Authors: Cecilia Cederlund
Are the existing marketing logics, in fact logic? The economic field is a territory of appliedscience. Theory development has a responsibility to deliver perspectives and models thatcorrespond to real life challenges, in line with argumentation for theory advancement ofVargo and Lush (2004). This paper argues that the redeemed concept of heuristics, is openingup for a whole-minded approach to human cognitive processing, and offers a path forward forcontinuing the marketing journey.If a hesitation in the scholarly discussion regarding theadvancement of marketing logics is perceived – which it is by the present author – it may beexplained by silo thinking within the field of marketing, creating unnecessary polemic, and atoo single-minded view – i.e. a dominating positivistic perspective. Researchers are indeedpart of the problem.After an ontological and epistemological discussion, mainly regarding purpose in relation tomethodological approach, the paper argues that the reach and employment of the concept ofheuristics in marketing may be widened. In synthesis, a model of heuristics for use inmarketing is proposed, implicitly also representing the necessary evolution to an Integrative-Dominant Logic for Marketing, to fit a whole-minded view of human cognitive processing.The model explains the building blocks of heuristics, “similar to the elements of chemistry”corresponding to a research call by Girgerenzer and Brighton (2009, p. 27). It is argued thatthe concept of heuristics is central for understanding the firm’s actual capacity and pace ofadaptation in the business network.Globally, this conceptual paper seeks to highlight an imbalance in the attempts to provide adefinition of heuristics in marketing: the construct seems to be subject to a dominant,deterministic project of classification, where apparently a relativist perspective has arestraining order. This resounding omission of a symbolic perspective is remarkable, to saythe least: nonetheless since the mind works by both association and deductive logic,acknowledged notably to form an “ecological rationality” (Gigerenzer and Brighton, 2009). Ahalf-minded approach, viewing humans as “Homo economicus”, is limiting for the necessaryand expected evolution of marketing logic framework to fit today’s non-stable environmentand demands for continuous adaptation. A whole-minded approach, viewing humans as homoheuristicus, intrinsically demands – and implies – an extension of the paradigm of marketinglogics, beyond both the goods-dominant and the service-dominant logics, to also include thefield of management of meaning, equal to a brand-dominant logic of marketing.
Journal: n.a. (n.a. – n.a.)
Web Address: n.a.
Publish Year: 2012
Conference: Rome, Italy (2012)