The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many around the world, some more than others, having socioeconomic impacts around the globe. Due to its rapid spread many countries implemented restrictions, such as quarantines to uphold social distancing between its citizens. In addition, the coronavirus has not only affected people’s way of life but also many companies’ financial health worldwide. This pandemic’s side effects has resulted in increased digital transformation, causing many companies without the required infrastructure to rapidly implement mechanism and strategies to handle this type of work style. This studies aim is to give an insight in employee’s experiences and reactions to a rapid digital implementation, in a company without the infrastructure in place. With the help of an inductive approach and a multi level framework, four themes emerged from the interviews conducted ImplementationConsequences, Organizational Support, Expectations of Digital Implementation and Work-related Differences. The results showed that there is a discrepancy between the necessary factors for a successful implementation, highlighted in the model used and the respondent’s answers. Linked to this was the gender differences, a new factor arising from the data collected, emphasising the difficulties linked to teleworking but affecting a proactive use of digital tools, and hence lowering the work productivity. Even though there were differences, there were also parables showing that acceptance, attitude, and involvement in the implementation, among other factors are crucial for an openness towards digitalization. Finally, these factors and their relationship with digital implementation as well as the pandemic were explored trough a multi level framework.

The growth of the gig economy has resulted in an increased interest in the relatively new phenomenon of multi-sided digital platforms. Previous research has naturally been focused on one of the key actors on these platforms, namely the gig workers, and how the gig economy has affected the labor market. However, multi-sided platforms entails complex dynamics and relationships between several actors, and the purpose of this study is to investigate what drives a business actor to join a multi-sided platform, what conditions it entails, as well as how it affects their business. To fulfill the purpose, a qualitative research design was conducted, in which semi-structured interviews with seven business actor representatives were included. Through theoretical perspectives on outsourcing, network externalities, and relationship management, this study is able to suggest that to handle the complexity, multi-sided platforms entail a certain degree of standardization that leads to increased transparency in the food delivery industry. In order to access the positive network effects that come from joining the platform, the business actors must adapt to the standardized conditions. Furthermore, they can differentiate to adapt or accept a change towards becoming commodity producers. The study indicates that there is a discrepancy between reality and theory on who outsources to whom when it comes to understanding a multi-sided platform in the gig economy.

La presente investigación buscará determinar la relación entre el uso de las herramientas de marketing digital y la captación de leads en el sector de bienes raíces entre hombres y mujeres entre los 26 y 45 años de edad de los niveles socioeconómicos A y B de Lima Metropolitana. Dada la relevancia que ha adquirido internet en los últimos años como canal de promoción y venta y la concentración de oferta inmobiliaria en el espacio digital, es importarte comprender la eficacia de la implementación de las herramientas de marketing digital y su relación con las plataformas actuales para poder complementar de manera eficiente una estrategia tradicional que permita potenciar la captación de leads e influir positivamente en la decisión de compra final del bien inmueble Entre los principales resultados del estudio, se pude concluir que, actualmente, los usuarios digitales, están en su mayoría en la búsqueda de un bien inmueble en los próximos años. Están familiarizados con plataformas digitales, la mecánica del sector inmobiliario para obtener información de calidad de sus potenciales clientes y están dispuestos a brindar datos personales vía canales digitales. Dentro de este contexto, se pudo determinar que la implementación de herramientas digitales dentro de la estrategia de marketing de las organizaciones de bienes raíces impacta directamente en la captación de leads. Por ello, es de vital importancia conocer la relación entre estas herramientas y los usuarios digitales para elaborar una estrategia integral online de alto impacto. / This research will seek to determine the relationship between the use of digital marketing tools and lead acquisition in the real estate sector between men and women between the ages of 26 and 45 of socioeconomic levels A and B of Metropolitan Lima. Given the relevance that internet has acquired in recent years as a promotion and sales channel and the concentration of real estate offer in the digital space, it is important to understand the effectiveness of the implementation of digital marketing tools and their relationship with current platforms for be able to efficiently complement a traditional strategy that allows to enhance lead acquisition and positively influence the final purchase decision of the real estate. Among the main results of the study, it can be concluded that, currently, digital users are mostly in the search for real estate in the coming years. They are familiar with digital platforms, real estate mechanics to obtain quality information from their potential clients and are willing to provide personal data via digital channels. Within this context, it was determined that the implementation of digital tools within the marketing strategy of real estate organizations directly impacts lead acquisition. Therefore, it is vital to know the relationship between these tools and digital users to develop a comprehensive online strategy of high impact. / Trabajo de investigación

The thesis carries out a critical examination of the problematic and complex dynamics aroused by the conceptual gap between the Modernity and Tradition, suggesting that such polarization is present in the way people think and talk about sex and sexuality in Kenya. Considering the difficulties of implementing Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Kenyan secondary schools, the study questions the possibility of isolating and distancing different sexual values and attitudes, and supports instead the need for a different approach to teaching sexuality, capable of bridging those differences through an inclusive language. Digital Platforms are critically examined as potential spaces for the realization of the theoretical project of an “Ecology of knowledges”, thus as places for developing respectful and comprehensive dialogue about sexuality among adolescents.

Background: Retailing through Virtual Reality (VR) is faced with a dilemma of potential customers using the VR to look for products online, but somehow do not make a purchase online and prefer to visit the physical stores instead. This phenomenon is referred as Transition Risk. Aim: To develop an understanding regarding the concepts and factors that influence the occurrence of transition risk by using UTAUT2 framework. Identify those concepts and thus be able to assist retailers in diminishing the transition risk gap. Methodology: Is a quantitative study that involves an experiment followed by a questionnaire as the research instrument. The data was analyzed through regression analysis by using SmartPLS 3.0 as the data analysis tool for SEM. An exploratory research design for the cross-sectional study of a small sample of 45 people experimented. Findings: Findings of the research suggest that transition risk has a direct relation with the UTAUT2 constructs: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, social influence, hedonic motivation, and habit of the consumer. Moreover, absence of familiarity with VR retailing, social influence and consumer’s habit of web-rooming and retail therapy are significant contributors towards transition risk. Furthermore, UTAUT2 framework can also be used to identify reason for no usage and/or abandoning of use technology.

Este estudio pretende orientar sobre el proceso de decisión de compra de cursos e-learning, y sobre la evolución del uso de nuevas plataformas para el aprendizaje cotidiano. En el ámbito educativo, la llegada de internet permitió la consiguiente aparición de diversas plataformas virtuales que permiten al alumno estar conectado cada vez más con el mundo digital y el autoaprendizaje, propiciando la generación de nuevos mercados y metodologías de enseñanza, una de ellas los cursos e-learning que cada vez se encuentran más presentes en la oferta estudiantil. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar si las acciones de comunicación de la promoción online influyen en el proceso de decisión de compra de cursos e-learning. Es muy importante identificar qué es lo que lleva a una persona a decidir realizar la compra de los cursos, que los motiva, y por qué los adquieren. / This study aims to guide the process of purchasing E-learning courses, and on the evolution of the use of new platforms for day learning. In the educational field, the arrival of the Internet, the evolution of the various virtual platforms that allow the student to be increasingly connected to the digital world and self-learning, fostering the generation of new markets and teaching methodologies, one of them courses E-learning that are increasingly present in the student offer. The objective of this study is to determine whether the communication actions of the online promotion influence the process of purchasing E-learning courses. It is very important to identify what leads a person to decide to make the purchase of the courses, that motivates them, and why they acquire them. / Trabajo de investigación

In communication and marketing there have been a shift from a transaction focus with emphasis on persuasion to a relationship focus referred to as a two-way communication with increased interactivity. Traditional companies are challenged to understand how their business can take advantage and adapt to the digital changes and opportunities when it comes to communication and building relationships and gain the ability to anticipate and deliver what customers expect them to. B2B companies have a slower adaption to digital media and digital changes compared to B2C companies and when it comes to digital channels there is many opportunities to discover. B2B companies still feel dependent on traditional communication when it comes to building relationships but the digital trend pressure companies to get involved and keep up digitally. The constantly expanding digital landscape force B2B companies to find a way to utilize digital platforms and channels in order to create strong digital relationships with retailer and audience The purpose of this study is to investigate and gain an understanding how B2B wholesalers communicate and build digital relationships with retailers. A qualitative method is used featuring a single-case study with Company X a B2B firm operating in the wholesale trade business as a producer and a wholesaler. Data used in the study is collected from semi-structured interviews with employees from the sales and marketing department. Digital marketing is one of the most emerging tools within communication, that B2B businesses not yet use to its full potential but are eager to discover the opportunities and advantages B2C companies adapted for a long time. B2B businesses use digital tools to support and strengthen the communication and relationship with retailers however findings reveal traditional tools is still the prefered communication method in B2B. Our findings suggest how there are still qualities lacking in digital communication that can only be achieved through traditional communication with psychical meetings. Empirical suggestion on how a B2B company can adopt techniques from B2C and apply it in a B2B context.

In the digital age, with the accelerating pace of e-commerce, online platforms such as Amazon, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Netflix, Uber and others have gained in prominence. Furthermore, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, even businesses which were heretofore primarily brick-and-mortar have had to shift to a strong online presence in order to adapt and survive; which, while beneficial to all stakeholders, has resulted in dire challenges for the producers/service providers, platform owners, as well as consumers. In my first essay, I investigate the challenges faced by mobility as a service (MaaS) platforms such as Uber and Lyft for managing their demand and the pool of available drivers. On one hand, driver compensation issues in MaaS platforms is a highly discussed topic. On the other hand, the MaaS platforms are expanding to encompass several external businesses in search of profitability. In this chapter, I focus primarily on driver compensation issues in MaaS platforms when the platforms engage in external businesses. I find that in the majority of instances, the driver compensation reduces when the platforms get involved in external businesses; however, there are a few cases, where it leads to an increment in driver compensation, thus benefiting them. The second essay is on the impact of online reviews from digital platforms such as Yelp and TripAdvisor on business performance. Using a data set from Yelp, first, I study the interaction of average rating and number of reviews on business performance; second, how competition affects the interaction effect of the average rating and number of reviews on the focal business' performance. I find that the impact of the interaction of average rating and number of reviews on business performance is different at various levels of average ratings, and the inclusion of competition negatively influences the interaction effect of the average rating and number of reviews on the performance of the focal restaurant. In my third essay, I analyze how the interaction of supplier encroachment and consumer showrooming impacts an omnichannel retailer and her upstream manufacturer, who encroaches the downstream retailer's market with an online direct sales channel. I identify different scenarios in a covered market where either the retailer, or the manufacturer, or both will be better off. Taken together, these three essays provide valuable managerial insights for real world business problems, which will empower researchers in academia and industry managers, and help them improve their businesses and maximize their operational performance. / Business Administration/Marketing

Background: In recent years, the amount of textile waste increased rapidly due to the fast-fashion phenomena with an increasing clothing production and a declining customer usage. Not only that one truck of clothing getting landfilled or burned every second, but also the textile production impacts the environment due to the vast amount of water, material, chemical, and energy usage. This so-called linear “take-make-waste” approach contributes significantly to the current climate crisis. One possible solution represents the circular economy to encounter the linear approach by providing concepts for recovering materials. However, to our state of knowledge, the implementation of such Circular Economy (CE) approaches is far away from their urgent necessity. Literature papers from the last years conclude with a collaboration call between all industry actors for enhancing the waste recovery stream (WRS). Since digital platforms tackled the collaboration challenge of Circular Economy in other industries, we contemplated it as an adequate digital technology tool for overcoming Textile, Apparel and Clothing (TAC) industry collaboration challenge to further strengthening the WRS. Purpose: The study aims to investigate if and how digital platforms strengthen the TAC industry's WRS. For this purpose, we shed light on different challenges within the industry-wide network, analyzed current platform functionalities, and matched challenges and functionalities to answer the research question.  Method: The study adopts an inductive qualitative approach to explore the phenomenon of digital platforms and their potential as an enabler for the textile WRS. Thereby, we took a relativism view regarding our ontological position and followed a social constructionist's epistemology. For the data collection, we used semi-structured interviews and identified potential participants with criterion and snowball sampling. In total, we conducted 14-semistructured interviews with industry actors, platform providers, and experts. For our data analysis, we oriented ourselves on the Gioia Method, an articulated grounded theory approach. Conclusion: Resulting from our findings, we identified (1) four major challenge groups that go beyond the collaboration challenge and encompass the challenge of lack of knowledge, organization of WRS, and value chain structure. Further, we outlined (2) five platform functionalities, i.e., connecting, informing, visualizing, monitoring, and consulting. By matching challenges and functionalities, we analyzed (3) the extent to which DP can strengthen WR. We concluded that many industry challenges are tackled or partly tackled by the DP functionalities. However, within some of the sub-challenges as well as the overall challenge of the value chain structure, DPs reach their limitation in strengthening the WRS. In addition, we offer (4) an overall framework of DP for the WR stream, summarized how the DP tackles the industry-wide challenges by displaying the functionalities and associated value drivers. Lastly, we provide (5) the baseline for future platform functionalities by outlining actors’ expectations and platform providers’ planned functionalities arisen by our finding.

Renting, as one of the most common and long-existed collaborative consumption methods, recently gained attention in the fashion industry as a perfect candidate to minimize overconsumption in the fashion industry. However, the business perspective of clothing rental gained less focus in academic literature. This research aims to present, analyze and discuss the key components of clothing rental business models and the influence of digital platforms on clothing rental to gain a deeper understanding of the rental business in fashion. Qualitative research was conducted based on the case studies of five clothing rental companies. The analysis of the collected data was based on the 360° business model framework and the literature. The study results showed the key components of fashion rental business models in value creation, value proposition, value delivery, value capture, value communication, and the influence of digital platforms on the rental business. Findings show the potential to extend towards a mainstream mode of consumption that provides entrepreneurial initiative.