There is widely acknowledged interest and recognition of the importance of internal marketing as a management approach that provides a systematic framework for managing employees towards a market orientation by aligning external marketing objectives with the internal capabilities of the organization. It is reasonable to expect that the concept has a clear meaning and a related body of empirical findings. However, marketing scholars have not agreed upon a single, common definition of internal marketing. The extant literature on internal marketing contains a variety of interpretations in relation to the domain of internal marketing, its aims and its focus. Therefore, much of the knowledge available is mainly derived from normative work as the proportion of empirical studies remains limited. Internal marketing practice remains limited, probably because of the lack of a proper underlying philosophy as well as the mixed evidence relating to implementation. This study proposes a conceptual framework which seeks to define the domain of the internal marketing concept, together with its’ antecedents and consequences. The subject of internal marketing is investigated within the context of tourism as a unique service industry in which there is a high level; of contact between customers and employees and where internal programmes aimed at employees have value to complement external programmes targeted at customers. A qualitative case study of one of the leading travel firms in UK from an employment perspective is used to shed light on the unique culture that underlies internal marketing practices, how internal marketing is practiced in reality, the way in which it affects both internal and external aspects of the organisation The findings highlight the importance of organisational culture and the manner in which culture underpins effective internal marketing within a business context. Internal marketing practices are shown to be vital in building and sustaining a people- and service-orientated culture throughout the organisation. The organisational managerial approach appears to have considerable consequences for an internal marketing programme as well as for the employees’ performance which, in turn, will affect customer satisfaction.

Online consumer revenge is costing companies millions of dollars annually. Yet, a limited number of studies have investigated the factors that influence online consumer revenge and the degree to which they carry on across cultural boundaries. A serious gap was noticed concerning the forms, triggers, and process of consumer revenge in the online context. Additionally, it was noticed that previous theoretical models of consumer revenge go directly from the desire for revenge state to the actual revenge state without explaining the cognitive process the consumer goes through when evaluating the decision whether or not to commit revenge. To address these research gaps, a mixed method approach was applied. A qualitative approach was employed first to explore this behaviour. Afterwards, a scenario based survey was used in order to examine and test the causal relationships between the variables identified in the first study on a larger sample from Jordan and Britain. Overall, the findings of this thesis have proven for the first time the secondary appraisal state consumers go through when evaluating their online revenge coping options. In this state, consumers were found to evaluate the reach of their actions, the risk involved, and the ability to perform the online revenge behaviour. Additionally, this thesis found that the British participants cognitively evaluate their online revenge options more extensively when compared to the Jordanian participants. The findings of this thesis also identify a new set of triggers for online consumer revenge including the type (process/outcome) and the severity of the service failure. This finding shifts away from the traditional fairness violations view of the triggers of consumer revenge. Moreover, the findings of this thesis establishes the role of the national culture in influencing online revenge as demonstrated by the difference in the harm appraisals, negative emotions, and the desires for revenge between the English and Jordanian participants.

One of the main reasons for the failure of branding activities, is that marketers and brand managers consider branding as an input activity or as "something done to the consumer." It is argued in this thesis that consumers actively participate in this practice by evaluating branding efforts and in many cases they do not associate branding endeavours with product category. This thesis is attempting to explore consumer behaviour toward branding and discover variables that could be used to explain the role and contribution of consumers in branding activities. Two main reasons have been introduced in this thesis to explain the characteristics of consumer contribution in branding endeavours. First, the consumer side of brands and second, the situational variables in a purchase and consumption environment. The consumer side of the brand consists of three main factors: firstly, what customers expect from the brand per se, independent from the product; secondly, the extent to which the brand is considered by customers and finally, their consideration of the relationship between product and brand. The Behavioural Perspective Model (BPM), introduced by Foxall (1997), is applied in this research to explore both situational variables and the consumer's side of the brand. This behaviouristic approach to consumer research considers setting and learning history as twodeterminants of consumer behaviour. Involvement has been used for quantifying learning history and it is argued that to a very high extent involvement could be considered as the same as learning history in BPM. Three different methodologies have been used in this research to investigate the aforementioned variables using a case study of skincare and OTC products in Iran. Interviews, focus groups and questionnaires have been applied to explore the aforementioned variables and any potential relationships among them. The results show that brand image is the main situational variable in these two groups of products. For OTC products the dominant expected brand image is functional; in skincare products, although some level of symbolic brand image is expected, the brand image is mainly functional. The variables introduced in this thesis could be used as a framework for brand managers when deciding how to prioritise their efforts. More importantly, they could use this information for choosing the right brand image based on the type of consumer involvement.

This dissertation analyses the subcontracting of front-line service work in the new economy. Its aim is to examine how workers' experiences and employment conditions are affected by how subcontractors respond to the challenges and problems of coordination and negotiation with client firms. In recent years, subcontracting has gained popularity as a mechanism to deal with the uncertainty of increasingly challenging business environments. According to mainstream business scholars and social scientists, intense competition, variations in demand and technical change have forced organizations to substitute hierarchical arrangements by market mediated transactions. Nonetheless, the practice of subcontracting also raises important concerns. Subcontracting might blur organizational boundaries, fragmenting employers' authority and affecting coordination between organizations. In other words, subcontracting might involve problems that, in practice, increase transaction costs and affect workers' experiences. This research is based on extensive information collected through 65 in-depth interviews with workers and managers concerning their work experiences in call centres in Mexico City. Call centres are often seen as a flag-ship industry of the new economy, rapidly growing and subject to constant pressures for cost reduction. The Mexican case is also relevant as it is characterized by a weak institutional setting where labour protection is low and business competition is largely unregulated. The findings of this research identify those managerial practices that can be more affected or associated with the difficulties of negotiation and coordination between subcontractors and client firms; narrowed job designs; customer segmentation; the use of contracts for services; supervision approach; union avoidance; the use of internal labour markets to secure management loyalty; and reinforcing social divisions in the workplace. These findings also suggest that a number of practices that were common in the old economy are still relevant in the organization of work in the twenty-first century.

Private labels - products controlled by retailers instead of suppliers - are an increasingly important market segment for firms worldwide. They, and the closely related concept of buyer power, have become a topic of major interest and concern for competition authorities around the world. Firstly we explain the growth of private labels as retailers taking over the role of quality certification from suppliers. Consumers, wary about product quality, seek reassurance in a brand they can trust, and this role of certifying quality is moving downstream from manufacturers to distributors. We explain this by modelling the negotiations that takes place within the production chain, and demonstrate that by establishing a private label a retailer improves his sourcing options and hence his bargaining position, and increases his profits. Next we examine how the presence of private labels in a market affects non-price competition between firms, in particular incentives to invest, an area which the literature has neglected in favour of a simple focus on prices. We demonstrate that, while under certain conditions the conventional wisdom the private labels can reduce suppliers' investment incentives can be correct, the outcome is more complex than traditionally thought. Private labels can also potentially spur suppliers to increase investment, which ultimately benefits consumers. Thirdly we examine the implications of private labels for an argument of great significance in competition policy: the countervailing buyer power merger defence. We discuss several major cases where this idea - that buyer power downstream can prevent wholesale prices rising following an upstream merger - has been crucial in determining the outcome. We present a formal model of this argument - to our knowledge the first and demonstrate some limitations to the validity of this defence, but also highlight circumstances where it may be unexpectedly applicable.

Foy many years China was flagged as the world’s premier factory neglecting significant aspects such as brand equity. This study explores the antecedents of brand equity of Chinese brands. The main purpose of this study is to examine the evolution of Chinese brand equity and the impact of selective marketing mix elements and the Country of Origin as attributes preceding the creation of Chinese brand equity. A qualitative approach has been adopted in order to acquire an understanding of Chinese path to building brands. A case-study methodology was applied, with the unit of the analysis being two Chinese automotive brands: GEELY and BYD. The researcher proposes a conceptual framework in which brand differentiators composed of selective marketing mix elements and the COO (Antecedents) are related to the dimensions of brand equity; brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand associations. Throughout the course of study, five questions were explored. The results of the research confirmed that some of the Chinese companies are moving towards building strong brand equity with their steady steps in product quality, joint ventures and co-branding. The researcher also confirmed that Chinese Country of Origin is no longer an obstacle to building strong brand equity. Two research questions - geographical presence and perceived value - were not supported by the cases of GEELY and BYD and were not accepted as positively affecting the brand equity of Chinese brands during the course of the study. While some literature supports this direction, the two cases understudy failed to support them. The research affirmed that certain Chinese brands are on the rise and that the strategic focus of Chinese companies recognizes the fact that brand building is the path to sustainable competitive advantage. For the purpose of triangulation and control for reliability, the accepted questions were further investigated by an external researcher. Discussion, conclusion, recommendations, and future work will then be explored.

The primary question addressed in this research is: what are the factors affecting organisations‘ adoption of CRM? The customer relationship management system (CRM) is an information technology system that effectively manages interaction and long-term relationship with customers. The number of organisations in the world adopting CRM has been rapidly increasing and the concept of CRM has resonated considerably in recent years with both academics and practitioners. While literature often cites CRM projects as failing to deliver promised improvement in business performance, our empirical knowledge about what constitutes a successful adoption of CRM remains inherently narrow. The potential for substantially improved customer relationships and the tremendous amount of confusion regarding what constitutes successful CRM adoption, calls for a critical investigation into the adoption process, and its key success factors. To do this, the research aims to develop effective guidelines to assist in the adoption of CRM in organisations, by showing that the concept of CRM is a joint development between marketing, management and IT disciplines. The methodology in this study is based on mixed methods by combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. There were two phases of data collection for this research. The qualitative exploratory study with varied stakeholders dealing with CRM was conducted to assess and explore the relevance of factors identified from the literature, and to contextualise the research question in relation to organisations in Jordan. The question led to the design of a survey instrument completed by 321 practitioners from ten organisations across four sectors (banking and finance, telecommunication, hospitality, and automotive) in Jordan. The data was then analysed using a variety of appropriate statistical techniques such as Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). In the light of the EFA, the hypotheses of the study were modified to accommodate the underlying structure of identified factors. In order to test the conceptual model with relevant hypotheses, structured equation modelling (SEM) was performed. This study provides insight into the complexity of CRM through a new multi-disciplinarily approach, which alters the view of CRM amongst academics and practitioners and brings about a new understanding of what constitutes CRM. This approach serves the study purpose of developing a holistic picture of the impetus of CRM adoption in organisations. Moreover, two different perspectives are investigated, at individual (employee) and at organisational level. By doing so, this study unravels the complexity of CRM adoption process. Analysis results revealed that employees‘ perception of CRM benefits serves as reasonable proxy for actual organisational implementation. In this study, there were four factors found to influence and explain employee perception of CRM: i) having a clear objective of CRM influences, ii) strategically measuring CRM performance, iii) X traditional segmentation analysis, and iv) knowledge management. Moreover, there were three factors which were found to have direct impact on the implementation stage: i) clear direction of CRM, ii) rewarding usage, and iii) managing project changes. Theoretical and practical implications based on the current study results and their meanings emerged to shed new light on the potential processes and practices which managers can use to address the complexity of CRM, enabling them to exploit the potential of CRM. Moreover, this study has considered a holistic approach to CRM and its adoption, and has highlighted key areas of poorly implemented practices. It represents one of the rare attempts to thoroughly incorporate different elements of CRM into the adoption process and illuminating reasons that explain the adoption process hierarchy.

The aim of this thesis is to examine why the majority of SMEs from the garment and textile sub-sector decide to remain focused on the domestic market, while few choose to sell a proportion of their goods abroad, even though they face similar market conditions and operate in the same location. A variety of explanations to this problem exist in the literature examining the export behaviour of small businesses. However, these explanations are inconclusive and restricted in geographic scope (e.g. studies from the USA, Europe, and the United Kingdom). Because geographic contexts are different it is uncertain whether or not the recommendations based on studies from western countries can be implemented within the Ghanaian economy. As a result, a research gap exists with regard to understanding the export behaviour of SMEs from Ghana. Following the recognition of a gap in the literature, this thesis seeks to shed light on the issue from the Ghanaian context. The thesis proposes an integrated theoretical framework, developed from an analysis of the extant literature review, to address an explanation why some SMEs export and others do not. The proposed framework consists of a synthesised integration of the following theoretical perspectives: the resource-based view of the firm; stage theory; network theory, international entrepreneurship theory; and contingency theory. The key assumption underlying the integrated framework is that SME export behaviour represents a complex event, and therefore no single theoretical framework is robust enough to explain the phenomenon in detail. In addition, as none of the theoretical frameworks are without weakness it is argued their integration offsets the weaknesses of each, thereby offering a deeper explanation of the factors underlying export behaviour. Empirically, the thesis drawing on a set of quantitative data and more qualitative interviews concerns the behaviour of both small and medium-sized exporting and non-exporting firms from the garment and textile manufacturing sector in Ghana. An analysis of this data is undertaken to empirically validate the proposed theoretical integrated framework. The quantitative methods involve regression analysis, and the qualitative analysis is based on a systematic content review of the data emanating from the interview data. The results from the empirical analysis suggest that the proposed integrated framework matches well with the empirical data. Overall, firm size, sector, workforce education levels, and participation in international and domestic business networks are found to be the key drivers explaining why some SMEs from Ghana choose to export, while majority of others remained focused on the domestic market. Based on the findings it is concluded that SME owner-managers in Ghana seeking to export should invest in the development of both domestic and international networks as a means of improving their access to international markets. From a policy perspective it is recommended that the government of Ghana should provide further support to facilitate the activities of industrial associations in Ghana, since their interaction and network development with indigenous firms has been shown to be of importance in helping SMEs achieve export success.

This thesis defines a new approach to the analysis of the effect of e-business on business processes, utilising simulation as evaluation tool. This research was focused on answering five research questions about the suitability of simulation in this context, the role of static modelling and generic business processes, the identification of patterns for e-business activities and how to operationalise these patterns into components in simulation software, as well as how to use these components. Requirements for modelling of e-business processes were identified and documented. Pilot cases studies proved the potential of simulation for studying e-business processes (Feasibility). Generic e-business activities were derived and classified from the literature and case studies in order to fill gaps identified in existent process models. Re-usable simulation components are proposed as a result of the unique combination of simulation and e-activities in order to make simulation modelling of e-business easier. The components were tested in industrial case studies and quasi-experiments with end users for feasibility, usability and usefulness. Results show that the components' approach is feasible, that having re-usable components promotes a better analysis, (usefulness) and that it is easy to build models using the components (usability). The theoretical novelty of this research resides in bringing together three areas of study: ebusiness, simulation and business processes to analyse e-business implementations. The research contributes to the knowledge of components and re-use theory in simulation by proposing a new approach to component development, operationalisation and analysis of the degree of granularity required for these components. From a practical point of view, this research provides companies with an easier and more complete way of analysing e-business processes, breaking the barrier for the use of simulation, speeding up model building of eprocesses and getting a better understanding of the dynamics of e-processes. Future work in the area will include extending the component approach to supply chains and inter-company transactions.

The present work engages with the task of reinventing markets for degrowth by extending the work on heterotopia to the study of market practices. The literature review reveals that, as social and ecological constraints to economic growth have become increasingly apparent, emergent views on sustainability are calling for a transition towards degrowth rather than green growth. It is acknowledged that, whilst a transition to degrowth does not necessarily have to involve an abandonment of markets, the architecture of existing marketing systems has been shaped by two centuries of unprecedented economic growth. Therefore, if markets are to operate beyond the growth paradigm, it is argued that notions of the market will have to be radically reinvented. In this regard, scholars have argued alternative currencies as market devices that can be deployed with the aim of achieving a range of degrowth objectives, principally the creation of social capital, localization of economies, valuing non-productive labour, and enabling collaborative consumption to reduce environmental impacts of current life-styles. Given these arguments, alternative currency schemes have emerged as a suitable area of inquiry to explore the practices through which degrowth communities build sustainable systems of provisioning that retain a market form. An alternative currency scheme known as Puma, which is implemented in an area of Seville known as El Pumarejo, has been identified as a suitable empirical case to investigate these processes. The Puma is a type of alternative currency scheme known as Local Exchange Trading System (popularly known as LETS), which is implemented by a degrowth community of more than seven hundred members. Given that the emphasis was on markets as performances, which are enacted in webs of sociomaterial practices, this research was undertaken through an ethnographic strategy. Fieldwork was undertaken over a period of six weeks, which was followed by four revisits of approximately one-week duration each. Data was collected through a range of ethnographic techniques; including participant observation, ethnographic interviews, focus groups, research dairies and field notes, as well as organisational documents and archives. Research findings are presented in an ethnographic narrative, which has been articulated around a thematic analysis produced through a process of hermeneutic interpretation. Research findings highlight that the Puma currency scheme is embedded in concrete place dynamics, community ties and practical concerns, which are specific to the context of El Pumarejo. Moreover, this work identifies market practices and material devices through which a heterotopian market is enacted. For example, a detailed discussion is provided regarding exchange and bartering practices through which exchanges are accomplished between members. Furthermore, this research discusses various material devices employed in such practices, such as the Puma passbook or the CES software, which highlights the centrality of nonhuman elements in the enactment of heterotopian markets. Nevertheless, opening up the heterotopian market blackbox required an examination of infrastructural work through which members sustain the alternative currency scheme. In this regard, this work identifies a number of market-making practices beyond those of market exchange, namely epistemic practices, communication practices, community care practices, and enrolment practices, as well as other practices involved in the organisation of events such as Mercapuma and the Central de Abastecimiento. Ultimately, the symbolic dimension of the Puma currency scheme was examined. In this regard, members appear to be actively involved in the coproduction of meanings and identities which subvert prevalent notions of private and public property, gender, citizenship and consumerism, wealth and debt. Conclusions and implications of these findings for degrowth and marketing are discussed.