New perspectives in serving customers, patients, and organizations: A Festschrift for Judit Simon

The Festschrift has two main chapters. The first chapter contains scientific papers  that are connected to Professor Simon’s academic career, while the second chapter collects laudations from colleagues both from the Hungarian and from the international marketing community. 

The first great chapter consists of 15 scientific papers. The first paper listed here is about Judit Simon’s two main passions: classical music and academy („Conducting Control: Some thoughts on Orchestral Leadership and beyond”, by Robert Obermaier, University of Passau). The article aims at researching orchestral conductors, their specific style of leadership and their art of conducting control. Judit Simon contributed over more than a quarter-century to the orchestration of a DAAD-funded German Study and Exchange Program in Business Administration (DSG) between CUB and University of Passau. 

Then three essays follow in connection with her three main research interests such as B2B marketing, omnichannel shopping behaviour, and health care marketing. 

The paper „More work – The qualitative and quantitative paradigm debate from the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) approach”, by Judy Zolkiewski (University of Manchester, UK), Jim Narus  (Wake Forest University, USA), Pete Naudé (University of Manchester, UK), Enrico Baraldi (Uppsala University,Sweden), Lars-Erik Gadde (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden), Hakan Hakansson (BI Norwegian Business School, Norway), Alexandra Waluszewski (Uppsala University, Sweden), Ivan Snehota (Universita della Svizzera italiana (USI), Switzerland), Tibor Mandják (EM Normandy Business School, Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest), Zsuzsanna Szalkai (Budapest University of Technology and Economics), Erika Hlédik (Eötvös Lorand University of Budapest), Mária Magyar (Eötvös Lorand University of Budapest), Edit Neumann-Bódi (Italműhely Ltd., Budapest, PhD degree from the CUB). In the papers the authors deliver an essay answering the methodological research question on the evolution of the qualitative and quantitative paradigm debate of recent decades in the empirically oriented IMP research. The Hungarian authors are members of the Hungarian IMP Group (hIMP), some of them are the co-founder of the group together with Judit Simon. 

The paper „Omnichannel customer behaviour in Hungary – the case of the sporting goods market” by Ákos Nagy (University of Pécs), Ildikó Kemény (CUB), Krisztián Szűcs (University of Pécs), Péter Németh (University of Pécs) focuses on omnichannel shopper behaviour across channels in the product category of sporting goods. The authors are members of the research group led by Judit Simon investigating the changing consumer behaviour.  

The next research interest is health care marketing, the paper „From Health Care Marketing to Personalized Health” by Zoltán Lantos represents this field. In this paper demonstrates the author, who has got his PhD from the Corvinus University under the supervision of Judit Simon the shift from traditional intervention-based healthcare system to the health-centric service ecosystem. 

The thematical papers are followed by methodological ones, whether they are about teaching methods or research methods.  

The paper „Innovations in Marketing Research: A Pedagogical Perspective” by Naresh K. Malhotra (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA) focuses on innovations in four major areas, describing the challenges of marketing research impacted by technological and social innovations. The author has cooperation with Judit Simon for the last 15 years.  

The history of Judit Simon’s teaching activity is described in the paper „The history of Marketing research and market analysis course at the Corvinus University” by Zsuzsanna Kun, Zombor Berezvai, Tamás Gyulavári, Ildikó Kemény, the colleagues of Judit Simon in the Marketing Institute of CUB.  

The paper „Which equations? An inquiry into the equations in partial least squares structural equation modeling” by Florian Schubert, Tobias Müller, Jörg Henseler (University of Twente, Holland) provides a brief description of general equations and the implicit assumptions of PLS-SEM modeling and the importance of model identification in PLS-SEM. The authors have a close collaboration with Judit Simon for many years.  

The paper „Qualifying Quantification” written by the Marketing communication community of the Marketing Institute of CUB (Dóra Horváth, Katalin Ásványi, Máté Bencze, Attila Cosovan, Tamás Csordás, Julianna Faludi, Balázs Fekete, Daniella Dominika Galla, Zita Komár, Éva Markos-Kujbus, Gábor Megyeri, Márta Merkl, Ariel Mitev, Attila Simay, Ákos Varga) is a special courtesy of a community using mainly qualitative research methods to a researcher using mainly quantitative methods. The paper is a verbalized flashmob, created in the digital space.  

The chapter closing papers are such scientific works that are related to her works as a supervisor either as a methodological consultant or a thematical tutor.  

The paper „Consumer-oriented brand equity in country branding” by Barbara Jenes (CUB) provides an overview of the country brand equity approach, and the brand equity elements of country branding. The author has got her PhD based on the dissertation on the same topic, she was supported by her supervisor Judit Simon.  

Ágnes Tóth Hofmeister devoted her paper „Twenty-Eight Years of Research on Consumer Values in Hungary” to the question how the Hungarian consumers coped with the rapidly changing environment after the transition of the political and economic system of Hungary, how their values have changed and how they become more stable over time. The author has worked with Judit Simon in several research projects and publications for 30 years.  

There are two papers written by the Tourism community of the Institute of Marketing of the Corvinus University, Judit Simon is the member of this community for 5 years. The paper „Researches supporting the surrounding business and social environment: Positioning and branding of a thematic street in District IX, Budapest” by Ivett Pinke-Sziva, Orsolya Szakály, Monica Coronel, Eylül Balaban is based on the empirical research designed together with Judit Simon.  

The paper „Researches supporting the surrounding business and social environment Home sweet home – Residential well-being in District 9 of Budapest” by Kornélia Kiss, Sára Hegedüs, Edina Kovács, László Kökény, Ilona Molnár-Csomós, Gábor Michalkó focuses – based on the theory of residential well-being focuses on the relationship between environmental characteristics and well-being.  

The paper “Playing mind games to improve the sport event experience. Exploring the applicability of neuromarketing in services marketing” by Ákos Varga, Norbert Griszbacher, Ildikó Kemény summarizes the results of an implicit association test (IAT), which is an exciting marketing research method coming from the neuromarketing. 

The last paper „Pretty lingerie makes it all better!” –The role of brand in the context of the lingerie market” by Dorina Antal and Károly Ötvös (CUB) describes the role of different product attributes and brands on customers and is mapping the consumer decision-making process and shopping habits in the lingerie market, based on empirical research. Károly Ötvos has close cooperation as a colleague of Judit Simon for 30 years, Dorina Antal graduated in the Marketing Master program of the Corvinus University.  

The second chapter of the book „Laudations for Professor Judit Simon to celebrate her 70th birthday”, written by famous international and Hungarian members of the academia, have been working together with Judit Simon.  

Since Judit Simon has been awarded the honorary doctor and the honorary citizen of the University of Passau for her cooperation, co-founder, teaching and management activity at the German-language Business Administration programme of the two universities. Carola Jungwith, Jan H. Schumann, Niklas Wagner, Nina Anolick, Harald Kinateder, Patrizia Perras, professors and colleagues of the University Passau honored Judit Simon with laudations.  

Ajay J. Kohli (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA), a leading personality of the international marketing community, honorary doctor of the CUB honored Judit Simon with a friendly laudation. 

Tommi Laukaanen (University of Eastern Finland) congratulated and described the history of their cooperation for 12 years.  

A laudatio came from the LMU Munich, Martin Spann started his cooperation with Judit Simon in Passau and continues it in Munich for several years.  

Very warm laudatios have been delivered by the Hungarian colleagues, Krisztián Szűcs (University of Pécs) and Ágnes Zsóka (CUB). Krisztián Szűcs presented the history and the milestones of their mutual works in marketing research.  

Ágnes Zsóka honored Judit Simon as her former student and her colleague and successor as the director of the German-language Business Administration Program.  

The book has been edited by Ildikó Kemény, who has completed her Ph.D., and Zsuzsanna Kun, who is still working on her Ph.D. under the supervision of Judit Simon. Ildikó Kemény is taking over the majority of her teaching and research projects. 

The contributors of the book are outstanding members of the international and Hungarian academic marketing researcher community, with their papers and laudations they honored not only the special person Judit Simon but also the Institute of Marketing of Corvinus University, where she has served for more than 30 years!