Denna studie utgår från fältet PR och marknadskommunikation med inriktning mot employer branding. Landstinget i Jönköpings län har nyligen inlett ett arbete med employer branding och som ett led i detta arbete söker de nu kunskap om vad som bör kommuniceras till presumtiva medarbetare för att på så sätt skapa ett attraktivt employer brand. Syftet med studien var att identifiera de attribut som Landstinget i Jönköpings län med fördel kan lyfta fram i den marknadskommunikation som riktas till presumtiva medarbetare. För att besvara syftet utfördes en kvantitativ enkätundersökning bland studenter vid Högskolan i Jönköping för att få en bild av vilka attribut de ansåg viktiga hos en arbetsgivare samt hur de såg på Landstinget som arbetsgivare. För att få ytterligare substans i studien valde vi att ställa resultaten mot teorier om inre och yttre motivation för att på så sätt undersöka vilken typ av motivaton som de tillfrågade studenterna drivs av när de väljer arbetsgivare. Studiens resultat ger en tydlig bild av vad som anses vara mest respektive minst attraktivt hos en arbetsgivare, där goda relationer med kollegor är det attribut som värderats högst och förmånersamt bonus värderats lägst av respondenterna. Goda relationer med kollegor är även det attribut som respondenterna ansåg som mest troligt att Landstinget kunde erbjuda som arbetsgivare. Sammanfattningsvis har studiens resultat visat att psykologiska attribut som kan härledas till inre motivation är de som värderats mest attraktiva. Vidare visar resultatet att de ekonomiska attributen, som kan härledas till yttre motivation, inte anses vara lika attraktiva. Studenterna vid de olika utbildningsprogramen som ingick i studien visade sig värdera attraktivitet och image på ett likvärdigt sätt, vilket har möjliggjort en rekommendation av ett employer value proposition för Landstinget i Jönköpings län.

The purpose of the current thesis was to investigate the role of gaze direction, when making preference decisions. Previous research has reported a progressive gaze bias towards the preferred stimuli as participants near a decision, termed the gaze cascade effect (Shimojo, Simion, Shimojo & Scheir, 2003). The gaze cascade effect is strongest during the final 1500 msec prior to decision (Shimojo et al.). Previous eye-tracking research has displayed natural viewing biases towards the upper visual field. However, previous investigations have not investigated the impact of image placement on the gaze cascade effect. Study 1 investigated the impact of presenting stimuli vertically on the gaze cascade effect. Results indicated that natural scanning biases towards the upper visual field impacted the gaze cascade effect. The gaze cascade effect was reliably seen only when the preferred image was presented in the upper visual field. Using vertically paired stimuli study 2 investigated the impact of choice difficulty on the gaze cascade effect. Similar to study 1 the gaze cascade effect was only reliably seen when the preferred image was presented in the upper visual field. Additionally choice difficulty impacted the gaze cascade effect where easy decisions displayed a larger gaze cascade effect than hard decisions. Study 3 investigated if the gaze cascade effect is unique to preference decisions or present during all visual decisions. Judgments of concavity using perceptually ambiguous spheres were used and no gaze cascade effect was observed. Study 3 indicated that the gaze cascade effect is unique to preference decisions. Results of the current experiments indicate the gaze cascade effect is qualified by the spatial layout of the stimuli and choice difficulty. Results of the current experiments are consistent with previous eye-tracking research demonstrating biases towards the upper visual field and offering support for Prevics theory on how we interact in visual space.

The purpose of the current thesis was to investigate the role of gaze direction, when making preference decisions. Previous research has reported a progressive gaze bias towards the preferred stimuli as participants near a decision, termed the gaze cascade effect (Shimojo, Simion, Shimojo & Scheir, 2003). The gaze cascade effect is strongest during the final 1500 msec prior to decision (Shimojo et al.). Previous eye-tracking research has displayed natural viewing biases towards the upper visual field. However, previous investigations have not investigated the impact of image placement on the gaze cascade effect. Study 1 investigated the impact of presenting stimuli vertically on the gaze cascade effect. Results indicated that natural scanning biases towards the upper visual field impacted the gaze cascade effect. The gaze cascade effect was reliably seen only when the preferred image was presented in the upper visual field. Using vertically paired stimuli study 2 investigated the impact of choice difficulty on the gaze cascade effect. Similar to study 1 the gaze cascade effect was only reliably seen when the preferred image was presented in the upper visual field. Additionally choice difficulty impacted the gaze cascade effect where easy decisions displayed a larger gaze cascade effect than hard decisions. Study 3 investigated if the gaze cascade effect is unique to preference decisions or present during all visual decisions. Judgments of concavity using perceptually ambiguous spheres were used and no gaze cascade effect was observed. Study 3 indicated that the gaze cascade effect is unique to preference decisions. Results of the current experiments indicate the gaze cascade effect is qualified by the spatial layout of the stimuli and choice difficulty. Results of the current experiments are consistent with previous eye-tracking research demonstrating biases towards the upper visual field and offering support for Prevics theory on how we interact in visual space.

Evaluating the value of an information technology (IT) investment is a complex exercise in technology innovation and change management. Research has indicated that about two-thirds of companies hadn¡¦t been able to evaluate the value of IT correctly. Several perspectives have been proposed to help in evaluating IT investment before implementation, such as financial and socio-technical perspectives. Among them, Intel offered an integrated evaluation method and tool, the Intel's Business Value Index (BVI), which takes into account of financial and socio-technical perspectives. This study develops an IT investment evaluation methodology grounded on Intel¡¦s BVI method for the chemical industry. The research methodology is articulated using the design science research methodology. A usability evaluation is performed using a chemical industry case to demonstrate its applicability. With this methodology, CIO or adopting organizations can more easily and systematically determine the value and the priority of each IT investment in an ex-ante evaluation.

Under the global background, more and more companies realize that if want to acquire outstanding talent, must set up unique employer brand in the specific area of the human resources market to be able to effectively attract, motivate and retain talented and obtain sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore, raise ¡§employer brand concept¡¨ for the potential job applicant to attractiveness and employee stay. It is meaning the employer brand to attract, motivate and retain of competency of employee. To combine of human resource management system to explore of the establishment and implement of human resource management system for enterprises to retained sustainable competitive advantage of the impact.

Grove and Fisk ¡]1983¡^ had used the noun and idea of drama performance in the theater to compare the offering of service, such attendants as known as performer, customers as known as audience, and separate the front and back stage of service encounter clearly. At the same time, they offer the structure to easily understand the process of the wholly service contact and to help estimate the influence of each important link of service contact. So, this research focused on ¡§perceived value¡¨ of customer experiences through which, the ¡§visualized service backstage¡¨ in the service contact promotes the interaction of consumers and suppliers. Moreover, this study used the involvement of the back stage information and attention of attendants¡¦ appearance to moderate consumer experiences. The results showed that ¡§visualized service backstage¡¨ has positive influence on ¡§perceived value¡¨ with different levels, and customers have more consciousness on ¡§experience value¡¨. Actually the service with ¡§visualized service backstage¡¨ can really improve customers¡¦ perceived value. It not only can strengthen consumers¡¦ experience value, but also promote other different values of consumers. In fact, if service providers can use this advantage to create more perfect service performance by which the front stage and the back stage fully support. And it could bring to people more different service value than others. In addition, through the analysis of this study and real practices, it can help the service providers understand which value is the key factor to be attention for offering visualized service backstage.

This research is trying to understand the relationship between spokesperson and athletic products. With the increasing competing markets, major athletic brands are focusing on marketing strategies in order to attract and obtain consumers. Among them, brand¡¦s marketing is extremely important to sports industry. This is because the enterprise can attract consumer¡¦s attention through its spokesperson and represent their unique characteristics to promote its products. Using spokesperson to endorse its brand is a bridge to communicate with the consumers. The successful career of a professional sports endorser will create an image for the brand, which will lead the consumers belief by wearing the products will have the similar and expected results. When a brand decides on its spokesperson, it is based on the spokesperson¡¦s public image and personal characteristics. First of all, the enterprise will consider if the spokesperson¡¦s image is positive, then they will review if his/her characteristics fit well with their athletic products. This research will related spokesman from western countries for examination on the relationship of the spokesperson with brands and regarding the buying effects on consumer. According to Ohanian¡¦s (1991) research paper, celebrity endorser¡¦s source credibility, contains three dimensions: attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise, has positive impact on consumers¡¦ purchase intent. This research proved that the source credibility theory applies to sports brands¡¦ marketing in Taiwan market as well. The research findings not only confirm with Ohanian¡¦s theory, but also discovered one additional factor, exposure, that affect consumers¡¦ perception on endorser¡¦s credibility, but also influence consumers¡¦ intention to purchase. Based on the initial findings, the study then designed questionnaire for survey for the consumers. The survey results proved that endorser¡¦s exposures have significant impact on the consumers. When the Exposure Effect enhances the endorser¡¦s attractiveness, the endorser¡¦s source of credibility affects consumer¡¦s buying perception. Thus, the study suggests the sports brand marketers, for better marketing values, to investigate the endorser¡¦s media exposures, in order to elevate consumers¡¦ buying intention.

Previous works on organizational attractiveness always focused only on organizational-level factors, such like organizational or work characteristics. However, there are only limited researches discussing the influence of individual-level issues. Therefore, the multi-level theory will be applied to this paper to discuss the relationship among organizational characteristics, employer knowledge and job seeker¡¦s intention to apply. Moreover, this paper draws on marketing concepts of consumer-based brand equity to the recruitment context to identify the dimensions of employer knowledge. Based on data collected from 43 companies and 329 job seekers in the job fair, the finding suggests that organizational size is significant and positively related to both job seekers¡¦ employer knowledge and their intention to apply. Furthermore, all of the dimensions of employer knowledge are significant predictors of job seekers¡¦ intention to apply. Specially, the result also shows that organizational size is significant related to job seekers¡¦ intention to apply through employer knowledge. While taking employer knowledge into consideration, organizational size¡¦s initial influence on job seekers¡¦ intention to apply is completely disappearing. This finding confirms the mediate effect of employer knowledge between organizational characteristics and job seekers¡¦ intention to apply.

Facial symmetry has been a central component in many studies on face perception. The relationship between bilateral symmetry and subjective judgments on faces is still arguable in the literature. In this study, a database of natural looking face images with different levels of symmetry is constructed using several digital preprocessing and morphing methods. Our aim is to investigate the correlations between quantified asymmetry, perceived symmetry and a subjective judgment: &lsquo / attractiveness&rsquo / . Images in the METU-Face Database are built to represent three levels of symmetry (original, intermediate, and symmetrical) within five classes which also represent the orientation of bilateral symmetry: left versus right. In addition, the asymmetry of original images is quantified using a landmark-based method. Based on the theory of holistic face perception, we introduce a novel method to quantify facial asymmetry wholesomely: Entropybased quantification. In Experiment 1 and 2, images were rated on attractiveness judgments and on perceived symmetry, respectively. Results indicate that landmark-based quantifications were not sufficient to account for perceived symmetry ratings (SRs), but they revealed that as the vertical deviation of the symmetry decreases, attractiveness rating (AR) collected from that face increases. Moreover, morphing classes and their relationship to both ARs and SRs were highly correlated. Consistent with the previously done research, symmetrical images were found more attractive. We found that although ARs were the same for left versus right composites, for SRs, there is a significant difference between left and right. Finally, a more elucidative quantification approach for subjective face perception is achieved through significant correlations of entropy scores with both ARs and SRs.

In the literature, there exist several studies on recognition memory performance for faces and related facial characteristics such as distinctiveness, typicality, attractiveness. In our study, we examined the relationship between symmetry and human face recognition for the first time. In order to have symmetry as the only manipulated factor in our stimuli, we constructed a unique face database, METUFaceTwo, which contains standardized symmetric and asymmetric face images without facial textures. In our study, we assumed that faces and related features such as symmetry are perceived holistically, and defined facial symmetry with two different measures: entropy calculations and perceived symmetry values. Our fundamental finding is that symmetry increases recognition performance. This increase seems to be due to the additional study time or additional effort spent for symmetric face images during the recall period rather than the encoding period. More studies need to be performed in order to isolate the causes of this surprising finding.