Speaking of research: oral history and marketing history

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Crawford ◽  
Matthew Bailey
Keyword(s):  
Oral History ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Market Research ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Oral Histories ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing History ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
History Of ◽  
Retail Property

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of oral history for marketing historians and provide case studies from projects in the Australian context to demonstrate its utility. These case studies are framed within a theme of market research and its historical development in two industries: advertising and retail property. Design/methodology/approach This study examines oral histories from two marketing history projects. The first, a study of the advertising industry, examines the globalisation of the advertising agency in Australia over the period spanning the 1950s to the 1980s, through 120 interviews. The second, a history of the retail property industry in Australia, included 25 interviews with executives from Australia’s largest retail property firms whose careers spanned from the mid-1960s through to the present day. Findings The research demonstrates that oral histories provide a valuable entry port through which histories of marketing, shifts in approaches to market research and changing attitudes within industries can be examined. Interviews provided insights into firm culture and practices; demonstrated the variability of individual approaches within firms and across industries; created a record of the ways that market research has been conducted over time; and revealed the ways that some experienced operators continued to rely on traditional practices despite technological advances in research methods. Originality/value Despite their ubiquity, both the advertising and retail property industries in Australia have received limited scholarly attention. Recent scholarship is redressing this gap, but more needs to be understood about the inner workings of firms in an historical context. Oral histories provide an avenue for developing such understandings. The paper also contributes to broader debates about the role of oral history in business and marketing history.

Oral History and the Business History of Emerging Markets

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
GEOFFREY JONES ◽  
RACHAEL COMUNALE
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Oral History ◽  
Business History ◽  
Oral Histories ◽  
Sensitive Topics ◽  
History Of ◽  
Shed Light

This article highlights the benefits that rigorous use of oral history can offer to research on the contemporary business history of emerging markets. Oral history can help fill some of the major information voids arising from the absence of a strong tradition of creating and making accessible corporate archives in most countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It also permits a level of nuance that is hard to obtain even if written archives are accessible. Oral histories provide insights into why events did not occur, and why companies have chosen certain industries over others. Oral history can also shed light on hyper-sensitive topics, such corruption, which are rarely formally documented.

Karl E. Weick and the dawning awareness of organized cognition

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 1287-1299 ◽  
Author(s):  
William H Starbuck
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Major Activity ◽  
Sharp Focus ◽  
Thought Leader ◽  
History Of ◽  
Karl Weick ◽  
Struggle For Recognition ◽  
Cognitive Perspectives

Purpose – Cognitive perspectives have emerged from many years of struggle for recognition, and grown into a dominant theme in psychology. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what Karl Weick expressed as important themes in this struggle, made major contributions to the content of cognitive psychology, and helped to make cognition relevant for organizational behavior. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews key developments in the history of psychology, points out central issues, and summarizes Weick’s contributions. Findings – Weick brought sensemaking into sharp focus as a major activity of people and organizations. His writings established information processing as the core of organizational activities. He also showed how sensemaking affects organizational reliability. Originality/value – Weick is one of the authors whom management scholars cite very often because he has been a thought leader. The paper places Weick’s work in historical context and points to his major contributions.

scholarly journals Paprika Schlesinger

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Hawkins
Keyword(s):  
Primary Sources ◽  
National Library ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Complete Set ◽  
State Library ◽  
The City ◽  
Project Partner

Purpose This paper explores the development of a luxury retail shoe brand in Belle Époque Vienna. Design/methodology/approach Footwear retailing and marketing history is a neglected area. Unfortunately, no business records have survived from Robert Schlesinger’s shoe stores. However, it has been possible to reconstruct the history of the development of the Paprika Schlesinger brand from its extensive advertising in the Viennese newspaper, the Neue Freie Presse, with the guidance of the founder’s grandson, Prof Robert A. Shaw, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Birkbeck, University of London, England. This case study would not have been possible without the digitization of some major collections of primary sources. In 2014, the European Union’s Europeana digitization initiative launched a new portal via the Library of Europe website which provides access to selected digitized historic newspaper collections in libraries across Europe. The project partners include the Austrian National Library which has digitized full runs of several major historic Austrian newspapers, including the Neue Freie Presse. Other project partners which have digitized historic newspapers which are relevant to this paper are the Landesbibliothek Dr Friedrich Teßmann of Italy’s Südtirol region, the National Library of France and the Berlin State Library. An associate project partner library, the Slovenian National and University Library’s Digital Library of Slovenia, has also digitized relevant historic newspapers. Furthermore, the City of Vienna has digitized a complete set of Vienna city directories as part of its Wienbibliothek Digital project. Findings This paper suggests that Robert Schlesinger created one of the first European luxury retail shoe brands. Originality/value This is the first academic study of the historical development of the advertising and marketing of a European luxury retail shoe brand.

Creating history: a case study in making oral histories more accessible in the digital age

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristopher Turner
Keyword(s):  
Oral History ◽  
School Library ◽  
Law School ◽  
Oral Histories ◽  
University Of Kentucky ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Of Wisconsin ◽  
The Law ◽  
Time Required ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how the University of Wisconsin Law School Library sought to create easily searchable oral histories by partnering with the University of Kentucky and the University of Wisconsin Oral History Program. Through this partnership, a digital archive of fully searchable and indexed oral histories with links to relevant articles, Library of Congress keywords, summaries and maps is being created, giving users the ability to delve into the Law School’s history more deeply and with more historical perspective than ever before. Design/methodology/approach The implementation of the Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS) and the development of a daily workflow for adding University of Wisconsin Law School oral histories to the program is closely examined. The pros and cons of the program are discussed as well as the future of the Law School oral histories. Findings The OHMS program is a powerful tool that allows researchers to quickly and easily locate relevant portions of an oral history, saving the time required to review hours of an interview. OHMS also allows archivists and librarians to better organize and catalog each oral history by providing important metadata tools that provide context and background on each unique oral history. Originality/value The University of Wisconsin Law School is the first law school to implement the OHMS program in concert with an institutional repository. The program, which is free and open source, may be of great value to historians, archivists and non-profits who wish to make their content more visible and more searchable.

Thinking about thinking

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dick Martin
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Forward Direction ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Motion ◽  
Michael Porter ◽  
History Of

Purpose – Business strategists can easily become slaves to their inbox or to the passing enthusiasm of the times, their supervisors or outside influencers, ranging from social activists to securities analysts and investment bankers. This article seeks to put their work in historical context and to encourage them to engage in meta-cognition – a deep consideration of their role in helping to shape their business’s response to its current environment and challenges. Design/methodology/approach – The article reviews the history of modern business strategy and divides it into three major phases, centered on the theories and practices of three strategists: Frederick Taylor, Peter Drucker and Michael Porter. The author suggests that each of these strategists was addressing the key business questions of their time and influenced the thinking of others who built on – and in many cases improved on – their theories and models. He suggests that a business strategist’s thinking should build on the work of those who came before in responding to contemporary questions of importance to their firm. Findings – Business strategy is fundamentally an exercise in understanding and improving business performance and growth. It requires a depth of sophisticated thought that can be sharpened and focused through meta-cognition – thinking about thinking, i.e. a thoughtful consideration of what dominates our thinking and why. Practical implications – This article invites practicing strategists to find their own place on that arc. Originality/value – The article presents the history of business strategy as an arc of inquiry that has forward direction, moving inexorably outward, from time–motion studies on the shop floor, to the human beings who occupied it, and to the larger society in which they and the firm live. It invites practicing strategists to find their own place on that arc.

The symbol of Saint Gióng and the Gióng festival in the historical context of Vietnam

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-45
Author(s):  
Hai Hong Dinh
Keyword(s):  
Cultural History ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Core Element ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
Gradual Transformation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to trace the way in which a popular ritual became one of Vietnam’s most important festivals, elevated as a celebration of national heroism and charts its gradual transformation in modern society. Design/methodology/approach This research focuses on the combination of a fertility rite and narratives of St Gióng based on nationalism or heroism created a special festival reflecting many traditional cultural characteristics of Vietnam and the Việt people and the transformation of St Gióng from a mythological to a national symbol of heroism in anti-invader history was recorded in texts. Findings The paper casts light on the mythologization and historicization of St Gióng in Vietnam’s particular historical context by decoding the Gióng symbol as a core element of the folktales and myths about St Gióng to understand the formation and development of St Gióng in the cultural history of Vietnam. Research limitations/implications The paper is not exploring the Gióng symbol within a larger cultural context of nationalism and ethnosymbolic approach in a comparison of national symbolism and heroism. Practical implications The paper includes implications for advised scholars to conduct further exploration of the symbol and myth of not only St Gióng in Vietnam but also Kubera in India and Vaisravana in China to connect Kubera, Vaisravana and St Gióng under the connection of literal myth and heroic symbol. Social implications The paper shows how processes of historicizing myth and mythologizing history are important features of Vietnamese socio-historical research. Originality/value The paper shows how a fertility rite became a historical festival and the figure of St Gióng became a symbol of patriotic heroism.

Tarakkvlkv (Land of Palms)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Mahoney
Keyword(s):  
Collective Memory ◽  
Oral History ◽  
Settlement Patterns ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Recent History ◽  
Oral Histories ◽  
History Of ◽  
The U.S

The recent history of the Brighton reservation is contained in the settlement patterns of the camps established by the various groups moving onto lands of a hostile government. Collective memory is transferred through oral histories, but the patterns that emerge can be viewed through a broad temporal lens to reveal the sociocultural motivations of the broader population. The location of camps near the periphery of the reservation in the early years speaks to the mistrust of the families concerned about the ease of escape should they find themselves in peril from the U.S. government. Two decades later the clustering of camps near schools, roads, and trading stores demonstrates a transition and connectedness to the non-Seminole world. These years were certainly formative in the history of the Tribe. GIS is the tool the THPO uses to draw together oral history and archaeological information in the telling of these important stories.

Ancient DNA

2019 ◽  
pp. 205-223
Author(s):  
Noreen Tuross ◽  
Michael G. Campana
Keyword(s):  
Human Genome ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Ancient Dna ◽  
Roman History ◽  
Ancient History ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Before And After ◽  
History Of ◽  
Adna Analysis

This chapter examines how ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis has helped reconstruct ancient history. It focuses in particular on cases investigating Roman history. History leaves traces in the human genome as well as those of pathogens and domesticates. While much can be gleaned from the genetic fossils preserved in extant genomes, genomes are palimpsests, with more recent events overwriting previous ones in part. The study of aDNA—DNA preserved in archaeological, paleontological, and museum sources—permits investigations into the genome before and after historic events and observations into how it evolves in real time. The field of aDNA also has a palimpsestic nature in which older results are not only extended and revised, but totally discarded due to rapid technological advances. The chapter briefly describes biochemistry of ancient DNA and the history of its research. Through several key case studies, it shows the potential for aDNA research to clarify the course of ancient history, and also highlights some of its weaknesses and limitations.

The evolution of data analytics through the lens of business cases

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepanta Sharafuddin ◽  
Ivan Belik
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Real World ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Business Cases

PurposeThe present study provides a comprehensive review of the evolution of data analytics using real-world cases. The purpose is to provide a distinct overview of where the phenomenon was derived from, where it currently stands and where it is heading.Design/methodology/approachThree case studies were selected to represent three different eras of data analytics: Yesterday (1950s–1990s), Today (2000s–2020s) and Tomorrow (2030s–2050s).FindingsRapid changes in information technologies more likely moving us towards a more cyber-physical society, where an increasing number of devices, people and corporations are connected. We can expect the development of a more connected cyber society, open for data exchange than ever before.Social implicationsThe analysis of technological trends through the lens of representative real-world cases helps to clarify where data analytics was derived from, where it currently stands and where it is heading towards. The presented case studies accentuate that data analytics is constantly evolving with no signs of stagnation.Originality/valueAs the field of data analytics is constantly evolving, the study of its evolution based on particular studies aims to better understand the paradigm shift in data analytics and the resulting technological advances in the IT business through the representative real-life cases.

A little bit of marketing history repeating

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 10-12
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing History ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – The effect of ‘word of mouth’ on publicising a product or service has achieved almost mythical status for marketers and marketing researchers alike. From the ‘sleeper hit’ of films such as The Shawshank Redemption to the rapid spread of successful brands of cigarettes or chocolate bars, everyone involved in understanding the how and the why of selling goods have been fascinated by a seemingly impenetrable phenomenon. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organisations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document