Title: The role of upstream and downstream social marketing in electricity consumption management

Authors: Elaheh Khajeh; Reza Dabestani; Saeed Fathi

Addresses: Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Hezar Jerib. St., 81746-73441, Isfahan, Iran ' Department of Management and Economics, Tarbiat Modares University, Jalal Ale Ahmad Ave., P.O. Box 14115-337, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Hezar Jerib. St., 81746-73441, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract: The current research is an attempt to answer two questions: first, it considers the potential of social marketing in amending the behaviour of consumer and reforming of electricity consumption pattern through three factors of training and informing, encouraging and persuading and cost adjusting. While social marketing aims to affect its target group, it can also influence its executors, provided that a strategic and targeted programme is followed. Therefore, the second part of research reviews the impact of social marketing on organisational transformation of Isfahan regional electricity company as the executor of social marketing programmes, and thus, its effect on the goals, culture and business processes of company. The findings reveal that social marketing has a significant impact on reforming electricity consumption pattern of domestic consumers in Isfahan. The significant impact of social marketing on organisational transformation of an electricity company is also approved.

Keywords: electricity consumption management; organisational development; organisational culture; organisational processes; social marketing; consumer behaviour; energy consumption patterns; organisational transformation; Iran; domestic consumers; electricity industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2015.069138

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2015 Vol.9 No.3, pp.311 - 328

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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