Lecturer in Marketing

Organisation: University of South Australia

Job Title: Lecturer in Marketing

Word Limit: 500 words per criterion

Location: South Australia

Essential

A completed PhD in marketing or a cognate area, together with authorship of articles published or accepted in high quality marketing or cognate journals.

I was awarded a PhD in Marketing from the School of Marketing and International Business at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand in 2014. The topic of my thesis was ‘Religiosity, Generational Cohort and Buying Behaviour of Islamic Financial Products in Bangladesh’.

Current Journal Publications

Newaz, F. T. (2009), Storytelling – A Strategic Tool to Communicate Brand Image, SEU Journal of Business Studies, Vol. July-December.

Works in Progress

Religiosity, Generational Cohort and Buying Behaviour of Islamic Financial Products in Bangladesh (based on PhD dissertation).

The article examines the descriptive validity of the “Religiosity-Consumer Behaviour” model which normally underscores empirical work in this area of the literature.

Proposed submission: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

What We Talk about Religiosity When We Talk about Muslim Religiosity.

The article is focused on the conceptualisation of religiosity and gives a new dimension to define religiosity.

Proposed submission: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Journal of Islamic Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, and the Journal of International Marketing.

Understanding the Nature and Market for Islamic Financial Services.

The article provides an understanding of the nature and market for Islamic Financial Services. It would enhance the ability of managers and researchers to undertake their marketing and research endeavours.

Conference Papers

Newaz, F. T., Raman, R. and Fam, K.S. (2010), Impact of Religiosity on Buying Behaviour of Islamic Financial Products: A Case for a Multilevel Multicountry Analysis, paper accepted for presentation and publication in the conference proceedings at the International Conference on Islamic Marketing and Branding, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 29 – 30, 201

Newaz, F. T. and Fabian, M. A. B. (2011), Managing International B2B Relationships and Interorganisational Networks: An Empirical Analysis of Tour Operators, paper accepted for presentation and publication in the conference proceedings at the International Conference on Business Competencies in a Changing Global Environment in Bangladesh, December 23, 2010.

Newaz, F. T. and Fabian, M. A. B. (2011), Managing International B2B Relationships and Interorganisational Networks: An Empirical Analysis of Tour Operators, paper accepted for presentation and publication in the conference proceedings at the 12th International conference of the Society for Global Business & Economic Development (SGBED) in Singapore, July 21-23, 2011.

Newaz, F. T. and Raman (2011), Impact of Religiosity on Buying Behaviour of Islamic Financial Products: Exploring Cohorts’ Preferences in Bangladesh, paper accepted for presentation and publication in the conference proceedings at the MAG Scholar Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, May 29 –April 1, 2011

Newaz, F. T., Raman, R. and Fam, K. S. (2013), Understanding the Nature and Market for Islamic Financial Services, paper accepted for presentation and publication in the conference proceedings at the 4th Global Islamic Marketing Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, May 29 – 30, 2013.

Expertise in and knowledge of empirically-based marketing research practices, which lead to useful results for marketing practice.

I have completed extensive graduate and post-graduate studies in marketing and business, including a:

PhD in Marketing at the Victoria University of Wellington
Master of Science in International Business at the Gothenburg University (School of Business, Law and Economics) in Sweden
Master of Business Administration at the Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh
Bachelor of Business Administration at the Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh

At all levels my studies encompassed the full range of theories and processes related to evidence based marketing research practices. My academic achievements, combined with my university based professional experience as a Lecturer, Tutor and Research Assistant within the marketing field, have provided me with expertise in and a diverse knowledge of these research practices. During my academic employment as a Lecturer, I developed and delivered lectures covering contemporary marketing practices. I also assessed assignments, marked exams, and reviewed the curriculum in this field. In addition to this, I had to supervise students who undertook an internship program during the last semester of their study in the marketing field.

I also have developed my expertise in this area during my field research in Italy and the UK as part of my master’s program, and in Bangladesh during my PhD program. I gained practical experience in the collection of data through a structured interview process with Company Managers, and in the development and administration of a questionnaire survey. I gained excellent skills in approaching and liaising with potential respondents, and convincing them to participate in the survey research. I then undertook extensive analysis of the data utilising the Structural Equation Model (SEM) statistical technique for establishing and reviewing causal relations.

My research findings have led to a number of useful results that have implications for practitioners in the field. They provide an insight into, and understanding of, Muslim consumers in a more predictive and comprehensive manner. The research findings achieve this by considering religiosity as a predictor of consumer behaviour, rather than simply as a correlate of product purchasing. The results of my research study may help Islamic financial service providers to identify potential customers and segment the target market on the basis of religiosity and generational cohort in order to expand their services globally.

I also am aware of the rapid social and technological changes that are impacting the traditional marketing research industry. A number of marketing research practices, focused on consumer reported data collection and information were developed when data was scarce. The growth of social media marketing and the use of non-interrogatory tools, such as mobile research, web-use tracking and passive data such as GPS, have changed this, and they present a new set of challenges. That is, how to analyse this vast amount of passive data in a creative and meaningful way.

A demonstrated ability to conduct field research and work with mathematical and statistical research tools.

As mentioned in the previous criterion, I have experience in undertaking field research and have worked with mathematical and statistical tools to analyse the data. While completing my Master’s program in Sweden, I conducted the relevant field research in Italy and the UK. I also undertook field research in Bangladesh during my PhD program.

The types of activities I undertook as part of this research included using a structured interview process on Company Managers to collect a broad range of data. I also gained experience in developing and administering a questionnaire in the field. This practical experience encompassed approaching potential respondents, and convincing them to participate in the survey. I then used the SEM statistical technique for determining and comparing causal relations.

I used AMOS software for running SEM during my PhD thesis analysis. This allowed me to set, assess and present models to show hypothesized relationships among variables. This approach enabled me to build models more accurately than with standard multivariate statistics techniques, and I could build attitudinal and behavioural models that reflected complex relationships.

The topic of my PhD dissertation was ‘Religiosity, Generational Cohort and Buying Behaviour of Islamic Financial Products in Bangladesh’. The data I collected in the field and the analysis I undertook allowed me to make assumptions about Muslim consumer purchasing considering religiosity and generational cohorts as variables to predict consumer behaviour.

The experiences I have gained in field research and analysis greatly enhanced my ability to understand and synthesise the relevant literature and to display insight and a high level of critical analysis. I developed my capabilities relevant to designing a method for collecting information, leading and implementing the data collection process, analysing the results, determining the implications and communicating these effectively. I gained expertise in gathering, recording, and reviewing qualitative and quantitative data about issues relating to specific products and services.

The capacity, over time, to develop and manage in a team-based internationally respected research program.

Throughout my professional and academic career I have demonstrated the ability to develop collaborative and productive working relationships and partnerships with fellow researchers, students, colleagues, and other relevant stakeholders. Regardless of the circumstances, I strive to foster a cooperative environment where team members feel valued, supported and encouraged. I embrace different views and perspectives, and value and utilise those differences for the benefit of the team.

While undertaking my Master of Science in International Business at the Gothenburg University (School of Business, Law and Economics) in Sweden, I worked collaboratively with my co-researcher from Mexico to conduct field research in Italy and the UK. We encouraged and supported each other’s contributions during this process, undertaking the research in a cooperative and integrated manner.

I also have extensive experience in working as part of academic teams focused on enhancing the learning experience within the university. For example, I have participated on the Curriculum Revision Committee and the Examination Committee, contributing to ensuring the quality and relevancy of content and process. As a Lecturer and Tutor I have also participated in meetings with a range of other academic and professional staff to coordinate the delivery and assessment of curriculum and learning support within particular courses.

It is also relevant that I have gained experience in supervising the marketing research work of students undertaking an internship program during the last semester of their study. These students were required to undertake a diverse range of activities, such as literature research, reading papers, collecting data, conducting modelling and writing, many of which they have little previous experience with. I provided structured and methodical support across these different aspects, focusing on giving them the guidance and direction they needed to increase their academic performance and gain a clear understanding of the material.

During my employment as a Customer Service Advisor with the Standard Chartered Bank in Bangladesh, I was required to train, coach and mentor new employees and interns. I treated all these employees fairly and equally, and was transparent in my dealings with them. I am a positive, flexible person, with natural leadership skills. My goal was to build and sustain collaborative relationships with these staff members, and to leverage their skills and expertise, to deliver excellent customer service outcomes.

I have lived, worked and studied in several countries, and have developed excellent cross-cultural competencies. I find interacting with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds both professionally and personally rewarding. I am currently planning a future research project that will be based on cross country comparisons. Effectively managing the coordination and collaboration between the researchers on an international scale will be a vital component of the success of the project.

Skills in University teaching, including experience in tutoring, marking, lecturing and course administration, supported by student evaluations of teaching.

I have been employed as a Lecturer at the American International University in Bangladesh, and as a Guest Lecturer, Research Assistant, and Tutor at Victoria University in New Zealand. As a Lecturer I have undertaken all aspects of teaching. This has included designing, preparing and developing teaching materials, preparing and delivering lectures, seminars and tutorials, developing and implementing new methods of teaching to reflect changes in research, and coordinating, preparing and delivering course lectures. This included providing course materials and listing bibliographies on different chapters.

I also have undertaken a range of duties related to the assessment of student casework. This incorporates marking quizzes, administering and assessing mid-term and final examinations, and marking assignments submitted by the students. Another component of my experience relates to the provision of academic advice and guidance to students. I undertook this during the specified counselling times, but I often tried to be more widely available to students if required.

My role as a Lecturer also included participating in a number of Committees. I contributed to the Academic Committee, working with other academic staff to formulate an academic plan, discuss the curriculum, distribute course load, and form different committees and sub-committees for different specific purposes, such as decisions regarding individual student issues. I also participated on the Curriculum Revision Committee and the Examination Committee to ensure the quality of content and assessment within the university.

As a course teacher in Marketing, I also supervised students placed in an internship program during the last semester of their study. Another relevant activity I pursued was organising various curricular and extracurricular activities, like study trips and cultural programs, for students of the department.

As a successful educator, I focus on inspiring and motivating students. I am enthusiastic and engaged, and I ensure that my classes are well-organised, interesting and enjoyable. I communicate well with my students and actively participate in and organise student activities. My performance evaluations by students have confirmed my abilities and commitment in these areas.

I also have extensive experience as a Tutor, which has provided me with a range of skills related to teaching. My duties have included the preparation and delivery of scheduled teaching sessions, facilitating group work, ensuring that I am current with course materials and course requirements, and monitoring and contributing to electronic student discussion forums. Other tasks I undertook were accurately recording attendance and internal assessment marks, undertaking student consultation and administration (in person and/ or by email), marking student work, invigilating trimester tests and providing meaningful feedback and encouragement. I also worked cooperatively with academic and professional staff, such as the Course Co-ordinators and Senior Tutors, to deliver an integrated and coordinated learning experience for the students. This included attending required Tutor training sessions.

I embrace the use of technology to deliver blended learning resources and experiences, and have found this approach offers certain efficiencies, along with flexibility of design, delivery and access to learning activities. In turn, this also enhances the independent learning experience of students. The use of multimodal ways of presenting resources and content, and the reduction in the amount of print text that the use of technology allows, often appeals to learner preferences for the visual or the kinaesthetic, and to students from diverse language backgrounds.

I have also found that developing multimodal resources can benefit student learning in relation to complex topics. This is about providing connected layers of information that imbed and sustain the learning process. Creative, technology enriched learning delivery and resources allow learning to occur in ways that are immediate, contemporary and accessible to students beyond the university. Multiple connections imbed the knowledge gained and allow a deeper understanding of the material to be achieved. Finally, technology based learning allows a greater range of learning styles to be catered for, in particular the information processing preferences of younger generations, therefore maximising the uptake of information by students.

I have advanced technical and computer skills and am proficient in the use of various software and systems including:

Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Works and Access)
SPSS (Statistics Program for Social Sciences)
AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures)
Internet and email proficient

Victoria University of Wellington uses virtual learning environments, such as Blackboard, to provide additional opportunities for interactive learning. They also have a range of online resources available to students. These include library resources, online journals, lecture notes, reading lists, and self-assessment materials. As a Tutor I have monitored and contributed to a number of e-communication methods, such as emails, discussion boards, instant messaging and social networking. I have found that e-learning can play a significant role in creating a community of inquiry that is independent of time and location.

Demonstrated capabilities in administrative areas such as course administration, academic administration, or project management.

I have always contributed to and supported the administrative infrastructure of the University, including undertaking the activities required to effectively administer and deliver courses. As part of the academic staff I understand and appreciate how administrators negotiate and manage the day-to-day logistical issues of the university, and my role in supporting these functions.

As mentioned previously, I have experience in working as part of teams focused on effectively managing course content and assessment within the university. I have worked on the Academic Committee to develop academic plans, review the curriculum, distribute course load, and form additional committees for different specific purposes. I have also contributed to both the Curriculum Revision Committee and the Examination Committee, working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders to enhance the quality and relevancy of courses and processes.

In academic roles I have participated in meetings with other academic and professional staff to administer the delivery and scheduling of course content and assessment. As a Tutor I have also had a number of administration duties, including accurately recording attendance and internal assessment marks, monitoring e-learning discussion forums and message boards, and invigilating trimester tests.

I also take part in the community life of the University, organising events, and participating in student functions and activities where appropriate. I have planned and participated in several curricular and extracurricular activities like study trips and cultural programs for students of the department. I managed all aspects of these activities, ensuring integration and alignment with courses and other student activities.

Part of an academic career is being involved and invested in the practices of the faculty and the university. I am an adaptable and flexible employee, willing to contribute to all aspects of the learning experience, including all administrative functions and course management requirements.

A high standard of interpersonal ability and written and oral communication skills.

My academic career, together with my employment as a Customer Service Manager at the Standard Chartered Bank, has provided me with exceptional interpersonal skills. At the Bank I liaised with a diverse range of clients in relation to various financial products and services. This included face-to-face consultations, over the phone discussions, and the provision of assistance via email. In this role I needed strong communication skills to provide information and guidance to clients, ensuring that I conveyed key messages and points effectively.

Within universities I have always enjoyed the opportunity of working with other staff and students. In my academic roles, my communication skills ensured that I developed excellent, productive relationships with students and colleagues from all social and cultural levels and backgrounds. Lecturing has also significantly enhanced my oral presentation skills. I am an influential and persuasive communicator, who can easily adjust their presentation and delivery based on the knowledge and experience of the audience. I tailor the content to suit the capability base and learning styles of students, and use a range of appropriate mediums to deliver and reinforce critical information.

I also use my oral communication skills as an effective teaching tool to engage, motivate and encourage students. I utilise various capabilities to achieve this, including clarity of expression, conciseness of language, structuring the message to the audience and changes in tone and expression, to focus attentiveness and interest.

In addition to my teaching experience, I have also developed my oral communication skills further through the delivery of many presentations at various conferences. Once again, I focused on ensuring that my message was clear, I had structured the presentation to the audience, and that I used expressive language and humour to engage and sustain interest in the presentation.

The field research I undertook as part of my post-graduate studies is also relevant to this criterion. My well-developed interpersonal skills allowed me to approach potential respondents effectively, and convince them to participate in the survey research.

My various academic positions have ensured that I have well developed written communication skills. As part of my commitment to helping students in the learning process, I always made sure that my lecture notes provided a concise and careful transcript of the lecture. I always planned the content and format, and structured the notes so that they clearly pointed to the objectives and key ideas that were presented in the lecture. In recognition of this approach, I often received positive feedback from my students about the notes.

Writing my PhD thesis also provided me with an excellent opportunity to improve my writing skills. Representing all the activities and results in detail and ensuring clarity was a complex task. In addition to these examples, I also have experience in writing papers for publication in journals and conference proceedings. This process required that I had the written skills to synthesise the literature, displaying insight and an appropriate level of critical analysis.

Desirable Criteria

Experience as a marketing practitioner, market researcher or consultant.

I worked in the financial services industry for several years, gaining expertise in the practical aspects of client service, and a strong understanding of customer’s needs and requirements in relation to the bank’s products and services. My role incorporated undertaking research into both the bank’s clients and various financial products, ensuring that these services, and how they were marketed, was aligned to customer needs. I utilised this industry based experience, applying the knowledge in my PhD thesis.

As discussed previously, I also have experience in undertaking field research in marketing while completing my master’s and PhD program. This experience included facilitating a structured interview process and developing and administering a questionnaire in the field.

Experience in winning contract research or competitive grants.

I am currently planning a future research project that will be based on cross country comparisons. The project will incorporate coordinating and managing the collaboration of a number of researchers on an international scale. I plan to apply for a grant to progress this research.

Experience in supervising student research projects or higher degree by research students.

As a course teacher I gained experience in supervising the marketing research work of students undertaking an internship program during the last semester of their study. The internship included a diverse range of activities, such as literature research, reading papers, collecting data, conducting modelling and writing. The students had little previous experience with many of these tasks. I provided structured support and guidance to ensure they understood all these requirements.

As a Customer Service Advisor with the Standard Chartered Bank in Bangladesh, I was required to train, coach and mentor new employees and interns. This experience enhanced my abilities as an effective supervisor and leader. I worked with these employees to develop their capabilities, and to harness their skills and abilities to deliver excellent customer service outcomes.

Experience in analysing categorical or discrete data.

I have experience in undertaking multi-group analysis to investigate the consumption behaviour of three generational groups, as well as the consumption behaviour of four different categories of financial products. The topic of my PhD dissertation was ‘Religiosity, Generational Cohort and Buying Behaviour of Islamic Financial Products in Bangladesh’. The data I collected in the field and the analysis I undertook allowed me to make assumptions about Muslim consumer purchasing of financial products considering religiosity and generational cohorts as variables to predict consumer behaviour.

Publication in “A*” marketing journals, as defined by the Australian Business Deans’ Council list.

I have experience in the preparation and publication of papers, and a list of my publications and works in progress is given under a previous criterion. I have a strong commitment to conducting research and ensuring the currency and relevancy of my knowledge in the marketing field.

I am also passionate about having an ongoing contribution to my discipline and see the transparent and open exchange of ideas that occurs with the publication of papers as an important component of this. I have a strong commitment to publish scholarly papers in A* journals, and plan to make this as an ongoing focus in my future academic career.

An example of my commitment to publication is the work I am currently undertaking, which includes:

Religiosity, Generational Cohort and Buying Behaviour of Islamic Financial Products in Bangladesh (based on PhD dissertation).

Proposed submission: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

What We Talk about Religiosity When We Talk about Muslim Religiosity.

Understanding the Nature and Market for Islamic Financial Services.

: Organisation: University of South Australia Job Title: Lecturer in Marketing Word Limit: 500 words per criterion Location: South Australia