Wisdom: Exploring the Pinnacle of Human Virtues as a Central Link from Micromarketing to Macromarketing

59 Pages Posted: 23 Sep 2008

See all articles by David Glen Mick

David Glen Mick

University of Virginia - McIntire School of Commerce

Thomas Bateman

University of Virginia - McIntire School of Commerce

Richard Lutz

University of Florida - Warrington College of Business Administration

Date Written: September 19, 2008

Abstract

The macromarketing system is largely the function of many micromarketing decisions made each day. But this connection has not been probed thoroughly in the macromarketing literature, and there is a need for conceptual frameworks that can successfully link the challenges of effective micromarketing with the laudable goals of the macromarketing field, which focuses on the interdependencies between marketing and society. To this end, we explore wisdom, the zenith of human virtues, through pertinent literature and in-depth interviews with executives nominated for their wise decision making. We discovered that wisdom in marketing is characterized by the recognition and management of five central paradoxes (e.g., the need for expertise versus the need to admit knowledge limitations; the need to enact authority and accountability versus the need for ego control). We discuss the implications of these findings for the theory, practice, and teaching of macromarketing, and for basic wisdom theory.

Suggested Citation

Mick, David Glen and Bateman, Thomas and Lutz, Richard, Wisdom: Exploring the Pinnacle of Human Virtues as a Central Link from Micromarketing to Macromarketing (September 19, 2008). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1272471 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1272471

David Glen Mick (Contact Author)

University of Virginia - McIntire School of Commerce ( email )

P.O. Box 400173
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4173
United States

Thomas Bateman

University of Virginia - McIntire School of Commerce ( email )

P.O. Box 400173
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4173
United States

Richard Lutz

University of Florida - Warrington College of Business Administration ( email )

Gainesville, FL 32611
United States