Transformative Consumer Research
Introduction
Transformative Consumer Research: Inspiring Scholarship for Collective and Personal Well-Being, Hanover, NH, 6-8 Jul 2007; Deadline 31 Jan 2007
: : : Posting
: : call
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 21:44:06 -0400
From: "Mick, David" <dgm9t@comm.virginia.edu>
In the fall of 2005, a new and broad-based endeavor began at ACR to more effectively foster, support, and distribute research insights that can improve quality of life as related to consumer behaviors. This movement has been named Transformative Consumer Research. Excitement over the promise and value of Transformative Consumer Research is rapidly building. The Board of Directors of the association approved the formation of a dedicated 12-member Advisory Committee to oversee the development of Transformative Consumer Research, the Kellogg Foundation has given the association an initial seed grant of $30,000 to begin underwriting research, and the Journal of Consumer Research has announced a related issue on consumer welfare.
Another stimulating development is now taking shape. The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College has offered to host and support the first conference on Transformative Consumer Research, in conjunction with the Marketing Science Institute and the Association for Consumer Research. The conference will be titled "Transformative Consumer Research: Inspiring Scholarship for Collective and Personal Well-Being" and it will take place from July 6 – 8, 2007 at the Tuck School in Hanover, New Hampshire. There will be no registration fee for the conference. In addition, the Tuck School has generously offered to fund housing (in its executive education accommodations) as well as all food/refreshments for up to 60 attendees (specifically, for the lead presenters of accepted papers and abstracts, for invited speakers, and for selected doctoral students). Tuck support will also extend to all food/refreshments for another 80-plus individuals who attend the conference (these individuals can stay at their expense at the nearby Hanover Inn or other nearby hotels).
In addition, the Marketing Science Institute has pledged $8,000 to be used as travel scholarships, earmarked for doctoral students, and potentially for junior faculty who have limited travel funds. MSI has also pledged $2,000 to be used for best papers/abstracts and best poster awards.
The goals of the conference are (1) to motivate increased consumer research that begins with, and directly addresses, an important challenge, problem, or opportunity in consumer behavior that has an essential role in the well-being of people and other living beings and (2) to guide consumer researchers in designing, conducting, and communicating their scholarship to maximize the likelihood that consumers, their representatives, and/or other individuals charged with overseeing human and ecological welfare can learn about and act upon the insights. Related to point one, the research focus may be topical (e.g., healthy life style, compulsive buying, financial decision making) or sub-group oriented in which the group has particular challenges or problems of consumer behavior essential to their well-being (e.g., elderly persons, visually impaired people, impoverished people, certain other species affected by particular consumer behaviors). The crucial criterion for transformative consumer research, and the general thrust of this conference, is that the scholarship can truly lead to changes in consumer behaviors for common and personal good. Interdisciplinary TCR will be especially championed (e.g., combining social scientists or health researchers with consumer researchers on topics such as obesity, smoking, gambling, parenting and consumption, the elderly and consumption, financial decision making, etc.).
More Details on the Conference, Submissions, and Applications
CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS:
Punam Anand Keller
Tuck School of Business
Dartmouth College
David Mick
McIntire School of Commerce
University of Virginia
DEADLINE for all submissions and applications: January 31, 2007.
SEND submissions and applications to: Holly.A.Harrison@Dartmouth.edu
Researchers seeking to present their work must submit a cover letter and a full manuscript (following the JCR style sheet) or an extended abstract (500 – 750 words) in the case of work-in-progress or work-in-planning-phase. All submissions will be assessed by 2 – 3 external reviewers. The conference co-chairs will make final decisions on the submissions and communicate the outcomes to the authors by about April 15, 2007. Criteria for judging the submissions will follow closely the goals of the conference as stated above, particularly in welcoming rigorous research that can truly lead to changes in consumer behaviors for common and personal well-being. Authors who have especially limited travel funds for coming to this conference may include in their cover letter a statement of need for travel support in the event that their manuscript or extended abstract is accepted. A small number of these authors (only one author on a given submission) will receive $500 travel support grants.
In addition, we welcome doctoral students to the conference who have strong interests in Transformative Consumer Research but who do not have a relevant manuscript or extended abstract at this time. They should supply a detailed letter (2- 3 pages) by the submission deadline that states their research interests and plans as related to TCR, its mission, and criteria (e.g., an overview of potential dissertation topic and design). Doctoral students whose applications are accepted will be given free accommodations at the Tuck executive residence facility. Each of their application letters (research interests and descriptions) will form the basis for a poster board position during the poster session to be scheduled at the conference for late Saturday afternoon, July 7th. Doctoral student applicants to the conference should also list 3 – 5 published research projects that fit the TCR mission and have inspired them to conduct similar work. Doctoral students involved in the poster session will also be eligible for a small number of travel scholarships (up to $500) if they indicate on their applications their need for such support.
Other scholars who wish to attend the conference but are not submitting papers or abstracts should send a cover letter of application, expressing their interests and goals to attend, on or before the submission deadline of January 31, 2007. These scholars whose applications are accepted will have all food and refreshments provided during the conference. Accommodations at personal expense will be available at the nearby Hanover Inn.
Registration and pick-up of conference materials will begin at noon, on Friday July 6th and the conference will officially begin that afternoon at 4pm. There will be social hours and dinners (with guest speakers) each of the two evenings of the conference (July 6th and 7th). The conference will end at noon on Sunday, July 8th.
Inquiries or questions can be directed to either of the conference co-chairs:
Punam Anand Keller: punam.keller@dartmouth.edu
David Mick: dmick@virginia.edu
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