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CUSTOMER RESEARCH ACADEMY WORKSHOP (CRAWS)
7th CRAWS Conference: 14-15th April 2011

“Emerging Issues in Transformative Consumer Research and Social Marketing”

Conference Chairs:

Maria Piacentini and Laura Salciuviene, Lancaster University Management School
Kathy Keeling and Emma Banister, Manchester Business School

The Customer Research Academy was established to provide a forum for academics who are researching customer (consumer, marketer and organisation) behaviour. The aim of the Workshop series is to provide an opportunity to examine the latest leading-edge theoretical, empirical and methodological progress in customer research across consumer and organisational markets, including profit and not-for-profit sectors. Following six successful conferences, the 7th CRAWS conference will involve a series of themed discussions on the broad theme of transformative consumer research and social marketing. Transformative consumer research refers to research that expects to enhance the welfare of individuals and society (Mick, 2007), and in this workshop we aim to uncover a range of relevant issues and challenges for transformative consumer research, such as:

• Consumers and health related behaviours
• Use of technology to enhance consumer welfare
• Consumer risk taking and product misuse
• Responsible business practices to address social welfare concerns
• Private and public sectors working together
• Philanthropy and consumer welfare
• The role of social marketing in relation to public policy
• Methodological issues involved in conducting transformative consumer and social marketing research (e.g. researching vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers; ethical issues associated with vulnerable populations; dealing with sensitive topics)
• New contributions to marketing theory from transformative consumer and social marketing research.

Participants will talk briefly about their research papers and the workshop format means that the emphasis throughout will be on informality to encourage discussion; to foster opportunities for the development of research collaborations; and to build networks of national and international scholarship in customer behaviour.

Venue: The 2011 workshop will be held at “Chancellors” – the University of Manchester Conference Centre, which has en-suite accommodation available on-site. It will be begin on Thursday 14th April, and end at lunchtime Friday 15th April. The cost will be £185 to include the workshop fee, one night accommodation and all meals.

For this 2011 workshop, we are also hoping to offer virtual attendance, probably through WIMBA classroom, so distance need not be a barrier to taking part in the discussions!

Paper Abstracts: We invite you to submit an abstract which could deal with one of the themes listed above or other topics appropriate to the conference focus. Abstracts should focus on research in progress or completed research into customer behaviour in consumer or business-to-business markets and should identify the contribution of the research (i.e. theoretical/conceptual; empirical; methodological). Abstracts should be on one page, 300-400 words and should include the author(s) name, affiliation, address, telephone, fax and e-mail. They should be submitted by 20th December 2010 to: Dr. Maria Piacentini, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4XY. Tel: (+44) 1524 592399 ; Email: m.piacentini@lancaster.ac.uk.

Successful Papers: Abstracts will be reviewed by an internal panel and authors notified during January 2011. Successful participants will be expected to bring copies of their completed papers to the workshop. There will be a special issue of the Journal of Consumer Behaviour based on the workshop, and authors will be invited to submit full papers for double-blind review by September 1st 2011. The special issue of Journal of Consumer Behaviour will be published in March/April 2012.

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