���������

INTEREST CATEGORY: MARKETING RESEARCH
POSTING TYPE: Calls: Journals

Posted by: Kevin L. Sample

---

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science

Call for Papers for a Special Issue

Measuring Important Marketing Constructs

Guest Editors

John Hulland, University of Georgia
Kevin L. Sample, University of South Carolina
David M. Hardesty, University of Kentucky

Submission Window: June 1, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Anticipated Publication: late 2028

Introduction and Background

Marketing scholarship often involves using constructs to better understand important and emerging phenomena. Emphasizing the important role of constructs, Newman et al. (2016, p. 945) suggest that rather “than being theory-driven or phenomenon-driven …much of the excellent scholarship in management might well be characterized as construct-based.” Constructs represent key conceptual elements that connect theory with empirical observation (e.g., Bagozzi’s “Holistic Construal” (Bagozzi, 1984)). Validly measuring a construct that has theoretical consequences makes it easier to compare study findings, enhances generalizability, and facilitates the development and testing of theory (Hinkin 1995; Netemeyer, Bearden, and Sharma, 2003).

However, because theories evolve and phenomenological contexts change, the connections between constructs and measures need to be reevaluated from time to time (Haws, Sample, and Hulland, 2023). Furthermore, as Compeau, Correia, and Thatcher (2022, p. 680) suggest, the constructs themselves need to be reviewed to avoid “construct obsolescence”; continuing “a scholarly tradition without questioning the reuse of existing constructs … threatens our ability to understand the present and emerging phenomena.” Thus, using outdated constructs as well as their associated measures risks generating flawed research insights. To deal with this tension between established practice and evolving needs, scholars have suggested various solutions that include “construct mixology” (combinations of old constructs to devise new ones; see Newman et al. 2016) as well as more systematic assessments of when and how measures may need to be either revised or replaced (e.g., Compeau et al., 2022).

Special Issue Focus and Potential Topics

Despite the recent guidance summarized above, there is growing evidence that marketing scholars frequently follow ad hoc practices to measure focal constructs (e.g., see Haws et al. 2023). When existing measures are updated, too often little detail is provided regarding the changes employed or the validity of the resulting measures. However, such information is critical if we want to “make the science and art of marketing less haphazard and more subject to evaluation and control” (Bagozzi, 1984, p. 27). In an era when the social sciences are faced with a growing “replication crisis” (Loken & Gelman, 2017), marketing scholars need to both properly define focal constructs and employ rigorous empirical processes to ensure that their associated measures are reliable and valid.

The editors of this special issue are interested in receiving papers that explore measurement issues related to the definition, development, and use of important marketing constructs, both established and emergent. Contributions should help researchers identify important constructs useful to marketing practice (consumer behavior and/or strategic insights are appropriate), focusing on relevant, reliable, and valid measures strongly associated with the focal construct. Consideration of useful measures should look beyond traditional approaches (e.g., attitudes/intentions). For example, Hulland and Houston (2021) advocate strongly for the use of behavioral outcome measures, noting that intentions are often not reliable predictors of important managerial outcomes. Papers should emphasize managerially relevant findings associated with their focal constructs in addition to making methodological and/or theoretical contributions. We are also open to papers that describe novel methodological approaches to the measurement of constructs as well as more theoretical papers that explore aspects of empirical construct definition, refinement, and revitalization.

A sample of potential topics linking measures and constructs includes (but is not limited to):

• The role of biometrics in measuring and/or shaping constructs
• Examining how data mining might be used to operationalize constructs
• Development of new scales for emerging and important marketing constructs
• Using constructs to guide improvements in experimental design
• Investigating the role(s) played by AI in defining/refining constructs, generating relevant measures, and assessing the reliability and validity of those measures
• Developing refinements to the scale development process
• Using Item Response Theory analysis

Submission Guidelines

Papers targeting this special issue should be submitted through the JAMS submission system (). They will undergo a review process similar to the one used for regularly submitted papers. All authors should carefully review the AMS Publishing Code of Ethics before submission: .

Submissions for the special issue begin June 1, 2026, with a final submission deadline of July 31, 2026. Please direct questions pertaining to the special issue to John Hulland (jhulland@uga.edu)

John Hulland is the Nalley Distinguished Professor at the Terry College of Business, University of Georgia. His current research focuses on improving scale development practices and understanding the Dark Web. John’s research has appeared in many leading journals, including JAMS, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, and Marketing Science. He is resigned to what seems like a never-ending assignment as head of the Terry Marketing Department and served enthusiastically as JAMS editor-in-chief for six years. Prior to joining UGA in 2011, John taught at the University of Pittsburgh for ten years, and before that at the Ivey Business School in Canada. He received his PhD from MIT.

Kevin L. Sample is an assistant professor of marketing at the Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. His research examines how design and visual elements influence consumer behavior, as well as the measurement and communication of latent consumer constructs. He places particular emphasis on multi-item scales, including best practices for scale development and usage. Dr. Sample has published articles in journals such as the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Consumer Research,��Journal of Marketing Research,��and Journal of Retailing. He currently serves on the editorial review board of the Journal of Marketing and the Journal of Consumer Psychology where he was recognized by the latter with Outstanding Reviewer Awards in 2023 and 2024.

David M. Hardesty is a University Research Professor and holds the Carol Martin Gatton Endowed Chair of Marketing at the Gatton College of Business & Economics, University of Kentucky. He has served as the Department Chair, Director of the Behavioral Research Lab, and Director of Graduate Studies. David’s research focuses on the behavioral aspects of pricing, emotional intelligence, political ideology, and measurement. He has published in journals such as the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and the Journal of Retailing. Previously, he was a faculty member at the University of Miami and the University of Southern Mississippi. He received his doctorate from the University of South Carolina.

References

Bagozzi, R. P. (1984), “A prospectus for theory construction in marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 48 (1), 11-29.

Compeau, D., Correia, J., & Thatcher, J. B. (2022), “When constructs become obsolete: A systematic approach to evaluating and updating constructs for information systems research,” MIS Quarterly, 46 (2), 679-711.

Haws, K. L., Sample, K. L., & Hulland, J. (2023), “Scale use and abuse: Towards best practices in the deployment of scales,” Journal of Consumer Psychology, 33, 226-243.

Hinkin, T. R. (1995), “A review of scale development practices in the study of organizations,” Journal of Management, 21 (5), 967-988.

Hulland, J., & Houston, M. B. (2021), “The importance of behavioral outcomes,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49 (3), 437-440.

Loken, E., & Gelman, A. (2017), “Measurement error and the replication crisis,” Science, 355 (6325), 584-585.

Netemeyer, R. G., Bearden, W. O., & Sharma, S. (2003), Scaling procedures: Issues and applications. Sage Publications.

Newman, D. A., Harrison, D. A., Carpenter, N. C., & Rariden, S. M. (2016), “Construct mixology: Forming new management constructs by combining old ones,” Academy of Management Annals, 10 (1), 943-995.