Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Internal Social Marketing, Servicescapes and Sustainability: A Behavioural Infrastructure Approach

  • Chapter
Book cover Innovations in Social Marketing and Public Health Communication

Part of the book series: Applying Quality of Life Research ((BEPR))

Abstract

This chapter provides the results of case study research conducted amongst higher education institutions (HEIs) on the topic of sustainability. Sustainability for HEIs is a complex and potentially expensive goal. However, the measure used in this research illustrates that sustainability principles need not be esoteric or predominantly theoretical. The case study takes a whole-of-system look at how sustainability is enacted within the organization. The results show that the barriers and facilitators to sustainability within HEIs can be classified according to their cumulative effects on the servicescape elements. Furthermore, using an importance /performance matrix, the study highlights specific areas for improvement for HEIs seeking to enhance their sustainability efforts. A principal finding is that internal social marketing is necessary to sustainability efforts within HEIs, as is the creation of an appropriate behavioural infrastructure to allow participation in sustainability activities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adomßent, M. (2013). Exploring universities’ transformative potential for sustainability-bound learning in changing landscapes of knowledge communication. Journal of Cleaner Production, 49(June), 11–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Algesheimer, R., Bagozzi, R. P., & Dholakia, U. M. (2012). Key informant models for measuring group-level variables in small groups. Available at SSRN 1992439. dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1992439: Social Science Research Network.

  • Amico, K. R., Toro-Alfonso, J., & Fisher, J. D. (2005). An empirical test of the information, motivation and behavioral skills model of antiretroviral therapy adherence. AIDS Care, 17(6), 661–673.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berridge, K. C. (2004). Motivation concepts in behavioural neuroscience. Physiology and Behaviour, 81(2), 179–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Binney, W., Hall, J., & Oppenheim, P. (2006). The nature and influence of motivation within the MOA framework: Implications for social marketing. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 11(4), 289–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bitner, M. J. (1992). Servicescapes: The impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees. Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 57–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Booth, M. L., Wake, M., Armstrong, T., Chey, T., Hesketh, K., & Mathur, S. (2001). The epidemiology of overweight and obesity among Australian children and adolescents, 1995–97. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 25(2), 162–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, L., & Binney, W. (2011, April 10–13). Making sustainability a behaviour in the tertiary sector. Paper presented at the 2nd World Social Marketing Conference, Dublin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, L., Binney, W., Parker, L., Aleti Watne, T., & Nguyen, D. (2014). Social marketing and behaviour change: Models, theories and applications. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, R. (1992). Wicked problems in design thinking. Design Issues, 8(2), 5–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, D. T., & Fiske, D. W. (1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56(2), 81–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christmas, S., Young, D., Skates, A., Millward, L., Duman, M., & Dawe, I. (2009). Nine big questions about behaviour change. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110504054311/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/social/behaviour-changes/pdf/questions.pdf

  • Coy, A. E., Farrell, A. K., Gilson, K. P., Davis, J. L., & Le, B. (2013). Commitment to the environment and student support for “green” campus initiatives. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 3(1), 49–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Vellis, R. F. (2003). Scale development: Theory and applications (2nd ed., Vol. 26). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Figueredo, F. R., & Tsarenko, Y. (2013). Is “being green” a determinant of participation in university sustainability initiatives? International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 14(3), 242–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George, W. R. (1990). Internal marketing and organizational behavior: A partnership in developing customer-conscious employees at every level. Journal of Business Research, 20(1), 63–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, R. (2013). New ideas–Fresh thinking: Towards a broadening of the social marketing concept? Journal of Social Marketing, 3(3), 1–1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gronroos, C. (1984). A service quality model and its marketing implications. European Journal of Marketing, 18(4), 36–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamann, R. (2012). The business of development: Revisiting strategies for a sustainable future. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 54(2), 18–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herremans, I. M., & Reid, R. E. (2002). Developing awareness of the sustainability concept. Journal of Environmental Education, 34(1), 16–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobson, E. (2003). Conservation and planning: Changing values in policy and practice. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hovell, M. F., Wahlgren, D. R., & Gehrman, C. A. (2002). The behavioral ecological model. In R. J. DiClemente, R. A. Crosby, & M. C. Kegler (Eds.), Emerging theories in health promotion practice and research. Strategies for improving public health (pp. 347–385). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howarth, L. M., Roberts, C. M., Thurstan, R. H., & Stewart, B. D. (2013). The unintended consequences of simplifying the sea: Making the case for complexity. Fish and Fisheries, 15(4), 690–711.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James, S., & Skinner, H. (2009). The shoreline project for street drinkers: Designing and running a supported housing project for the “Unhousable”. Social Marketing Quarterly, 15(3), 49–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Killeen, T. (2012). Chapter 14: Global environmental sustainability: An “All-Hands on Deck” research imperative. In L. E. Weber & J. J. Duderstadt (Eds.), Global sustainability and the responsibilities of universities (pp. 167–178). Paris: Economica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krizek, K. J., Newport, D., White, J., & Townsend, A. R. (2012). Higher education’s sustainability imperative: How to practically respond? International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 13(1), 19–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leal Filho, W. (2009). Sustainability at universities: Opportunities, challenges and trends (Vol. 31). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lozano, R., Lukman, R., Lozano, F. J., Huisingh, D., & Lambrechts, W. (2013). Declarations for sustainability in higher education: Becoming better leaders, through addressing the university system. Journal of Cleaner Production, 48(June), 10–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, S. L. (2012). Complexity economics, wicked problems and consumer education. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 36(1), 61–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Müller-Christ, G., Sterling, S., van Dam-Mieras, R., Adomßent, M., Fischer, D., & Rieckmann, M. (2014). The role of campus, curriculum, and community in higher education for sustainable development–A conference report. Journal of Cleaner Production, 62, 134–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oh, H. (2001). Revisiting importance–Performance analysis. Tourism Management, 22(6), 617–627.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfahl, M., Casper, J., Trendafilova, S., McCullough, B. P., & Nguyen, S. N. (2014). Crossing boundaries: An examination of sustainability department and athletics department collaboration regarding environmental issues. Communication and Sport. doi:10.1177/2167479513519253, 2167479513519253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piercy, N., & Morgan, N. (1991). Internal marketing—The missing half of the marketing programme. Long Range Planning, 24(2), 82–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Previte, J., & Russell-Bennett, R. (2013). The need for internal social marketing (ISM): Extending the people focus to service employees. In G. Hastings & C. Domegan (Eds.), Social marketing: From tunes to symphonies (pp. 326–334). Milton Park: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rafiq, M., & Ahmed, P. K. (2000). Advances in the internal marketing concept: Definition, synthesis and extension. Journal of Services Marketing, 14(6), 449–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rittel, H. W., & Webber, M. M. (1973). 2.3 planning problems are wicked. Polity, 4, 155–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothschild, M. L. (1999). Carrots, sticks, and promises: A conceptual framework for the management of public health and social issue behaviors. Journal of Marketing, 63(4), 24–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russell-Bennett, R., Wood, M., & Previte, J. (2013). Fresh ideas: Services thinking for social marketing. Journal of Social Marketing, 3(3), 223–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shephard, K. (2010). Higher education’s role in ‘education for sustainability’. Australian Universities’ Review, 52(1), 13–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shriberg, M., & MacDonald, L. (2013). Sustainability leadership programs: Emerging goals, methods & best practices. Journal of Sustainability Education, 15, 153–167. 10.1016/S0952-8733(02)00006-5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sibbel, A. (2009). Pathways towards sustainability through higher education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 10(1), 68–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. M. (2011). Chapter 20: Internal social marketing: lessons from the field of services marketing. In G. Hastings, K. Angus, & C. Bryant (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of social marketing (pp. 298–316). London: SAGE.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, J. C., Hernandez, M. E., Román, M., Graham, A. C., & Scholz, R. W. (2008). Higher education as a change agent for sustainability in different cultures and contexts. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 9(3), 317–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swaim, J. A., Maloni, M. J., Napshin, S. A., & Henley, A. B. (2013). Influences on student intention and behavior toward environmental sustainability. Journal of Business Ethics, 124(3), 465–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sylvestre, P. A. (2013). Multiple visions of sustainability as an organizing principle for change in higher education: How faculty conceptualizations of sustainability in higher education suggest the need for pluralism. Master of Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, http://hdl.handle.net/10222/21924

  • Taplin, R. H. (2012a). Competitive importance-performance analysis of an Australian wildlife park. Tourism Management, 33(1), 29–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taplin, R. H. (2012b). The value of self-stated attribute importance to overall satisfaction. Tourism Management, 33(2), 295–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilbury, D. (2011). Higher education for sustainability: A global overview of commitment and progress. Higher Education in the World, 4, 18–28. Retrieved from.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tones, K., & Tilford, S. (2001). Health promotion: Effectiveness, efficiency and equity. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Doorn, J., Lemon, K. N., Mittal, V., Nass, S., Pick, D., Pirner, P., & Verhoef, P. C. (2010). Customer engagement behavior: Theoretical foundations and research directions. Journal of Service Research, 13(3), 253–266. doi:10.1177/1094670510375599.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vargo, S. L. (2011). Market systems, stakeholders and value propositions: Toward a service-dominant logic-based theory of the market. European Journal of Marketing, 45(1/2), 217–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). The four service marketing myths remnants of a goods-based, manufacturing model. Journal of Service Research, 6(4), 324–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waas, T., Verbruggen, A., & Wright, T. (2010). University research for sustainable development: Definition and characteristics explored. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18(7), 629–636.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zainuddin, N., Russell-Bennett, R., & Previte, J. A. (2007). Conceptualising a relational approach to value creation in a government service: Implications for social marketing. In G. Sullivan Mort & M. Hume (Eds.), Social entrepreneurship, social change and sustainability: 2007 international nonprofit and social marketing conference, Brisbane, 27–28 Sept 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zainuddin, N., Previte, J., & Russell-Bennett, R. (2009). A qualitative investigation of sources of value in social marketing from the lens of a public health service. Paper presented at the proceedings from Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy conference 2009: Sustainable Management and Marketing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zainuddin, N., Previte, J., & Russell-Bennett, R. (2011). A social marketing approach to value creation in a well-women’s health service. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(3–4), 361–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Linda Brennan

  2. Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Wayne Binney & John Hall

Authors
  1. Linda Brennan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wayne Binney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John Hall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Linda Brennan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Management, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

    Walter Wymer

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Brennan, L., Binney, W., Hall, J. (2015). Internal Social Marketing, Servicescapes and Sustainability: A Behavioural Infrastructure Approach. In: Wymer, W. (eds) Innovations in Social Marketing and Public Health Communication. Applying Quality of Life Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19869-9_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation