Faculty and Staff

Dr. Omar Itani

Bio

Omar Itani is an accomplished Assistant Professor of Marketing with an impressive academic background. He holds a PhD in Marketing from the University of Texas Arlington, an MBA, and a BS in Business Marketing with High Distinction from LAU, all of which were awarded to him with scholarships.

Prior to his current position, he worked as a lecturer at the University of Texas Arlington, where he taught a range of marketing courses including Social Media Marketing, International Marketing, Principles of Marketing, and Professional Selling. He has also been actively engaged in academic research and has published numerous papers in leading marketing journals.

As an accomplished scholar, Omar serves as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Consumer Marketing, and he is on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Business Research and International Journal of Bank Marketing.

As a testament to his expertise, Omar has presented his research findings at various highly-regarded marketing conferences such as the American Marketing Association, Society of Marketing Advances, Marketing Management Association, National Conference of Sales Management, and Global Sales Science Institute.

In addition, Omar’s research insights have been featured in several popular non-academic publications, including Forbes.com, World-news-monitor.com, Sciencedaily.com, and EurekAlert.org. Dr. Itani is an active member of several esteemed International Associations, including the American Marketing Association, Academy of Marketing Science, and the Beta Gamma Sigma Association.

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

Awards

Publications

In Refereed Journals:

Kalra, A., Itani, Omar .S. and Sun, S. (2023), Turning role conflict into performance”: Assessing the moderating role of self-monitoring, manager trust, and manager identification. Journal of Service Theory & Practice, DOI 10.1108/JSTP-08-2022-0163

Kalra, A., Itani, Omar. S., and Rostami, A. (2023). Can salespeople use social media to enhance brand awareness and sales performance? The role of manager empowerment and creativity. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing (accepted), DOI 10.1108/JBIM-01-2022-0056

Hollebeek, L.D., Menidjel, C., Itani, Omar .S., Clark, M.K. and Sigurdsson, V. (2023). Consumer engagement with self-driving cars: a theory of planned behavior-informed perspective. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. DOI 10.1108/APJML-08-2022-0654

Itani, Omar S., Badrinarayanan, V., & Rangarajan, D. (2022). “The Impact of Business-to-Business Salespeople’s Social Media Use on Value Co-Creation and Cross/up-selling: The Role of Social Capital”, European Journal of Marketing(ahead-of-print) https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-11-2021-0916

Itani, Omar. S., Kalra, A., & Riley, J. (2022). Complementary effects of CRM and social media on customer co-creation and sales performance in B2B firms: The role of salesperson self-determination needs. Information & Management, 59(3), 103621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2022.103621

Itani, Omar S., Loureiro, S., & Ramadan, Z. (2022). “Engaging with omnichannel brands: The role of consumer empowerment”,International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management(accepted) DOI: 10.1108/IJRDM-02-2022-0044

Dugan, R.G., Chaker N.N., Nowlin, E.L., Deeter-Schmelz, D.R.R. Rangarajan, D., Agnihotri R., & Itani Omar S. (2022)“Preparing for, Withstanding, and Learning from Sales Crises: Implications and a Future Research Agenda”,Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management (ahead-of-print) https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2022.2108821

Gabler C., Itani, Omar S., & Agnihotri, R. (2022). Activating corporate environmental ethics on the frontline: A natural resource-based view. Journal of Business Ethics(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05201-2

Tóth, Z., Mrad, M., Itani, Omar. S., Luo, J., & Liu, M. J. (2022). B2B eWOM on Alibaba: Signaling through online reviews in platform-based social exchange. Industrial Marketing Management, 104, 226-240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2022.04.019

Chaker, N. N., Nowlin E. L. Pivonka M. T. Itani, Omar. S., & Agnihotri, R. (2022). “Inside sales social media use and its strategic implications for salesperson-customer digital engagement and performance”, Industrial Marketing Management, 100, 127-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.10.006

Itani, Omar. S., Chonko, L., & Agnihotri, R. (2022). “Salesperson Moral Identity and Value Co-creation”, European Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 500-531. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-06-2020-0431.

Guerreiro, J., Loureiro, S. M. C., Romero, J., Itani, Omar S., & Eloy, S. (2021). “Transhumanism and Engagement-Facilitating Technologies in Society”, Journal of Promotion Management, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2021.2009615

Itani, Omar. S., Kalra, A., Chaker, N. N., & Singh, R. (2021). ““Because you are a part of me”: Assessing the effects of salesperson social media use on job outcomes and the moderating roles of moral identity and gender”, Industrial Marketing Management, 98, 283-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.09.004

Itani, Omar. S., and Hollebeek, L.D. (2021), “Consumers’ health-locus-of-control and social distancing in pandemic-based e-tailing services”, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(8). 1073-1091. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-10-2020-0410

Itani, Omar. S., and Chaker, N. N. (2021). “Harnessing the Power Within: The Consequences of Salesperson Moral Identity and the Moderating Role of Internal Competitive Climate.” Journal of Business Ethics (2021): 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04794-4

Itani, Omar. S., & Hollebeek, L. D. (2021). “Light at the end of the tunnel: Visitors’ virtual reality (versus in-person) attraction site tour-related behavioral intentions during and post-COVID-19”, Tourism Management, 84, 104290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104290

Itani, Omar. S. (2021). “Us” to co-create value and hate “them”: examining the interplay of consumer-brand identification, peer identification, value co-creation among consumers, competitor brand hate and individualism. European Journal of Marketing, 55(4), 1023-1066. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EJM-06-2019-0469

Itani, Omar. S., Krush, M. T., Agnihotri, R., & Trainor, K. J. (2020), “Social media and customer relationship management technologies: Influencing buyer-seller information exchanges”,Industrial Marketing Management, 90, 264-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2020.07.015

Freling T., Yang, Z., Saini, R., Itani, Omar S. & Abualsamh, R. (2020) “When poignant stories outweigh cold hard facts: A Meta-analysis of the anecdotal bias”, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes,160, 51-67. Featured in Forbes– The first four authors contributed equally.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.01.006

Alnakhli, H., Singh, R., Agnihotri, R. and Itani, Omar. S. (2020), “From cognition to action: the effect of thought self-leadership strategies and self-monitoring on adaptive selling behavior”,Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 35(12), 1915-1927. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-06-2019-0302

Itani, Omar. S., Jaramillo, F., & Paesbrugghe, B. (2020). “Between a rock and a hard place: Seizing the opportunity of demanding customers by means of frontline service behaviors”, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, 101978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101978

Itani, Omar. S., El Haddad, R., & Kalra, A. (2020). “Exploring the role of extrovert-introvert customers’ personality prototype as a driver of customer engagement: Does relationship duration matter? ” Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, 101980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101980

Itani, Omar S., Goad, E., & Jaramillo, F. (2019). “Building customer relationships while achieving sales performance results: Is Listening the Holy Grail of Sales?”, Journal of Business Research, 102, 120-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.04.048

Itani, Omar S., Kassar, A.N., & Loureiro, S. (2019). “Value get, value give: The relationships among perceived value, relationship quality, customer engagement, and value consciousness”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 80, 78-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.01.014

Itani, Omar S., Jaramillo, F., & Chonko, L. (2019). “Achieving Top Performance While Building Collegiality in Sales: It All Starts with Ethics”, Journal of Business Ethics, 156(2), 417-438.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3598-z

Itani, Omar S., Agnihotri, R., & Dingus, R. (2017). “Social media use in B2b sales and its impact on competitive intelligence collection and adaptive selling: Examining the role of learning orientation as an enabler”, Industrial Marketing Management, 66, 64-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2017.06.012

Agnihotri, R., Trainor, K. J., Itani, Omar S., & Rodriguez, M. (2017). “Examining the role of sales-based CRM technology and social media use on post-sale service behaviors in India”, Journal of Business Research, 81, 144-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.08.021

Gabler, C. B., Agnihotri, R., & Itani, Omar S. (2017). “Can salesperson guilt lead to more satisfied customers? Findings from India”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 32(7), 951-961. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-12-2016-0287

Agnihotri, R., Gabler, C. B., Itani, Omar S., Jaramillo, F., and Krush, M. (2017). “Sales-service ambidexterity and its impact on salesperson role perception and adaptability”, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 37(1), 27-41. (Equal contribution) http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2016.1272053

Itani, Omar S. & Inyang, E. A. (2015). “The effects of empathy and listening of salespeople on relationship quality in the retail banking industry: The moderating role of felt stress”, International Journal of Bank Marketing, 33(6), 692-716. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-06-2014-0076

Dagher, G. K., & Itani, Omar S. (2014). “Factors influencing green purchasing behavior: Empirical evidence from the Lebanese Consumers”, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 13(3), 188-195.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cb.1482/epdf

Other Publications:

Agnihotri, R., Gabler, C.B., Itani, Omar S., Jaramillo, F., & Krush, M.T. (2018) “Salesperson Ambidexterity and Customer Satisfaction”, Keller Center Research Report – Baylor University, 11(4), 16-21.

Dagher, G., Itani, Omar S. & Kassar, A. N.  (2015) “The Impact of Environment Concern and Attitude on Green Purchasing Behavior: Gender as the Moderator”, Contemporary Management Research, 11(2), 179-205.

Dagher, G. & Itani, Omar S. (2012). “The influence of environmental attitude, environmental concern and social influence on green purchasing behavior”, Review of Business Research, 12(2), 104-111.

Conferences:

Kalra, A., Itani, Omar S., and Sun, S. Role conflict, job satisfaction, and performance: assessing the contingent role of salesperson self-monitoring and trust in manager, accepted for presentation and proceeding inclusion at American Marketing Association Winter Conference, February 2021.

Inyang A. E., Itani Omar S. and Alnakhli H. “The Role of Value Co-Creation in Sales Team Performance”, accepted for presentation and proceeding inclusion at the Global Sales Science Institute Conference– Fort Worth, Texas, November 2020.

Itani, Omar S., Riley, J. and Kalra, A. “Value Co-creation through SocialCRM: The Role of Salesperson Knowledge and Needs”, accepted for presentation and proceeding inclusion at the American Marketing Association Summer Conference– San Francisco, California, August 2020.  

Itani, Omar S., and Chaker N. N. “The Impact of Salesperson Moral Identity Centrality on External and Internal Customers”, proceeding inclusion at the National Conference of Sales ManagementConference – Norfolk, Virginia, April 2020. Wessex Press Best Paper Award.

Agnihotri, R., Singh, R., Itani Omar S., & Trainor, K. (2019). “Effects of CRM and Social Media on Buyer-Seller Information Exchanges: A Multigroup Analysis Comparing High vs. Low Seller Experience”, American Marketing Associate Summer Conference– Chicago, Illinois, August 2019. 

Itani, Omar S. “The Role of Moral Self in Professional Selling”, Marketing Management Association Spring Conference– Chicago, Illinois, April 2019.

Itani, Omar S.& Paesbrugghe. B. “Salespeople Service Delivery in the Era of Demanding Customers”, Industrial Marketing & Purchasing Conference– Sri Lanka, December 2018.

Itani, Omar S. “The Differential Impacts of Two Forms of Identification: Investigating the Moderating Role of Individual Cultural Orientation”, Society ofMarketing AdvancesAnnual Conference– Florida, November 2018.

Itani, Omar S.& Paesbrugghe. B. “Salespeople Service Delivery in the Era of Demanding Customers”, Marketing Management Association Spring Conference– Chicago, Illinois, April 2018.

Itani, Omar S., Kassar A., & Loureiro S. “Engaging Customers in the Restaurant Sector”, International Conference on Organization and Management– Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 2017.

Itani, Omar S., Kalra, A., & Agnihotri. R. “Social media, salesperson knowledge and B2B relationship”, Society for Marketing Advances Conference– Louisville, Kentucky, USA - November 2017.

Kalra, A., Brewer, L., & Itani, Omar S. “Effect of service provider’s facial attractiveness on customer outcomes”, Society for Marketing Advances Conference – Louisville, Kentucky, USA - November 2017.

Itani, Omar S. “Customer Relationship Management Technology Use of Salespeople”, Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business– Roma, Italy - USA - September 2017.

Itani, Omar S. “Bringing moral identity into sales”, National conference of Sales Management– St. Louis, Missouri, USA - April 2017.

Itani, Omar S., Alnakhli, H., Han, M., & Sun, S. “Variety seeking at the brand level: Unidentified strategy used by luxury shoppers”, Marketing Management Association Conference– Chicago, Illinois, USA - March 2017.

Itani, Omar S., Kalra, A., Gabler, C., & Agnihotri, R. “Boundary spanning employees’ pro-social disposition and B2B relationships: Lessons from India”, American Marketing Association Summer Conference– Atlanta, Georgia, USA - August 2016.

Kalra, A., Itani, Omar S., & Agnihotri, R. “The good and the bad of competitive coworkers: performance impact through creativity and emotional exhaustion”, American Marketing Association Summer Conference – Atlanta, Georgia, USA - August 2016.

Itani, Omar S., Kalra, A., & Inyang, E. “Revisiting the relationship between organizational ethical climate and job satisfaction of salespeople”, Global Sales Science Institute Conference – Birmingham, England - June 2016.

Itani, Omar S. “The answer is to empower your sales force when it comes to sales technology”, National Conference of Sales Management – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA - March 2016.

Gabler, C, Agnihotri, R., Trainor, K., Krush, M., and Itani, Omar S. “The role of guilt relational orientation selling, and positive outcome feedback on customer satisfaction”, National Conference of Sales Management– Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA - March 2016.

Itani, Omar S. “CRM sales technology: New perspectives and dark side outcomes”, Texas Ph.D. Conference –University of Texas at Arlington – Arlington, Texas, USA - March 2016.

Itani, Omar S. “Sales quota and salesperson’s selling behavior: The missing link of felt stress and the moderating role of ethical climate”, National Conference of Sales Management– Houston, Texas, USA - April 2015.

Syrdal, H. & Itani, Omar S. “Student evaluations of teaching: What can text analytics reveal from qualitative data?”, Marketing Management Association Conference – San Antonio, Texas, USA - September 2014.

Dagher, G., Itani, Omar S., & Kassar A.N. “Factors influencing green purchasing behavior”, Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators, Federation of Business Disciplines – Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA - March 2013.

Dagher, G. & Itani, Omar S. “Gender differences in Lebanese consumer green purchasing behavior and environmental concern and attitude”, Academy for Global Business Advancement, Bangkok, Thailand - June 2013.

Dagher, G. & Itani, Omar S. “The influence of Environmental Attitude, Environmental Concern and Social Influence on Green Purchasing Behavior”, International Academy of Business and Economics, Venice, Italy - June 2012.