John A. Howard/AMA Doctoral Dissertation Award

2010 John A. Howard Call for Submissions (.pdf)

The American Marketing Association (AMA) began recognizing excellent dissertations in 1960 by inviting top candidates to present their papers at the annual Marketing Educators Conference.  In 1967, the process was formalized with the establishment of the Doctoral Dissertation Awards.  Since that time, AMA has continued to annually invite all candidates to submit their dissertations to the competition.

John Howard was the George E. Warren Professor Emeritus of Business at Columbia University and was a recognized innovator in the application of basic research in marketing, consumer and buyer behavior.  His numerous marketing texts and articles contributed to the development of the profession for nearly 40 years before his death in 1999.  Howard also taught at the Universities of Illinois, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Western Ontario and Stanford.  His leadership in directing doctoral candidates through the dissertation process influenced both the quality of the research and the preparation of current marketing faculty across the country.

The John A. Howard AMA Doctoral Dissertation Endowment was established in 1992 with the initial gift from Dr. Jagdish Sheth of Emory University in honor of his advisor.  The purpose of the endowment is to both assure the continuity of the program and to further promote the importance of the dissertation process. 

Sheth, also internationally recognized for his contributions to marketing and the academic community, developed his dissertation under the guidance of Howard while at the University of Pittsburgh.  According to Sheth, "John Howard was a major influence on me both personally and professionally.  His devotion to the discipline of marketing and his hard work were an inspiration to all of us who have had the honor and the privilege of working with him.  He was a true scholar because he is always eager to learn, challenge, and innovate new concepts and perspectives."

Eligibility

Students completing the requirements for their doctoral degrees in marketing- and buyer behavior-related topics are eligible.  Top candidates are invited to submit their dissertations to the competition.  Submissions by graduates from doctoral programs in North American, Europe, Latin American, Asia, Australia, Africa, New Zealand and elsewhere are invited to participate.

Selection Criteria

Judges are asked to review the works based on quality of the dissertation contribution to theory and practice, originality and appropriateness of the research method, technical competence in the execution of the research, and the value of the findings in contributing to knowledge in marketing.  Judges are appointed by the AMA Academic Council.  Winners are notified in June and announced in the fall issue of the Marketing Educator.  Winners will be honored and asked to present their abstracts at an AMA Summer Educators' Conference of the winning year.

Recipients - John A. Howard/AMA Doctoral Dissertation Award

Donors - John A. Howard/AMA Doctoral Dissertation Award