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The dissertation is a methodological exploration of the relevance of in-store behavioural experiments with relative sales and matching analysis to study consumers' brand choices in real open settings. Three extensive in-store experiments, using alternating treatment design with baseline—testing the effects of Place, Price, and Promotion—were performed in different types of stores (convenience, supermarkets, and budget) in order to investigate the application of the consumer behaviour analysis research framework to real open consumer settings. Four choice-based behaviour analytical analyses—relative sales analysis, amount matching, cost matching and probability matching—were performed on the data when applicable. The results show that the relative sales analyses for the in-store experiments often show orderliness and functionally interesting, and in some cases contradicting, buying behaviour patterns. As for previous correlational consumer behaviour analysis research there is—as should be expected—strong relationship between relative spending and relative buying (amount matching). Although methodologically peculiar, the application of this compelled matching relationship lies in the ability of the free parameters of the generalised matching equation to indicate dimensions of the substitutability of brands to some degree. Cost matching analyses, generally, did not show downward sloping curves, as is sometimes the case in previous studies. It, as well as amount matching, hides functional relations but can be appropriate if represented with a relative sales analysis, which gives clearer picture of behaviour-environment relationships than matching analysis. Results also show that the probability matching analysis, as applied in consumer behaviour analysis, gives misleading results. The ingathering of the study is a new in-store behavioural experimental project which can appraise consumer behaviour analytical advantages, fallacies, and verification seen with the lenses of in-store experimental techniques, and the inclusion of relative sales analysis to real and affluent consumer settings.

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Customer loyalty is a well researched topic in the marketing literature. However, the application of the loyalty concept to the services industry still lags behind the goods industry. In addition, the bed and breakfast sector within the hospitality industry (as part of the services industry) is neglected even more by marketing academics. This study, by discovering such a gap in the literature, explored bed and breakfast sector in the UK from customer loyalty point of view. The primary data were obtained through a combination of data collection methods, which served Its purpose best. Interviews were conducted with proprietors of the participating bed and breakfasts, in order to establish their views on a gamut of loyalty related matters such as customer satisfaction, repeat guests, complaint handling and so on. Questionnaires with guests of the bed and breakfasts, on the other hand, tackled the same issues from the guests' points of view, so allowing the researcher to compare both matters. The exploratory nature of the study enabled the researcher to pursue a number of themes that were developed during the research, mainly as pointed out by the proprietors. A number of these themes later on found their way to the 'Recommendations for Future Research' section of the final chapter. As a result of the literature review, proprietor interviews and guest questionnaires for this research, two frameworks were developed - 'The Benefits of Regular Guests' (Framework 1) and 'The Key Factors Contributing to Guest Loyalty' (Framework 2) - along with a working definition of a bed and breakfast and 'professionalism' in bed and breakfasts. It is the author of this study's belief that such findings make a valuable contribution to the academic knowledge, along with providing realistic implications to the bed and breakfast proprietors and hotel industry practitioners.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is the largest economic group in the Middle Eastern region and rank seventeenth in the global economy. The establishment of a GCC custom union in 2003 that led to a flat rate of imports tax between 0 and 5 percent has encouraged a number of economic groups such as the European Union (EU) as well as other individual countries to have closed trade relations with the GCC economic bloc. Malaysia is also interested in expanding its trade relations with the Arab Gulf economies. As Muslim countries and members of the Organisation of Islamic Conferences (OIC), trade between Malaysia and the GCC countries is increasing and has lead to Malaysia’s proposal to expand this relation. Given this background, one of the main aims of this research is to explore in detail bilateral trade relations between Malaysia and the GCC countries and their determinants. In fulfilling this aim, this thesis examines Malaysia’s trade performances with the Arab Gulf region by analysing the trade intensity index and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index. These analyses reveal favourable countries for Malaysia to trade within the GCC, and also niche products for Malaysian exports. The competitiveness of Malaysian main products that are exported to the GCC countries is also compared to its rivals. To provide further evidence, surveys with Malaysian traders and authorities were conducted. The survey with Malaysian traders was purposely to measure their perceptions of the GCC economic bloc. The surveys also identify traders’ motivation for doing business in this market as well as challenges and obstacles in expanding Malaysian exports to these economies. In collecting this evidence, the combination of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the primary data; and the data were analysed through interpretative and textual analysis along with statistical analysis including factor analysis. Based on the findings, it can be said that trade relations with the GCC countries is still insignificant in comparison to that with Malaysia’s major trading partners. Nevertheless, due to Malaysia’s niche products, expansion strategy of services sectors in both Malaysia and the GCC countries and the existence of favourable countries to trade in the GCC, these may create huge potential for expansion. The findings also reveal that, cultural differences and lack of capital have been the major problems for Malaysian businessmen in doing business with the GCC region. The findings also indicate that there is a growing interest in establishing a Malaysia–GCC free trade agreement as shown by Malaysian traders. Key findings from the aforementioned analyses are then constructed by employing a SWOT analysis based on the current trade relation between Malaysia and the Gulf countries in constructing viable recommendation for future relation between Malaysia and the GCC member within the aspirations of OIC.

Drug representatives (‘drug reps’) visit physicians to present and promote pharmaceutical products (‘drug detailing’). Against the background of a continuous innovative slow-down, drug companies have shifted strategic emphasis towards marketing and selling. With regards to drug detailing, I am investigating how this shift towards marketing is manifested in discursive terms. I show how the detailing discourse is impacting the attitudes and behaviours of those involved in it, namely physicians, drug reps and their managers. By means of qualitative interviewing I access the individual meaning-making and attitudes towards the phenomenon of drug detailing. I demonstrate how discourse is designed, transformed and responded to. In that, I point to a system of incompatibility resulting in unproductive action. Marketised discourse as devised by management is not fostering collaboration between the industry and the medical profession. Moreover, it leads to a growing detachment of drug reps from their organisations. By highlighting the issue of drug detailing for the first time from a drug rep perspective my research demonstrates that the industry is not an integrated ideological whole. I conclude by advocating a more transparent conduct of business, suggesting controlling means to improve the quality of information delivery. Last not least I want to stimulate a critical public discourse about the sublime ways of constructing and disseminating marketised pharmaceutical information.

Saudi Arabia undertook measures to liberalize its economy in order to be a part of the WTO, which were carried out in a gradual manner long before the country was accepted as a member of the organization. The reform measures are still being implemented and the economy opening up to foreign investors. The WTO accession has enhanced the optimism of the investors towards the benefits that are expected to be achieved from this membership. The stock market has already responded to these changes through a positive signal and a higher level of foreign direct investment (FDI) is expected in the coming years. This flow of investment will provide an opportunity for diversification of the oil rich economy of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been gradually growing into a centre for production of petrochemicals in the world. Owing to the competitive and none fluctuating price of natural gas, investments in olefins and derivatives have increased, which also bring high returns. The aim of this research, hence, is to analyse the impact of Saudi Arabia’s accession to the WTO on the petrochemical industry, and to analyse whether the competitiveness of the industry is sustainable under these new circumstances. In doing so, this study also analysis the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the industry with the objective of identifying the competitive advantage of Saudi Arabian petrochemical industry by utilizing Porter’s model. The study also provides a discussion on the possible steps that the government might take towards establishing an economy conducive to foreign investment, competition for the growth of the petrochemicals industry. In responding to the aims and objectives of the study, both the qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. The qualitative analysis includes an analysis of expert opinions collected through elite interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. All these are structured to obtain the opinions of 20 participants regarding the trends and developments of the petrochemical industry and the related policies undertaken by the government. The quantitative analysis includes collecting secondary data for exports and imports of products of the industry along with relevant secondary data analysis of some of the leading petrochemical companies. The results of the analyses at various levels demonstrate that the petrochemicals industry has the potential to contribute to the gross output, diversification of the economy and the sources of earnings, and hence reducing the dependency on oil as the only source of income. In addition, the analysis shows that the industry has potential for the creation of jobs, new openings for investments in businesses, opening up the domestic markets towards certain new products and at the same time bringing down the reliance on imports. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis shows that government has already taken steps towards promotion and encouragement of FDI inflow in the industry but several other measures related to infrastructure and security factors need to be adopted. The nation already enjoys competitive advantages and benefits of location advantages apart from the cost advantage in oil extraction and petrochemicals production. Accession of Saudi Arabia to the WTO as a member country has opened the economy to the outside competition and the petrochemical industry was supposed to be getting the gains from trade and open economy. The global investors have demonstrated their optimism about investment in Saudi Arabia. The existing opportunities in the petrochemical sector will receive a boost apart from diversification of the oil-based economy. The country is gradually becoming a booming centre of petrochemical industry and the growth is exponential. Technological barriers are gradually broken and the industry is moving towards sustainable development. Owing to the competitive pricing of the natural gas sector and cheap availability of feedstock have made it a lucrative place for investment in petrochemical production. However, it will take some more years to realize the full benefit of the accession to the WTO as complementary sectors are also being developed. The membership has however opened the strengths as well as the weaknesses of Saudi’s petrochemical industry to the entire world. Thus, the membership brings on greater transparency, enabling easier and faster assessment and remedies.

Customer retention is essential for firms in the service sector and will subsequently receive a great deal of attention in the coming years. A large majority of firms are losing their current customers at a significant rate. UK operators lose over a third of their subscribers every year in spite of incurring large customer acquisition and retention expenditures. A study of customer retention from a variety of angles, including economic, behavioural and psychological perspectives, was rigorously carried out. It has been found that a majority of scholars explain customer retention from a behavioural perspective by using unrelated or indirect factors such as trust and commitment, price terms, and loyalty terms. It has also been noted that previous studies lack a clear theoretical background and a solid empirical proof to support their findings of customer operant retention behaviour. This study approaches the customer retention problem in the mobile phone sector from a behavioural perspective, applying the Behavioural Perspective Model as the main analytical framework. The model includes a set of pre-behaviour and post-behaviour factors to study consumer choice and explains its relevant drivers in a viable and comprehensive way, grounded in radical behaviourism. Many data collection methods were used to collect data from the study sample, including mobile contracts content analysis techniques, customer focus groups, and, principally, a customer survey supported by interviews with a number of managers. The data were analysed using different regression measurements to test the study model, and the propositions were constructed and tested quantitatively and discussed qualitatively. Analysis revealed that a customer will buy a mobile telecommunication package and engage in a long-term relationship with a supplier whom he or she believes will honour the relationship’s functional and emotional benefits; the consumer will be expecting to obtain such benefits when he/she buys, consumes, and has a positive experience of both the purchased object and the seller.

Exporters generally agree that, in spite of communication technology, visiting foreign markets remains a necessity to acquire relevant information and to expand overseas business. For TJK exporters, these visits can be made either on an individual basis or by joining collective overseas trade missions organised by Chambers of Commerce or Trade Associations. Trade missions are part of the subsidised Export Promotion Programmes offered by the UK government to encourage SMEs to expand into foreign markets. Due to their small size, their lack of resources, and their managerial style, SMEs need external assistance to overcome the risks of internationalisation. This thesis focuses on the evaluation of a specific Export Promotion Programme, the overseas trade missions organised primarily for SMEs by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The present research investigates more specifically the factors that have an impact on trade mission outcomes and the influence on export performance of the acquisition of experiential knowledge through trade mission participation. This research intends to fill the gap that exists in the export literature regarding the evaluation of overseas trade missions. Trade missions have been used by exporting SMEs to facilitate their entries into remote markets. Little knowledge is available on the contribution of trade mission participation to SMEs' export performance or on the factors that are most likely to influence trade mission outcomes. In light of an increasing number of governments' trade and budget deficits and the importance of the SMEs sector in a country's economy, there is a need for a systematic evaluation of government subsidised programmes and their influence on subsequent trade patterns. One hundred and ninety SMEs participating in twelve trade missions organised by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry were surveyed in 1996 and 1997, using a longitudinal design. The executives participating in the trade missions received a first questionnaire upon their return from the visits and a second one six months later to assess changes in behaviour and trade patterns as well as knowledge acquired during the period. The findings show that SMEs that follow a diversification export strategy and that acquire specific knowledge about the targeted markets prior to the trade missions are more likely to generate outcomes during the trade missions. This study also demonstrates that trade mission participation is instrumental in gaining a thorough understanding of overseas markets and in contributing positively to the relationship building process between foreign buyers and sellers. Following the trade missions, generation of incremental sales in the targeted markets is facilitated by keeping in close contact with customers and agents and by paying them regular visits. These findings point to the fact that successful exporting SMEs are characterised by being learning organisations where the acquisition and transfer of knowledge is facilitated within the firms themselves and between firms which are part of their business network. SMEs' export-orientation is enhanced by cross-cultural awareness, international negotiation, and foreign languages skills. This acquisition of export knowledge and skills could be encouraged by close cooperation between SMEs, the public sector and educational institutions. The primary contribution of this thesis is the development of a framework showing the interrelationships between firms' specific characteristics, trade mission participation, and export performance over time. The findings also provide a thorough understanding of the trade mission process, which could be used profitably by policy makers, trade mission managers, and export managers to increase their effectiveness in the design, organisation, and use of international trade promotion schemes.