Student Anxiety, Preparation, and Learning Framework for Responding to External Crises: The Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy as a Coping Mechanism

In response to the Journal of Marketing Education special issue on teaching turmoil and triumphs in times of crisis, we develop and test a student anxiety, preparation and learning framework for responding to external crises. We use structural equation modeling to assess how COVID-19 anxiety impacts classrelated anxiety, class preparation, and class learning, and how these then affect class satisfaction and intent to pursue a sales career. Using three sequential virtual sales competitions, we test our model in the immediate aftermath of the transition from live in-class learning to virtual learning brought on by COVID-19, offering an ideal setting for investigating marketing education in a time of crisis. The findings are unique, and show that how crises are managed impacts the deleterious effects of anxiety on education and learning. While anxiety had the greatest influence on class preparation, class preparation in turn was not related to class learning, class satisfaction, nor intent to pursue a sales career. However, when digital self-efficacy was considered as a moderator, the expected effects of class preparation emerged. Our findings contribute to multiple theoretical contexts, including anxiety, crisis management, self-efficacy, marketing education, and virtual sales role-plays.

Visual Style of Embodied Virtual Sales Agents

The present study explored the effects of naturalism-stylization visual style of embodied virtual agents in an e-commerce website. An experiment was conducted in which participants (n=110) were paired with either the naturalistic or stylized agent that simulated the roles of a virtual sales assistant. It was shown that stylized agent produced significantly higher social perceptions of agent, perceived website social presence, perceived website social support than naturalistic agent. Moreover, stylized agent evoked significantly higher sense of website trust and lower perceived website financial risk from participants as compared to naturalistic agent. Further, the effects of visual style of agent on perceived website social presence was fully mediated by social perceptions of agent whereas the effects of visual style of agent on perceived website social support was partially mediated by perceived website social presence. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in this paper.

Directions of introduction of innovation-investment and marketing strategies for effective development of rural green tourism enterprises

The subject of the research is the theoretical and practical aspects of defining and implementing innovation, investment and marketing strategies to increase the competitiveness of rural green tourism enterprises and the reproduction of rural areas. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the main components and directions of implementation of innovation, investment and marketing strategies to ensure the effective development of rural green tourism enterprises, taking into account others, including problematic factors of their locations. Methodological basis of the article were the main theoretical and methodological provisions of economics, regulations of Ukraine, the works of leading foreign and domestic scientists in economics, marketing and management of tourism enterprises. Results of work. The importance of using innovation-investment and marketing strategies for the effective development of rural green tourism enterprises is substantiated in the work. Their main components and directions are determined. The main problems were identified and the forecast of the expected results of involvement was made. The field of application of results. The results can be used by rural green tourism enterprises, united territorial communities, regional and state authorities. Conclusions. Innovations are of paramount importance in increasing the efficiency of rural green tourism enterprises in the knowledge economy. Therefore, it is important to group them by areas of implementation. Investing in the development of rural green tourism enterprises is recognized as one of the main problems hindering their spread due to the low incomes of the vast majority of the rural population on the one hand and housing and other conditions that need improvement on the other. Therefore, determining their sources and reserves is of paramount importance. Marketing strategies are of paramount importance for the development of rural green tourism enterprises. Their main tools are brands and trademarks; virtual sales; advertising and PR-technologies, detailed by enterprises and agro-villages; tourist goods, unique and inherent in certain rural areas (food, cosmetics, crafts); attractions and services.

Running With Your Hair on Fire: Lessons Learned From Transitioning a National University Sales Competition From Face-to-Face to Virtual in 16 Days

Since their inception, university sales competitions have been key learning and educational components of university sales education. Over the past two decades, the oldest and one of the largest sales competitions in the United States has been held in a face-to-face format. However, due to the educational environment created from the COVID-19 pandemic, this competition was forced to convert to a virtual format over a 16-day period. This research outlines the steps taken to convert this event to virtual format and presents insights for other universities endeavoring to produce virtual sales competition events. Finally, research implications and direction for future research are presented.

Virtual Sales Versus Classical Sales: A Perspective From Brazilian Airlines Customers

The present paper aims to contribute to the debate about the use of digital marketing and relationship marketing tools for travel sales, and their respective reflexes in the customers preferences by virtual or classical sales channels of airlines tickets in Brazil. Therefore, it was applied a survey with 80 regular customers from domestic flights. It was identified that most of the respondents tend to buy their tickets into virtual sales channels, mainly in those that are better organized and offer the best rates. For those who chose for traditional channels tend to buy tickets from the airlines that focus on keeping a good service throughout the sales process, and also analyzing factors such as quality of service and safety. It was also concluded that it is extremely important to invest in digital marketing and relationships tools, once passengers are each more looking for a fair price combined with good quality.