One of the enduring problems facing researchers of strategic management is the lack of theoretical foundations available to describe, explain and predict the behaviour of firms and markets. Strategic management theory seems to be strongly focused on empirical issues rather than theoretical and methodological ones. By contrast, economics, which, like strategic management theory, is interested in firm and market behaviour, may be particularly strong at theoretical and methodological issues. The present study develops the thesis that economic conceptualisations of the firm and of the market can help to further the development of strategic management theory. The study constructs theoretical linkages between basic propositions and assumptions of strategic management theory and those of economic theories of the market and of the firm. The study builds such conceptual bridges between strategic management theory and economics by assessing (1) neoclassical economics, economics of industrial organisation, evolutionary economics, institutional economics, behavioural economics, and (2) the strategic management theories, namely, the positioning approach (Porter) and resource-based approach (Wernerfelt, Rumelt, Barney). By examining research problem orientation and hard core assumptions, as suggested by Kuhn and Lakatos, the study found that apart from neoclassical economics, other economic theories allow to substantiate strategic management theory in economic terms. In specific, the study explicated that there is a large overlap between economics and strategic management theory for explaining and predicting issues concerning (1) the sources of profit differentials (competitive advantage), (2) the reasons how differentials are sustained despite competition, and (3) the conceptualisation of differentials as outcome of strategy following behaviour of firms under conditions of uncertainty.

Engaging with new literature on Islamic Marketing as well as general theoretical work in consumer research, this study, adopting an approach modelled on Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), explores the dynamics of fast food consumption and identity construction of British Muslim consumers. The focus revolves around the growth of halal fast food choices and, using that, understands how British Muslims negotiate their process of identity construction within the context of religious, social, and cultural forces. Phenomenological interviews were conducted to facilitate the capturing of the participants’ own understandings of key terms, like halal and fast food, and to explore their experiences of their religion, their communities, and the larger social context within which they consume food. The analysis revealed participants mostly identified a multiple or double identity around their sense of themselves as Muslims and as British citizens. For the most part, the participants expressed that their identity as Muslims as a more central or stable identity. However, each of the participants described their interpretation of Islam as accommodating their participation in, and adoption of, many British customs, behaviours, values, and other cultural attributes. Some of the participants viewed their Muslim identity as being dominant or primary, while others saw being Muslim as just another identity that they maintain and as the same as any other socio-cultural factor. The analysis also highlighted a striking diversity in the understanding not only of halal, but also of larger questions relating to Islam as well as the orientation of the participants towards fast food in general. The active differentiation the participants offered between themselves and other Muslims shows that, instead of halal being a means of constructing an identity as a British Muslim, they used their particular interpretation of halal to construct their identities as individuals, distinguishing them both from non-Muslim Britons and from other Muslims in their community. The analysis also revealed a limited sense of the symbolic nature of fast food among the participants. The participants saw fast food as a way of satisfying their physiological urges, rather than as a way of forging social bonds, identifying themselves through their choices, or reinforcing their cultural identities. Fast food consumption was seen as solitary and individual. This does not, by itself, mean that the individual who consumes fast food is an independent agent, but it does undermine the social aspect of fast food consumption.

In today's logistics businesses, increasing petrol prices, fierce competition, dynamic business environments and volume volatility put pressure on logistics service providers (LSPs) or third party logistics providers (3PLs) to be efficient, differentiated, adaptive, and horizontally collaborative in order to survive and remain competitive. In this climate, efficient computerised-decision support tools play an essential role. Especially, for freight transportation, e efficiently solving a Pickup and Delivery Problem (PDP) and its variants by an optimisation engine is the core capability required in making operational planning and decisions. For PDPs, it is required to determine minimum-cost routes to serve a number of requests, each associated with paired pickup and delivery points. A robust solution method for solving PDPs is crucial to the success of implementing decision support tools, which are integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) and Fleet Telematics so that the flexibility, agility, visibility and transparency are fulfilled. If these tools are effectively implemented, competitive advantage can be gained in the area of cost leadership and service differentiation. In this research, variants of PDPs, which multiple depots or providers are considered, are investigated. These are so called Multi-depot Pickup and Delivery Problems (MDPDPs). To increase geographical coverage, continue growth and encourage horizontal collaboration, efficiently solving the MDPDPs is vital to operational planning and its total costs. This research deals with designing optimisation algorithms for solving a variety of real-world applications. Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) formulations of the MDPDPs are presented. Due to being NP-hard, the computational time for solving by exact methods becomes prohibitive. Several metaheuristics and hybrid metaheuristics are investigated in this thesis. The extensive computational experiments are carried out to demonstrate their speed, preciseness and robustness.

Although current research on knowledge sharing has offered significant insights into the effective exchange of expert knowledge in day-to-day assignments, the role of individuals within these knowledge sharing processes, as well as how they affect individuals’ subsequent knowledge sharing choices, remains relatively under-explored. This dissertation investigates the role of individuals in knowledge coordination processes through three grounded, qualitative studies based on large engineering projects in a multi-national engineering consultation and information technology company. Study 1 focuses on the evolution of task interdependence during knowledge coordination and examines how a group of individuals become collectively responsible for problems that arise during work interactions. The process model shows that individuals re-interpret their accountability depending on the nature of the problem at hand, which, in turn, influences their subsequent problem solving efforts. Study 2 explores how managers shape the team’s interdependence . This study shows that task interdependence can be developed and reciprocally reinforced through knowledge creation, even in spite of physical distances. The model shows that the use of boundary objects – templates – not only alters focus at both team and project level but also effectively integrates and aligns discrete team efforts toward a unified project goal. Study 3 sets out to explore how interdependence is affected by distance, focusing on the development of psychological inter-team interdependence through comparison of two projects. In particular, the emergent model of inter-team closeness revolves around sensemaking of cross-team distance and of one’s own role. As such, findings reveal that distributed teams may actually have higher levels of inter-team closeness than collocated teams.

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This study provides new evidence of the value relevance and the perception of decision usefulness of pension accounting information. The research contributes to the academic literature by using a mixed methodology approach (believed to be the first to do so in value relevance research) involving quantitative analysis of the relationship between the reported financial numbers and the market values of a sample of UK listed FTSE 100 companies over five accounting years from 2006 to 2010 and qualitative analysis in the form of semi-structured interviews with analysts and investors. The research focuses on pension accounting information which for the purposes of this study refers to the accounting for defined benefit (DB) pension schemes and other post-retirement benefits in accordance with the international accounting standard IAS 19. The research provides evidence that pension accounting information is value relevant and it is perceived to be decision useful. The research also provides evidence that pension accounting information is less value relevant than other accounting information and it is also perceived to be less decision useful than other accounting information. This is a pioneering study in terms of its use of a mixed methodology in value relevance while it is also one of the first pension accounting value relevance studies applied to UK listed companies and believed to be the first study of the perception of decision usefulness of pension accounting information. There is significant convergence in the quantitative and qualitative findings. The mixed methodology process of triangulation reveals very few cases of contradictions or differences between the outcomes of the quantitative and qualitative analysis. Caution needs to be exercised however, as results for pension components are not as robust as they are for core balance sheet or income statement items, specifically book value of capital per share and earnings per share. There is evidence that value relevance revealed by regression is significantly lower in times of equity market and economic turbulence. One of the most significant conclusions arising from the qualitative research and supported to a significant extent by the quantitative research is the importance to analysts and investors of specific pension cash flow information. It is believed that this PhD research is a basis for future research efforts that may help to identify areas that have possible future accounting policy implications.

The aim of the study is to understand the perceptions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) towards environmental taxation in UK. The study is based on the premise that environmental taxes are applicable to SMEs just as they are applicable to larger businesses because SMEs operate in almost all sectors of the economy. However, given the unique characteristics of SMEs including constraints of resources and often managed by one owner-manager, it remains to be seen how SMEs cope with the challenges of environmental taxation. An extensive literature review is undertaken to provide a clear background to the research aim and objectives. The literature review discusses environmental taxation as an instrument to mitigate climate change and also in reference to SMEs. The review of literature also provides details into the unique characteristics and the environmental behaviour and attitudes of SMEs. Hypotheses are developed from the literature review and are tested through this study. The researcher chose mixed methodology to do justice to the overall research aim. Data was collected from the chosen sample using surveys and interviews. The study undertakes survey to collect primary data to test the hypotheses. Interviews are also conducted to lend further insights into the survey data findings. To identify the sample, preliminary input-output analysis using UK input output tables is undertaken. The research attempts to make a valuable contribution in understanding environmental taxation from the perspective of the SMEs and is a ready source of reference for literature on the same. The study also makes methodological contribution through the use of input-output tables in the sampling process for the main study.

Throughout the franchise industry, franchisors are increasingly introducing information and communications (ICT) technology into their franchise networks in attempts to save costs and increase efficiency, and are subsequently replacing their franchise support managers and preexisting, socially-rooted franchisor-to-franchisee relationships with computers. Because large and complex ICT franchise support and reporting systems are costly, it is vital for franchisors to be able call upon sound empirical research, of which there is currently a paucity, to assist them in judging whether such expensive technology-driven ICT strategies are likely to be worth the cost and effort, and indeed if they are, how to subsequently prepare for and handle any resulting changes in their relationships with their networks of franchisees. Even though there is rapidly escalating use of ICT systems in franchising worldwide, very little has been written about the way that such technological deployment within the industry has modified or affected the franchisee to franchisor relationship and network profitability. Therefore, this work seeks to make a contribution in this area. Multiple sources of data were collected (interview, observation and Intranet materials). Semistructured interviews were held with the CEO’s of two United Kingdom franchise systems, and with twenty-eight franchisees from one of these systems. The interviews were tape-recorded. Intranet materials made available by the case companies included franchise agreements, operations manuals, various Intranet resource files and other online management information. Visits to the Head Offices of both franchise systems provided the opportunity for direct observations and an understanding of the operating norms of the businesses. The initial interviews were transcribed and coded using Grounded Theory procedures, and then multiple follow-up interviews with fifteen of the franchisees were completed over a twelve-month period enabling the developing process of focused coding, conceptual categories and theoretical sampling to be carried out, which resulted in a Theory of Franchise Remote Control being revealed. The content of the resultant theory was then viewed through the context of extant franchising, relationship marketing and B2B literature. The results of this empirical grounded theory study, unusually carried out from the franchisee perspective, shows that franchisors must crucially recognise that virtual support delivered through an ICT system via online methods such as electronic updates, knowledge bases and email, plus a change in strategy to one of offering reactive rather than pro-active assistance, does not automatically result in successful technological implementation, however expensive or competent the ICT system is. Through the development of a complex Theory of Franchise Remote Control, this thesis reveals that for every time and cost-saving technological advance deployed through the ICT for their own benefit and ease, franchisors must advance a balancing social benefit for their franchisees. Equally importantly, franchisors embarking upon ICT introduction must understand that franchisees will accept newness and change only if they continue to feel valued. Valuing cannot be demonstrated through electronic means alone. It must be operationalised though the mechanisms of social bonding and the recognition of success.

This research was undertaken to achieve two main objectives. The first objective was to investigation whether working capital management (WCM) is associated with profitability of Alternative Investment Market (AIM) listed Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) companies. The second objective was to investigate through a questionnaire survey the WCM practices of AIM listed SMEs and their effect on profitability from the perspective of financial directors. These two objectives were met by the use of a mixed research method approach. The study employed two research methods by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. The financial data analysis is based on the annual reports of 160 AIM listed SMEs over a six year period (960 firm years) for the period 2005 to 2010. The findings of the panel data regression analysis show that SMEs with shorter inventory holding period, shorter accounts receivable period and shorter accounts payable period are more profitable. However, no evidence was found that cash conversion cycle has any effect on profitability of AIM listed SME companies. Under the control variables the corporate governance factors including: board size, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) age, CEO tenure and directors remuneration were found to be statistically significant in explaining the profitability of AIM listed SME companies. Also, the following company specific characteristics were found to have statistically significant effect on AIM listed SME companies’ profitability: company age, company size, asset tangibility, gross working capital efficiency and working capital requirement. In terms of the WCM practices, a questionnaire analysis was used. Questionnaires were sent to 248 companies to examine the WCM practices of AIM listed SME companies from the view point of financial directors. The analysis employed both t-test and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The findings of the t-test and one-way ANOVA analysis indicate that there are significant differences in the perception of financial directors about each component of WCM. First, there are differences in the educational level and work experience of financial directors and their attitude towards WCM. Second, there are differences in the importance attached to the effect of each component of WCM to profitability. Third, the results indicate significant differences in the way AIM listed SME companies set target level and strategy pursued for each component of WCM.