The Pedagogy of Vulnerability and Marketing Education: Cultivating Self-expansion in a Time of Separation

Abstract

Applying the pedagogy of vulnerability and self-expansion theory, the exercise known as the Know Me Activity (KMA) enhances self-expansion by encouraging connections between students and the instructor. The pedagogy of vulnerability is premised on risking self-disclosure as an act of courage. Self-expansion theory is grounded in personal relationships whereby individuals are motivated for personal growth and identify with others to gain access to their resources. In the context of marketing education, self-expansion stems from enhancing student self-awareness for personal growth as well as perceived vulnerability and relatedness of the instructor to encourage access to expertise. The KMA was conducted at three universities and assessed to determine its usefulness as a self-expansion exercise. Survey results indicate that students found the activity contained self-expansion characteristics, and they recommend it for future use. The results of the pretest and posttest analyses also demonstrated an increase in student self-awareness, perceived instructor vulnerability, and perceived instructor relatedness. Self-expansion activities enhance relationships by design and participating in them can lead to increased student effort and persistence. Marketing educators can, therefore, have confidence in utilizing the KMA as a means for mitigating social isolation and encouraging perseverance.

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https://doi.org/10.1177/02734753211041743
Journal of Marketing Education
2023, Vol. 45(1) 91 –100
© The Author(s) 2021
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Article
The global health disruption has increased feelings of isola-
tion and disconnect in higher education (Lowman et al.,
2020). Physical barriers (e.g., masks), limited resources (e.g.,
larger class sizes), and social remoteness can demotivate stu-
dents and cause faculty to be perceived as distant. However,
these challenges can be overcome with self-expansion activi-
ties that foster connection and perseverance. Self-expansion
theory states people are motivated to enhance their ability to
achieve personal goals by increasing self-identity and access
to resources (Aron et al., 2003). The benefit of encouraging
self-expansion in the marketing collegiate classroom is
increased student effort and persistence on subsequent cog-
nitive tasks (Mattingly & Lewandowski, 2013b). Moreover,
self-expansion also leads to greater exertion on challenging
tasks (Xu et al., 2017), more successful goal completion (Xu
et al., 2010), as well as enhanced commitment and satisfac-
tion (McIntyre et al., 2014).
One such self-expansion exercise is the Know Me Activity
(KMA). The KMA can be used in-person or online in an
undergraduate or graduate marketing course. The instruc-
tor completes the activity in advance to share personal results
when providing instructions to the students. The KMA
requires students to solicit anonymous feedback from family,
friends, or classmates who can assess their personal strengths
and weaknesses. The information is used to make a word
cloud as a visual display of the feedback. A guided written
reflection completes the exercise and prompts students to
consider the value of the activity and how the results can be
used in a professional setting, such as a job interview or
personal branding. Students experience heightened self-
awareness, as well as enhanced perceived vulnerability and
perceived relatedness of the instructor, which address the
two principles of self-expansion.
This activity is in line with Standard 4 of the Association
to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Guiding Principles, which notes that the curriculum of a
business school should promote innovation and experiential
1041743JMDXXX10.1177/02734753211041743Journal of Marketing EducationSyrdal et al.
research-article2021
1Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
2Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
3Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
4The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
Corresponding Author:
Brian A. Vander Schee, Kelley School of Business – Indianapolis, Indiana
University, 801 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5151, USA.
Email: vandersb@iu.edu
The Pedagogy of Vulnerability and
Marketing Education: Cultivating
Self-expansion in a Time of Separation
Holly A. Syrdal1, Brian A. Vander Schee2,
Rebecca A. VanMeter3, and Parker J. Woodroof4
Abstract
Applying the pedagogy of vulnerability and self-expansion theory, the exercise known as the Know Me Activity (KMA)
enhances self-expansion by encouraging connections between students and the instructor. The pedagogy of vulnerability
is premised on risking self-disclosure as an act of courage. Self-expansion theory is grounded in personal relationships
whereby individuals are motivated for personal growth and identify with others to gain access to their resources. In the
context of marketing education, self-expansion stems from enhancing student self-awareness for personal growth as well
as perceived vulnerability and relatedness of the instructor to encourage access to expertise. The KMA was conducted
at three universities and assessed to determine its usefulness as a self-expansion exercise. Survey results indicate that
students found the activity contained self-expansion characteristics, and they recommend it for future use. The results of
the pretest and posttest analyses also demonstrated an increase in student self-awareness, perceived instructor vulnerability,
and perceived instructor relatedness. Self-expansion activities enhance relationships by design and participating in them can
lead to increased student effort and persistence. Marketing educators can, therefore, have confidence in utilizing the KMA
as a means for mitigating social isolation and encouraging perseverance.
Keywords
self-expansion, pedagogy of vulnerability, social isolation, perseverance

92 Journal of Marketing Education 45(1)
learning. Furthermore, the standard encourages using cur-
riculum that facilitates meaningful learner-to-faculty aca-
demic and professional engagement (AACSB International,
2020). The KMA aligns with both criteria of the curriculum
standard by engaging students in a novel and hands-on self-
expansion exercise while fostering a meaningful connection
with the instructor to bridge social isolation.
Self-expansion stems from enhancing student self-aware-
ness as well as perceived vulnerability and relatedness of the
instructor. The self-expansion KMA can be used with under-
graduate or graduate students using a face-to-face or online
format. The objective of the exercise is to increase student
self-awareness, as well as perceived vulnerability and relat-
edness of the instructor to foster self-expansion that miti-
gates isolation and encourages perseverance. This paper
provides a literature review of relevant theory, followed
by the KMA description, method of analysis, results, dis-
cussion, and finally limitations and suggestions for future
research.
Literature Review
Self-expansion Theory
Self-expansion theory is based on the principles of motiva-
tion and the inclusion of others in the self (Aron & Aron,
1996). The motivation principle suggests individuals have an
intrinsic desire to expand themselves by seeking out novel
resources, perspectives, and identities. The inclusion of oth-
ers in the self-principle suggests individuals form relation-
ships to gain resources, perspectives, and identities as they
incorporate the identity of others to the self (Aron et al.,
2004). Taken together, the theory posits people are motivated
to enhance their ability to achieve personal goals by increas-
ing self-identity and access to resources (Aron et al., 2003),
including arguably the most important resource—knowledge
(Sorrentino et al., 1990).
Self-expansion differs from self-enhancement or social
approval in that the goal is to expand potential self-efficacy
rather than evaluate oneself positively or be evaluated posi-
tively by others (Leary & Baumeister, 2000). The motivation
is not to achieve personal goals directly, but rather to gain
access to the resources to help potentially reach one’s goals.
Therefore, the motivation to connect is somewhat self-serv-
ing in that it contributes to the identity of the self via the
identity and access to the resources of the other person in the
relationship. Nevertheless, encouraging self-expansion is
beneficial in that prior research shows an increase in self-
expansion leads to an increase in self-efficacy (Mattingly &
Lewandowski, 2013a). Increased self-efficacy enhances
motivation (Bandura & Locke, 2003), academic confidence
(Leisen Pollack & Lilly, 2015), and academic performance
(Chin et al., 2017).
In higher education, students expand their self-identities
through connections with instructors (Aron et al., 2004) to
gain access to their knowledge (Sweeney et al., 2009).
Instructors can encourage student self-expansion by help-
ing students develop a stronger sense of self-awareness.
Exhibiting vulnerability and relatedness also fosters self-
expansion by having students perceive the instructor as
transparent and authentic, thus willing to embrace the iden-
tities of others, including students. Student self-awareness,
coupled with perceived instructor vulnerability and related-
ness can be exercised through a self-expanding activity,
such as the KMA.
Self-expansion occurs through novel, exciting, challeng-
ing, and interesting activities (Aron et al., 2004). The KMA
incorporates the identity of instructor (i.e., others) into the
identity of the students (i.e., the self) in line with self-expan-
sion theory (Aron et al., 2006). The KMA should be utilized
at the beginning of a course to achieve the desired results
given that rapid self-expansion occurs at the outset of new
relationships and slows over time (Aron et al., 2004).
Self-awareness
Kuczynski et al. (2020) defined self-awareness as the “per-
ception of one’s own motives, needs, and goals” (p. 200).
Self-awareness is distinct from self-efficacy in that the latter
addresses an individual’s beliefs about their capabilities to
perform as expected (Bandura & Locke, 2003). Higher levels
of self-efficacy may lead to a more positive academic experi-
ence (Judge et al., 2007) and better academic performance
(Hartley et al., 2019). Higher levels of self-awareness may
also improve personal growth beyond the classroom (Uğur
et al., 2015) including improved emotional clarity and out-
comes in relationships with others (Atkinson, 2013).
Promoting self-awareness in the collegiate marketing
classroom is beneficial for students as it allows them to visu-
alize their potential based on how they perceive themselves
and makes them aware of how they are perceived by others.
Other-awareness involves perspective taking in which indi-
viduals can provide successful responses in communicating
with others (Hinnekens et al., 2020). Individuals who dem-
onstrate other-awareness also exhibit the capacity to make an
emotional connection and are, therefore, viewed as sincere
and authentic (Reis & Gable, 2015). Moreover, having a
genuine presence communicates openness and acceptance to
others (Hughes et al., 2020).
Several studies incorporate elements of self-awareness in
marketing education. For instance, Ertimur and Lavoie (2019)
used decision-making scenarios in their research to foster self-
discovery and self-awareness of students as both consumers
and marketing managers. Self-awareness has also been devel-
oped in undergraduate students via self-reflection exercises
such as role-playing (Law & Rowe, 2019), blogging (Muncy,
2014), and guided questions (Gravois et al., 2017). These
experiences were enhanced when coupled with feedback
from others to develop a more comprehensive self-view

Syrdal et al. 93
(McCarty & Wertheim, 2020). The KMA engages students in
self-reflection using self-discovery and the perceptions of
others to increase self-awareness and perseverance. It is pro-
posed that the KMA will increase student self-awareness.
Pedagogy of Vulnerability
Brantmeier (2013) defined vulnerability as risking self-dis-
closure as an act of courage. The idea that being vulnerable
is courageous has been examined in various disciplines
including health care (Curtis, 2014; Matriano & Middleton,
2020), psychology (Borelli et al., 2019; Tortoriello & Hart,
2019), and leadership (B. Brown, 2017). However, coura-
geous vulnerability has not been as readily explored in higher
education in general (Brantmeier & McKenna, 2020), and
marketing education in particular. The pedagogy of vulnera-
bility emphasizes the well-being of instructors and students
alike in that each experience a greater sense of inclusion and
a higher level of learning. This can be achieved when
empowerment supersedes authority, knowing oneself is pri-
oritized, and effort is focused on experiencing and displaying
what it means to be fully human (Brantmeier & McKenna,
2020).
The pedagogy of vulnerability starts with self-disclosure,
which is considered courageous in that it presents a risk of
becoming subjected to possible embarrassment, criticism, or
rejection (Tsai et al., 2013). Those who are willing to be
transparent and voluntarily self-disclose demonstrate human-
ity and authenticity to others. The disclosure signals to others
that they are in a safe environment where they can discover,
experiment, and learn without fearing judgment that may
come from failed tasks (Cordova & Scott, 2001). As a result,
rather than being viewed as a weakness, vulnerability has
been conceptualized and socially normalized as a strength to
build resilience and connection with others (Jordan, 2008).
Prior studies examining higher education satisfaction
have shown students value instructors who are approach-
able (Voss et al., 2007), sympathetic (Hill et al., 2003), and
show flexibility (N. Brown, 2004). These characteristics
stem from a disposition of vulnerability (Tsai et al., 2013).
Perceived vulnerability is needed in a self-expansion
activity to realize its full benefits. Furthermore, the peda-
gogy of vulnerability requires lived curriculum and mutual
self-disclosure (Brantmeier, 2013), and thus the need for
both instructors and students to participate in self-expansion
experiences. The KMA is designed to have students and
faculty complete the activity and instructors self-disclose
personal results. It is proposed that the KMA will increase
perceived vulnerability of the instructor.
Relatedness
Based on self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2018),
relatedness has been defined as “a person’s need to feel a
sense of closeness with others” (Thomson, 2006, p. 106).
Deliberately developing relatedness can be beneficial. For
example, Fedesco et al. (2019) found instructor relatedness
predicted student interest, enjoyment in the course, and self-
reported effort. In line with the research by Young (2005),
social connections in the classroom support the need for
relatedness. However, the aforementioned study by Fedesco
et al. (2019) also found relatedness with other students in the
class did not influence any of the tested outcomes.
Relatedness is closely aligned with rapport, which
Faranda and Clarke (2004) have defined as “the ability to
maintain harmonious relationships based on affinity for
others” (p. 274). Instructors who build rapport and related-
ness encourage students to work harder, to be challenged,
and to increase engagement (Granitz et al., 2009). Students
also report that rapport is a characteristic of an effective
instructor (Lincoln, 2008). Other similar characteristics
shown to be of value to students include that the instructor
is helpful (Lammers & Murphy, 2002), friendly (Swanson
et al., 2005), and caring (Andresen, 2000). The focus on
relatedness over other characteristics stems from the call by
Jillapalli and Wilcox (2010) for research on the influence of
particular classroom activities on relatedness, particularly
involving a connection with the course instructor (Gruber
et al., 2012).
A study by Zainuddin and Perera (2017) found related-
ness motivated students to engage in class activities and
interact with their peers. However, prior research shows
relatedness with the instructor supersedes relatedness with
classmates (Frisby & Martin, 2010). Furthermore, students
value the cost invested in education to a greater degree when
they feel their instructors care about them (Ray & Marken,
2014), a crucial note considering the steep increase in tuition
over time. Relatedness can be fostered within professional
boundaries between instructors and students (Jillapalli &
Wilcox, 2010) through activities, such as the KMA, which
increase feelings of intellectual and emotional connection
(Fedesco et al., 2019). It is proposed that the KMA will
increase perceived relatedness of the instructor.
Instructors who exhibit vulnerability and relatedness
also foster self-expansion by being perceived as authentic
and accepting of others, including students. Student self-
awareness, in conjunction with the instructor’s perceived
vulnerability and relatedness, can be realized through the
self-expanding KMA.
The Know Me Activity
The instructor completes steps one to four below in advance
and shares the resultant personal word cloud as part of the
instructions when discussing how to complete the KMA with
students. Instructor self-disclosure plays a significant role in
the benefits of the exercise as demonstrated by the results of
this study.

94 Journal of Marketing Education 45(1)
Student Instructions
Following the steps provided, you will ask 15 people you
know to provide 5 one-word strengths and 5 one-word weak-
nesses that describe you, create a word cloud based on the
results, and write a reflection of the activity.
Step 1 (Create): Create a survey in Qualtrics with two
text entry questions. The first question should be “Using
just one word for each, what are 5 of my strengths?” The
second question should be “Using just one word for each,
what are 5 of my weaknesses?” After creating both ques-
tions, click the Preview Survey button in the top right cor-
ner to make sure the survey appears the way you would
like.
Step 2 (Distribute): Click the Distribution tab and select
Anonymous Link; copy the link into an email that
describes the reason for your email and the deadline.
Schedule the delivery of the email requesting responses
within one week using the following wording, “Thank
you in advance for answering the following two ques-
tions. This is an activity for my marketing class, so your
honesty is much appreciated. Do not worry about hurting
my feelings or giving me too much of an ego. I would
like your honest opinion, both positive and negative.
Responses are anonymous.” Send this email to at least 15
contacts; they can be family, friends, work colleagues, or
classmates. It is important that each contact knows you
well enough to provide an honest perspective. Also,
email the instructor as proof that you completed this step.
Step 3 (Tabulate): Export your responses to Excel. To do
this, click on Data & Analysis, then click Export & Import,
then click Export Data, then select CSV at the top of the
window, then click Download and the file should down-
load to your device. Once in Excel, sort the responses and
count how many times each word, or similar word,
appears. Similar words, such as laugh, laughs, laughter,
and laughing, can be recoded as laughter.
Step 4 (Visualize): Use an online word cloud generator
(e.g., wordclouds.com, wordart.com, or worditout.com)
to create your word cloud graphic based on the words and
counts. The platforms allow for a file upload or manual
data entry of words and counts. The graphic should reflect
your personality. An example is provided in Figure 1.
Step 5 (Reflect): Paste your word cloud at the top of the
page and answer each of the questions using up to three
single-spaced pages. Include the word tallies as an
appendix.
1. What value do you see in this activity?
2. Identify three strengths that emerged in your word
cloud. How would you talk about them in a job inter-
view? Were there any strengths you think you pos-
sess that did not appear in your word cloud? How can
you make those strengths more evident to those
around you?
3. Identify three weaknesses that emerged in your word
cloud. How would you talk about them in a job inter-
view and possibly transform them into strengths?
4. Are you motivated to work on any weaknesses that
emerged in your word cloud? If so, which one(s) and
what is your specific action plan for improvement?
5. Discuss how this activity can help you develop your
personal brand.
Additional Instructor Notes
Students are instructed to request 15 people who know them
well complete their survey as 15 contacts is considered ideal
for an activity that relies on supportive connections, and not
necessarily on personal intimacy or general acquaintance
(Dunbar, 2021). Qualtrics and Excel are mentioned in the
instructions; however, other types of online survey tools and
spreadsheet software could easily be used for the KMA. In
fact, an online survey is not essential as simple email could
be used instead; however, the advantage of utilizing online
survey software is that it simplifies and standardizes the data
collection process for students and allows anonymous
responses from the survey respondents.
The timeline can be adjusted; however, the activity should
be completed within the first three weeks of the course. A
sample timeline is presented below:
Day 1: Provide instructions: show and discuss instructor
example.
Day 7: Email to instructor (verifies distribution of the sur-
vey) due.
Day 10: Responses from contacts to students due.
Day 15: Word cloud and written reflection due.
Completion of the activity was weighted as five percentage
of the total grade in the course.
Figure 1. Sample student word cloud.

Syrdal et al. 95
Method
Sample
To test the effectiveness of the KMA, it was conducted at
three public regional universities. At one institution, the
exercise was used by one instructor in two sections of under-
graduate principles of marketing course (one online and the
other in-person). At another institution, the exercise was uti-
lized by one instructor in one online section of undergraduate
principles of marketing as well as in one online section of
graduate marketing management. At a third institution, the
exercise was used by one instructor in one online section of
a graduate social media marketing course. In this study,
“online” refers to remote synchronous course modality.
Measures
To assess the effectiveness of the activity, students were sur-
veyed before the KMA was introduced (pre-KMA) and then
again shortly after the students turned in their completed
word clouds and written reflections (post-KMA). A 9-item
scale adapted from Lewandowski and Aron (2002) and de
Kerviler and Rodriguez (2019) measured the self-expansion
characteristics of the KMA. The scales for student self-
awareness and perceived vulnerability of the instructor were
adapted from Kuczynski et al. (2020). The scale for per-
ceived relatedness of the instructor was adapted from
Jillapalli and Wilcox (2010). Additionally, in the post-KMA
survey administration, students were asked to rate their level
of agreement with survey items adapted from Rinaldo et al.
(2013) to capture student perceptions of the KMA as a class-
room exercise.
Responses to all measures were collected using a scale
from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The survey
also included demographic items.
Results
Of the 142 post-KMA survey respondents, 57 (40%) were
female. The average age was 23.75 (SD = 5.830) with a
range of 19 to 54. Respondent ethnicity was represented by
117 (82%) White, 11 (8%) African American, 13 (9%) Asian,
and 1 (1%) Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. In addition,
9 (6%) of survey respondents identified as Hispanic, Latino,
or Spanish.
Exploratory factor analysis was utilized to assess the con-
vergent validity of items for each dimension using varimax
rotation based on eigenvalues greater than 1.0. Five dimen-
sions emerged, explaining 79.8% of the variance. Cronbach
alpha scores for all dimensions exceeded the .70 benchmark
recommended by Nunnally (1978), thus establishing internal
validity. Table 1 shows the results of the rotated component
matrix for the five dimensions along with corresponding
coefficient alpha scores.
The effectiveness composite score on the post-KMA sur-
vey was 5.82 (SD = 1.23) on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree)
to 7 (strongly agree). These results show that students rec-
ommend the KMA for future use. The self-expansion com-
posite score on the post-KMA survey was 5.63 (SD = 1.06)
on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) indi-
cating students perceived the activity as a new and exciting
experience that is helpful in developing a broader perspec-
tive, and useful in increasing their ability to accomplish new
things.
The survey also included measures that lead to self-
expansion, namely student self-awareness, perceived
instructor vulnerability, and instructor perceived related-
ness. Results of paired samples t-tests (shown in Table 2)
indicate an increase in student self-awareness with an effect
size (d = 0.58) found to exceed Cohen’s (1988) convention
for a medium effect size (d > .50). The results show an
increase in perceived instructor vulnerability (d = 1.02) and
perceived instructor relatedness (d = 1.04) among students
who completed the KMA. Both effect sizes exceed Cohen’s
(1988) convention for a large effect size (d > .80).
Taken together, the results indicate the KMA is a self-
expansion activity that fosters student self-awareness, as
well as perceived vulnerability and relatedness of the instruc-
tor. Furthermore, students recommend the KMA for future
use.
Discussion
Self-expanding activities are exciting, interesting (Aron
et al., 2004), and foster curiosity as individuals discover the
perspectives others have of them. Indeed, the results of this
study demonstrate students enjoyed the KMA and find it to
be an effective self-expansion exercise. Students also experi-
ence an increase in self-awareness as they consider how their
views aligned with those who they selected as participants in
the exercise. At the same time, they experience other-aware-
ness, which involves perceiving and responding to the
motives, needs, and goals of others (Kuczynski et al., 2020).
Moreover, without other-awareness and therefore empathic
accuracy, individuals can be perceived as disingenuous or
unable to make meaningful connections (Reis & Gable,
2015).
The results of the study indicate instructors are perceived
as having a greater degree of vulnerability and more related-
ness after they share their word cloud. This makes sense
given motivation to self-expand can be primed with an activ-
ity modeling self-expansion in others (Dys-Steenbergen
et al., 2016). In this way, students are encouraged to engage
in self-expansion by the novelty, challenge, and safety
gleaned from instructors who demonstrate vulnerability by
sharing their KMA results as an exercise in personal growth.
When defined within the context of vulnerability, this kind of
courage is viewed as authentic and improves relationship
satisfaction (Kernis & Goldman, 2006) with higher social

96
Table 1. Exploratory Factor Analysis Rotated Component Matrix for KMA Measures.
Measurement items
Factors
Self-expansion
(α = .95)
Vulnerability*
(α = .93)
Relatedness*
(α = .95)
Effectiveness*
(α = .95)
Self-awareness
(α = .71)
I feel that I increased my knowledge when I participated in this
assignment.
.855
When I participated in this assignment, it helped me expand my sense
of the kind of person I am.
.842
When I participated in this assignment, it gave a larger perspective on
things.
.814
I feel that I learned new things when I participated in this assignment. .800
I feel that I increased my ability to accomplish new things when I
participated I this assignment.
.794
When I participated in this assignment, it gave me a greater awareness
of things.
.787
When I participated in this assignment, it helped me add positive
qualities to my sense of self.
.756
I feel I gained new experiences when I participated in this assignment. .744
I feel I gained exciting experiences when I participated in this
assignment.
.739
The professor will act for something she or he believes in even if she
or he feels exposed or uncomfortable.
.870
The professor will risk feeling uncomfortable in the service of
improving his or her relationship with his or her students.
.859
If the professor believes there is an important reason to face
something that’s uncomfortable for him or her, she or he will face it.
.848
The professor acknowledges his/her shortcomings. .828
The professor is willing to be vulnerable with his/her students. .735
When I am with this professor, I often feel close in our professor–
student relationship.
.925
When I am with this professor, I feel a lot of closeness. .870
When I am with this professor, I feel loved and cared for. .818
I recommend using the KMA in the course in the future. .779
I highly rate using the KMA in the course. .747
I rate the KMA as effective. .745
I notice how other people affect how I feel. .824
I notice how what I feel affects what I do. .815
Note. KMA = Know Me Activity.
*Perceived.

Syrdal et al. 97
desirability (Bayır-Toper et al., 2020). Thus, the instructor
gains credibility and is viewed as a resourceful identity for
students to incorporate, consistent with self-expansion the-
ory (Aron et al., 2003).
The pedagogy of vulnerability posits that knowing and
sharing of oneself while working in collaboration with others
is needed to fully embrace the human experience (Brantmeier
& McKenna, 2020). This premise sheds light on why being
perceived as vulnerable and relatable enhances student self-
expansion. The degree to which instructors are authentic and
transparent reflects humanizing marketing education and
therefore provides the academic context for students to feel
safe and encouraged to learn and grow as established in prior
research (Cajete, 2010). The pedagogy of vulnerability runs
counter to the traditional thought that self-disclosure is a dis-
play of weakness that can be exploited in social media
(Loveless et al., 2016). The results of this study demonstrate
that vulnerability and relatedness are beneficial for students
and future research should identify areas that improve for
instructors as well.
The KMA is relatively easy for instructors to prepare
and execute. Students garner the benefits of self-expansion
as instructors bridge the separation created by limited
resources and physical distance. Self-expansion benefits
applied to marketing education manifest over time through
a greater sense of self-awareness and connection with the
instructor, as well as increased effort, perseverance, and sat-
isfaction with the course. Although the KMA can be utilized
in any course, it is ideally suited for an upper-level under-
graduate marketing course in which students are likely pre-
paring for job or graduate school interviews. The KMA can
help students formulate responses to common questions
concerning their strengths and weaknesses in advance so
they are prepared and confident when going into interview
situations.
Limitations and Future Research
This study’s generalizability is enhanced by the diversity in
instructor, course topic, level, and modality included in the
analysis. However, future research using a larger sample size
and greater representation from other institutions and instruc-
tors, may detect other influences (e.g., instructor gender) on
the outcome variables examined in this study. Conducting
analysis with instructors who use the KMA for the first time
may show results that are more representative of instructors
also adopting the KMA for the first-time.
Moreover, the long-term consequences of using the KMA
were not examined. Future research investigating the influ-
ence on students beyond the completion of the KMA should
shed light on whether the benefits of the KMA can be real-
ized over the duration of a course. Another line of inquiry
could focus on whether individuals with a disposition for
personal growth capitalize on self-expansion opportunities,
including developing personal relationships with others that
offer utility in self-expansion (Mattingly et al., 2019).
Therefore, assessing student motivation in advance of the
KMA may help discern if the level of benefit is related to
student personality a priori (Hughes et al., 2020).
Student engagement could be further investigated based
on the research by Vivek et al. (2014) applied to the market-
ing classroom. Higher perceived relatedness of the instruc-
tor could lead to greater student engagement in the course,
which could manifest in higher academic achievement, con-
sistent with other findings regarding improvements from
self-expansion (Chin et al., 2017). Feedback could also be
solicited regarding learning strengths and weaknesses to
further enhance self-awareness. Replicating the study with
international students would also provide insights regarding
a global perspective.
Finally, at the instructor level, investigating whether
increases in perceived vulnerability and relatedness ratings
are attributed to one instructor compared to another also mer-
its further investigation. There could be confounding vari-
ables such as experience with using the KMA, student age,
or a combination of both. It is also necessary to acknowledge
that the level of vulnerability one is willing or able to embrace
can be influenced by institutional culture, personal identity,
and professional status (Koppensteiner, 2020). Research in
this regard will enhance our understanding of the constraints
associated with the pedagogy of vulnerability in marketing
education.
Table 2. Paired Samples t Test for Pre-KMA and Post-KMA Measures.
Construct M SD
Paired samples t test
t df p d
Student self-awareness pre-KMA 5.85 0.590 2.597 110 .011* .58
Student self-awareness post-KMA 6.00 0.527
Instructor vulnerability pre-KMA 5.41 1.027 4.408 86 .000** 1.02
Instructor vulnerability post-KMA 5.89 0.969
Instructor relatedness pre-KMA 4.57 0.965 5.580 110 .000** 1.04
Instructor relatedness post-KMA 5.12 0.129
Note. Items measured with Likert-type scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). KMA = Know Me Activity.
*p < .05. **p < .01.

98 Journal of Marketing Education 45(1)
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect
to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, author-
ship, and/or publication of this article.
ORCID iDs
Holly A. Syrdal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9651-6612
Brian A. Vander Schee https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8490-7827
Parker J. Woodroof https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3642-6057
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