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In this dissertation, I use a two-part study to examine, firstly whether preconceived notions, or perceptual differences, exist about organizational characteristics between firms based on size and age, and secondly what the relative salience of each characteristic is as well as possible individual-organizational characteristic interactions. In addition to contributing to theoretical knowledge-building, and providing guidance to practitioners, I use a methodology that has not been used extensively in organizational behavior research - conjoint analysis. Thus, the contributions I make are theoretical, normative and methodological in nature. As hypothesized, there are significant differences in how job seekers perceive organizations based on their size and age. Further, the extent to which an organization is perceived to be Boyscout (e.g., attentive to people, personal and friendly) is significantly more important than any other characteristic to job seekers when assessing fit with an organization or job. / Business Administration/Interdisciplinary

Thought leadership is a term that has been around for more than a decade. Little research has been done on exactly what thought leadership is or how to become a thought leader. Yet the business press is full or articles touting the importance of becoming a thought leader along with a variety of benefits. Additionally, social media has become an increasingly important part of any marketing strategy. This paper begins by developing a typology of business to business CEO social media presence, it clearly defines the three key attributes of a thought leader and concludes with identifying which attributes are the most important in CEO thought leadership. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are generally expected to represent the public face of the company, and their leadership is critical to success in product-service markets. Social media platforms offer CEOs the opportunity to benefit their companies by demonstrating leadership, communicating ideas, and motivating others, often with a personalized touch. Yet, many CEOs, particularly in business-to-business (B2B) firms, are relatively new to social media and do not have a clear social media strategy. A typology of B2B CEO social media presence was developed by utilizing cluster analysis to analyze a cross-section of B2B CEOs’ social media activity. Results shows that the Reluctants, constituting 74% of the sample, have little or no social media presence. Of CEOs with some social media presence, the main types are LinkedIn Leveragers who have a substantial LinkedIn presence only, and TweetStars, who are active only on Twitter. A CEO who is a thought leader is a business leader who communicates ideas in a way that motivates others to develop them and is recognized by others outside of their organization. Using the three attributes of thought leadership – communication, motivation of others, and public recognition, a survey was conducted to identify which of these attributes were the most important in increasing perceived thought leadership. Using choice based conjoint analysis to test the level of perceived thought leadership, public recognition followed closely by motivation were most important in contributing to perceived thought leadership. The typology developed in this paper leads to the development of a set of empirical propositions for future research. Insights gained from this analysis can help companies and their CEOs make informed decisions on their social media options and strategies. The identification of what attributes are most important to increase levels of perceived thought leadership lays the foundation for additional research. Recommendations offered in this paper can help companies and CEOs invest their resources in a marketing strategy appropriate to their goals. / Business Administration/Marketing

This research seeks to determine what factors and combinations of banking features drive the choice of a financial service provider. Two studies have been devised to explore the research question. The initial study, uses factor analysis and logistic regression to examine the importance of perceived cost, convenience, and relational trust in the choice of a financial services provider. An additional study uses choice-based conjoint analysis to conduct an exploratory study to identify combinations of banking features that potential customers perceive as most attractive. The study simulates real-world buying situations that ask research participants to trade one financial services attribute for another. Results from the first study suggest that a consumer’s choice of banks, prepaid cards, online lending, and the US Postal Service for financial services is associated with a preference for convenience while relational trust and perceived cost drives the choice of “street” AFS providers. In the second study, results from the choice-based conjoint analysis suggest that fees are significantly more important than convenience and level of customer contact across all categorical variables (age, gender, race/ethnicity, employment, income, and education). Additionally, in-person customer service contact is considered more important than convenience. Understanding these factors, optimal combinations and proportions, and trade-offs through the eyes of the consumer, may be of value to both policy makers and industry officials alike when grappling with options to strengthen financial inclusion. / Business Administration/Strategic Management

Choice-based conjoint experiments are used when choice alternatives can be described in terms of attributes. The objective is to infer the value that respondents attach to attribute levels. This method involves the design of profiles on the basis of attributes specified at certain levels. Respondents are presented sets of profiles called choice sets, and asked to select the one they consider best. Sets with no dominating or dominated profiles are called Pareto Optimal sets. Information Per Profile (IPP) is used as an optimality criteria to compare designs with different numbers of profiles. For a 2^n experiment, the optimality of connected main effects plans based on two consecutive choice sets, Sl and Sl+1, has been examined in the literature. In this thesis we examine the IPP of both consecutive and non-consecutive choice sets and show that IPP can be maximized under certain conditions. We show that non-consecutive choice sets have higher IPP than consecutive choice sets for n ≥ 4. We also examine the optimality of connected first-order-interaction designs based on three choice sets and show that non-consecutive choice sets have higher IPP than consecutive choice sets under certain conditions. Further, we examine the D-, A- and E-optimality of consecutive and non-consecutive PO choice sets with maximum IPP. Finally, we consider 3^n choice experiments. We look for the optimal PO choice sets and examine their IPP, D-, A- and E-optimality, as well as comparing consecutive and non-consecutive choice sets. / Statistics

Implementing an e-market for limited supply perishable asset (LiSPA) products is a problem at the intersection of online purchasing and distributed decision support systems (DistDSS). In this dissertation, we introduce and define LiSPA products, provide real-world examples, develop a framework for a distributed system to implement an e-market for LiSPA products, and provide proof-of-concept for the two major components of the framework. The DistDSS framework requires customers to instantiate agents that learn their preferences and evaluate products on their behalf. Accurately eliciting and modeling customer preferences in a quick and easy manner is a major hurdle for implementing this agent-based system. A methodology is developed for this problem using conjoint analysis and neural networks. The framework also contains a model component that is addressed in this work. The model component is presented as a mediator of customer negotiation that uses the agent-based preference models mentioned above and employs a linear programming model to maximize overall satisfaction of the total market. / Ph. D.

The purpose of the study was to develop an optimum market-positioning model for the special interest tourism market to support arts festivals in South Africa (SA). Three subareas were deemed essential for the model, namely determining which attributes contribute to the success of three arts festival scenarios, comparing the different arts festival packages as a tourism attraction and then combining these subareas to develop a model enabling future researchers and marketers to present a successful arts festival in South Africa. The three main arts festivals in South Africa, at Potchefstroom, Grahamstown and Oudtshoorn, were studied. Screening questions followed by judgmental and quota sampling were used to select only like-minded respondents from festival attendees on a scenario basis. In personal interviews the data were collected and then analysed using conjoint analysis and game theory. Conjoint analysis was used in a linear regression model with individual ratings for each product. The average of the r-squares in this study was 0,83, indicating a good fit between data and model developed. Then these results were used in the game theory, comparing the three arts festival scenarios to identify the most successful tourism attraction. A different combination of attributes gave each of the three festival scenarios an optimum market position in its own niche market. The study contributes to the existing body of positioning knowledge, specifically in the festivals and events domain. It also adds value as this model can be applied to other festivals in South Africa and also to other business sectors. / Transport Economy, Logistics & Tourism / D. Com. (Tourism Management)

RERBOUÇAS, Marina Cabral. Bebida prebiótica à base de amêndoa da castanha de caju: estudos com consumidores em diferentes abordagens para avaliação de fatores sensoriais e externos ao produto. 2016. 117 f. : Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Fortaleza-CE, 2016 / Submitted by Nádja Goes (nmoraissoares@gmail.com) on 2016-07-08T13:07:50Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_tese_mcreboucas.pdf: 2626341 bytes, checksum: e0b191879ed659a68c541e05ea4d4613 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Nádja Goes (nmoraissoares@gmail.com) on 2016-07-08T13:08:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_tese_mcreboucas.pdf: 2626341 bytes, checksum: e0b191879ed659a68c541e05ea4d4613 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-08T13:08:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_tese_mcreboucas.pdf: 2626341 bytes, checksum: e0b191879ed659a68c541e05ea4d4613 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016 / Prebiotic beverages made from cashew nut kernels and fruit juice are a viable alternative in the area of new functional products’ development. Thus, this research aimed to develop three prebiotic beverages made from cashew nut kernels added with fruit juice (grape, mango and pineapple), evaluating how non-sensory attributes (external to the product) and consumers’ characteristics as to behavior and personality affect their acceptance. A factorial 2² central composite rotatable design was used for the development of the formulations. Focus groups were applied to define the most important label attributes on consumer’s purchasing decision. The illustration, nutritional information and the term prebiotic associated with its functional claim, within their respective levels, were selected for the labels’ development via the 3x2x3 full factorial design and the employment of conjoint analysis and cluster analysis multi-varying techniques for results evaluation. The mango beverage was evaluated displaying three different label versions in order to check if the expectation generated by different nutritional information affected consumers’ perception as to characteristics of quality, overall impression and purchasing attitude. The beverage added with pineapple juice was compared to its soy-based commercially similar in order to evaluate if information on composition, nutritional characteristics and functional claims associated with these products affect the acceptance and perception of consumers with different behavioral characteristics and personality. The formulations optimized as to acceptance should be added with the following concentrations of sugar and juice, respectively; grape beverage (37% and 7%), pineapple (35% and 7%) and mango (40% and 8%). Among the most important label attributes in the purchasing process, the illustration was the one that mostly influenced, followed by nutritional information and the term prebiotic and its functional claim. The nutritional claims displayed on the label revealed to have a positive impact over the perception of the beverage as to the characteristics of quality, overall impression and purchasing attitude, with information such as “0% lactose, 0% cholesterol and fiber-rich” and “0% lactose, 0% cholesterol and antioxidants” found to influence more positively consumers. Information related to the beverages made from soy and cashew nut did not influence the acceptance of flavor nor on the overall impression, nonetheless, it had a positive impact over consumers’ perception as to healthiness and the nutritious value of both, being the cashew nut kernel-based beverage perceived as more nutritious and healthier than the soy-based one. Consumers’ different characteristics as to the interest in healthy eating and food neophobia did not influence the acceptance of the beverages, their perception as healthy food and nutritious value. / Bebida prebióticas à base de amêndoas de castanha de caju e suco de frutas é uma alternativa viável na área de desenvolvimento de novos produtos funcionais. Assim, este trabalho objetivou desenvolver três bebidas prebióticas à base de amêndoa da castanha de caju adicionadas de suco de frutas (uva, manga e abacaxi), avaliando de que forma atributos não sensoriais (externos ao produto) e características comportamentais e de personalidade dos consumidores afetam a sua aceitação. Utilizou-se um delineamento fatorial 22 do tipo composto central rotacionado para desenvolvimento das formulações. Grupos de foco foram empregados para definição dos atributos do rótulo mais importantes na decisão de compra do consumidor. A ilustração, as informações nutricionais e o termo prebiótico associado a sua alegação funcional, com seus respectivos níveis, foram selecionados para o desenvolvimento dos rótulos por meio de delineamento fatorial completo do tipo 3 x 2 x 3, aplicando-se as técnicas multivariadas conjoint analysis e cluster analysis para avaliação dos resultados. A bebida de manga foi avaliada associada a três versões do rótulo para verificar se a expectativa gerada por diferentes informações nutricionais afetavam a percepção dos consumidores quanto às características de qualidade, impressão global e atitude de compra. A bebida adicionada de suco de abacaxi foi comparada frente ao seu similar comercial à base de soja para avaliar se informações sobre composição, características nutricionais e alegações funcionais associadas a estes produtos afetam a aceitação e percepção dos consumidores com diferentes características comportamentais e de personalidade. As formulações otimizadas quanto à aceitação devem ser adicionadas das seguintes concentrações de suco e açúcar, respectivamente, para a bebida de uva (37% e 7%), abacaxi (35% e 7%) e manga (40% e 8%). Dentre os atributos do rótulo mais importantes no processo de compra, a ilustração foi o que mais influenciou, seguido pelas informações nutricionais e pelo termo prebiótico e sua alegação funcional. As alegações nutricionais no rótulo mostraram ter um impacto positivo na percepção da bebida quanto às características de qualidade, impressão global e atitude de compra, com os as informações “0% lactose, 0% colesterol e fonte de fibras” e “0% lactose, 0% colesterol e antioxidantes” influenciando mais positivamente os consumidores As informações relacionadas às bebidas de soja e castanha de caju não influenciaram a aceitação do sabor e impressão global, no entanto tiveram um impacto positivo na percepção dos consumidores quanto à saudabilidade e o valor nutritivo de ambas, sendo a bebida à base de amêndoa da castanha de caju percebida como mais nutritiva e mais saudável do que a bebida de soja. As diferentes características dos consumidores quanto ao interesse em alimentação saudável e a neofobia alimentar não tiveram influência sobre a aceitação das bebidas, a percepção de alimento saudável e valor nutritivo.