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Suzanne Makarem

Associate Professor

Area: Marketing

  • Snead Hall
  • 301 W. Main Street
  • Box 844000
  • Richmond, VA, 23284-4000
  • Office: B3183

Education

  • PhD, Temple University, 2010.
  • MBA, American University of Beirut, 2003.
  • BS, American University of Beirut, 2001.

Expertise

  • Consumer Emotions
  • Healthcare Marketing
  • Stakeholder Journeys

Interests

Teaching
  • Buyer Behavior (MKTG 315); Influencing Consumer Behavior (MKTG 672); Marketing Research (MKTG 310; MKTG 673)
Research
  • Healthcare Services Marketing; Transformative Consumer Research; Stakeholder Experience Journeys; Emotions in Consumer Decision Making; Customer Satisfaction and Retention; Online Reviews Management
Bio

Suzanne C. Makarem (she/her), Ph.D. is an associate professor of marketing in the Marketing department at the VCU School of Business. Dr. Makarem joined VCU in 2010. She received her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and her Master of Business Administration from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. She earned her PhD in Marketing from the Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Makarem’s research examines the role of emotions in consumer decision-making, stakeholder experience journeys, online word-of-mouth, and anti-consumption behaviors, especially within transformative service contexts such as healthcare. She has published on topics that include the effects of patient hope and control perceptions on health behavior, drivers of patient satisfaction and retention, consumer expression of boycott intentions on twitter, and service captivity.

Dr. Makarem's research is published in journals such as the Journal of Service Research, the Journal of Business Research, the Journal of Consumer Affairs, the Journal of Services Marketing, and Health Care Management Review.

Awards and Honors

  • 2020 Faculty Council Distinguished Service Award, VCU School of Business. (March 25, 2020).
  • 2017 Faculty Council Distinguished Teacher Award, VCU School of Business. (March 23, 2017).
  • EPIC Challenge Finalist Team Award, VCU School of Business. (October 16, 2015).
  • Faculty Nominee for the Great Minds Award, Phi Kappa Phi, VCU. (March 21, 2013).
  • AMA Sheth Foudation Doctoral Consortium Fellow. (June, 2009).
  • The John R. Washburn Award for Academic Excellence, Temple University. (May, 2006).

Research

Published Intellectual Contributions
Journal Article
  • Hassan, H. E., Makarem, S. C., Wood, V. R. (2023). Acceptance of Mobile Health Services in Emerging Markets: A Study of Egyptian Consumers. International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets .
  • Rayburn, S., Makarem, S. C., Mohan, M., Arnold, T., Yamile , J. (2023). Development and Validation of a Service Captivity Scale . Journal of Service Research .
  • Fitzgerald, K., Campbell, T., Makarem, S. C., Hodges, R. (2023). Reduction of biological age following an 8-week methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle program: A case series. (6 ed., vol. 15, pp.1833-1839. ). Aging .
  • Candi, M., Jae, H., Makarem, S. C., Mohan, M. (2017). Consumer Response to Functional, Aesthetic and Symbolic Product Design Expressed in Online Reviews. (vol. 81, pp.31-39). Journal of Business Research.
  • Al-Amin, M., Makarem, S. C., Rosko, M. (2016). Efficiency and Hospital Effectiveness in Improving HCAHPS Ratings. (4 ed., vol. 41, pp.296-305). Health Care Management Review.
  • Makarem, S. C. (2016). Emotions and Cognitions in Consumer Health Behaviors: Insights from Chronically Ill Patients into the Effects of Hope and Control Perceptions. (3 ed., vol. 15, pp.208-215). Journal of Consumer Behavior.
  • Makarem, S. C., Jae, H. (2016). Consumer Boycott Behavior: An Exploratory Analysis of Twitter Feeds. (1 ed., vol. 50, pp.193-223). Journal of Consumer Affairs.
  • Al-Amin, M., Makarem, S. C. (2016). The Effects of Hospital-Level Factors on Patient Ratings of Physician Communication. (1 ed., vol. 61, pp.28-41). Journal of Healthcare Management.
  • Ferguson, J. L., Makarem, S. C., Jones, R. (2016). Using a Class Blog for Student Experiential Learning Reflection in Business Courses. (1 ed., vol. 91, pp.1-10). Journal of Education for Business.
  • Makarem, S. C. (2015). Using Online Video Lectures to Enrich Traditional Face-to-Face Courses. (2 ed., vol. 8, pp.155-164). International Journal of Instruction.
  • Makarem, S. C., Al-Amin, M. (2014). Beyond the Service Process: The Effects of Organizational and Market Factors on Customer Perceptions of Health Care Services. (4 ed., vol. 17, pp.399-414). Journal of Service Research.
  • Makarem, S. C., Smith, M., Mudambi, S., Hunt, J. (2014). Why People Do Not Always Follow the Doctor's Orders: The Role of Hope and Perceived Control. (3 ed., vol. 48, pp.457-485). Journal of Consumer Affairs.
  • Makarem, S. C., Coe, J. (2014). Patient Retention at Dental School Clinics: A Marketing Perspective. (11 ed., vol. 78, pp.1513-1520). Journal of Dental Education.
  • Franzak, F. J., Makarem, S. C., Jae, H. (2014). Design Benefits, Emotional Responses, and Brand Engagement. (1 ed., vol. 23, pp.16-23). Journal of Product & Brand Management.
  • Al-Amin, M., Makarem, S. C., Pradhan, R. (2011). Hospitals' Ability to Attract International Patients: A Conceptual Framework. (3 ed., vol. 5, pp.1750-6123). International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing.
  • Makarem, S. C., Mudambi, S., Podoshen, J. (2009). Satisfaction in Technology-Enabled Service Encounters. (3 ed., vol. 23, pp.134-244). Journal of Services Marketing.
  • Baalbaki, I., Ahmed, Z., Pashtenko, V., Makarem, S. C. (2008). Patient Satisfaction with HealthCare Delivery Systems. (1 ed., vol. 2, pp.47-62 ). International Journal of Pharmaceutical and HealthCare Marketing.
Presentations Given
  • Makarem, S. C., Hammond , D., Blunt , B., Jae, H., 2024 AMA Marketing and Public Policy Conference, Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Improving Access to Wellness Resources for Women, American Marketing Association, Washington D.C. (June 7, 2024).
  • Simhan, P., Makarem, S. C., 2024 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference, Consumer Perceptions of TikTok’s Influence on the Music Industry, Academy of Marketing Science , Coral Gables, FL. (May 23, 2024).
  • Makarem, S. C., Blunt , B., Hammond, D., Jae, H., 2024 Winter American Marketing Association, Towards a better understanding of unmet healthcare needs: women’s experience journey with conventional vs. complementary and alternative medicine healthcare providers, American Marketing Association, St. Petersburg, FL. (February 23, 2024).
  • Makarem, S. C., Beck , B. B., Fowler , J. G., 2023 Society for Marketing Advances (SMA) Annual Conference, Why #DoctorTikTok? A Mixed Method Assessment for Physicians on Social Media, Society for Marketing Advances (SMA) , Fort Worth, TX. (November 18, 2023).
  • Makarem, S. C., Fowler , J. G., Beck , B. B., 2023 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference, Physicians as Social Media Influencers on TikTok. New Orleans, LA. (May 17, 2023).
  • Hassan, H. E., Makarem, S. C., Wood, V. R., 2022 American Marketing Association Summer Educators' Conference, Mobile Health Adoption in Emerging Markets: A Study of Egyptian Customers, 2022 American Marketing Association Summer Educators' Conference, Virtual Conference Component . (August 9, 2022).
  • Makarem, S. C., Scalin, M., 2022 Academy of Marketing Science , Regular Creative Practice in Business Education Monterey, CA. (May 27, 2022).
  • Jae, H., Makarem, S. C., Huhmann, B. A., 2020 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference, Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Exploratory Study of Provider Perspectives, , Academy of Marketing Science , Coral Gables, FL. (December 15, 2020).
  • Makarem, S. C., Fox School’s 2020 PhD Alumni Panel, For Current PhD Students: How to Navigate a Tough Job Market , Temple University , Philadelphia, PA. (May 12, 2020).
  • Makarem, S., Jae, H., 2020 Winter American Marketing Conference, The Effects of Negative Online Reviews on Health Service Providers: The Service Provider’s Journey and Role of Service Climate, San Diego, CA. (February 14, 2020).
  • Makarem, S. C., Fox School’s 2018 PhD Alumni Panel, For Prospective PhD Students: Experiencing the PhD Program and Beyond , Temple University , Philadelphia, PA. (February 9, 2018).
  • Makarem, S. C., Jae, H., Summer Marketing Educator's Conference , Using Social Media to Boycott: An Exploratory Analysis of Twitter Feeds, American Marketing Association , Chicago, IL. (August 14, 2015).
  • Makarem, S. C., Cross, S., Pechmann, C., The PhD Project, A Love Affair with Methods: Developing a Diverse Methods Toolbox, Marketing Doctoral Students Association (MDSA), Chicago, IL. (August 12, 2015).
  • Woolf , S., Krist, A., Sabo, R., Etz , R., Jones, R., Elston Lafata, J., Makarem, S. C., Franzak, F. J., Epstein, R., Politi, M., Zikmund-Fisher, B., O'Conner, A., Frosch, D., The Annual Research Meeting, How a Study Was Transformed by Intensive Patient Engagement, Academy of Health, Minneapolis, MN. (June 14, 2015).
  • Krist, A., Woolf , S., Sabo, R., Lehman , R., Jones, R., Elston Lafata, J., Day, T., Makarem, S. C., Franzak, F. J., Etz , R., Epstein, R., Politi, M., Zikmund-Fisher, B., O'Conner, A., Tu, S., Frosch, D., The Annual Research Meeting, Patient Interest in Participating in Cancer Screening Decisions, Academy of Health, Minneapolis, MN. (June 14, 2015).
  • Franzak, F. J., Makarem, S. C., Jae, H., 2014 Academy of Marketing Science World Marketing Congress, A Conceptual Model of Design benefits and Brand engagement: The Mediating Role of Emotions Lima, Peru. (August 5, 2014).
  • Makarem, S. C., Coe, J., Dental School Executive Committee Meeting, Factors Affecting Patient Retention at VCU Dental School Student Clinics, VCU Dental School . (June 9, 2014).
  • Al-Amin, M., Makarem, S. C., The Annual Research Meeting, HCAHPs Ratings: The Impact of Contextual Factors, Academy of Health, San Diego, CA. (June 8, 2014).
  • Coe, J., Makarem, S. C., National Oral Health Conference, Factors Affecting Patient Retention Behavior at VCU Dental School Clinic: A Preliminary Analysis, Fort Worth, Texas. (April 28, 2014).
  • Makarem, S. C., Al-Amin, M., Frontiers in Service Conference, Patient Perceptions of Hospitals: The Role of Organizational and Market Characteristics, American Marketing Association, Washington, D.C.. (June 15, 2012).
  • Makarem, S. C., 2012 Annual Academy of Marketing Science Conference , A Modified Social Cognition Model Predicting Patient Health Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Hope New Orleans, LA. (May 15, 2012).
  • Makarem, S. C., Marketing and Public Policy Conference, Emotions and Cognitions in Consumer Health Behaviors: A Model of Hope and Control Applied to Chronic Illnesses, American Marketing Association, Washington, D.C.. (June 2, 2011).
  • Makarem, S. C., Second ACR Transformative Consumer Research Conference, Empowering Consumers to Lead Healthier Lives: Research Vision Proposal, Association for Consumer Research , Philadelphia, PA. (June, 2009).
  • Makarem, S. C., Pashtenko, V., Baalbaki, I., Academy for Global Business Advancement , Correlating Strategy with Advances in Technology: A Marketing Assessment of Hospital Health Care Systems New Delhi, India . (January 3, 2005).
Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research
  • Makarem, S. C. (Principal), Jae, H. (Supporting), ORAU Directed Research and Development (ODRD) Grant for Project Titled: Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Improving Access to Wellness Resources for Women, Sponsored by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Private 148350. (October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2023).
  • Makarem, S., Mohan, M., Small Research Grant, Sponsored by VCU School of Business , 2500. (April 8, 2022 - May 15, 2022).
  • Makarem, S., Jae, H., Small Research Grant, Sponsored by VCU School of Business , 1500. (February 1, 2019 - June 1, 2019).
  • Adams, L. L., Makarem, S. C., Mohan, M., Pitts, M. W., Spindle, R. M., Hale, E., Faculty Learning Community , Sponsored by VCU Academic Learning Transformation Lab, 2500. (2015).
  • Woolf, S. (Principal), Krist, A. (Co-Principal), Sabo, R., Lehman, R., Jones, R., Elston Lafata, J., Day, T., Etz, R., Makarem, S. C., Franzak, F. J., Epstein, R., Politi, M., Zikmund-Fisher, B., O'Connor, A., Tu, S., Frosch, D., PCORI Pilot Project: Informed Decision Making Patient Resource and Research Tool, Sponsored by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), 500000. (2012 - 2014).

Service

Department
  • Assessment Coordinator, MKTG 315 (Buyer Behavior). (August, 2010 - Present).
  • Committee Member, Marketing Department Research Committee. (August, 2022 - May, 2024).
  • Committee Chair, Search Committee for Tenure-Track Marketing Position. (April, 2018 - October, 2018).
  • Faculty Advisor, American Marketing Association (AMA) - VCU Student Chapter. (August, 2012 - May, 2014).
College
  • Committee Member, School of Business Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. (October, 2022 - Present).
  • Committee Chair, School of Business Faculty Council. (August, 2021 - May, 2023).
  • Committee Member, School of Business Faculty Council. (January, 2018 - May, 2021).
  • Creativity Czar: Director of Creative Teaching Initiatives, School of Business. (May, 2016 - May, 2017).
  • Committee Member, School of Business PhD Program Committee. (August, 2015 - May, 2017).
University
  • Committee Member, Faculty Senate. (August, 2023 - May, 2026).
  • Committee Member, Search Committee for the Position of Senior Executive Director for Marketing and Engagement at VCU DAR. (August, 2022 - November, 2022).
  • Task Force Member, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force on Individual, Institutional, and Systemic Bias: Accountability Models Workgroup. (February, 2019 - October, 2019).
Professional
  • Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Consumer Behaviour. (2022 - Present).
  • Editorial Review Board Member, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. (January, 2019 - Present).
  • Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Service Research. (2018 - Present).
  • Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Consumer Affairs. (2016 - Present).
  • Track Chair: Healthcare Marketing Track, 2024 Society for Marketing Advances. (January, 2024 - November, 2024).
  • Track Chair: Service Research and Healthcare Marketing Track, 2024 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference. (May, 2023 - May, 2024).
  • Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. (2013 - 2019).
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