Research linking marketing to financial outputs has been gaining significance in the marketing discipline. The pertinent questions are, therefore: how can marketing improve measures of firm performance and draw potential investors to the company, and where is the quantitative proof to back up these assertions? This research investigates the role of marketing expenditures in the context of initial public offerings (IPOs). The proposed theoretical framework comes from marketing and finance literature, and uses econometric models to test the hypotheses. First, we replicate the results of a previous study by Luo (2008) showing a relationship between the firm's pre-IPO marketing spending and IPO underpricing. Next, we extend the previous study by looking at the IPO's long-run returns, types of risk, analyst coverage, and market/industry characteristics. The results of this study, based on a sample of 2,103 IPOs from 1996 to 2008, suggest that increased marketing spending positively impac ts firm performance. We examine different measures of firm performance, such as risk and long-run performance, whose results are important to the firm, its shareholders, and potential investors. This study analyzes the impact marketing spending has on IPO characteristics (IPO underpricing in the short-run and cumulative abnormal returns in the long run); risk characteristics (systematic, unsystematic, bankruptcy risk, and total risk); analyst coverage characteristics (the number of analysts, optimistic coverage, and forecast error) and market characteristics (market volatility and industry type). We control for variables such as firm size, profitability, and IPO characteristics. In this paper, the results show that increased marketing spending lowers underpricing, lowers bankruptcy risk, lowers total risk, leads to greater analyst coverage, leads to more favorable analyst coverage, and lowers analyst forecast error. For theory, this paper advances the literature on the / marketing-financ e interface by extending the market-based assets and signaling theories. For practice, the results indicate that spending more money on marketing before the IPO and disclosing this information produces positive bottom-line results for the firm. KEYWORDS: Marketing-Finance, Risk, Financial Analysts, Marketing Spending, Firm Performance, Marketing Strategy Meets Wall Street, Long-Run Firm Performance, Underpricing, Stock Recommendations, Initial Public Offering, Marketing Strategy, Econometric Model. / by Monica B. Fine. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

本論文使用世界銀行在2006年及2010年於六個拉丁美洲國家進行的企業調查所得之一組全新數據，重新在公司層面審視「金融發展--(公司)增長」的連結關係，發現即使控制了宏觀經濟的改變以及利用固定效應之縱橫計量模型進行估算，金融發展對公司銷售以及勞工生產力都有顯著的正面效果，支持以往相關的公司層面研究。 / 然而，與過往的公司層面研究不同，金融發展對比較大型公司的正面影響，相對小型公司之影響為大。這結果與較近期的研究指在新興市場中，金融發展會不成比例地刺激本來因政治或其他因素與金融體系比較密切的公司相符。未來研究應注重這些市場的獨特性以求更透徹地了解箇中機制。 / This thesis revisits the finance-growth nexus at the firm level. Using a new dataset based on the World Bank Enterprise Survey conducted in 2006 and 2010 covering six Latin American countries, financial development is found to have a positive effect on both the level of firm sales and labor productivity, after controlling for other macroeconomic changes and unobserved firm-specific effects in a panel-data estimation, reinforcing previous similar studies at the firm level, which relied only on cross-sectional data. / However, in contrast to earlier firm level cross-sectional researches, it is discovered that financial development exerts a greater positive effect on larger firms relative to smaller ones. This is consistent with more recent studies that finance disproportionately spurs growth of firms that are originally more connected to the financial system for political or other reasons in the context of emerging markets. Future researches should point to the uniqueness of these markets to understand more thoroughly the mechanism behind. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Tsang, Wai Him. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-72). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.ii / 擇要 --- p.iii / Acknowledgements --- p.iv / Table of Contents --- p.v / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Motivation --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Revisiting the finance-growth connection at the firm-level with a new dataset --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- The distributional effects associated with financial development --- p.18 / Chapter 3 --- Data Set and Methodology --- p.25 / Chapter 3.1 --- The Data --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2 --- Specifications --- p.28 / Chapter 4 --- Results --- p.32 / Chapter 4.1 --- Baseline Regressions --- p.32 / Chapter 4.2 --- Robustness Check by Splitting Samples --- p.37 / Chapter 5 --- Conclusions --- p.40 / Chapter 6 --- Figures and Tables --- p.42 / Chapter 7 --- References --- p.69

Thesis (LL. M.)--Queen's University, 1994. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-199).

Thesis (MTech (Business Information Systems))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Knowledge Management (KM) is a role player in assisting organisations to accomplish their desired goals and objectives by managing the knowledge embedded within individuals and available in systems. Furthermore, knowledge management considers the use of advanced technology to enhance existing knowledge, create new knowledge, and transfer knowledge. However, the process of managing knowledge cannot be successful without proper communication. When this knowledge and the associated expertise are not transferred, organisations are faced with a loss of intellectual capital as employees enter and leave with knowledge and expertise. It is therefore critical to understand who knows what, who needs to know what, and how to transfer the knowledge throughout the organisations. Hence, this research explores the dynamics of knowledge transfer in relation to communication strategies, tools, methods or systems that the selected company can implement in order to transfer knowledge between interest groups and throughout the organisation. The research philosophy adopted is subjectivism with an interpretivist stance. A qualitative research approach was applied. The data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive data analysis techniques. The results point to poor levels of understanding the concept of knowledge management and knowledge transfer in the organisation, resulting in departments following silo processes in an effort to transfer knowledge within their specific areas. However, these processes are not sufficiently effective and cause crucial man risk within departments. The results of this study should help the organisation improve its knowledge management processes and organise internal communication in a way that will improve knowledge transfer.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / South Africa’s Financial Sector Charter of 2003 to 2008 contributed in many ways to financial inclusion of the excluded masses, resulting in a decrease in proportion of excluded excluded from over 50% in 2003 to 23.5% in 2010. Commercial banks around the world have been known to bank the unbanked or downscale using various models. The report investigates the motivation for commercial bank downscaling in South Africa, leading to the various models of downscaling chosen by the Big 4. The reports finds that commercial banks in South Africa are moving away from fragmented methods of engagement of the bottom of the pyramid due to the large market which exists at that segment. This market accounts for on average 50% of the banks’ clients which indicates that banks have been dealing with this market for some time. The recent rise of a Microfinance bank has been credited as the stimulus for the more aggressive approach that banks have taken in recent years. Bank employees believe they have the resources and support to explore models of serving the market profitably while external stakeholder to the bank believe the banks are not geared for the market due to their cost structures and mentality and are therefore not fully exploring the potential in the market.

The aim of this thesis is to explore differences between consumer expectations of web site functionality in the context of online banking in terms of whether the task under consideration is information seeking or account access and whether the expectation is predictive or normative. The Internet has emerged as a new and distinct information source. Statistics show that the Internet is used extensively by companies for information provision and in general by consumers for information acquisition. The context of this study is the financial services sector where online service provision is increasing to meet consumer demand. Numerous studies into online banking seek to identify the attributes of successful financial services web sites but the focus of these studies has been on account management rather than information search activity. Yet, there is limited research into whether consumer evaluative criteria differ when deciding to adopt a bank’s web site as a source of information as compared to use as a channel for account access. Regardless of task focus, the rationale behind theory of adoption models is that, if after trial, web site performance does not match expectations then the consumer will decide that the web site does not contain features of value and will not continue to use it. Expectations are conceptually close to, but not the same as, beliefs and have been defined as both the anticipation of future outcomes (predictive expectation) and the desire for the occurrence of future outcomes (normative expectation). Since the only type of evaluation a consumer may hold about an untried technology is expectation, several technology adoption models use expectations as referent states however the focus of research to date has been on contrasting expectation with postadoption perception. This thesis follows an approach developed by Sirgy (1984) that utilises different levels of expectation. Normative and predictive expectations are used not only as a referent state but also as a perceived state thus providing an understanding of the expectation “gaps” of users and non-users. A two-phase methodology was used. First a preliminary study based on a convenience sample of 253 students was used to generate a range of expectation statements relating to online information search. Second a web-survey was administered to 10,000 Internet users to explore differences in normative (should) expectations and predictive (will) expectations across a set of system quality and information quality attributes in two task scenarios: information search and online bank account access. This thesis identifies differences and points of similarity across task scenario. It shows that across task scenario there are statistically significant and practically substantive differences in terms of attributes that reduce risk, enable two-way communication and the provision of product information.

This thesis is about the formulation of a structured sequence of events using a multimethodology approach to facilitate the intervention and subsequent management, of key factors contributing to the failure of management information system development projects undertaken in the financial services industry1. Furthermore, a clear distinction is made between information system development projects undertaken within the ambit of the broader development context of ‘information technology’, as opposed to information system development projects undertaken within the ambit of the financial services industry, the latter, the focus of this thesis. The formulation of the structured sequence of events serving as mitigating factors, was mooted specifically as a result of known failure factors of management information systems development projects undertaken in the financial services industry. In terms of this research, these factors fall into two mainstream categories2, namely: Ø The quality of business requirement functional specifications. Ø Change to business requirement functional specifications, while the latter is still in the process of being developed. From the field research undertaken for this thesis both locally and abroad, the analogy was drawn that the above two factors are normally juxtaposed, contributing to multi-faceted impacts to information system development project lifecycles. Key impacts point to not only the escalation of previously approved budgets, but also to extended timelines and already mapped processes. The research shows that these two entities would typically lead to an executive call for rework of not only the business case, but also of the processes supporting the whole development. This could invariable culminate in the termination of the project or culminate in extensive recoding and process changes, which in turn would lead to the requirement for extensive change management initiatives. Alternatively, the additional rework could result in benefits harvesting from the initiative to be delayed or severely impacted. This statement is made with the clear caveat, that should the rework result in end user effectiveness being significantly boosted as a result of the required rework, to the extent that the ratio of operating profit over the benefit life span of the system to total development cost be raised, it would undoubtedly quantify such rework. The structured sequence of events serving as mitigating factors to facilitate the intervention and subsequent management of key factors contributing to the failure of management information system development projects are formulated from selected key elements of the following system methodologies namely: Ø The ‘Capability Maturity Model’, which Herbsleb et al.5 defines as ‘a reference model for appraising software process maturity and a normative model for helping software organizations progress along an evolutionary path from ad hoc, chaotic processes to mature disciplined software’. Ø The ‘Balanced Scorecard’, which Kaplan & Norton6 defines as ‘a management system that can motivate breakthrough improvements in such critical areas as product, process, customer, and market development’. A multimethodology approach will be deployed in the formulation of the mitigating factors from the above listed systems methodologies, underpinned by the concept ‘system’. This then would be further enhanced by the author’s own contributions gleaned from experience spanning some 34 years in systems development for the financial services industry, both locally and abroad. These mitigating factors will come into play at two specific levels of a typical information technology project lifecycle namely: Ø At the formulation of business requirement functional specifications. Ø During the development and testing stages, which are typically associated with change in the systems development lifecycle. Using a multimethodology approach, the interrelationship of the various core entities, gleaned from the above listed system methodologies, ultimately supporting the structured sequence of events serving as mitigating factors are graphically depicted below. In addition, the mitigating factors are positioned to reflect their potential position in a typical systems development life cycle 7, commonly associated with information system development for the financial services industry. The purpose of this thesis is then to determine if a set of mitigating factors can be developed from a structured sequence of events using a multimethodology approach to facilitate the intervention and subsequent management of key factors contributing to the failure of management information systems development undertaken in the financial services industry. Furthermore, the thesis proposes that the structured set of mitigating factors be incorporated as an alternative methodology within the ambit of the greater information technology project management life cycle for all project initiatives in the financial services industry. / Prof. N. Lessing

This thesis aims to describe the process of rebranding SkoFIN (Volkswagen Financial Services) and especially its communication through PR tools. ŠkoFIN was present at the Czech market since 1992 and after 23 years decided for a complete rebranding of the company. It changed not only the name but also the logo and corporate colors. The thesis analyzes used PR tools, puts them in the context of marketing campaigns and deals with generated media articles. It also contains the analysis of public opinion using a questionnaire survey. This thesis focuses on the analysis of media articles and a way of perceiving the changes by public.

Resumé Public and legal protection of a client of financial services This diploma thesis deals with public and legal protection of a client of financial services to which is in my opinion given relatively marginal attention in the Czech legal area. The introduction outlines meaning and role of legal protection of a client in market economy, which is one of the basic premises for the proper functioning of a democratic state represented by the rule of law. I have also defined the key terms of this paper which are "client", "consumer"¨and "financial service". After detailed analysis I have distinct a client of financial services for this work as a consumer in accordance with interpretation in the European and Czech legal framework. Second part is devoted to theoretical basics and principles of consumer protection. I have analyzed basic principles of this topic, i.e. the principle of protection of the weaker party and the principle of autonomy of the will and their respective relation. I have also elaborated in detail tools used for consumer protection. The third chapter is focused on institutions that are involved in the legal protection of a client of financial services and I have briefly defined their status, duties and powers. Next part consists of analysis of legislation which regulates client's protection...

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Johannesburg, 2015 / Improved understanding of the entrepreneurial behaviours and motivations of employees would allow senior management of corporate entities a better understanding of their employees’ opportunity recognition processes, thereby guiding the provision of appropriate assistance and support of these processes in order to boost entrepreneurial activity. This research aimed to further academic understanding of the corporate entrepreneurial process and opportunity identification by employees within existing corporate entities. It investigated the influence of employee perceptions of their company’s corporate entrepreneurial building blocks, entrepreneurial alertness and meta-cognitive processing, on the extent and quality of opportunity recognition. The study focused on employees in the South African financial services sector. It proposed a model of corporate entrepreneurial activity and the individual, which attempted to combine current models of corporate entrepreneurial activity with current thinking around the individual’s entrepreneurial decision-making within the entrepreneurial process. The conceptual model aimed to add to the body of knowledge in terms of the entrepreneurial employee aspiring to fill the knowledge gap in terms of how they think and act within the corporate environment. It applied current theory, around the entrepreneurial individual, to the entrepreneurial employee. The employee’s perceptions of their company’s entrepreneurial building blocks was analysed, as were their perceptions of entrepreneurial alertness and meta-cognitive processing in stimulating corporate entrepreneurial activity within the company. A sample of 784 employees from 102 employers in the South African financial sector was examined. The conceptual model was analysed using hierarchical regression and structured equation modelling. A number of moderating influences on the model were examined using regression analyses. The integrative model showed that the entrepreneurial behaviour required of employees is primarily focused around entrepreneurial alertness and meta-cognitive processing. The central nature of entrepreneurial alertness, as portrayed in the mediation model, showed that employee entrepreneurial activity could only occur through entrepreneurial alertness. The entrepreneurially alert employee is able to make connections and identify opportunities that an employee who is not entrepreneurially alert is unable to do. It is only once the entrepreneurially alert employee has identified potential entrepreneurial ideas (by connecting the dots in terms of the business information gathered), that the meta-cognitive processing abilities of the employee are able to turn this potential entrepreneurial idea into a viable entrepreneurial opportunity. Entrepreneurial alertness can therefore be seen as the first step in the employee entrepreneurial process, after the establishment of the entrepreneurial building blocks set in place by the company. The mediation model showed the importance of employee perceptions of their company’s entrepreneurial building blocks. It is therefore not only important that the company put these entrepreneurial building blocks in place, as the precursor to employee entrepreneurial activity, but also that these entrepreneurial building blocks be adequately communicated to employees. Employee perceptions of these building blocks, not their physical existence, allow for the appropriate employee entrepreneurial behaviour necessary to produce the appropriate levels of entrepreneurial activity for their company. This mediation model was shown to have a number of moderating influences at both the individual and the company level. / MB2016