Sean Tanner
Research Profile
Sean Tanner
Contact Details
Management & Marketing
University College Cork
Cork
Ireland
T: +353-21-490-3000
E: sean.tanner@ucc.ie
Marketing Lecturer
E: sean.tanner@ucc.ie
E: sean.tanner@ucc.ie
Biography
Dr Sean Tanner (PhD, CTLHE, BCOMGE) is a Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Lecturer at the Cork University Business School, UCC and Co-Director of the MSc Marketing programme. Seans teaching is in the areas of marketing, consumer behaviour, sustainable consumption, marketing and
marketing communications, with a particular interest in sustainable consumption practices within the food domain. Sean has also acted as Programme Director of the BComm (International) and co-launched the BSc
International Business with Languages in UCC.
Dr Tanner's key area of research focuses on the application of consumer and social psychology theory and communication theory to support stakeholder behaviour change, primarily focused on changes to support the development of healthy and sustainable food systems. His areas of research interest include sustainable consumption, sustainable food systems, omni-channel communication, risk communication, consumer trust and marketing pedagogy. Dr Tanner's research aligns with UCC Futures thematic areas of Sustainability and Food Microbiome and Health along with and SDGs 3, 11 & 12. Dr Tanner has published extensively at leading marketing and interdisciplinary journals and conferences and his funded research includes collaboration with the Research Ireland VistaMilk Centre and the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems.
Dr Tanner's key area of research focuses on the application of consumer and social psychology theory and communication theory to support stakeholder behaviour change, primarily focused on changes to support the development of healthy and sustainable food systems. His areas of research interest include sustainable consumption, sustainable food systems, omni-channel communication, risk communication, consumer trust and marketing pedagogy. Dr Tanner's research aligns with UCC Futures thematic areas of Sustainability and Food Microbiome and Health along with and SDGs 3, 11 & 12. Dr Tanner has published extensively at leading marketing and interdisciplinary journals and conferences and his funded research includes collaboration with the Research Ireland VistaMilk Centre and the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems.
Research Interests
Dr Tanner's areas of research interest include sustainable consumption, sustainable food systems, risk communication, consumer trust and SoTL and can be found on ORCID. He is currently working on a number of externally funded projects related to sustainable food systems and adoption of sustainable products and practices within the food domain. Sean is working on a number of jointly funded projects, funded by bodies including Research Ireland, Teagasc, the Royal Irish Academy and University College Cork. As part of this work Dr Tanner is involved in two significant projects exploring sustainability transitions within the agri-food sector, considering behavioural and attitudinal factors at both end consumer and primary producer levels. As part of these projects Sean is working as part of both the Research Ireland VistaMilk Centre and the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems. Additionally, Sean is responsible for supervision of a number of doctoral candidates, exploring areas including sustainable food consumption, sustainable transportation behaviours and farm diversification.
Sean has published in leading marketing and interdisciplinary journals including Appetite, Journal of Research and Distribution Management, Journal of Industrial Marketing Management and Studies in Higher Education, Qualitative Research in Organisations and Management, as well as presenting at leading conferences such as The Academy of Marketing, The European Federation of Food Science and Technology and the AMS-World Marketing Congress.
Sean has published in leading marketing and interdisciplinary journals including Appetite, Journal of Research and Distribution Management, Journal of Industrial Marketing Management and Studies in Higher Education, Qualitative Research in Organisations and Management, as well as presenting at leading conferences such as The Academy of Marketing, The European Federation of Food Science and Technology and the AMS-World Marketing Congress.
Research Grants
| Project | Funding Body |
Start Date | End Date | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Acceptance of Sustainable Dairy Solutions (Research Ireland - VistaMilk2) | Science Foundation Ireland | 01-SEP-24 | 31-AUG-30 | 168,550.00 | |
| Media Framing and Farm Diversification (Teagasc Walsh Fellowship) | Teagasc | 01-APR-25 | 31-MAR-29 | 122,000.00 | |
| The effects of employer-paid parking on sustainable mobility choices of commuters in Irish urban areas | University College Cork | 01-JAN-24 | 31-DEC-27 | 96,000.00 | |
| Food Labelling Motivations | University College Cork | 02-OCT-17 | 30-SEP-18 | 24,000.00 | |
| Actioning Sustainable Futures within the Artisan Food and Drink Sector | Royal Irish Academy | 01-JAN-25 | 30-JUN-25 | 14,800.00 | |
| Teach, Play, Learn, Repeat | Other: Not Listed | 27-MAR-23 | 29-FEB-24 | 1,500.00 | |
| Food Labelling and Consumer Motivations | University College Cork | 01-JUN-18 | 30-SEP-18 | 500.00 | |
| Consumer/Citizen Derived Typology of Social Risk Amplification and Attenuation Rhetoric during Food Recalls | University College Cork | 20-DEC-22 | 30-SEP-23 | 2,500.00 | |
| Legacy Media Beef Reporting | University College Cork | 20-DEC-22 | 30-SEP-23 | 2,500.00 | |
| An Instructor Autonomy Perspective on the Use of Teaching and Learning Software Service Providers to Inform Pedagogical Decision-Making | University College Cork | 06-MAR-23 | 30-SEP-23 | 2,500.00 | |
| Novel Reap - Alternative Protein Adoption - CUBS Horizon Europe Proposal Support | University College Cork | 06-DEC-23 | 01-FEB-24 | 1,500.00 |
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2025) | 'The return of the researcher: the methodological challenges of a follow-up study'
Cooper, P., Tanner, S. and McGrath, H. (2025) 'The return of the researcher: the methodological challenges of a follow-up study'. [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2024) | 'A tech-tonic shift: the complex dance of technology-enabled-learning and academic identity work in higher education'
Alton, D. ORourke, G., Auxtova, K., Tanner, S., Drummond C., Duggan, J., & Jooss, S. (2024) 'A tech-tonic shift: the complex dance of technology-enabled-learning and academic identity work in higher education'. Studies In Higher Education, [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2023) | 'Organisational identity development by entrepreneurial firms using social media: a process-based model'
Badran A.;Tanner S.;Alton D. (2023) 'Organisational identity development by entrepreneurial firms using social media: a process-based model'. Journal Of Business & Industrial Marketing, 38 (8):1689-1709 [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2019) | 'Exploring the roles of motivation and cognition in label-usage using a combined eye-tracking and retrospective think aloud approach'
Tanner, S.A., McCarthy, M.B., O'Reilly, S.J. (2019) 'Exploring the roles of motivation and cognition in label-usage using a combined eye-tracking and retrospective think aloud approach'. Appetite, 135 :146-158 [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2019) | 'Digital labelling in the retail environment: a domain-specific innovativeness perspective'
Tanner S., McCarthy M., OReilly S. (2019) 'Digital labelling in the retail environment: a domain-specific innovativeness perspective'. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, [DOI] [Details] |
Book Chapters
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2025) | 'Strategizing Entrepreneurial Coopetitive Interactions'
Tanner, S., McGrath, H., Drummond, C. & Alton, D. (2025) 'Strategizing Entrepreneurial Coopetitive Interactions' In: De Gruyter Handbook of Coopetition. De Gruyter. [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2020) | 'Using Eye-Tracking and Retrospective Think Aloud as a Probing Tool in Food Labelling Research: An Abstract'
Tanner S., McCarthy M., OReilly S. (2020) 'Using Eye-Tracking and Retrospective Think Aloud as a Probing Tool in Food Labelling Research: An Abstract' In: Enlightened Marketing in Challenging Times. AMSWMC 2019. Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science. Cham: Springer. [DOI] [Details] |
Conference Publications
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | Irish Academy of Management Conference
Drummond, C., Tanner, S., Alton, D., Auxtova, K., O'Rourke, G. and Duggan, J. (2024) An ARA Model Approach to Understanding Digital Resource Disruption and Decision-Making in Higher Education Irish Academy of Management Conference [Details] |
|
| (2023) | Academy of Marketing 2023
Badran, A., Alton, D., Tanner, S. & McGrath, H. (2023) A Literature Review Analysis of a New Approach to Brand Identity Creation: Moral Brand Anthropomorphism Academy of Marketing 2023 [Details] |
|
| (2024) | Irish Academy of Management Conference
Badran, A., Alton, D., Tanner, S. & McGrath, H. (2024) A moral identity project (MIP): Ethically ambivalent consumers' navigation of ethical markets Irish Academy of Management Conference [Details] |
|
| (2024) | Industrial Marketing Practice Conference
McGrath, H., Tanner, S., Drummond, C. and Alton, D. (2024) Tensions in entrepreneurial firm alignment with the SDG goals: An interactive view Industrial Marketing Practice Conference [Details] |
|
| (2024) | 56th Academy of Marketing Conference
Tanner, S., Giles, D. & McCarthy, M. (2024) Weve got Beef! Legacy Media Framing of Beef Narratives and Implications for Citizen-Consumer Sensemaking 56th Academy of Marketing Conference [Details] |
|
| (2024) | 56th Academy of Marketing Conference
Badran, A., Alton, D., Tanner, S. & McGrath, H. (2024) The Craft of Goodness: Unravelling Brand Morality in the Social Media Narratives of Artisan Food Brands 56th Academy of Marketing Conference [Details] |
|
| (2024) | PRME UK and Ireland Chapter Annual Conference
Tanner, S., Drummond, C., McGrath, H., Murphy, M., Alton, D. & Nagle., T. (2024) Teach, Play, Learn, Repeat - Iterative Playful Design for Creating Supportive Classroom Dynamics PRME UK and Ireland Chapter Annual Conference [Details] |
|
| (2024) | SPGC Global Family Business Summit
Badran, A., Alton, D., McGrath, H. & Tanner, S. (2024) Cultivating Consciousness: A Study of Social Media's Role in Shaping Moral Brand Identity for Irish Artisan Food Producers SPGC Global Family Business Summit [Details] |
|
| (2024) | SoTL Commons Conference
Beacom, E., Tanner, S., Collins, A. , Bogue, J. and Repar, L. (2024) Developing student entrepreneurial capacity through extra-curricular industry partnerships SoTL Commons Conference [Details] |
|
| (2023) | 55th Academy of Marketing Conference
Tanner, S. & McCarthy, M. (2023) Panic! Wait, No, Dont Panic! Risk Communication and Citizen-Consumer Reactions, Typifying Citizen-Consumer Rhetoric during Food Scares . In: F. Kerrigan eds. 55th Academy of Marketing Conference [Details] |
|
| (2023) | University College Cork 2023 Learning and Teaching Showcase
Drummond, C., Alton, D., McGrath, H. & Tanner, S. (2023) Playing the Marketer! Creating Lucid-Learning Spaces for Business Education University College Cork 2023 Learning and Teaching Showcase [Details] |
|
| (2023) | Irish Academy of Management Conference
Tanner, S., Beacom, E., Collins, A., Bogue, J., Repar, L. (2023) Beyond the Curriculum: Exploring the Impact of Action Based Learning on Students Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Perceptions and Intent Irish Academy of Management Conference [Details] |
|
| (2022) | 54th Academy of Marketing Conference
Collins, A., Tanner, S., Beacom, E., Bogue, J., Repar, L. (2022) Determining the Effectiveness of an Extra-Curricular Industry Initiative in Increasing Learners Perceived Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intent 54th Academy of Marketing Conference [Details] |
|
| (2022) | 54th Academy of Marketing Conference
Badran, A. Alton, D. Tanner, S. McGrath, H. (2022) A Virtue Ethics Approach to Understanding Consumers Development of Digital Moral Identity 54th Academy of Marketing Conference [Details] |
|
| (2022) | Irish Academy of Management Conference
Tanner, S., Drummond C., Duggan, J., ORourke, G., Auxtova, K. & Alton, D. (2022) Instructor Autonomy and Identity: Navigating Teaching & Learning Software Adoption in Third Level Business Education Irish Academy of Management Conference [Details] |
|
| (2022) | 36th EFFoST International Conference
Tanner, S. & McCarthy, M. (2022) Social Media and Social Amplification of Risk Consumer Reactions to Food Recall Reporting 36th EFFoST International Conference Dublin, Ireland, [Details] |
|
| (2022) | 54th Academy of Marketing Conference
Tanner, S. & Drummond, C. (2022) An Instructor Autonomy Perspective on the Use of Teaching and Learning Software Service Providers to Inform Pedagogical Decision-Making 54th Academy of Marketing Conference [Details] |
|
| (2021) | Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Conference
Badran, A., Alton, D., & Tanner, S. (2021) Identity creation using social media in a B2B entrepreneurial context Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Conference [Details] |
|
| (2021) | Irish Academy of Management Conference
Tanner, S., McCarthy, M.B. & OReilly, S.R. (2021) User-Generated Content in Crisis Scenarios Exploring the Role of Consumers Social Media Engagement with Legacy Media Narratives During a Food Scare Irish Academy of Management Conference [Details] |
|
| (2018) | Irish Academy of Management Conference
Tanner S.;McCarthy M.;OReilly S. (2018) Pull Marketing in a Low Involvement Product Category The Role of Domain Specific Innovativeness Irish Academy of Management Conference [Details] |
|
| (2018) | Colloquium on European Research in Retailing
Tanner S.;McCarthy M.;OReilly S. (2018) The Efficacy of Digital Labelling in the Attention Economy Colloquium on European Research in Retailing [Details] |
Published Case Studies
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | 'In a League of Their Own Making': Understanding Marketing Fundamentals with Cork City Football Club.
Alton, D., Tanner, S., & Drummond, C. (2024) 'In a League of Their Own Making': Understanding Marketing Fundamentals with Cork City Football Club. Published Case Studies [Details] |
PhD Thesis
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2019) | Exploring the factors influencing consumers motivation to use food product labels in their purchase decisions.
Tanner, S. (2019) Exploring the factors influencing consumers motivation to use food product labels in their purchase decisions. PhD Thesis [Details] |
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Road Safety Reimagined Champion | An Garda Síochana | |
| 2023 | PRME i5 Seed Funding competition for Developing Innovative Pedagogic Approaches | PRME UK/IRL Chapter | |
| 2023 | UCC President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching | UCC | |
| 2022 | Best Paper Award - Teaching and Learning Track (Irish Academy of Management) | Irish Academy of Management | |
| 2019 | CUBS Research Excellence Award | CUBS, UCC |
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Marketing | Member | 04-JUL-22 / | |
| Academy of Marketing Science | Member | 01-JUL-19 / | |
| Marketing Institute of Ireland | Member | 01-JAN-19 / | |
| Irish Academy of Management | Member | 01-AUG-18 / |
Committees
| Committee | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Marketing Conference 2025 | Co-Chair | 2024 / 2025 | |
| BComm (International) Programme Academic Board of Studies (PABS) | Co-Chair | 2019 / 2022 | |
| University Social Research Ethics Committee (SREC) | Reviewer | 2024 / | |
| Department of Managment and Marketing MSc Programmatic Review Team | Reviewer | 2025 / | |
| MSc Marketing Programme Academic Board of Studies (PABS) | Member | 2022 / | |
| CUBS PRME Working Group | Member | 2022 / | |
| CUBS Athena Swan | Member | 2022 / | |
| BSc Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship Programme Academic Board of Studies (PABS) | Member | 2022 / | |
| BSc International Business with Languages Working Group | Member | 2022 / 2024 | |
| CUBS Undergraduate Programme Directors Forum | Member | 2019 / 2022 | |
| MSc Strategic Marketing and Practice Programme Academic Board of Studies (PABS) | Member | 2019 / 2021 | |
| European Masters in Food Science | Administrative Co-ordinator | 2014 / 2019 |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Management and Marketing, University College Cork | Marketing Lecturer | 29-APR-19 / |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | University College Cork | PhD (Commerce) | Consumer Behaviour | |
| 2020 | University College Cork | Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | Pedagogy | |
| 2014 | University College Cork | BComm (International) with German | Commerce |
Languages
| Language | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| German | Fluent | Fluent | Fluent | |
| English | Fluent | Fluent | Fluent |
Outreach Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
UCC Open Days - Programme Representative |
|
Co-organiser of annual joint event between the Marketing Institute of Ireland and UCC |
|
BComm (International) Annual Showcase - Presenter |
Journal Activities
| Journal | Role | To / From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journal Of Business & Industrial Marketing | Referee | 01-JAN-22 - | |
| International Journal Of Retail & Distribution Management | Referee | 29-OCT-19 - |
Other Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
Co-Director, MSc Marketing (2024-present) |
|
Co-Director, BComm (International) 2019-2022 |
|
External Reviewer - Programme Validation Panel, TUS |
|
Reviewer - Department of Management and Marketing, Annual PhD Progress Reviews (2023-present) |
|
Discussant, Irish Academy of Management Doctoral Colloquium 2023 |
|
Judge - PRME UK and Ireland Student Writing Competition |
|
Judge - PRME Chapter UK and Ireland Seed Funding Competition for Developing Innovative Pedagogies and Teaching Practices in PRME |
|
External Examiner - Technological University of the Shannon |
|
Workshop Co-Convenor - Academy of Marketing Conference 2024 |
|
CPD1678 RSS Research Skills Training Programme (Centre for Continuing Professional Development, UCC) |
Teaching Interests
Modules Co-Ordinated:
MG1002: Foundations of Marketing
MG1006: Principles of Marketing in International Environments
MG2003: Consumer Behaviour and Sustainable Consumption
MG3013: Marketing Communications
MG6408: Omnichannel Marketing Communications
MG6830: Applied Research Project
FE6001s: Advanced Food Consumer Behaviour
PhD Supervision
Guest/Invited Lecturer
Other Teaching Experience:
MG2805: Introduction to Marketing
MG4044: Current Issues in Marketing
MG6306: Consumer Behaviour
MG6332: Research Methods
MG6333: Work Placement
MG6334: Research Dissertation
MG6816: Research Methods
MG6825: Applied Research Project
MG1002: Foundations of Marketing
MG1006: Principles of Marketing in International Environments
MG2003: Consumer Behaviour and Sustainable Consumption
MG3013: Marketing Communications
MG6408: Omnichannel Marketing Communications
MG6830: Applied Research Project
FE6001s: Advanced Food Consumer Behaviour
PhD Supervision
- PhD Thesis Co-Supervisor - Amer Badran (2020-2025) - Identity Formation within the Artisan Food Sector: An Enquiry into Business Networks, Brand and Consumer Morality
- PhD Thesis Co-Supervisor - MingMing Xu (2024-present) - The Effects of Employer-paid Parking on Sustainable Mobility Choices of Commuters in Irish Urban Areas
- PhD Thesis Co-Supervisor - Rameesha Ahmad (2025-2029) - Media Framing of Farm Diversification and Consequential Interpretations: Impact on Farmer Identity and Motivation to Change
- PhD Thesis Co-Supervisor (2025-2029) - Positioning of Sustainable Nutritious Products The Case of Dairy versus Plant-based Dairy Alternatives (PbDA)
Guest/Invited Lecturer
- Gastprofessor (Guest Professor) - Georg, Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciences, Nuremberg, Germany (2022)
Other Teaching Experience:
MG2805: Introduction to Marketing
MG4044: Current Issues in Marketing
MG6306: Consumer Behaviour
MG6332: Research Methods
MG6333: Work Placement
MG6334: Research Dissertation
MG6816: Research Methods
MG6825: Applied Research Project