The marketing environment has in the past two decades changed dramatically. The Internet has given businesses of all sizes the opportunity to compete throughout the world with brands of seemingly similar quality, and to promote their wares in ways previously unimagined. Simultaneously, media fragmentation and the overarching need for cost-effective and efficient marketing has changed the way marketers conduct and evaluate their marketing and marketing communications activities (De Pelsmacker et al, 2004). This research explores the emergence, relevance and applicability of marketing communications/Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) within SMEs in Iceland and if marketing communications activities are affected by organisational culture. Iceland was chosen because prior to this research, its economy was in stage of growth and substantial proportion of GDP was derived from SME activity. In order to answer the objectives, a mixed methods design was used in which senior managers in SMEs were interviewed in the first phase and surveyed, via a questionnaire, in the second phase. The findings confirmed and corroborated the previous literature regarding SMEs as managers were found to be using mostly traditional advertising methods. The results also showed that they were not using systematic methods when planning, budgeting or measuring their marketing communications activities. However, some findings were contradictory as managers were also found to be gathering information about their customers and appeared to be interested in what was happening in their field of business abroad. The research discovered that !MC was not regarded as important by the managers. Findings from the first phase gave foundation for the belief that a traditional culture may be a barrier towards marketing and marketing communications practise. Therefore, eight hypotheses were developed and subsequently tested in the second phase of the research. The findings offered an indication that hierarchy culture could act as a barrier towards marketing communications and that adhocracy culture could act as driver. However, further research needs to be conducted to reaffirm these findings.

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The energy industry is transforming from the old, vertically integrated model into a more competitive model in which most companies are exposed to different types of risk. One of the major challenges facing energy companies is making investment decision-making associated with the prices of crude oils. Since 1973, crude oil price behaviour has become more volatile, which suggested that different forces were driving crude oil prices. One of the main factors in generating the behaviour of crude oil prices is the role performed by OPEC and non-OPEC crude oil producers. Several theoretical and empirical analyses suggested that the economics behind OPEC’s supply of crude oil is different than those of non-OPEC supply. This study investigates whether prices of OPEC crude oils and prices of non-OPEC crude oils share a common data-generating process. The study empirically tests oil price volatility of OPEC and non-OPEC crude oil prices using GARCH models. It also applies the Johansen Cointegration Model and the Engle-Granger Error Correlation Model (ECM) model to test the long – and short-term relationship between crude prices (OPEC and non-OPEC) and stock prices of different oil companies. Finally, a panel data approach using fixed and random effects is used to estimate the reaction of OPEC and non-OPEC crude oil prices to events and news items that could possibly affect oil supply and prices. The results obtained suggest that the behaviour of crude oil prices is not affected by OPEC or non-OPEC affiliation. This finding suggests that the international oil market is globally integrated market that is able to factor in any possible changes to supply behaviour of OPEC or non-OPEC producers.

The member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely; the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been moving towards more economic integration while taking practical steps in the direction of market opening and liberalisation. Over the past ten years, the GCC has evolved into a more integrated economic zone with agreed common policies that are coordinated through its Secretariat. With respect to service utilities, the GCC Interconnection Grid – nearing completion in 2011 – is considered a milestone in the direction of integrating GCC electricity markets. The objective of this research is to suggest a GCC-wide policy to support reform of GCC electricity markets. The suggested policy would include new market structure(s) as well as institutional changes supported - when required - by sector specific laws and regulations. Further to the study’s academic contributions, the research is primarily intended to advance the further development of the economies of GCC member states. The study presents a model that we believe could contribute to expediting the process of developing the GCC zone as a common market by advising policy makers on the applicable elements of GCC electricity market structure, governance and performance. This study provides a comprehensive review of the theoretical aspects of electricity sector restructuring and examines different options for reform and restructuring based on worldwide experiences. The study adopts a case study research method to analyse the GCC situation in order to arrive at the recommended policy or ‘model’. The research specifically emphasises reforms that have already taken place in the Sultanate of Oman – for which an empirical social cost benefit analysis is carried out - and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (UAE). Oman and Abu Dhabi are believed to be at more advanced stages of electricity market reform compared to other countries within the region. The study concludes that while some GCC member states have already taken the initial steps to restructure their respective electricity markets, other members are expected to follow. The study recommends a set of common steps or ‘rules’ that are presented in the form of a ‘model’ for restructuring GCC electricity markets. The proposed model for reform takes into consideration the nature of member states’ economies as well as the restrictions imposed by market size limitations and some other considerations that are a feature of prevailing policies in the region - such as commitments to subsidise consumer electricity tariffs. Since not all GCC member states are on an equal footing in terms of economy-size and preparation for structural reform, the suggested model allows for a transition mechanism. The study recommends that the electricity markets are unbundled before embarking on any further privatisation programmes. Further measures of wholesale competition may be then introduced allowing for a mix of both private and state-ownership through the use of a single-buyer model. Subsequently, activities that have natural monopoly characteristics such as transmission and distribution are to be separated and subject to incentive based regulation. The study recommends that the role of the GCC Interconnection Authority be restricted to transmission and system operations only and that each member state should have its own independent regulator. The study suggests that the GCC Secretariat play a co-ordination role between the different regulators while a separate power-exchange instrument be introduced to facilitate cross-border electricity trading between GCC member states.

There have been recent calls for further research into the sharing of managerial tacit knowledge to enhance individual and organisational performance. This, due to a lack of knowledge of current practices of knowledge sharing, especially in developing countries, has been the motivation behind this research. The study examines the roles of personality traits in facilitating knowledge sharing practices and managerial tacit knowledge transfer among managers working in high and low performance local governments. Specifically, the study examines the direct relationship between knowledge sharing practices and tacit knowledge among 308 managers working in local governments. Secondly, this study explores the differences between knowledge sharing practices, tacit knowledge and individual performance among managers working in high and low performance local governments. Thirdly, this study also explores the role of personality traits as moderators of the relationship between knowledge sharing practices and tacit knowledge with individual performance. A triangulation approach combining questionnaire and interviews was used in the study. The questionnaire was distributed to middle managers of 35 Malaysian local government engaged in a Star Rating System. There were 358 completed questionnaires returned, but only 308 were useable. To support the results from the quantitative data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 managers from Malaysian Local Governments of high and low levels of performance representing 4 main categories: City Hall, City Council, Municipal Council, and District Council. The results provided general support the majority of hypotheses of the study. Specifically, mentoring programme (competence), individual codification, institutional personalization and institutional codification were related to managerial tacit knowledge transfer. Tacit knowledge associated with managing oneself, managing tasks and managing others were significantly related to knowledge sharing practices. Unexpectedly, there were no significant differences in knowledge sharing practices, levels of accumulated managerial tacit knowledge, or individual performance between high and low performance local governments. Finally, results indicated that the agreeableness dimension of individual personality interacted with mentoring programmes in a way that predicted individual performance. Furthermore, agreeableness and conscientiousness dimensions of personality interacted with tacit knowledge associated managing self and managing tasks to influence individual performance. The openness dimension interacted with tacit knowledge associated with managing others to influence individual performance. This study adds to the limited body of empirical research in knowledge management, particularly within the Malaysian public sector. It represents a comprehensive survey and explanation of knowledge management in Malaysia. The relationship between knowledge sharing practices and tacit knowledge variables and their interaction with sub traits of personality in terms of individual performance suggests that it would be beneficial to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in Malaysia to manage tacit knowledge as a way of enhancing individual performance. Contributions to the theory and practice, limitations and implications of the study are discussed.

This thesis provides a critical history of the origins of Critical Systems Thinking (CST). Its theoretical framework is based upon a detailed analysis of the work of the French philosopher Michel Foucault. It is aimed at demystifying CST's claims of pursuing some "neutral" human interests, while arguing that CST's origins are grounded on managerial interests and practices. After providing a comprehensive review of Foucault's ideas, it examines the main approaches found in the history of the management sciences. It shows how each new management approach made its contribution by producing a new type of worker according to changing historical circumstances; a worker that is increasingly supposed to freely and democratically pursue his/her own interests, which "coincidentally" follow those of the management. It also discusses how different strands of systems thinking, such as OR and soft systems, were produced to support these managerial paradigms. Finally, it examines the role that current managerial techniques, as exemplified by TQM, have played in the production of CST in the 1980s. In this context, it argues that CST's role in modern organisations is to contribute to the refinement of current managerial techniques. CST's discourse is portrayed, thus, as contributing to the masking of the micro-techniques of normalisation present in contemporary organisations.

This study focuses on an investigation of the recent development of SMA practices in large UK business organizations. SMA is introduced as an evolving concept and its development over the past two decades are summarized. To facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of SMA practice, it is argued that better understanding of SMA practices requires researchers to recognize the broad themes embedded in strategy and management accounting change literature. This study is defined as exploratory in nature, reflecting the researcher's intention of offering in-depth understanding of SMA practices in their organizational, economic and social contexts. The research work is conducted in two major steps. A questionnaire survey was employed as the first step to obtain an overview of the adoption of SMA practices in a small sample of large UK companies. As a second step, two large companies, ULE and Meditech, were subject to further case study research. In analysing the case evidence, a neoinstitutional framework is employed to provide an explanation of the accounting changes which occurred in the adoption of SMA in organizational settings. Both case studies shed light on the evolution processes of SMA practices and the successful management 2 accounting changes towards a greater strategic orientation. The external environments of both case companies seem to indicate that current SMA practices are strongly framed and driven by factors at the macro level, at which various and considerable pressures of convergence currently are at work. But the research also suggests that similar influences from the external environment do not lead to a similar process of SMA adoption in the case companies. Changes are also shaped by the intraorganizational battling of different interests and the power that exist within the companies.

In today's knowledge-based economy three important factors in an organisation are human capital (HC), relational capital (RC) and structural capital (SC) which are the elements that constitute intellectual capital (IC). Proponents of IC research suggest that it is the leveraging of the three components of IC that allow an organisation to create and sustain a competitive advantage. IC research has, thus far, emphasized defining and measuring the construct and its components, and examining the impact of IC and its components on firm's performance. However, theoretical questions remain concerning the synergistic, dynamic and contextual nature of the IC construct. A better understanding of these aspects of the IC construct is needed to better argue that IC is a firm's capability that results in a sustainable competitive advantage.Thus, while progress has been made in IC research, this study contributes to the extant IC literature and to practice within the accommodation sector of the tourism industry. The resource-based view of the firm and sensemaking are use to provide the foundation for understanding how the three components interact. Locating the research in the Caribbean hospitality industry provides literature on IC in developing micro states. The study develops and tests a theoretical model concerning the mediating effects of measurement of IC and sensemaking on the components of IC and performance linkage. The study confirms the use of structural equation modelling as an appropriate method to develop latent constructs of HC, RC, SC, measurement of IC and sensemaking in IC research.Accordingly, this study investigated the characteristics and significance placed on the various components of IC and the measurement of IC in the hospitality industry in the Caribbean. The study also provides a critical assessment of the impact of IC information on corporate performance through the sensemaking process in the organisation. A mixed methods approach to answering the research questions, consisting of two exploratory case studies in the first phase and a survey in the second phase was used. The study confirmed the presence of IC within the hospitality industry.The qualitative case studies reveal that there is no multi-dimensional performance framework within the industry and there is limited disclosure of IC information. The study shows that HC, RC and SC are related to sensemaking, that measurement of IC is associated with performance, that measurement of IC mediates the relationships between RC and performance and SC and performance, and it validates the relationship between HC and performance.

Growing attention has been paid to Born Globals, which are small and medium sized firms (SMEs) that internationalise shortly after establishment. There has been a considerable volume of research on Born Global firms, but thus far there has been little research on early internationalising SMEs in the context of Asian economies such as South Korea. Moreover, there has been limited investigation, using large scale surveys, on the associations between key factors such as the international business experience of managers and the use of networks that are said to underpin the ability of SMEs to undertake international activities. To help to fill these gaps, this thesis examines the major economic and business characteristics of Born Globals in South Korea. The findings show that public policy is directed to SME internationalisation activities, but focuses on support only for export promotion. It is also found that South Korean Born Globals have a number of network relationships with customers and suppliers but have relatively few connections with government agencies. This research also investigates the associations between the international business experience of managers and the use of networks and the subsequent effect on the capacity of Born Globals to perform well in international markets. A conceptual framework is constructed which postulates a series of interactions between the international business experience of managers and the use of networks and the subsequent effect on the foreign performance of early internationalising SMEs. The model is used to derive hypotheses on how the interrelationships between the international business experience of managers and the use of networks lead to changes in the capacity of firms to perform in international markets. Hypotheses are also developed regarding the links between the capacity of firms to perform in international markets and three performance measures: satisfaction with foreign market growth, the share of sales from international activities and the number of foreign markets supplied. These hypotheses are tested using data from a survey of early internationalising South Korean SMEs. The results provide evidence on the existence and extent of the interconnections between the international business experience of managers and the use of networks and the directions of these relationships. Evidence is also provided on the links to foreign performance capacity and to performance in three areas. The results of this research indicate that the relationships postulated in the hypotheses are all significant thereby providing support for the model. The implications of the findings for theory, managerial issues and public policy are also considered.

This thesis is grounded in the discipline of marketing and draws, substantively, on literature from within the regarded sub-discipline of relationship marketing. However, the literature drawn upon is firmly interdisciplinary, drawing heavily on theories from economic geography. The crucial construct drawn from this outwith literature is that of geographic co- location, the phenomenon of geographic proximity between businesses and other organisations. This thesis isolates and defines two modes of regional marketing activity, a defensive and an offensive variant. It is to the defensive variant that this thesis makes contributions by proposing a macro theory of relevant marketing geography, a regional relationship lifecycle that examines the notion of loyalty to a region and a competence-based view of regional relationship marketing activity between co-located actors. The conclusions and models presented here mark the first thesis in the discipline of marketing examining the contribution of the marketing discipline to regional competitiveness. The thesis also deploys a novel methodology within the marketing discipline to understand the research phenomena in time and space, and in terms of agency and structure. The methodology developed for, and deployed in, this thesis is based on Anthony Giddens' theory of structuration.