music constructs Professor Charles Areni has a range of meaning that reflects a persistent tension research interests such as the environmental between sacred and secular. psychology of commercial space, the effects of retail promotions, advertising rhetoric and persuasion, and innovative new media. His specialty area is the perception of memory and time, where he examines how consumers perceive, valuate, and allocate time to various consumption activities.

current research projects

Dr. Teresa Davis’ research focuses on two areas: children as consumers; and culture and consumption. She studies the relationship between advertising and marketing of food and the rising levels of obesity in children. Another topic of her research is the socio-historical analyses of advertising culture and consumption.

Dr. Ulku Yuksel’s research interests include cross-cultural marketing, international marketing management, and consumer behaviour. Ulku’s specialty areas of research include anti-consumption and political marketing, where she explores topics such as boycott behaviour. Her research looks into consumers’ evaluations and decisions as they involve counting on, trusting, and following others, brands, and products.

Faculty of Economics and Business

Dr. Rohan Miller studies the influence of marketing on consumer behaviour, consumer adoption processes, and negative consumption effects. His current research investigates dynamic and controversial product categories such as gambling, alcohol and electronic commerce. His research also looks at alternative business models for the wool industry and the diffusion of scientific messages, with a focus on the Murray-Darling Basin. Rohan is also working to develop and evaluate online role-plays as tools for teaching and research.

Dr. Michael Allen’s research links psychology with marketing. His areas of expertise include applied social psychology, consumer behaviour and economic psychology. One of his major research programs has been the development on a conceptual model of how the human values that individuals endorse influence their preferences for products. In addition to examining how the model explains consumer choice in general, Michael has been investigating how this same model explains consumers’ food/beverage choices.

Dr. Catherine Sutton-Brady conducts research in the area of business to business relationships and international marketing. Her findings recognise buyers and sellers as active participants in the market who search for alternative buyers and sellers who can provide them with the exact offerings they want. Once these offerings are found, they tend to form committed long-term relationships. Her research has also found that exchange does not take place in isolation, but rather is embedded in a complex network of relationships.

current research projects

Research Highlights

Faculty of Economics and Business

From Aids Victims to Citizen Heroes: How Citizen-Consumers Contribute to HIV/AIDS Programs on Botswana by Marylouise Caldwell

Introduction

Despite significant efforts by governments and non-government organisations (NGOs), public health campaigns are typically not successful. Compared to 50% of commercial campaigns that achieve behavioral change, only 10% of public health campaigns do. Consumers tend to resist health interventions because the benefits see distant and vague and/or fail to consistently engage in behavior modification over time. For example, lung cancer, car accidents and obesity all have serious implications for public health in Australia, yet campaigns to modify behaviors such as smoking, speeding, and junk food consumption have been largely unsuccessful. Similarly, in many developing nations, campaigns to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS through advocating measures such as protected sex and testing have not met with success. The campaign to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide is arguably one of the greatest public health campaigns ever. The campaign has had success in the US and Australia, and some other western countries, but has had very poor results in developing nations where the prevalence of the disease is very high. In developing countries, HIV/AIDS typically affects heterosexuals rather than homosexual or intravenous drug users as in Western nations. In this context, the disease strikes at a very fundamental strongly biologically determined human activities – sex and reproduction! With no vaccine or cure for the virus, stopping its spread through behavior change is one of the biggest public health challenges facing these countries.

In this research, a Diffusion Of Innovations (DOI) theory framework is used to examine the adoption of Living Publicly and Positively with HIV/AIDS in Botswana, a significant public health intervention. DOI theory is particularly useful because the theory proposes that a variety of conditions are necessary for the diffusion of public health interventions to occur. First, a critical mass of early adopters is necessary before the rest of the population will adopt. More specifically early adopters must communicate or demonstrate to others that the adoption of the public health intervention is beneficial. Second, some early adopters have a greater impact on the diffusion process compared to others, for example everyday people who are respected by others in their social circle and people who are regarded as opinion leaders on a distinctive topic. Third, the openness of the social system and the existence of communication channels (e.g. transport, ‘phones, Internet) impact the flow of communication between early adopters and others. Finally, consumers themselves can contribute positively to public health campaigns by suggesting ways that health services and health messages can be better adapted to suit consumers’ needs.

Research Aims

Research aims include: 1) Understanding which factors limit or propel consumers in developing nations to adopting Living Publicly and Positively with HIV/AIDS in Botswana. In addition to this the research aims to investigate a public health intervention that involves a variety of interrelated behaviors, such as testing to know one’s HIV status, accepting one’s positive status, selfcare, caring for other PLWHAs and participating in PLWHA community. 2) Identifying which roles consumers can take on in the diffusion process that positively impact widespread adoption of Living Publicly and Positively with HIV/AIDS.

Findings

Researchers found two adoption pathways for HIV medical testing: The Normative Testing Pathway (NTP) and The Delayed Testing Pathway (DTP). NTP is the mode of early adoption typically underlying HIV/AIDS public health intervention design. NTP assumes a proactive consumer who is educated about the disease and on his/her own accord seeks testing. DTP assumes a reactive consumer, who only after suffering numerous chronic illnesses and seeking traditional healing goes for testing. This consumer’s behavior is severely impeded by the stigma associated with a sexually transmitted disease, a lack of perceived risk, a belief that witchcraft rather than disease is the cause of the condition, and fear of the coping with the disease if found HIV+. An important facilitator of testing is awareness that treatment of HIV/AIDS is available in the form of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVS) at no cost to consumers. In 2002, Botswana was the first African country to provide free ARV treatment countrywide. Another facilitator was ease of access to medical testing. In 2004 Botswana introduced routine testing at public health facilities (NACA 2009) to reduce the stigma linked to seeking testing at publicly designated HIV/AIDS testing centers. Researchers uncovered twelve influential early adopter roles that characterize the diffusion of Living Publicly and Positively with HIV/AIDS in Botswana. The capacity of consumers to enact one or more roles is a function of an individual’s goals and their role-related competencies. The latter are developed through participation in support group workshops in which people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAS) are trained in lay counseling, public speaking, handling the press and advocating improved treatment for PLWHAS to politicians. Details of these roles appear below, in the context of four broad activities likely to accelerate the diffusion of Living Publicly and Positively with HIV/AIDS in Botswana and the maintenance of its adoption.

research highlights

Pioneers: are amongst the very first to test and to publicly admit nationally their HIV+ status. Pioneers need to be courageous, determined and visionary. As one consumer explains: “When I tested discrimination and isolation was very rife at the time… [but] encouraged by people at the Red Cross on 24th of November, 1993 I declared my status in public through the radio and television.”

Lay Counselors: regularly encourage others within their social networks to test and give advice based on their experiences about disease management. Lay counselors need to be friendly, patient, altruistic and readily available to others. Public Spokes Models: act as role models and advisors with respect to publicly and positively living with HIV/AIDS for PLWHAs on a national basis. Public spokes models need to be accountable, high self-monitors, articulate and possess disease prevention and treatment expertise.

Support Group Members: Support group members are essential to sharing information about disease management, providing emotional support and working with other support group members to enhance government HIV/AIS public health interventions. Support group members need to be co-operative and committed to group goals. Volunteer Carers: look after PLWHAs who are suffering from the chronic illnesses that typify HIV, often because they cannot be accommodated by the public health system. Volunteer carers need to be healthy, compassionate and realise that their behaviour likely fortifies norms of reciprocity amongst PLWHAs. “I go there – changing their nappies, feeding them. Maybe one day it will be me. And somebody else will come and help me.” Buddies: are experienced consumers of ARVs, who support people beginning the drug regime. Buddies need to be experienced, empathetic and reliable. Prosumption: Early adopter roles in this stage underpin the modification of existing or the creation of new of HIV/ AIDS PHIs by PLWHAs, which tend to reflect an improved consumer orientation compared to government or NGO PHIs. Social Entrepreneurs: found support groups or community organisations likely to enhance PLWHAs’ physical, emotional and material wellbeing. Social entrepreneurs need to be innovative, highly passionate, risk-taking and connected.

research highlights

Advocates: fight for better treatment of infected or affected individuals of HIV/AIDS who are neglected by the government and NGOs. Advocates need to be exceedingly resourceful, passionate and determined over time. Market Expansion: In this phase, early adopter roles reflect the need to access the financial, personnel, and socio-political resources needed to consolidate and grow the PLWHA community nationally. PLWHA Support Group Leaders: need to ensure that local support group members are motivated to work together to complete group projects. Support group leaders need to be consumer oriented, accountable, resourceful, and respected and have organizational ability. National PLWHA Community Leaders: inspire broader society to accept PLWHAs by acting as a community spokesperson and advocate. They forge useful connections between PLWHAs and non-PLWHAS leaders at national, regional and village levels. They need to be articulate, confident, open to change and aware of the general populations attitudes to PLWHAs. “They know to be careful not to bite the hand that feeds them!”

Local Initiators: are the first to admit within a social group to testing HIV+. Local initiators need to be open, autonomous and qualified risk-takers. They share their experiences with family and friends, admitting that the burden of their HIV+ status is too hard to bear alone.

Brand Loyalty: In this stage, early adopter roles complement inadequate government services needed to maintain widespread PLWHA adherence to adequate disease management and positive living.

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Early Adoption: During this stage, early adopter roles associate with providing the “social proof” that the disease HIV/AIDS exists, does not always associate with a sickly appearance, and that effective treatment (not cure) is available.

The Politician: wants the power to create change for PLWHAs such as gainful employment and the right to determine their futures. Not one informant was a politician but at least two of them aspired to the position. An overview of these roles suggests two underlying behavioral dimensions: 1) Early Adopter Capacity for Positive Deviance, and 2) Early Adopter Scope of Social Outreach.

Faculty of Economics and Business

The Lies Consumers Tell by Christina Anthony

Usually, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the marketer that is accused of deception. Past research has focused on innocent consumers duped by deceptive advertising, misleading product claims and representations. However, consumers may also lie in order to gain marketplace rewards that are otherwise unattainable. If consumers do tell lies in pursuit of better outcomes, they may feel differently about the experience. This research examines consumer lying behavior and how it affects the liarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happiness with the outcome. To examine this, the researchers used a negotiation task similar to a price matching guarantee scheme offered by many retailers. Participants were required to negotiate a mobile phone package deal with a salesperson. Participants were told that the salesperson would endeavour to match competitor offers. Lying was induced by manipulating the favorability of competitor information provided. Half of the participants were given strong competitor information, and therefore did not need to lie to get a good deal. However, the other half were given weak competitor information and therefore had to lie (i.e. falsely claim a more attractive competitor offer) to get a better outcome. The results reveal, that liars are happier than truth tellers with a deal, and that liars are more regretful than truth tellers when failing to secure a deal.

Why Does This Happen?

The decision to lie requires consideration of the alternative strategies and their consequences. Truth telling does not require this type of thinking. Previous research shows that thinking about alternative strategies and their possible outcomes, affects how people feel about the actual outcome. The results of this study, reveal that when liars get a deal, they think about how it could have been worse; they could have told the truth and received a bad deal. Therefore, they feel happier than truthtellers. When liars fail to get a deal, they think about how it could have been better; they could have at least told the truth. Therefore, they feel more regretful than truthtellers, who do not engage in this type of counterfactual thinking.

Does Money or Morality Matter? In

the final study, participants were subconsciously primed with either a financial or moral focus. Liars with a financial focus felt happier when they got a deal, and more regretful when they failed to get a deal. This provides evidence that participants in earlier studies were focused on the financial benefits associated with lying. However, liars with a moral focus felt worse when they got a deal, and less regretful when they did not manage to secure a deal. Our results show that in certain circumstances, consumers do not feel bad about good outcomes achieved deceptively, in fact they actually feel happier than truthtellers. Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the victim now?

research highlights

About The Marketing Discipline at The University of Sydney

The Marketing Discipline

Graduates in marketing take up numerous roles in marketing management, advertising, market research and consulting. They work across sectors - in commercial, government and notfor-profit organisations. An increasing number of graduates are in senior management positions including Managing Directors, Chief Executive Officers and Board Directors. The breadth of marketing provides room for all kinds of people - those who see themselves having more general people and communication skills and those who see themselves as being highly analytical and creative. Marketing is central to any organisation’s success and the demand for highly skilled marketers has never been stronger.

For more information:

Bettina Leate | Executive Officer Discipline of Marketing Faculty of Economics and Business Level 5 | Economics and Business Building H69 The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 P: +61 2 9351 6603 | F: +61 2 9351 6732 E: b.leate@econ.usyd.edu.au www.econ.usyd.edu.au

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E & B Media (formerly the Film Unit) is part of the Faculty of Economics and Business and is made up of academics and practitioners with expertise in film production, education and marketing. Our staff includes professional camera operators, editors, script writers and producers.

Film Unit

The Faculty’s commitment to undertaking innovative research that captures the imagination and is of value to end users can be seen in the establishment and support of the Film Unit. Anthropologists have long used the medium of film in compiling data and presenting the findings of their ethnographic fieldwork, but the business disciplines, until recently, have rarely moved beyond their traditional forms of academic research and discourse. The Faculty’s Film Unit reflects the Faculty’s desire to go beyond those traditional boundaries and to be at the forefront of the increasing use of multimedia by academics across the world.

The value of using film has been increasingly recognised by academic consumer researchers. For example, The Association for Consumer Research (ACR) now runs film festivals every year in different locations around the world. In 2008, films produced by the Faculty Film Unit were screened at the ACR Film Festival in San Paulo, Brazil and the ACR Film Festival in San Francisco. This year, the Director of the Film Unit – Marylouise Caldwell – was offered the role of Film Festival Director (along with Professor Russell Belk) to chair these peer reviewed film festivals.

The Faculty’s teaching and research benefits form strong links with business, professional associations and governments drawing on the industry experience of our staff as well as the Discipline’s Advisory Board, which is made up of some of Australia’s leading marketing practitioners.

E & B Media

Faculty of Economics and Business

After experiencing rapid growth, the Discipline of Marketing at The University of Sydney is now considered at the forefront of advancing marketing knowledge through research and teaching, and is a leading provider of undergraduate and post graduate Marketing education.

The Faculty Film Unit has now produced a variety of consumer films. They range from consumer brand loyalty in the context of celebrity fandom; consumer response to experience of stigma in the contexts of HIV Aids sufferers in Botswana and that of Western Suburbs working-class Heavy Metal enthusiasts; the fluidity of gender identity in the case of young female achievers; and the consequences of limited public health services for poor and rural mothers in Pakistan. Testing of these representations on marketing practitioners suggests that these representations resonate strongly and engender a stronger consumer orientation. These responses contrast starkly with the typically emotionally flat responses to traditional marketing research reports.

The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

Faculty Research Unit Ph: +61 2 9351 5476 Fax: +61 2 9351 5283 Email: researchunit@econ.usyd.edu.au Postgraduate research Student inquiries Ph: +61 2 9351 3086 Fax: +61 2 9351 5283 Email: pgresearch@econ.usyd.edu.au www.econ.usyd.edu.au/powered_by_research