What the study found
The article argues that marketing should be understood at a higher level as an overarching phenomenon, not only as a collection of activities. It says this shift would move the field from an activity-based framework toward marketing’s inner meaning and purpose.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest that this broader view could make marketing more inclusive and help different institutions embrace it. They also say it may help reconcile conflicts between marketing’s many stakeholders and between commercial and environmental interests.
What the researchers tested
This is a research article that advances a conceptual argument rather than reporting an empirical test. The author examines the discipline’s current tactical focus and proposes a transformative approach based on viewing marketing as a phenomenon.
What worked and what didn't
According to the article, the current management approach has become myopically focused on activities without a clear purpose. The proposed phenomenon-based approach is presented as a way to refocus marketing on its inner meaning and purpose, but the abstract does not report empirical comparisons or measured outcomes.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe a study sample, data, or a test of the proposal. It also does not provide limitations beyond noting that the discipline is at a critical juncture and that current debates have not yielded clear results.
Key points
- The article argues that marketing should be viewed as an overarching phenomenon rather than only as a set of activities.
- It says the current management approach has become narrowly focused on activities without a clear purpose.
- The authors suggest a phenomenon-based perspective could make marketing more inclusive.
- The abstract says this perspective may help reconcile conflicts among stakeholders and between commercial and environmental interests.
- No empirical test, sample, or measured outcome is described in the abstract.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Marketing should be understood as a broader phenomenon
- Authors:
- Christian Grönroos
- Institutions:
- Hanken School of Economics
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-27
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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