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DSEF Welcomes its Newest Fellows 01/29

DSEF launched the Fellows Program to support educational and research efforts to foster a deeper understanding of the direct selling channel and its impact. We now have more than 155 Fellows around the world from a wide range of disciplines – management, marketing, economics, entrepreneurship, sales, consumer studies – and provide them a rich offering of benefits and opportunities.

DSEF warmly welcomes our newest Fellows:

Dr. Ryan Mullins
Associate Professor
Clemson University

Dr. Lili Gai
Assistant Professor of Marketing
University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Dr. Laurie Babin
Professor of Marketing
The University of Louisiana Monroe

Dr. Robert “Bob” Reich
Assistant Professor
Lynn University

Dr. Brandon Gustafson
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Oakland University

Dr. Peter Whalen
Associate Professor of Marketing & Entrepreneurship
Ave Maria University

Dr. David “Dave” Locander
Assistant Professor of Marketing
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Dr. Erich Toncre
Director of Marketing Education and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice
Rutgers University

Dr. Barry Babin
M.P. Watson Professor of Business
Louisiana Tech University

Dr. Jung-Hwan Kim
Associate Professor of Retailing
University of South Carolina

Dr. Ali Besharat
Associate Professor of Marketing
Co-director of Consumer Insights and Business Innovation Center
University of Denver

Dr. William “Bill” Moncrief
Senior Associate Dean
Texas Christian University

Dr. Kate Karniouchina
Dean, Lokey School of Business and Public Policy;
Associate Professor of Business
Glenn and Ellen Voyles Professor
Mills College

Dr. Tracy Couto
Director of the Savage Center for Reflective Leadership;
Director of the Global Jesuit Case Series
Le Moyne College

Dr. Cindy Rippe
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Flagler College

Dr. Lisa Beeler
Assistant Professor of Marketing;
Director of Diversity and Internships for the Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Center
Ohio University

Dr. Montressa Washington
Assistant Professor of Management;
Co-Director of Shenandoah University’s Institute for Entrepreneurship
Shenandoah University

Dr. Jeremy Wolter
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Auburn University

Dr. Stefanie Boyer
Associate Professor of Marketing
Bryant University

 Dr. William “Bill” Steiger
Associate Lecturer of Marketing
University of Central Florida

Matthew “Matt” Read
Professor of Practice
Le Moyne College

Dr. Felicia Lassk
Associate Professor of Marketing
Northeastern University

Dr. Paige Beal
Assistant Professor of Sports, Arts and Entertainment Management
Point Park University

Dr. Michelle Hammond
Assistant Professor of Management
Oakland University

Dr. Michael Palanski
Associate Professor
Rochester Institute of Technology

News / Newsletter

DSEF Welcomes Its Newest Fellows

DSEF launched the Fellows Program to support educational and research efforts to foster a deeper understanding of the direct selling channel and its impact. We now have more than 150 Fellows around the world from a wide range of disciplines – management, marketing, economics, entrepreneurship, sales, consumer studies – and provide them a rich offering of benefits and opportunities.

DSEF warmly welcomes our newest Fellows:

Dr. Ryan Mullins
Associate Professor
Clemson University

Dr. Lili Gai
Assistant Professor of Marketing
University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Dr. Laurie Babin
Professor of Marketing
The University of Louisiana Monroe

Dr. Robert “Bob” Reich
Assistant Professor
Lynn University

Dr. Brandon Gustafson
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Oakland University

Dr. Peter Whalen
Associate Professor of Marketing & Entrepreneurship
Ave Maria University

Dr. David “Dave” Locander
Assistant Professor of Marketing
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Dr. Erich Toncre
Director of Marketing Education and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice
Rutgers University

Dr. Barry Babin
M.P. Watson Professor of Business
Louisiana Tech University

Dr. Jung-Hwan Kim
Associate Professor of Retailing
University of South Carolina

Dr. Ali Besharat
Associate Professor of Marketing
Co-director of Consumer Insights and Business Innovation Center
University of Denver

Dr. William “Bill” Moncrief
Senior Associate Dean
Texas Christian University

Dr. Kate Karniouchina
Dean, Lokey School of Business and Public Policy;
Associate Professor of Business
Glenn and Ellen Voyles Professor
Mills College

Dr. Tracy Couto
Director of the Savage Center for Reflective Leadership;
Director of the Global Jesuit Case Series
Le Moyne College

Dr. Cindy Rippe
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Flagler College

Dr. Lisa Beeler
Assistant Professor of Marketing;
Director of Diversity and Internships for the Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Center
Ohio University

Dr. Montressa Washington
Assistant Professor of Management;
Co-Director of Shenandoah University’s Institute for Entrepreneurship
Shenandoah University

Dr. Jeremy Wolter
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Auburn University

Dr. Stefanie Boyer
Associate Professor of Marketing
Bryant University

 Dr. William “Bill” Steiger
Associate Lecturer of Marketing
University of Central Florida

Matthew “Matt” Read
Professor of Practice
Le Moyne College

News / Newsletter

The Foundation Hosts Game Changer Casino Night

The Foundation Hosts Game Changer Casino Night

At the DSA Annual Meeting in June, nearly 300 executives and suppliers played their cards right and joined the Foundation for its first Casino Night Fundraiser. Attendees enjoyed black jack, craps, roulette, music, food, drinks and fun, raising more than $70,000 to help DSEF advance understanding of the direct selling channel at universities across the country.

The party included a CEO Blackjack Tournament where executive-level players tested their mettle against one another. A dozen other tables of popular casino games were filled with excited contenders.

The evening was emceed by Crayton Webb, CEO, Sunwest Communications, and Ruth Todd, SVP Public Affairs, Nu Skin, who added their spot-on commentary to the excitement and drama of the intense competition on the gaming floor.

Angela Loehr Chrysler, President & CEO, Team National and incoming DSEF Chair, called the event fabulous. “It was terrific to connect with other executives while supporting DSEF in their mission to educate others and share the positive impact of direct selling,” she says.

The event’s success will help the Foundation to continue to expand its work to reach tens of thousands of students every year with accurate information about the direct selling channel.

DSEF would like to thank our Presenting Sponsor Nu Skin and Event Sponsors Amway and Jenkon. Thanks also to sponsors Planet Payment, Smart Office Solutions, Inc., Luci powered by Retail Success, Gig Economy Group, Strategic Choice Partners, LLC, Bartha, CUTCO/Vector Marketing Corporation, Harland Clarke, Thatcher Technology Group, LLC, ACN, Inc., Vantiv, Regal Ware, Inc., Club Med Resorts, MGM Resorts International, and Disney Destinations.

News / Newsletter

DSEF Fellows Offer Insights at DSA’s Annual Meeting

During the DSA’s Annual Meeting in June, a group of exceptionally accomplished Fellows, Dr. Victoria Crittenden, Professor & Chair, Marketing Division of Babson College; Dr. Haya Ajjan, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems of Elon University; Dr. Anne Coughlan, Polk Bros. Chair in Retailing & Prof. of Marketing of Northwestern University; and Dr. Robert Peterson, John T. Stuart III Centennial Chair in Business Administration at University of Texas at Austin, shared new insights on how to empower a salesforce during a panel discussion titled “Your Distributors as Social Media Agents, Skilled Professionals and Emerging Market Entrepreneurs.”

This all-star panel covered how positive and negative sentiments exchanged on Facebook through “likes” and “shares” affect sales performance and satisfaction; which types of turnkey technology, training and communication are empowering direct sellers in emerging markets; and the 14 professional skills gained through the direct selling experience and how to use them to market and recruit.

News / Newsletter

Dave Wentz Awarded DSEF Circle of Honor 

Dave Wentz Awarded DSEF Circle of Honor 

Dave Wentz, outgoing DSEF chairman, was presented with the Circle of Honor award at the 2018 DSA Annual Meeting in San Diego. The Circle of Honor award recognizes those individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the Foundation. “It was extremely moving and meaningful to receive DSEF’s Circle of Honor award,” Dave says. “To be included with such an amazing group of past award winners is truly an honor and I am proud to have been able to make a contribution to the great work of the Foundation. I learned a great deal and more importantly had the chance to work with great people who are making a difference.”

DSEF Executive Director Gary Huggins credits Dave with helping the Foundation transition into a new direction. “We are excited to add Dave to DSEF’s Circle of Honor to celebrate his long history of supporting and contributing to the work and success of the Foundation,” Gary says. “Dave has also been a driving force in developing and implementing a bold new vision for the Foundation to mainstream direct selling by partnering with academics to produce industry validating research and reach tens of thousands of students every year with educational content on the channel.”

News / Newsletter

Dr. Elizabeth Davis Named DSEF Educator of the Year 

Dr. Elizabeth Davis Named DSEF Educator of the Year 

Dr. Elizabeth Davis (Liz), Dean of the School of Management at the University of San Francisco, was recognized as the DSEF Educator of the Year. The accolade is given to educators who demonstrate outstanding service to the Foundation through leadership, personal involvement, teaching and research. Liz has been instrumental in fulfilling DSEF’s mission of education and validation.

“Liz has made tremendous contributions to DSEF’s work to partner with university professors throughout the country to achieve our goal of reaching more than 60,000 students per year through DSEF events, curriculum and content,” said DSEF Executive Director Gary. “She has been a highly-valued strategic advisor to the Foundation through her service on the board as well as a founding member of the Foundation’s Academic Advisory Council.”

Liz says she was honored to receive the Educator of the Year Award from the Foundation. “My time with the direct selling industry has given me the opportunity to work with professionals who are rewriting the business landscape in new and creative ways,” she says. “I will continue to enjoy my ongoing association and work with the Foundation and DSA as they chart their future and blaze a path forward.”

News / Newsletter

Dr. Vicky Crittenden Leads Fellows Workshop

At DSA’s Annual Meeting in June, 29 DSEF Fellows joined the Foundation for a Learning Journey to discover firsthand the challenges and topics important to the direct selling community.

To kick-off this academic learning experience, DSEF Academic Advisory Committee Member and DSEF Board Member, Dr. Victoria Crittenden, Professor and Chair, Marketing Division, Babson College, lent her leadership in a workshop before the conference began that illustrated the opportunities of the DSEF Fellows program.

Dr. Crittenden explained, the importance of having it for the Fellows in attendance. “The DSEF Fellows Workshop is always a great event at the DSA Annual Meeting. This year, we heard from eight Fellows about how they are bringing direct selling to their college campuses, individual classrooms, and research.” she said. “It was especially exciting to hear how some of our newest Fellows are already active in their engagement with direct selling executives and with the DSEF. In addition to the workshop, the conviviality among the Fellows was dynamic this year. Not surprisingly, several of the Fellows took that dynamism to the Casino floor, which was great fun.”

Dr. Crittenden planned and moderated the workshop designed to demonstrate how Fellows can collaborate with DSEF on research, campus events, experiential learning projects, etc. and inspire Fellows to become active, productive partners. These workshop interactions often lead to new teaching content that will ultimately reach 60,000 students a year, channel-validating research to help the industry counter misconceptions and executive visits to university campuses, to share real-world business experiences with students.

Newsletter

DSEF Welcomes Its Newest Fellows 7/31

DSEF Welcomes Its Newest Fellows 7/31

DSEF launched the Fellows Program to support educational and research efforts to foster a deeper understanding of the direct selling channel and its impact. We now have more than 130 Fellows around the world from a wide range of disciplines – management, marketing, economics, entrepreneurship, sales, consumer studies – and provide them a rich offering of benefits and opportunities.

DSEF warmly welcomes our newest Fellows:

Dr. Jessica Hurst
Iowa State University
Associate Professor in the Apparel, Events, & Hospitality
Management Department

Dr. Liang “Rebecca” Tang
Iowa State University
Associate Professor in the Department of Apparel, Events, & Hospitality Management

Dr. Jennifer Zarzosa
Henderson State University
Assistant Professor of Marketing

Mr. Zachary Moore
The University of Louisiana-Monroe
Doctoral Candidate and Instructor of Agricultural Business
Agricultural Business Program Coordinator

Ms. April Kemp
Southeastern Louisiana University
Doctoral Candidate and Instructor of Marketing and Supply Chain Management
Marketing Internship Coordinator

Dr. Scot Squires
Central Michigan University
Professor and President of the Union of Teaching Faculty

Dr. Ellen Bolman Pullins
The University of Toledo
Professor of Marketing and International Business

Dr. Ying Liao
East Carolina University
Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management

Dr. Anne Balazs
Eastern Michigan University
Interim Dean

Dr. Mohammed Shaki
Saint Leo University
Assistant Professor of Management in the Donald R. Tapia School of Business

Newsletter

DSEF Welcomes Its Newest Fellows 4/03

DSEF Welcomes Its Newest Fellows 4/03

DSEF launched the Fellows Program to support educational and research efforts to foster a deeper understanding of the direct selling channel and its impact. We now have more than 125 Fellows around the world from a wide range of disciplines – management, marketing, economics, entrepreneurship, sales, consumer studies – and provide them a rich offering of benefits and opportunities.

DSEF warmly welcomes our newest Fellows:

Dr. Yulong Li
Associate Professor of Marketing
Simmons College

Ms. Joanne Cao
Assistant Professor of Marketing
The University of Southern Mississippi

Dr. David Altounian
Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship
Associate Dean of Academic Programs
MBA Program Director
St. Edwards University

Dr. Crystal Scott
Associate Professor of Marketing
University of Michigan-Dearborn

Dr. Mathew Joseph
Emil C.E. Jurica Distinguished Professor of Marketing
St. Mary’s University

Dr. Minjeong Kim
Associate Professor in Merchandising
Indiana University-Bloomington

Dr. Sally Fortenberry
Associate Professor
Director, Center for Merchandise Education and Research
Texas Christian University

Dr. Sebastian Hohenberg
Assistant Professor of Marketing
University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Cathy Curran-Kelly
Associate Professor, Management and Marketing
University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth

Dr. Jeananne Nicholls
Professor, Marketing and Management
Slippery Rock University

Dr. Scott Swain
Associate Professor of Marketing
Clemson University

Dr. Brian VanderSchee
Professor of Marketing
Aurora University

Dr. Diana Haytko
Marguerite and Guy Howard Professorship in Business; Professor of Marketing
Florida Gulf Coast University

Newsletter

Amway’s 2018 Global Entrepreneurship Report

Amway’s 2018 Global Entrepreneurship Report

Amway’s 2018 Global Entrepreneurship Report examines intrinsic and extrinsic factors that impact potential entrepreneurs. The data is based on survey data from nearly 50,000 people across 44 countries. Here are five of the most important findings to get a high-level overview of this year’s results (source: Amway).

  1. The global business environment has room to improve to be entrepreneurship-friendly.

Nearly 50,000 people were asked about different aspects of entrepreneurship, including technology availability, the education system, taxes, rules and regulations, and their country’s economic situation. As you might expect, there remains great opportunity to improve the global business environment. Unsurprisingly, people don’t find their country’s taxes manageable (only 33 percent do), nor do they think their country provides easy-to-understand rules and regulations (only 24 percent do).

  1. One of the most significant barriers to starting a business is the fear of failure.

It’s hard for people to start a business because they are afraid to fail. Less than half of people surveyed say they’d be willing to risk failure to start a business. Possibly, it’s because people see starting a business as a giant endeavor — a significant commitment. And it can be. However, there also are ways to start a business that are relatively low-cost and risk-free – direct selling is one of them.

  1. People need the most help raising money for their business idea.

When asked about different areas respondents would need help with when starting a business, raising money rose to the top, at 23 percent. In the traditional business scene, you’re investing a lot of your personal money, asking friends and family for support or pitching investors to finance your business. In direct selling, the average cost of a sales kit is just over $100 and includes a 90 percent buy-back guarantee.

  1. People prefer to build a team, rather than work alone.

When asked whether people prefer to work alone or hire people, the majority (57 percent) opted for building a team. In direct selling, you can create your own business – work independently or develop a team.

  1. Personal service still matters

In today’s digitally connected world, personal service is still significantly valued. The research found that 75 percent of people prefer to service customers personally than digitally. This trend remained consistent with even the under-35 demographic, countering the common perception that millennials prefer virtual interaction over interpersonal and indicating that personalized service is still highly valued around the world.