Marketing-as-Practice: A Practice Theory-Based Framework for Marketing Research

The aim of this RJ sabbatical application is to complete four articles that all will contribute to establish a research program referred to as “marketing-as-practice” (MAP). With inspiration from strategy, accounting, and consumer research, MAP draws on practice theory to study the minutiae of marketing activities. Hence, MAP offers an alternative to the dominant managerial marketing research focused on prescribing practices to practitioners.

Two conceptual articles will be finished that outline practice theory informed frameworks for general marketing and service marketing research. The aim of the first of these is to draw on practice theory to outline a MAP framework to advance the understanding of marketing activity in firms. The aim of the second conceptual article is to advance a framework to understand the notion of service from a practice theory perspective.

In addition, two empirical articles that are both based on completed empirical studies will be finished. The aim of the first of these is to contribute to described and understand the role of marketing practices at marketing departments. The second article aims to contribute to research on service innovation by focusing on how service practices are created and changed.

The goal is to publish the articles in Journal of Service Research, Journal of Marketing Management, and Marketing Theory. Two one month stays abroad at key co-authors institutions is planned for the sabbatical.