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In the domain of services marketing, the most researched area is in service quality. Since the pioneering stage of service quality research in the early 1980s, most of the studies have been conducted in the context of consumer services and consumer professional services. The purpose of this study is to bridge the gap in the existing literature to measure service quality of a particular business-to-business professional service industry (i.e., Hong Kong consulting engineering industry). In this study, three objectives are to be achieved. The first is to compare the relative superiority between two service quality measurement approaches: gap-based (perception-minus-expectation) approach and perception-only approach. The second is to confirm the direction of relationship between service quality and service satisfaction. The last is to assess the feasibility of synthesising the BU (International/Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group) interaction model with the existing service quality models in conceptualising business-to-business professional service quality. The hybrid service quality model consists of: (1) transactional quality which is formed through various resource exchanges, (2) relational quality which is established by cooperation and commitment to adaptation, (3) overall atmosphere surrounding the transacting parties, (4) service quality, (5) service satisfaction, and (6) behavioural intention. Having synthesised the results of literature review (i. e., service quality, professional service quality, MP works, relationship quality) and exploratory interviews with the industry participants, seven hypotheses are proposed and tested in the context of Hong Kong consulting engineering service. H1 predicts that there is a positive relationship between transactional quality and service quality. H2 predicts that the impact of transactional quality on service quality is mediated by the overall atmosphere. Similar to H1 and H2, H3 predicts a positive relationship between relational quality and service quality whilst H4 predicts that the impact of relational quality on service quality is mediated by the overall atmosphere. H5 predicts that there is a positive relationship between transactional quality and relational quality. H6 concerns (a) a positive relationship between service quality and service satisfaction and (b) a positive relationship between service quality and behavioural intention. The last hypothesis predicts a positive relationship between service satisfaction and behavioural intention. Based on the results of structural equation modelling on survey data, the gap-based measurement approach is found to outperform the perception-only measurement approach in terms of relative model fits. The applicability of the gap-based measurement approach is considered to be context specific whether it is for organisation-based or consumer-based service. A high degree of unexplained variance in the construct of atmosphere suggests that additional factors which may influence overall atmosphere have not been accounted for in the model. For example, macro-environmental factors suggested in the IMP interaction model may influence or moderate the overall working relationship. In relation to the afore-mentioned hypotheses, four of them are supported, including H4, H5, H6a and 6b, and H7. Directions for future studies are then discussed, including (a) to generalise the findings to the other business-to-business professional service industries, (b) to explore other dimensions of relational quality; (c) to investigate the temporal impact on model variables, (d) to explore other gap-based measurement -approaches (e. g., direct measurement using "worse/better than expected" wording), and (e) to synthesise business-to-business professional service quality model with the concept of buying centre under different buying situations.

The thesis examines privatization programmes worldwide, but with the particular reference to the UK, to establish different approaches to and modes of privatization to assess their relevance to socio-economic development in Pakistan. Within this focus, emphasis is given to the utilities privatization and a case study of telecommunications privatization is provided. The thesis draws establish general conclusions on preconditions and impacts from western privatization experiences, especially from the UK utilities programmes. It then identifies strategic options for the reform programmes for Pakistan utilities, particularly for Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation (Pak Telecom), by comparing the past experiences and present situations of both countries. From this examination, it is concluded that arguments for and against privatization generally and telecommunications particular have been over general and over prescriptive and it is argued that: a strategic contingency approach to privatization that takes account of economic, political, social and cultural variation, is necessary. Further more it is shown that Western models of privatization are unlikely to be feasible in the context of Pakistan Telecom and a tailored multiple modes approach (mixed model) to privatization is proposed, explored for that context.

The central aim of this thesis is to develop a modelling framework that is capable of analysing the system-wide impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Scotland. In 1996, foreign-owned plants accounted for around 40,35 and 23 per cent of Scottish manufacturing output, gross value added and employment. Moreover, the attraction of FDI remains an important part of UK regional policy in Scotland with just under half of all Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) awarded to foreign-owned firms. A key concern of this type of discretionary regional policy is whether such assistance is warranted. FDI is thought to have a range of potential demand and supply-side effects and foreign-owned manufacturing plants, in general, have quite distinct structural and behavioural characteristics, as compared with indigenous plants. Yet conventional regional system-wide evaluations of FDI typically focus on demand-side issues, using regional models that assume a passive supply-side and do not disaggregate by ownership. In this thesis I construct ownership-disaggregated Scottish Input-Output and Computable General Equilibrium Models in order to illustrate both the potential demand and supply-side impacts of FDI. The construction of the ownership disaggregated I-0 database provides a unique snapshot of the structure and interaction of foreign and UK-owned plants in Scotland. This provides detailed information as well as providing the basis for calibrating the ownership-disaggregated I-0 and CGE models. The analysis of the potential supply-side impacts of FDI, particularly labour market and 'efficiency spillover' effects, indicates that both can have a significant effect on the estimate of total FDI supported employment. Finally, I develop a simulation framework that is capable of separately identifying the importance of incorporating both 'structure' and 'behaviour' in regional models of FDI. The results indicate that incorporating the 'true' structure of foreign-owned plants is essential if one is to correctly estimate the system-wide impact of FDI.

Series: SRE - Discussion Papers

This research is concerned with the relationship between business strategy and the environment within traditional sectors. It has sought to learn more about the strategic environmental attitudes of SMEs compared with large companies operating under the same market conditions. The sector studied is the ceramics industry (including tableware & ornamental-ware, sanitary ware & tiles, bricks, industrial & advanced ceramics and refractories) in the UK and France. Unlike the automotive, oil, chemical, steel or metal processing sectors, this industry is one of the few industrial sectors which has rarely been considered. The information on this sector was gathered by interviewing people responsible for environmental issues. The actual programme of valid interviews represents approximately a quarter of the UK and French ceramics industry which is large enough to enable a quantitative analysis and significant and non-biased conclusions. As a whole, all companies surveyed agreed that the ceramics activity impacts on the environment, and that they are increasingly affected both by environmental legislation, and by various non-legislative pressures. Approaches to the environmental agenda differ significantly among large and small companies. Smaller companies feel particularly pressed both by the financial costs and management time required to meet complex and changing legislation. The results of this survey also suggest that the ceramics industry sees environmental issues in terms of increased costs rather than new business opportunities. This is due principally to fears of import substitution from countries with lower environmental standards. Finally, replies indicate that generally there is a low level of awareness of the current legislative framework, suggesting a need to shift from a regulatory approach to a more self-regulated approach which encourages companies to be more proactive

This thesis consists of three empirical and one theoretical studies. While China has received an increasing amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) and become the second largest host country for FDI in recent years, the absence of comprehensive studies on FDI inflows into this country drives this research. In the first study, an econometric model is developed to analyse the economic, political, cultural and geographic determinants of both pledged and realised FDI in China. The results of this study suggest that China's relatively cheaper labour force, high degree of international integration with the outside world (represented by its exports and imports) and bilateral exchange rates are the important economic determinants of both pledged FDI and realised FDI in China. The second study analyses the regional distribution of both pledged and realised FDI within China. The econometric properties of the panel data set are examined using a standardised 't-bar' test. The empirical results indicate that provinces with higher level of international trade, lower wage rates, more R&D manpower, more preferential policies and closer ethnic links with overseas Chinese attract relatively more FDI. The third study constructs a dynamic equilibrium model to study the interactions among FDI, knowledge spillovers and long run economic growth in a developing country. The ideas of endogenous product cycles and trade-related international knowledge spillovers are modified and extended to FDI. The major conclusion is that, in the presence of FDI, economic growth is determined by the stock of human capital, the subjective discount rate and knowledge gap, while unskilled labour can not sustain growth. In the fourth study, the role of FDI in the growth process of the Chinese economy is investigated by using a panel of data for 27 provinces across China between 1986 and 1995.

This research is concerned with the case of Ukraine where there has been a fundamental change in the economic environment engendered by the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy and the resulting conditions of economic crisis. The way that Ukrainian marketers and consumers are reacting to this environmental change is the principal concern of the research together with the basic linkages between critical environmental elements and strategic marketing decisions. This research analyses the way in which marketing evolves in a turbulent, transitional environment. The study is based on eight case analyses within the retail sector of the Ukrainian market. The process of transition to a free market economy leads a researcher to question the validity of existing theories that have been based on empirical data that has been collected in the stable marketing environment of the West. For this reason an in-depth, theory building methodology is preferred. A number of broad research objectives were set. Firstly, to establish whether the sales - production - marketing stages model of marketing evolution, derived from empirical data collected in stable Western environments, is relevant in the context of the turbulent, transitional environment of Ukraine. Secondly, to establish if, in this turbulent, transitional environment, idiosyncratic approaches to marketing are emerging and thirdly to assess the development of attitudes to marketing, organisation for marketing and the development of marketing strategy in Ukraine. The main conclusions of this thesis are firstly, that the stages model of marketing orientation is not relevant in the context of Ukraine, secondly that there are idiosyncratic approaches to marketing emerging in the turbulent, transitional environment of Ukraine and finally that the above developments have a profound impact on the development of attitudes to marketing, organisation for marketing and the development of marketing strategy in Ukraine.

The thesis raises the question of whether or not in an age of internationalisation and globalisation, the cultural differences which exist between Germany and Ireland are still relevant to German-Irish corporate relationships or have internationally accepted best practices removed culture from the equation? The first three chapters establish the theoretical framework of the thesis by outlining the broadly culturalist/institutionalist approach, based on the work of Hofstede and Maurice et al, to be pursued, profiling the business cultures of both countries by analysing the components of their respective national institutional frameworks, and the examining existing approaches to the study of mother company-foreign subsidiary relationships. Chapters four to seven constitute the empirical section of the thesis. Using the interviews carried out with two sample groups (Sample Group A: 15 German mother companies and 14 of their Irish operations and Sample Group B: 7 Irish mother companies and 9 of their German operations), the mother companies in both groups are examined to see whether or not they demonstrate characteristics which are in keeping with their national business cultures. Their foreign operations are then analysed as is the mother company-foreign subsidiary relationship to determine whether or not any mother company influences are visible. The general approaches adopted by the two groups of mother companies to their foreign operations are compared and contrasted. Finally, differences in national attitudes and values are identified and their impact assessed. The analysis reveals that despite existing pressures towards convergence, the cultural differences between both countries are still relevant to the relationship particularly at the level of attitudes and values and although similarities in the mother company approaches to their subsidiaries are present, national specificities may nevertheless be detected.

This thesis considers three cases in which trade in natural resources and other raw materials can inform us about wider questions of economic development. The first chapter, “Capturing the Value Chain: The Persistence of Trade Policy in China After WTO Accession”, considers whether in the GATT/WTO era, developing countries are still able to actively conduct trade policy. In this study, I show that after China’s entry into WTO, required import tariff reductions on downstream sectors have been partly offset by an alternative policy with similar effects: export restrictions on raw materials. I also find that larger rises in Chinese raw materials export taxes after WTO accession have been associated with greater downstream export growth. The second chapter, “Winners and Losers from a Commodities-for-Manufactures Trade Boom”, examines two contrasting outcomes of the ‘de-industrialization’ associated with rising trade between China and other developing countries. In particular, this chapter compares changes in labour market outcomes in Brazilian regions stimulated by rising demand from China for raw materials, with Brazilian regions whose manufacturing sectors have been harmed by Chinese import competition. While there was slower growth in manufacturing wages and greater rises in local wage inequality in ‘loser’ regions between 2000 and 2010, ‘winner’ regions experienced higher wage growth, lower takeup of cash transfers and positive effects on job quality. The third chapter,“Access to Raw Materials and Local Comparative Advantage: The Effects of India’s Freight Equalization Policy”, considers the importance of access to raw materials for industrial development. It does so by looking at the effects of a Indian policy that aimed to remove regional comparative advantages associated with proximity to raw materials, by equalizing prices of steel across India. The results suggest that in practice, this policy may have had only a limited effect on access to raw materials across Indian states.