Mural Art at a Business School: The Impact of Viewers’ Personal Economic Philosophy on Evoked Emotions, Cognitive Responses and Narrative Recognition

Craig S. Galbraith, Lawrence S. Clark, Jacqueline Benitez-Galbraith

Craig S . Galbraith is a professor of entrepreneurship and technology management at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He holds a PhD in Strategic Management from Purdue University, an MSc in Molecular Biology from the University of Nebraska, and an MBA and a BA from San Diego State University. His research examines institutional aspects of economic development.
Lawrence S . Clark is Chancellor at Louisiana State University Shreveport. Previously he was the dean of business schools at LSU Shreveport, Sonoma State University and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He holds a BA in Economics from Knox College, a Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall Law School and an LL in Taxation from the DePaul University College of Law.
Jacqueline Benitez-Galbraith teaches Spanish at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She holds an MA in Spanish from UNC Wilmington and an MBA in International Business from the United States International University in San Diego (BBA, University of San Diego). Her research focuses on the images of economics and commerce in Spanish film and art.

ABSTRACT 
Using a subject mural located at a business school, the authors examined the empirical relationship between students’ personal orientation towards business/economic issues and the responses evoked when they viewed a commerce-themed mural. The sample comprised 265 students from different majors or concentrations. Stronger personal beliefs in the value of competition, free markets and business institutions resulted in higher emotional and cognitive responses to the mural as well as greater recognition of the basic themes being presented in the narrative.
KEYWORDS
Mural art, business themes, viewer responses
RÉSUMÉ
Les auteurs explorent le lien empirique entre, d’une part, les réactions suscitées par l’observation d’une murale évoquant des thèmes économiques chez des étudiants d’une école de gestion et, d’autre part, leur point de vue sur certains aspects de l’économie. L’échantillon se compose de 265 étudiants inscrits dans diverses concentrations d’études et majeures. Une croyance plus tranchée envers la pertinence de la concurrence, du libre marché et du milieu des affaires a suscité des réactions émotives et cognitives plus prononcées ainsi qu’une meilleure reconnaissance des grands thèmes évoqués dans la murale.
MOTS CLÉS 
Art mural, thèmes économiques, réactions des observateurs
RESUMEN 
Mediante un mural situado en una escuela de negocios, los autores estudian la relación entre las ideas personales de los estudiantes sobre temas relacionados con la economía y el comercio, y sus reacciones ante un mural con trama comercial. Una muestra de 265 personas de diferentes especialidades participó en el estudio. Cuan más fuertes son las convicciones personales de los espectadores sobre el valor de la competencia, el mercado libre y las instituciones comerciales mayores son las reacciones emocionales y cognitivas al mural así como su reconocimiento de los temas básicos representados en la trama del mural.
PALABRAS CLAVE 
Arte mural, temas comerciales, respuestas de los espectadores.