Dr Muhammad Akram
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Email
m.akram@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 876149
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Location
EBS.3.127H, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
Academic support hours are by appointment only. You can book online meetings using the link: https://tinyurl.com/yfse8hvk. For face-to-face meetings or to schedule appointments outside of regular office hours, please email me.
Profile
Biography
Dr Akram is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) of Digital Marketing & Strategy in the department of Management & Marketing at Essex Business School, University of Essex. Additionally, he serves as the programme director of the PGT Marketing programmes (MSc Marketiing and MSc Digital Marketing & Analytics). Dr Akram mainly teaches in the areas of Marketing Strategy and Digital Marketing. Dr Akram specialise in digital marketing and the application of data-driven marketing analytics approaches to marketing management and strategy. He works in emerging areas of consumer and user behaviour, including digital marketing, data and marketing analytics, and artificial intelligence. He is particularly interested in digital technologies and their impacts on consumer behaviour and marketing strategy. His teaching is driven by his research, which is centred on the interaction of marketing and management. He has published articles in the leading peer-reviewed journals, such as Psychology & Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Electronic Markets, Journal of Retailing & Consumer Services, International Marketing Review, International Journal of Information Management, Information Technology & People, and Government Information Quarterly among others. Dr Akram has also served as a guest editor of a special issue for Technological Forecasting and Social Change on Social Customer Journey — Behavioural and Social Implications of a Digitally Disruptive Environment. Dr Akram exhibits his growing academic leadership through regular inclusion on PhD supervisory panels and as an examiner of PhD as well as serving on editorial boards, as a reviewer, and as an external examiner for PhD candidates. In addition, Dr Akram is also working on various collaborative projects with academic and industry partners to build knowledge transfer and generate external funding. Dr Akram has a particular interest in quantitative research methods and has used various data analysis/ visualisation tools, such as SPSS, AMOS, SmartPLS, Tableau in his research. Along with the teaching and research activities, he has been actively involved in academic leadership and community services. Moreover, he has significant experience in Business Education Accreditation and Quality at the higher education level. Prior to joining the EBS faculty, he has held academic positions at leading universities in France, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Dr Akram holds an MRes & a PhD from IAE Aix-Marseille Graduate School of Management, Aix-Marseille University, France. He is also a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
Appointments
University of Essex
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Programme Director PGT Marketing (MSc Marketiing and MSc Digital Marketing & Analytics), Essex Business School (Management & Marketing), University of Essex (18/1/2021 - present)
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Research Seminar Co-Lead, Essex Business School (Management & Marketing), University of Essex (15/1/2020 - 30/6/2022)
Other academic
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Guest Editor (Special Issue), Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Elsevier Inc. (1/6/2020 - 31/12/2022)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Digital Marketing
Role of various forms of digital marketing (influencer, content, social, etc.) in a range of contexts, such as cause-related marketing, gaming, brand reputation, and political campaigns, etc.; effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of digital marketing campaigns.
Omnichannel retailing strategies and consumers' decision‐making
Managing customer experience across channels; using social media as a part of an omnichannel strategy; consumer behaviours and engagement in an omnichannel retail environment.
Marketing in the Metaverse
Strategies for getting customers involved in the metaverse; measuring the effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of metaverse marketing; how metaverse marketing affects a brand's reputation; ethical and legal issues related to metaverse marketing, etc.
Marketing strategy and firm performance
Issues such as managing customers' heterogeneity and dynamics, as well as managing sustainable competitive advantages and resource tradeoffs, etc.
Social Customer Journey
Significance of digital influencers in consumers decision making; effects of digital and social media marketing at various stages of the customer journey, etc.
Methodological Interests
Survey and experimental research, quantitative scale development, structural equation modelling; data and marketing analytics
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Marketing Strategy (BE554)
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Marketing Analytics (BE564)
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Independent Research Project: Management/Marketing (BE939)
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Cooperative Management and Marketing � Capstone Module (BE940)
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Marketing Practice-Based Project (BE971)
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Dissertation in Marketing (BE981)
Previous supervision
Degree subject: Accounting
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 8/7/2024
Publications
Journal articles (20)
Shareef, MA., Kim, D-Y., Khan, AR., Akram, MS., Butt, I. and Sadrul Huda, SSM., (2024). Understanding the behaviour of medical tourists: implications for strategy development. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 1-27
Pradhan, D., Kuanr, A., Anupurba Pahi, S. and Akram, MS., (2023). Influencer marketing: When and why gen Z consumers avoid influencers and endorsed brands. Psychology and Marketing. 40 (1), 27-47
Shareef, MA., Akram, MS., Tegwen Malik, F., Kumar, V., Dwivedi, YK. and Giannakis, M., (2023). An attitude-behavioral model to understand people’s behavior towards tourism during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Business Research. 161, 113839-113839
Dwivedi, YK., Shareef, MA., Akram, MS., Bhatti, ZA. and Rana, NP., (2022). Examining the effects of enterprise social media on operational and social performance during environmental disruption. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 175, 121364-121364
Goraya, MAS., Zhu, J., Akram, MS., Shareef, MA., Malik, A. and Bhatti, ZA., (2022). The impact of channel integration on consumers’ channel preferences: Do showrooming and webrooming behaviors matter?. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 65 (March), 102130-102130
Akram, MS., Malhotra, N., Goraya, MA., Shareef, M., Malik, A. and Lal, B., (2022). User engagement on global social networks: Examining the roles of perceived brand globalness, identification and global identity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 181, 121771-121771
Cui, X., Xie, Q., Zhu, J., Shareef, MA., Goraya, MAS. and Akram, MS., (2022). Understanding the omnichannel customer journey: The effect of online and offline channel interactivity on consumer value co-creation behavior. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 65, 102869-102869
Akram, MS., Dwivedi, YK., Shareef, MA. and Bhatti, ZA., (2022). Editorial introduction to the special issue: Social customer journey – behavioural and social implications of a digitally disruptive environment. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 185, 122101-122101
Shareef, MA., Kumar, V., Dwivedi, YK., Kumar, U., Akram, MS. and Raman, R., (2021). A new health care system enabled by machine intelligence: Elderly people's trust or losing self control. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 162, 120334-120334
Bhatti, ZA., Arain, GA., Yasin, HM., Khan, MA. and Akram, MS., (2021). The role of integrated offline/online social activity and social identification in Facebook citizenship behaviour formation. Information Technology and People. 34 (5), 1419-1438
Butt, AH., Ahmad, H., Goraya, MAS., Akram, MS. and Shafique, MN., (2021). Let's play: Me and my AI‐powered avatar as one team. Psychology and Marketing. 38 (6), 1014-1025
Zhang, H., Xiao, H., Wang, Y., Shareef, MA., Akram, MS. and Goraya, MAS., (2021). An integration of antecedents and outcomes of business model innovation: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Business Research. 131, 803-814
Goraya, MAS., Jing, Z., Shareef, MA., Imran, M., Malik, A. and Akram, MS., (2021). An investigation of the drivers of social commerce and e-word-of-mouth intentions: Elucidating the role of social commerce in E-business. Electronic Markets. 31 (1), 181-195
Malik, A., Merunka, D., Akram, M., Barnes, B. and Chen, A., (2020). Self-Concept, Individual Characteristics and Counterfeit Consumption: Evidence from an Emerging Market. Psychology and Marketing. 37 (10), 1378-1395
Bhatti, ZA., Arain, GA., Akram, MS., Fang, Y-H. and Yasin, HM., (2020). Constructive Voice Behavior for Social Change on Social Networking Sites: A Reflection of Moral Identity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 157, 120101-120101
Shareef, MA., Raman, R., Baabdullah, AM., Mahmud, R., Ahmed, JU., Kabir, H., Kumar, V., Kumar, U., Akram, MS., Kabir, A. and Mukerji, B., (2019). Public service reformation: Relationship building by mobile technology. International Journal of Information Management. 49, 217-227
Akram, MS., Malik, A., Shareef, MA. and Goraya, MAS., (2019). Exploring the interrelationships between technological predictors and behavioral mediators in online tax filing: The moderating role of perceived risk. Government Information Quarterly. 36 (2), 237-251
Akram, MS., Goraya, MAS., Malik, A. and Aljarallah, AM., (2018). Organizational Performance and Sustainability: Exploring the Roles of IT Capabilities and Knowledge Management Capabilities. Sustainability. 10 (10), 3816-3816
Shaikh, S., Malik, A., Akram, MS. and Chakrabarti, R., (2017). Do luxury brands successfully entice consumers? The role of bandwagon effect. International Marketing Review. 34 (4), 498-513
Malik, AA., Merunka, D. and Akram, MS., (2011). Perceived brand globalness in emerging markets and the moderating role of consumer ethnocentrism. International Journal of Emerging Markets. 6 (4), 291-303
Conferences (8)
Malhotra, N., Jana, I. and Akram, MS., (2023). Perceived Brand Globalness and User engagement on Global Social Networks, AMA Summer Academic Conference, San Francisco, July 31, Virtual | August 4-6, San Francisco
Malik, A. and Akram, MS., (2012). Consumers’ Perceptions about Counterfeit Brands Do Diverge: Evidence from Pakistan. Global Marketing Conference, July 19-22, COEX Seoul, Korea
Akram, MS. and Malik, A., (2012). Evaluating Citizens' Readiness to Embrace E-Government Services. Proceeding of 13th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research (dg.o 2012), June 04 - 07, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
Malik, A. and Akram, MS., (2011). Why Do Non-Deceptive Counterfeits Allure Consumers in Emerging Markets: A Qualitative Study, American Marketing Association (AMA) Summer Marketing Educators’ Conference, August 5-7, San Francisco, California, USA
Akram, MS. and Malik, A., (2010). What Makes Consumers Adopt Online Shopping? A Framework of Decision-Making Process. IADIS International Conference of Information Systems. March 18-20, Porto, Portugal
Akram, MS. and Malik, A., (2010). Adoption of E-Government in Emergent Economies. 15th Conference of the Association Information and Management (AIM). May 19- 21, La Rochelle, France
Akram, MS. and Malik, A., (2010). Consumers’ Adoption of Online Shopping: Integrating TAM and D&M IS Success Model. 15th Conference of the Association Information and Management (AIM), May 19- 21, La Rochelle, France
Akram, MS. and Malik, A., (2009). Factors of Perceived Risk Affecting Consumers’ Online Purchase Intention. 25th Conference of Association Française du Marketing (AFM). May 13-15, London, United Kingdom
Scholarly Editions (1)
Akram, MS., (2019). Acquisition of Souq: Amazon’s Entry into the Middle East, Chapter case in Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm by Laudon and Laudon, Vol: 16
Other (1)
Akram, MS., Malhotra, N. and Malik, A., User engagement on global social networks: Examining the roles of perceived brand globalness, identification and global identity, Lectures, talks and seminars Management and Marketing Research Seminar Series, Essex Business School, June 29, 2022.
Grants and funding
2024
An Innovate to Elevate (I2E) project to develop a brand positioning and marketing strategy for Natural Building Systems Ltd
Babergh and Mid Suffolk (Innovate to Elevate Programme)
An Innovate to Elevate (I2E) project to develop a marketing strategy for Therapy Gyms
Babergh and Mid Suffolk (Innovate to Elevate Programme)
2023
Innovate to Elevate (I2E) consultancy project with Braiswick Photographic
Babergh and Mid Suffolk (Innovate to Elevate Programme)
2022
Instant Makr Ltd KTP Application (June 22_23 R2)
Innovate UK (formerly Technology Strategy Board)
Contact
Academic support hours:
Academic support hours are by appointment only. You can book online meetings using the link: https://tinyurl.com/yfse8hvk. For face-to-face meetings or to schedule appointments outside of regular office hours, please email me.
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