For-profit Market Research Articles

Nonprofit Marketing: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT This systematic review delves into the realm of nonprofit marketing (NPM) by synthesizing empirical studies published between 2013 and 2022 across various sectors. Employing a meticulous screening process, we examined 62 articles sourced from reputable databases such as Science Direct, Elsevier, JSTOR, Emerald, Springer, Wiley Online Library, SAGE, and Google Scholar. Our objective was to provide a comprehensive overview and enhance understanding in the field of nonprofit marketing. The analysis of these selected articles revealed eight pivotal themes within NPM: marketing strategy, fundraising, collaboration, trust, branding, entrepreneurship, social media campaigns, and performance measurement. Through a systematic approach, we integrated these themes, shedding light on the interconnectedness of research within each domain. Our study not only consolidates a fragmented body of research but also identifies critical gaps, laying the foundation for future investigations. These gaps include a scarcity of multi-country level analyses, limited studies in developing country contexts, a deficiency of comparative analyses between developed and developing countries, and an insufficient exploration of the intersections between nonprofit and for-profit marketing.

Do not let the ideal be the enemy of good enough regulation.

Research on the effectiveness and efficiency of different methods of regulating cannabis potency should be a high priority for public health research that will inform the design of cannabis regulations that minimize public health harms. Our article [1] was intended to alert the addictions field to the critical issue of increased cannabis potency as a public health concern, counter the cannabis industry argument that such regulation is unnecessary and canvas some regulatory options. We thank our commentators for their thoughtful responses, which reveal that regulating tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency is more complex than it seems at first sight. Freeman & Lorenzetti highlight consumers’ need for simpler advice on labels, much as standard drinks of alcohol [2]. They have led consensus projects to define standard doses of THC that could be used in this way. They also make the useful point that regulators need to consider setting minimum unit prices for cannabis, much as those that have been implemented to reduce heavy alcohol consumption in some countries. Pardal & Wadsworth highlight the fact that the US model of cannabis legalization—a commercialized for-profit market, with minimal regulation of potency and promotion—is not the only model on offer [3]. Uruguay has limited sales to herbal cannabis and capped the THC content of cannabis sold in pharmacies. The Canadian province of Quebec has banned sales of cannabis extracts, limited the sale of edibles and imposed a cap on the THC content of herbal cannabis. The effectiveness of these policies is well worth investigation. The major empirical question is whether the policies will succeed in the longer term, when neighbouring jurisdictions allow the sale of banned products that can be easily transported across borders. Caulkins points out the economic drivers of increasing cannabis potency in the United States; namely, cannabis producers’ need to make maximum use of whole cannabis plants to compete in a market in which cannabis prices are declining [4]. He argues that bans on the sale of high-potency cannabis products would be simpler and easier to implement than attempting to regulate the potency of the many different cannabis products in US legal cannabis markets. He cites evidence that bans need not generate large-scale illicit markets. We agree that banning high-potency products could be the most effective measure to protect public health in countries contemplating cannabis legalization. We doubt its feasibility, however, in mature US markets that already sell high-potency products and in which cannabis retailers will strenuously oppose the policy. Governments regulating these markets may also prefer the revenue from taxing cannabis products on the basis of their THC content. The regulation of cannabis potency is nowhere near as straightforward as regulating alcohol, but we should not allow the cannabis industry to use this as a reason for failing to regulate cannabis potency. In cannabis regulation, as in any area of public health, we should not allow the ideal to be the enemy of the good enough. Research on the effectiveness and efficiency of different methods of regulating cannabis potency should be a high priority for public health research that will inform the design of cannabis regulations which minimize public health harms. Open access publishing facilitated by The University of Queensland, as part of the Wiley - The University of Queensland agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians. None.

Preventing Industry Abuse of Cannabis Equity Programs

Enforcement disparities have pervaded the history of U.S. drug control laws, particularly regarding cannabis. These disparities have systemically disadvantaged persons of color and other communities. Responding to these inequities, some state cannabis legalization campaigns have emphasized social justice goals, and states and localities have adopted cannabis social equity programs directed toward communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. These programs encourage and assist individuals from target communities in entering the legal cannabis industry by offering access to grants, loans, and technical assistance and providing priority or preference in licensure, a significant advantage in a competitive industry. Equity programs serve laudable goals but must be structured to mitigate the risk of corporate abuses that threaten public health. The history of tobacco control in particular offers cautionary examples of how for-profit industries can infiltrate communities by leveraging targeted marketing, building political relationships, and operating disproportionately in underprivileged areas. Equity programs’ focus on disadvantaged communities may inadvertently allow this damaging history to repeat in the cannabis industry to the detriment of the communities equity programs seek to help. This Article explores pathways that could lead to industry abuse, surveys possible restrictions within a for-profit market, and assesses options for alternative market structures, including government monopoly, mandatory nonprofit status, and mandatory public benefit company status. Among these options, compulsory public benefit status offers the best combination of current legal feasibility and advancement of social equity goals.

Consumer responses toward green advertising: The effects of gender, advertising skepticism, and green motive attribution

ABSTRACTThis research examined the effects of gender and skepticism toward advertising in general (SKEP) on consumer responses toward green advertising at two levels, generalized green advertising skepticism and personalized attitude toward the green ad (Agreen-ad). Using survey data, Study 1 found that men were more skeptical of advertising in general then women, and in turn, more skeptical of green advertising. Study 2 analyzed some of the data collected from an experiment and provided further evidence supporting the effects by showing that women’s Agreen-ad was more positive than men’s because of the different levels of SKEP across gender. Through introducing and testing motive attribution as a mediator, the study also offered some insight into the mechanism of the SKEP effect on Agreen-ad, i.e., consumers with higher SKEP will more likely attribute the green ad motive to for-profit marketing tactics rather than for-environment efforts, and that in turn will generate negative Agreen-ad. Agreen-ad was diagnosed as unidimensional, but when tested separately, the utilitarian dimension was found to be more vulnerable to the effects of gender and SKEP.

Consumer Responses to For-Profit Firms Exercising Religious Freedom in the Marketplace

Two judgments are at the heart of the controversy surrounding state-level religious freedom legislation and for-profit firms. For some, firms choosing to limit product/service access due to the owner's religious beliefs are viewed as appropriately asserting their First Amendment rights to religious freedom. Others posit that such laws legalize discrimination. The authors offer a theory in which homophily mediates consumers' perceptions of a firm that chooses to exercise its religious convictions in the for-profit market, and an orthodox worldview moderates this relationship. When these practices are perceived to be discriminatory, there is a strong negative effect on behavior intentions; however, perceptions that the firm is appropriately asserting religious freedoms are unlikely to increase customer traffic. The authors examine the policy implications from these investigations for states and local municipalities.

Hospital Ownership Type and Innovation: The Case of Electronic Medical Records Adoption

Nonprofit and for-profit firms coexist in many industries, with the hospital sector being one of the most predominant examples. This article explores whether nonprofit hospitals are more likely to make expensive investments with uncertain returns and potential public good value. Specifically, we estimate differences in the adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) by ownership structure. We find that nonprofit hospitals are 11 to 18 percentage points more likely to have installed advanced EMR systems than for-profit hospitals by 2012. Although we find little difference in the likelihood of meeting initial government requirements for the “meaningful use” of EMRs, we find that nonprofits are 12 percentage points more likely to reach more stringent meaningful use standards that began in 2014. That being said, nonprofit adoption rates decrease as for-profit market penetration rates increase, suggesting nonprofits are less likely to adopt an uncertain technology when facing more direct competition from for-profit hospitals.

Regulatory Enforcement as Policy: Exploring Factors Related to State Lawsuits Against For-Profit Colleges

Regulatory enforcement is a policy decision in itself. Given the current federal commitment to deregulate the for-profit college market, state regulations will likely become increasingly important. This study examines the factors contributing to the enforcement of state-level proprietary college regulations. Using event history analysis, the authors test diffusion and innovation theories as potential explanations for patterns of enforcement. The findings suggest that geographic diffusion plays an important role in state lawsuits against for-profit colleges, although the specific mechanisms of diffusion may differ across regions. Moreover, loan repayment rates of for-profit students appear to contribute to the likelihood of a lawsuit being filed as states may seek to intervene when objective metrics suggest that students and state economic interests seem to be harmed. The article also suggests that market factors may play an influential role in state governments enforcing regulations on for-profit colleges.

Understanding Non-Profit and For-Profit Social Marketing on Social Media: The Case of Anti-Texting While Driving

ABSTRACTPrevious studies suggest that consumers tend to infer more negative motives of for-profit sponsorship on social cause than to non-profits. The current study is aimed at identifying potential effective strategies for for-profit organizations to engage in social marketing efforts. Results showed that participants expressed lower texting while driving intentions when the message was initiated by a non-profit than a for-profit organization. For-profit messages were more likely to elicit desirable persuasive effects if their business offering was congruent with the social cause. Participants' intentions to interact with promotion messages on social media predicted their offline behavioral intentions regarding the promoted behaviors.

The Miracle of Microfinance? A 2016 Ethical Assessment

This entry focuses upon the current state of microlending activity, and particularly for-profit activity, with ethical analysis of such lending, particularly as it pertains to prospects for poverty alleviation and development for the global poor. Several specific events have lately altered the characteristics of microlending and the general assessments of its prospects: most notably the collapse of the for-profit microfinance market in Andhra Pradesh late in 2010 and research previously pursued within the same state of India that would greatly reduce our estimation of the promise of microcredit for poverty alleviation. This brief piece of writing indicates, but can hardly serve to argue fully, two conclusions. First, that current views of microlending, for better or worse, will tend to promote economic exclusion of the poorest. Second, because the advantages and disadvantages of microlending for poverty alleviation and for women's empowerment have a great deal to do with the specific circumstances of lending, unpromising results found in some circumstances may be taken with a grain of salt.

Social enterprise dualities: implications for social marketing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the tensions that marketing practitioners in social enterprises experience, and to explore how these tensions impact the development and implementation of marketing activities. Design/methodology/approach Using an approach informed by grounded theory, this paper reports on an investigation of the tensions facing 15 social enterprises. The primary data comprises semi-structured interviews with senior marketing decision-makers, supplemented with archival sources. Findings The analysis shows tensions and dualities inform the social and commercial strategic marketing activities of the social enterprises. These tensions and dualities are linked to how the organization obtains financial resources, the nature of the organization’s growth, working with myriad stakeholders and competitive versus cooperative pressures. A model outlining the dualities and their links to marketing activities is developed. Research limitations/implications The study provides an in-depth analysis of a small, regional sample of Canadian social enterprises. The study serves as a foundation for future research aimed at elaborating the model we propose. Practical implications The findings point to tensions and dualities that play an important role in enabling and restricting the development and implementation of strategic marketing activities in social enterprises. Understanding the nature of these dualities is crucial for social enterprise managers and social marketers as they develop strategic activities. Social implications Social enterprises engage in activities that offer substantial social benefits, yet the development of marketing activities in these organizations requires confronting tensions that must be carefully managed. Originality/value This paper highlights how dualities facing marketing practitioners in social enterprises influence the development of both social and for-profit marketing activities. The paper offers a model of these dualities. The findings help to extend our understanding of the complex environmental influences impacting marketing practices within social enterprise organizations. Understanding the nature of these environmental influences helps to attune marketers to the potential opportunities and challenges of using social enterprise as an organizational form for launching social marketing programs, as well as providing a theoretical basis for future investigations of marketing practice in social enterprise and social marketing organizations.

The Effect of Shocks to College Revenues on For-Profit Enrollment: Spillover from the Public Sector

This paper investigates whether declines in public funding for post-secondary institutions have increased for-profit enrollment. The two primary channels through which funding might operate to reallocate students across sectors are price (measured by tuition) and quality (measured by resource constraints). We estimate, on average, that a 10 percent cut in appropriations raises tuition about 1 to 2 percent and decreases faculty resources by 1/2 to 1 percent, creating substantial bottlenecks for prospective students on both price and quality. These cuts, in turn, generate a nearly one percentage point increase in the for-profit market share of elastic enrollment (i.e. attendees of community colleges plus for-profit institutions), owing entirely to students who, in a better funding environment, would have attended a public institution. We estimate an elasticity of for-profit enrollment with respect to state and local appropriations of 0.2. Finally, we extend our analys is to show that for every 1 percent increase in flagship tuition generated by funding shortfalls, for-profit attendance increases by 1-1/2 percent.

The Effect of Shocks to College Revenues on For-profit Enrollment: Spillover from the Public Sector

This paper investigates whether declines in public funding for post-secondary institutions have increased for-profit enrollment. The two primary channels through which funding might operate to reallocate students across sectors are price (measured by tuition) and quality (measured by resource constraints). We estimate, on average, that a 10 percent cut in appropriations raises tuition about 1to 2 percent and decreases faculty resources by ½ to 1 percent, creating substantial bottlenecks for prospective students on both price and quality. These cuts, in turn, generate a nearly one percentage point increase in the for-profit market share of "elastic" enrollment (i.e. attendees of community colleges plus for-profit institutions), owing entirely to students who, in a better funding environment, would have attended a public institution. We estimate an elasticity of for-profit enrollment with respect to state and local appropriations of 0.2. Finally, we extend our analysis to show that for every 1 percent increase in flagship tuition generated by funding shortfalls, for-profit attendance increases by 1½ percent.

التعليم الخاص في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة وقطر: التأثيرات والتحديات

Over the last three decades, continued expatriate population growth across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar has contributed to the rise of a unique set of economic and social challenges. Among these are challenges relating to the provision of private education in the absence of a public option. In the face of rising demand for private schooling, a lack of affordable education options, the monopolistic behavior of private education providers, and varied government regulations have created a complex and unbalanced education sector. While researchers have studied the nature and implications of private education provision in the United Kingdom, United States, and other high-income states, no such research has been done in the UAE or Qatar. This research employs a mixed-methods comparative approach to understand the nature of the private education sectors in the UAE and Qatar, examine the ways in which private education providers navigate the regulatory schooling environments in the UAE and Qatar, and assess the impact on education stakeholders, in particular those at the lower ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. The study finds that there are considerable socioeconomic differences in terms of who has access to schooling and that a growing for-profit education market may be deepening segregation and inequities in both countries, leaving poorer families less able to access quality education. The promise of non-profit providers as a viable alternative is explored. تعليمي معقد و غير متوازن. بينما درس الباحثون طبيعة و تداعيات توفير التعليم الخاص في المملكة المتحدة و الولايات المتحدة، و غيرها من الدول ذات الدخل المرتفع، و لم يتم إجراء مثل هذه البحوث في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة و دولة قطر

Consumer behavior change at the base of the pyramid: Bridging the gap between for-profit and social responsibility strategies

This longitudinal field experiment compares two different for-profit market entry strategies with a philanthropic strategy in terms of how each influences consumer behavior in base-of-the-pyramid communities. We analyze reactions to a water purification product offered at three price points (moderate discount, deep discount, and free) in rural Malawi. We find that those who paid the deeply discounted price remain more likely to re-obtain and use the product than do those who paid the moderate price or who took it for free. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Minimising the harm from nicotine use: finding the right regulatory framework

The tobacco problem can be usefully conceptualised as two problems: eliminating the most harmful forms of nicotine use (certainly cigarettes, and probably all smoked tobacco), and minimising the use and/or...

Efficiency and the Cost-Effective Delivery of Forensic Science Services: Insourcing, Outsourcing, and Privatization

Abstract Budgets for forensic science laboratories have always been meager relative to the caseload demands on their services, but the pressure to do more with less has been growing at a more rapid pace recently for laboratories around the world. Much of this pressure is related to the stress on government budgets from global recession. During any fiscal crisis, governments look to areas in which public budgets can cut costs to move toward greater fiscal responsibility; in the most recent global recession those cuts, some draconian, have affected forensic science laboratories with some notable reductions in force. Rather than passively await the decisions of officials from outside the laboratory environment, laboratories may have a greater hand in their destiny through preemptive action before unwanted changes are thrust upon them. To do so it is essential that laboratory directors have a firm grasp on foundational economic realities. With that knowledge, directors can begin to use those realities to increase cost-effectiveness while maintaining efficiency. In many situations the optimal response may be to make cross-jurisdictional agreements to insource or outsource casework. In other situations the response may lead to reorganizing existing or opening new facilities to spread a heavy caseload among multiple laboratories for a more effective division of services. In some circumstances a private sector solution may be optimal as excess caseloads are outsourced to private laboratories or entire investigative areas diverted to the for-profit market.

Gambling on the market: The role of for-profit provision in early childhood education and care

Since 1997 there has been an unprecedented expansion of the childcare for-profit market in the UK. The repercussions of this for understanding of ‘quality’ and definitions of good practice for early education and care have barely been explored. But in the current economic recession the market is now beginning to shrink, and there is considerable turnover of nursery places. The built-in instability of the for-profit market serves to highlight its problematic nature and difficulties of relying on it as a vehicle for delivering government policies. This article explores the economic rationales for and the limitations of a market approach to early education and care services. It considers the direct and indirect research evidence about the functioning of such a market. It argues that any conceptualization of early childhood services in the UK now has to take account of the growth of the for-profit childcare market and the economic rationales of the marketplace.

Service-Learning in a Nonprofit Marketing Course: A Comparative Case of Pedagogical Tools

Service-learning has been explored from a number of perspectives, however, this research examines the use of service-learning as a pedagogical tool in a nonprofit marketing course and compares it with other pedagogical tools such as case studies, analysis and discussion, lectures, textbooks, guest speakers, and current readings. Overall it was found that the service-learning project was perceived by students as being the best pedagogical tool in terms of increasing the students' knowledge of nonprofit marketing, understanding the difference between nonprofit and for-profit marketing, developing marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations, and using marketing tools. A variety of service-learning experiences that fostered civic engagement are offered as examples along with the service-learning format and the instructor's role in facilitating active engagement within the community.

Civic Involvement and Modernization

This paper investigates how broad processes of modernization affect individuals' relations to the civil sphere. It first introduces a model of civic involvement as a system of expectations between participants and associations. Next, the issue of change is explored. It is argued that recent social transformations, such as individualization, globalization and technology changes, undermine classic notions of civil society participation. Old types of involvement vanish, while new ones emerge. We investigate in more detail how macro-changes affect three core models of civic involvement: as a member, a volunteer and a citizen. Each model holds particular relations between adherents and associations. The conventional understanding of each model is examined in the light of ongoing processes of dis- and re-embedment of civic involvement. The paper is based on secondary analyses of literature concerned with the issue of change within the civic field. The findings can be summarized in four points. First, we observe a shift from face-to-face interaction in long-lasting civic groups towards mediated interaction within networks in flux. Falling rates of participation seem to be followed by new types outside traditional measures of civic engagement. Secondly, individuals seem to move from value-based to consumer-based relations within the civic sphere. Associations, on her hand, increasingly present her activities as ‘products’. This means that civic engagement, more often than before, is mediated in ways usually associated with the for-profit market. Thirdly, civic engagement is shifting from diffuse horizontal involvement to centrally coordinated activities. ‘Amateurism’ gradually becomes replaced by professional standards, administered by staff-led bodies, in close connection with central authorities. As a fourth conclusion, we observe a shift from an engagement mediated by associations to a direct involvement, or engagement mediated by structures that usually are not defined as civic ones.

The Transfer of For-Profit Marketing Technology to the Not-For-Profit Domain: Precautions from The Theory of Technology

This paper examines the potential effects of technology transfers between for-profit and not-for-profit firms. The paper first examines the relevant literature to determine differences between the two types of firms. Within this context, the aspects of the theory of technology relevant to technology transfers are then developed. Finally, the transfer of technology is examined in an environmental and a charitable organization. It is concluded that, because of fundamental differences between for-profit and not-for-profit firms, technology transfers must be examined with a critical eye to be sure that the overall consequences for both employees and external constituents are understood.