Morris B. Holbrook - Böcker

Published in cooperation with the Association for Consumer Research "A clearly written and useful work. Their book lays out organizing principles that delineate the underlying epistemologies current in consumer research, providing insightful exposure to philosophical positions and associated research methods for both the experienced researcher and the novice. . . . The book provides insight into current epistemologies and associated methods and is an important resource for all consumer behavior researchers. It should be taken as a starting point for delving into and understanding consumer research, a springboard that directs the researcher to relevant theorists and provides a framework for assessing research perspectives." --Journal of Marketing Research The methodological choices now confronting consumer researchers are daunting. For many years, researchers have wrestled with issues related to the nature of knowledge in the study of consumption phenomena. In Postmodern Consumer Research, Elizabeth C. Hirschman and Morris B. Holbrook examine philosophies and methods of consumer research along an objectivist-subjectivist continuum. First, they present philosophical concepts regarding the origin and content of knowledge relevant to consumer-behavior phenomena. Then, they consider a set of research methods aimed at implementing inquiry from the viewpoint of each particular philosophical perspective. They conclude by discussing criteria for evaluating research conducted using the various methods and argue for increased collegial harmony and temperance. An invaluable contribution to the field, this volume will interest researchers, professionals, and students in the areas of management, qualitative research, organizational studies, and research methods.

Once again, Morris B. Holbrook has combined insightful commentary on the field of consumer behavior with a readable and enjoyable writing style. A must read for anyone interested in the latest thinking in the field. Ron Hill, Professor and Chair of Marketing, Villanova University "A delightfully idiosyncratic history of consumer research. What enthralled readers will get from his stylish exposition is a socio-psychocultural description of the consumer through the ages, along with a description of attempts to understand the consumer. Scholarly yet readable, Holbrook's history is a classic study of consumerism too. Editor's Choice." --Business Today In recent years, consumer research has emerged as an academic specialty of growing concern to marketing scholars and of increased importance on today's university campuses. Courses on consumer behavior--taught in virtually every academic program of business or management--draw heavily on work by consumer researchers. Despite this wide and growing recognition as an emergent area of study, no book appears to exist on the history, nature, and types of consumer research or on the variegated and often hotly debated issues that surround this field of inquiry. Consumer Research fills this gap by providing an account of the recent historical developments in consumer research and by showing how the evolution of this discipline has affected the research. The author offers a personal and subjective glance at how various changes in the field have come about and how they have shaped studies of consumption. Marketing scholars, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduates concentrating in marketing will find Consumer Research irresistible reading.

Consumer Behavior presents an autobiographical view of Morris B. Holbrook’s contributions to the study of consumer behavior, describing his life and work over the past 60 years via a collection of subjective personal introspective essays. This new collection extends, enlarges, and elaborates on the insights garnered over Holbrook’s career to provide a lively and thought-provoking exploration of the evolution of consumer research.Using Subjective Personal Introspection (SPI), Holbrook shares aspects of his own journey in developing insights into such topics as the consumption experience, consumer value, the jazz metaphor, marketing education, and various controversies that have interested the scholarly community. Early chapters portray Holbrook’s evolution in college, graduate school, and faculty membership, while later chapters trace his approaches to understanding the role of consumption as the essence of the human condition. Throughout, SPI is used to illuminate the ways in which academic struggles have led toward deeper understandings of consumers.Readers with an interest in the autobiographical details of how ideas develop and emerge in an area such as consumer research – including doctoral students or faculty members in the field of marketing – will find enlightenment and inspiration in contemplating the (mis)adventures of a fellow traveler.

Consumer Behavior presents an autobiographical view of Morris B. Holbrook’s contributions to the study of consumer behavior, describing his life and work over the past 60 years via a collection of subjective personal introspective essays. This new collection extends, enlarges, and elaborates on the insights garnered over Holbrook’s career to provide a lively and thought-provoking exploration of the evolution of consumer research.Using Subjective Personal Introspection (SPI), Holbrook shares aspects of his own journey in developing insights into such topics as the consumption experience, consumer value, the jazz metaphor, marketing education, and various controversies that have interested the scholarly community. Early chapters portray Holbrook’s evolution in college, graduate school, and faculty membership, while later chapters trace his approaches to understanding the role of consumption as the essence of the human condition. Throughout, SPI is used to illuminate the ways in which academic struggles have led toward deeper understandings of consumers.Readers with an interest in the autobiographical details of how ideas develop and emerge in an area such as consumer research – including doctoral students or faculty members in the field of marketing – will find enlightenment and inspiration in contemplating the (mis)adventures of a fellow traveler.