Working Papers

The findings and value of market research depend critically on consumers understanding of the research objectives and their roles. The present research presents a three-phase investigation of the impact of research participants theories about…

In this paper we describe how margins in the channel vary over time within a product category and identify the market, manufacturer, and retailer characteristics that explain this variation. To obtain the equilibrium margins, we explicitly model…

This paper examines a common assertion that customers in reward programs become “locked in” as they accumulate credits toward earning a reward. We define a measure of switching costs and use a dynamic structural model of demand in a reward…

This research models the dynamics of customer relationships using typical transaction data. It permits the evaluation of the effectiveness of customer-brand encounters on the dynamics of customer relationships and the subsequent buying behavior.…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between technological capabilities and firm performance. We divide technological capabilities into two types refinement capability, which involves the improvement of the existing asset…

There is a growing consensus that preferences are inherently constructive and largely determined by the task characteristics, the choice context, and the description of options. Although the fact that construction influences often play an…

We quantify the impact of social interactions and peer effects in the context of prescription choices by physicians. Using detailed individual-level prescription data, along with self-reported social network information, we document that…

Can the type of polling place in which people vote (e.g. church, school, or firehouse) influence how they cast their ballot? Results of two studies suggest it can. A field study using Arizona‘s 2000 general election found that voters were more…

This paper presents a method to forecast the sales path of an improved version of a high technology product defined in terms of its price path and multiattribute product specification. The approach is potentially useful to managers to answer what…

In this research, we investigate the impact of significant life experiences on intertemporal decisions among young adults. A series of experiments focus specifically on the impact of experiencing the death of a close other by cancer. We show that…

We present a framework to measure empirically the size of indirect network effects in high-technology markets with competing incompatible technology standards. These indirect network effects arise due to inter-dependence in demand for hardware…

Firms in durable good product markets face incentives to intertemporally price discriminate, by setting high initial prices to sell to consumers with the highest willingness to pay, and cutting prices thereafter to appeal to those with lower…

We study how the intensity of competition and the degree to which manufacturers enjoy market power depends on the retail environment in a given market. Past research has discussed the growing importance of retailers and the power they enjoy over…

A heavily used competitive tactic in the grocery business is the weekly advertising of price reductions in newspaper inserts and store fliers. Store managers commonly believe that advertisements of price reductions and loss leaders help to build…

We propose that the variety a brand offers can influence brand quality perceptions, and consequently, affect brand choice, even when the available option set is held constant. Specifically, brands that offer greater variety of compatible (i.e.,…

The authors propose a new approach for measuring, analyzing, and predicting a brands equity in a product market. Brand equity is defined as the incremental contribution ($) per year obtained by the brand in comparison to the underlying product (…

Although the argument that unconscious inputs are often key determinants of consumer decision making is compelling, it may be overstated, particularly with respect to consumer choice. A comparison of the role of conscious inputs (e.g., the…

We provide a theoretical framework for studying mate search and selection based on a two-sided matching model. Guided by the model, we study dating behavior using data from an experimental dating market, where we generate random matching of…

Customers expectations are key determinants of their consumption experiences, satisfaction, and loyalty. Therefore, knowing in advance what customers expect is critical for the success of marketing strategies. We examine alternative predictions…

When asked about the impact of unit manufacturing cost reductions on gross profit, many managers and academics assume that returns will be diminishing, i.e., that the first cent of unit cost reduction will generate more incremental gross profit…