Michael R. Solomon, Ph.D.
	372C Spidle Hall Auburn University Auburn, AL 36849 Tel (334) 844-1316 Fax (334) 844-1340 solommr@auburn.edu Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Interests

Prof. Solomon's primary research interests include consumer behavior and lifestyle issues, the symbolic aspects of products and the psychology of fashion, decoration and image. He also specializes in the development of online research methodologies to explore visually-oriented consumption phenomena. Teaching interests center upon consumer behavior, fashion theory and lifestyle marketing strategies. He is a frequent speaker to trade organizations and corporations on these and related topics.

Selected Publications

Solomon, Michael R. (2004), Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, And Being, 6th Ed., Upper Saddle River, Nj: Prentice Hall.

Solomon, Michael R. (2003), Conquering Consumerspace: Marketing Strategies For A Branded World, New York: AMACOM.

Solomon, Michael R. And Elnora W. Stuart (2003), Marketing: Real People, Real Choices 3/E, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Solomon, Michael R. And Nancy Rabolt (2002), Consumer Behavior: In Fashion, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Natalie Wood, Michael R. Solomon, and Basil G. Englis (2004), “Personalization of Online Avatars: Is The Messenger As Important As The Message,?" International Journal Of Internet Marketing And Advertising, in press.

Caroline Munoz, Natalie Wood, And Michael R. Solomon (2004), “Real Or Blarney?: A Cross-Cultural Investigation Of The Perceived Authenticity Of Irish Pubs,” Journal Of Consumer Behaviour, in press.

Michael R. Solomon (2004), " Guru's View: For Services, The Play's (Still) The Thing," Managing Service Quality, 14 (1), 2004: 6-10. Invited Article.

Paula D. Harveston, Basil G. Englis, Michael R. Solomon, and Marla Goldsmith (2004), “Knowledge Management As Competitive Advantage: Lessons From The Textile And Apparel Value Chain,” Journal of Knowledge Management, in press.

Michael R. Solomon, Basil G. Englis and John Cornett (2002), "The Virtual Mall: Using The Internet To Configure The Ideal Shopping Environment," Journal Of Shopping Center Research, 9(1), Spring/Summer 2002, 27-50.

Selected Research Projects

“Knowledge Management as Competitive Advantage in the Textile and Apparel Value Chain,” supported by The National Textile Center. The failure of many textile and apparel companies to differentiate themselves has had a negative effect on their profitability and viability throughout the value chain. This commoditization has been partly driven by U.S. firms pursuing a low-cost strategy in response to offshore competition. Our work (1) explores the relationship between low-cost and differentiation firm strategies on firm performance, (2) seeks to understand the relationship between firm strategy and use of different knowledge management systems, and (3) examines the impact of knowledge management systems on firm performance.

"Charting Consumption Constellations: An Online Measurement, Analysis and Feedback System for the Assessment of Cross-Category Consumer Preferences across the Lifespan." Research supported by The National Textile Center to develop an online methodology that will explore how consumers select products from a broad range of categories to express social identity.

"The Virtual Mall: Using The Internet To Configure the Ideal Shopping Environment." Research supported by the International Council of Shopping Centers to develop an online methodology that will enable consumers to provide input to shopping center developers regarding their preferences for retail assortments and mall atmospherics.

"Brand Vision: Measuring Brand Meanings Online." This research project is dedicated to the task of developing an online operational system for the measurement of brand meaning that will be sensitive to the personal-socio-cultural meanings embedded in brands.

Dissertations and Theses Directed

Lei Zhou, “Effect of Contextual Variations in Fashion Advertisements on Consumers’ Perceptions of Products and Advertisements," M.Sci., Department of Consumer Affairs, Auburn University, 1998 (Chair)

Caroline K. Lego, “The Effect of Reference Groups on Product Attitudes and Perceptions,” M.Sci., Department of Consumer Affairs, Auburn University, 2000 (Chair)

Stephanie L. Wright, “Uniformity: An Online Investigation of Satisfaction with the Security Guard Uniform,” Department of Consumer Affairs, M.Sci., Auburn University, 2000 (Chair)

Trinske Antonidies, “The Underlying Dimensions of Coolness: A Cross-Cultural Study” M.Sci., Vrije Universiteit (Netherlands), 2000 (Co-chair)

Natalie Wood, " Personalization of the Web Interface: Avatars as Vehicles for Visual Persuasion in the Online Decision Making Process", Ph.D., Department of Consumer Affairs, Auburn University, 2002. Recipient of the Dissertation Award by the American Academy of Advertising, 2002. (Chair)

Caroline Munoz, "The Effect of Interpersonal Influence Within Virtual Communities," Ph.D., Department of Consumer Affairs, Auburn University, 2003 (Chair)

Paul Henry, “An Examination of Subculture Characteristics of Social Class Groups in Contemporary Society: A Focus on ‘Enduring Thought Disposition’ Characteristics,” Ph.D. School of Marketing, University of New South Wales, 1998.

Bo Shi, “Internet Consumers’ Risk Perception and Online Behavior,” M.Sci., Department of Consumer Affairs, Auburn University, 2000.

Xue Li, “The Impact of Brand Knowledge on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions," Ph.D., Department of Consumer Affairs, Auburn University, 2003.

Ahmed Abdelrehim, “An Engineering Approach to Logistics and Forecasting of Product Market Flow Using Modified Progressive-Event Exponential Smoothing,” Ph.D., Department of Textile Engineering, Auburn University, 2003.

Gokcen Coskuner, “Living Room as Laboratory: Stylistic Choices as Mediators of Person Perception,” M.Sci., Department of Consumer Affairs, Auburn University, 2004.

Courses Taught

CAHS 2000: Global Consumer Culture

CAHS 3900: Independent Study

CAHS 4940: Internship in Apparel Merchandising

CAHS 7670: Clothing and Behavior

CAHS 7900: Independent Study

CAHS 7950: Seminar

CAHS 7960: Directed Readings

CAHS 7990: Research and Thesis

ITAS 8950: Industry Issues Seminar

ITAS 8990: Research and Dissertation

Honors and Awards

Conquering Consumerspace: Marketing Strategies for a Branded World (AMACOM) was named by Soundview Executive Summaries as “one of the thirty best business books of 2003.”
Selected to contribute the authoritative definition of fields of study to these compilations:

• Fashion Psychology: Fashion Encyclopedia, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome.
• Consumer Behavior: Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology, Academic Press.
• Consumer Behavior, Marketing and Branding: Fields of Knowledge Infography.

Prentice Hall Distinguished Lecture Award, International Textiles and Apparel Association, November 2001. The award honors recipients who have made outstanding contributions to the field of textiles and apparel.

In a 1998 publications analysis, ranked #9 most productive author in U.S. advertising journals (cf. Tony L. Henthorne, Michael S. LaTour, and Tina Loraas, Publishing Productivity in the Three Leading U.S. Advertising Journals: 1989 Through 1996, @ Journal of Advertising 27 (1998) 2: 53-64.

In a 1997 citation analysis, ranked #15 of most cited authors in textile and apparel research literature (cf. Hilda Buckley Lakner, Jennifer L. Paff, and Hamidah Md Din, Most Cited Authors in Apparel-Related Articles Published in the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal and the Home Economics Research Journal, @ Clothing and Textiles Research Journal 15 (1997) 4: 216-222).

Recipient of Fulbright-FLAD Chair in Market Globalization, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal 1996.

Elected to Board of Governors, Academy of Marketing Science (2001-2006)

The Cutty Sark Men's Fashion Award, 1981.

Who's Who in America, 1996-present.

Honorary Societies: Sigma Xi, Alpha Mu Alpha, Phi Beta Delta