This study focuses on adaptation within marketing relationships. Within marketing theory, adaptation refers to the practice of making investments which are of particular relevance to a specific relationship. Considerable benefits flow from making such investments in the form of enhanced performance (Parkhe, 1993; Dyer, 1996). Within transaction cost analysis literature, Williamson (1999, p.312) described adatation as the "central problem of economic organization". According to Williamson (1975), adaptation is impeded by uncertainty and the threat of opportunism. In order to counter these problems, Williamson argues that governance structures need to be in place which will achieve the dual aims of both controlling the risks posed by uncertainty and opportunism, and also enhancing adaptation within relationships. Despite the centrality of importance attributed to adaptation by Williamson, there is a paucity of empirical research into this area within transaction cost analysis literature. A literature review shows that there has been very little examination of the problems posed by uncertainty and opportunism to adaptation within relationships. Furthermore, the literature review also showed that extant research on governance within transaction cost analysis is concerned predominantly with issue surrounding choices of governance, rather than the effectiveness of different modes of governance as a means of managing adaptation within relationships. Williamson (1991a), in particular, cast doubt on the capacity of hybrid forms of governance, such as relational norms, to manage the adaptation process but there is an absence of investigation within the literature into this matter. However, there is an absence of research into the capacity of relational norms to act as form of governance that can manage the risks of uncertainty and opportunism, as well as to enhance adaptation within relationships. This gap in the research forms the aim of this study, which seeks to provide systematic research and empirical evidence into the role of relational norms as a governance structure for adaptation within relationships. The setting for the empirical research was the UK automotive sector. Analysis of the data showed that the negative, hypothesised effect of opportunism on adaptation was supported. It was also shown that when the effect of an interaction of the norm of information exchange and opportunism on adaptation was modelled a significant, positive effect was reported. A similar, positive result was reported when the effect of an interaction of uncertainty and the norm of solidarity on adaptation was modelled. A divergence in results was found in several areas involving human and technological adaptation, and the role of uncertainty, which may have been caused by situational factors. Areas in need of further research, in particular those involving a divergence of recults are identified. This study contributes to literature in several ways. It represents the first study which has considered the relational norms as a form of governance for adaptation within relationships. The negative effect of opportunism on adaptation is shown to be a factor that must be managed. Furthermore, the roles of norms, in particular information exchange and solidarity are shown to be effective in assisting the governance of adaptation. Finally, the study provides specific guidance to management on the means to improve the governance of adaptation within relationships.

This thesis looks at the two main thinking types currently encountered in project management i.e. Predictive & Adaptive Project Management. Predictive project management thinking consists of the development of a schedule from a known scope and then managing the implementation of the project in accordance with that schedule. This type of thinking is also known as the traditional approach to project management and has been extensively used since the introduction of project management in the 1960s. Adaptive thinking is used for fast track projects that are going to be subjected to a high rate of change and uncertainty. Methods have been developed mainly in the IT industry to deal with the fast turn-around and demand for IT and software development projects. Projects utilising adaptive project management' thinking deliver the final product through a series of iterations and rely on high calibre and empowered individuals to make critical decisions. There is much to learn from both thinking types. This thesis looks at a selected few methods that fall under each category, to highlight the main similarities and differences. In addition to this a questionnaire survey was carried out amongst clients, promoters, project managers and team members to find out their views and perceptions about their experiences relating to project management. To supplement the research, an analysis of keywords from the International Journal of Project Management was conducted from 1983 through to 2010. This amounted to reviewing 1,863 papers over a 28 year period containing 5,776 words. Some interesting trends have emerged from this analysis. As a direct result of the keyword analysis, a new pictogram has been developed that can be used for teaching and highlighting project management principles to students, project team members, clients, stakeholders and end users. Finally the thesis concludes with a framework for implementing good project management called SixP. This framework can be used on any type of project and ensures that the right project management approach is selected, customised, implemented and maintained throughout the project life cycle. This approach was presented to delegates at the International Project Management Association (IPMA) 24th World Congress in Istanbul, Turkey on 2nd November 2010.

The researcher establishes, through review of literature on the theory of the firm, that the firm operates as a complex adaptive system, consisting of interdependent tangible activity indicators and intangible capabilities. These interdependent capabilities are ultimately the drivers for creating competitive advantage, which is made observable as the value of the firm. When evaluating firm value, experts in the field of capital appraisal make use of the standard DCF method that, however, accounts only for tangible activity indicators and does not explicitly examine the intangible capabilities of the firm. In an attempt to address the above limitation, the researcher develops a methodology aimed at explicitly evaluating firm capabilities in the context of firm valuation. In an effort to accomplish this task, the researcher adopts a qualitative and quantitative approach to identify and analyse the underlying constituents of firm capabilities. Through a series of discussions and group sessions with experts, the research identified 127 intangible activity indicators, which are summarised under eight higher order factors (capabilities). This structure is confirmed through PLS analysis that indicates the existence of the following eight intangible capabilities: (1) value for money, (2) product complexity, (3) distribution, (4) culture, (5) competition, (6) asset management, (7) environment and (8) market equity. Regression analysis confirms that intangible capabilities represent a better predictor for firm value than thangible activity indicators. The researcher also carries out bivariate correlation analyses in order to examine the interrelationship between tangible activity indicators and intangible capabilities. The results confirm that the tangible activity indicators are indeed embedded in the firm's intangible capabilities. Overall, the research adds knowledge in three areas. First, it extends the literature on capabilities and firm valuation by providing a superior way to DCF of evaluating firm value as a function of the firm's capabilities. Second, the research contributes to business practice by offering a step-wise procedure for explicitly evaluating firm capabilities. Third, the research adds knowledge to methods by identifying the intangible activity indicators through interviews and surveys with experts in the field of capital appraisal and reducing these activity indicators into capabilities using focus groups and PLS analysis.

No description available.

No description available.

This study has attempted to contribute to the advancement of knowledge within the domain of consumer behaviour, and more specifically, to provide a greater understanding of the influences on consumers' intention to purchase environmentally friendly (EF) products. The impetus for this study stems from a general consensus that marketers recognise that green issues will not disappear and that the environment will continue to be a critical business issue. It is furthermore suggested that green marketing is taking shape as one of the key business strategies of the future. At the same time it is true to say that prevailing economic conditions have hindered green marketing efforts. Such findings must be balanced by reports that point out that although the popularity of environmentalism has declined, consumers are still concerned about this issue. However studies on the subject appear to be largely descriptive and narrow in focus, i.e. propositions appear to be based on personal experiences and inductive augmentation. Furthermore, most of the literature is either simplistic in its conception or lacks clear/robust conceptual frameworks, and consequently the generalisability of the findings are in question. Therefore, there is a paucity of theoretically sound and empirically substantiated information regarding the influences on consumers' intention to buy EF products. Accordingly, the main aim of this research is the development and testing of a comprehensive model of consumers' intention to purchase EF products. In order to fulfil this aim, the research is grounded in a well established theoretical model, i.e. the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), which, including past experience, formed the core of the proposed model. The TPB has been augmented by three influences identified in extant literature, i.e. social and cultural, company and marketing and experiential. Given the wide diversity of EF products available the scope of the study was narrowed to the clothes washing detergent product segment of the household cleaning market. Twelve hypotheses were formulated and a complex research process (comprising of four surveys and a sample of 300 members of the Co op supermarket chain) extending over a period of fourteen months was designed and undertaken to apply/test the proposed model. Overall the research makes the following theoretical and managerial contributions to the theory and practice of consumer behaviour within the EF products domain. Theoretical contributions: This thesis offers a comprehensive model of consumers' intention to purchase EF products. More specifically, in attempting to develop more appropriate measures of environmental consciousness (EC), this research has uncovered a more complex, than initially defined structure of this construct. In addition, existing conceptualisations of measures of EC have been expanded through the introduction of another facet, i.e. 'future environmental problems' and the boundary conditions of the TPB have been tested. Managerial contributions: This research has provided a set of broadly defined managerial guidelines that practitioners can use to gain a better understanding of the green consumer. Finally, it is believed that the research presented here has made an original contribution to the scholarly study and literate on consumer behaviour. More specifically, it has provided a theoretically supported model on consumers' intention to purchase EF products.

Small service enterprises have typically been neglected both by industrial relations researchers and by small firms researchers. Yet there are compelling reasons why relations between employers and employees might differ from those found in large firms or in manufacturing firms. Drawing on face-to-face interview data from 54 small service enterprise owner-managers and 117 of their employees, the study aims to redress this imbalance in research effort. The study focuses on three contrasting sectors in the service industries: computer services; employment and secretarial services; and free houses and restaurants. Although 'informal' regulation was a feature common to all sectors, there were substantive differences between sectors in processes of labour regulation. Employment relations in each of the three sectors were found to be regulated in different ways reflecting a variety of influences. These include the nature of work roles, workforce characteristics and expectations and the role of the customer in the process of labour regulation. Informal regulation permitted owner-managers considerable flexibility in the recruitment, reward and utilisation of labour. A different employment culture was found to exist in the three sectors. These cultures - termed the 'work', 'money' and 'sociability' cultures - give meaning to employment and to the relationship between owner-managers and employees. The social processes through which these cultures are constituted are likely to be found in many other small enterprises and it is their wider presence which facilitates generalisation from the present sample to that of the broader small firm population. The study has implications for the study of contemporary employment relations in the UK. The growing importance of the small service enterprise in the UK economy of the 1990s means that the patterns of employment relations found in such firms are becoming increasingly prevalent. Moreover, many of the employment relations processes typical of the small enterprise are argued to be becoming more common in larger enterprises.

This empirical study explores the effect of individual board attributes and combination of board attributes on managerial risk-taking in UK FTSE 350 firms. The recent financial crisis has focused the attention of regulators and all stakeholders of the firm on avoiding high risk-taking by top management. These concerns have been addressed in this study which examines the effect of board composition (board size, proportion of non-executive directors, and gender diversity), board leadership structure (presence of a powerful CEO and board executive ownership), board characteristics (age and tenure of board members) and board processes (board meeting attendance and frequency of audit committee meetings) on firm risk. This study aims to fill the gap in UK governance literature on how individual board attributes and a combination of board attributes (represented by the board composition index, the board leadership index, the board characteristics index and the board process index) associate with risk-taking in large UK corporations. Archival data is used in this study from a panel sample of 268 listed firms on the FTSE 350, over the period 2005 to 2010. On analysing the data, this study finds support for the hypothesis that a large board size decreases firm risk. The board composition index is found to be significantly negatively related to firm risk. A powerful CEO and executive director’s equity ownership is positively related to firm risk, and as expected the board leadership index is found to be significantly and positively associated with firm risk. Older board members with longer tenures reduce firm risk; and the board characteristics index is significantly and negatively related to firm risk. Better board meeting attendance and more frequent audit committee meetings reduces firm risk and as expected the board process index reduces firm risk. An overall board index constructed by combining the indices discussed above is found to be significantly associated with firm risk. This board index can be used as a board governance index to evaluate the effectiveness of the board in relation to firm risk. These findings can inform firms, investors and regulators that board attributes significantly affect firm risk and can be used as risk control mechanisms.

The practice of German companies to indulge in forum shopping in England to achieve beneficial treatment under English insolvency proceedings has encouraged the German Government to make significant changes to German insolvency laws by introducing new legislation in the form of the Law for the Further Facilitation of the Rehabilitation of Companies (“Gesetz zur weiteren Erleichterung der Sanierung von Unternehmen” “ESUG“ ). The Act states that the impetus for the reform was the move of German companies to England which started a general discussion of “Germany, as a restructuring jurisdiction” (“Sanierungsstandort Deutschland”). Such forum shopping activities increased the awareness of the perceived weaknesses of the German system. This research looks at forum shopping from a Darwinian perspective. Germany and England as Member States of the European Union compete with each other as movement of capital to another Member State has a negative effect on the country’s economy. A reputation as a “bad restructuring jurisdiction” has an impact on the choice of business location and could act as a disincentive to company incorporations in Germany. Freedom of establishment allows companies to choose a regime which fulfils their needs, the Member States have to be motivated to attract companies and be willing to adapt to changes to keep up with business demands. In particular it should be borne in mind that forum shopping is not a one-dimensional activity and in itself constitutes an element of investment. The quality of a country’s legal restructuring framework has an impact on a company’s choice of business location in the first place and its willingness to invest and hence to attract debt financing. Taking the example of Germany and England, it is argued that forum shopping activities foster the development, improvement, reform and revision of existing laws. This thesis argues that Insolvency Darwinism results in a global alignment and convergence of insolvency systems so that the jurisdictions within the EU imitate each other with their rescue-friendliness. This competition for the “best insolvency regime” results in a more perfect insolvency landscape. The alignment with more rescue-friendly insolvency regimes is preferred to avoid unwanted forum shopping activities, whereas a “fettered Darwinian approach” of partially imitating another system will fail to deliver the desired result. This thesis critically examines whether Germany has achieved its aim of establishing a “culture of second chance” in changing the Insolvency Code (“Insolvenzordnung”) introduced by the ESUG. Chapter one serves to explain why forum shopping functions as a driver of insolvency law perfection, using a “Darwinian approach” and Darwin’s core thesis of “natural selection” to explain the competition of jurisdictions in insolvency law. Chapters two and three give an overview of the developments of the rescue culture in Germany and England. Chapters four to eight compare and contrast the different key areas in Germany and England, examining the situation in Germany before and after the introduction of the ESUG. Specific focus is put on the question of whether the changes introduced by the ESUG were driven by forum shopping activities and whether these changes led in fact to a more “perfect“ insolvency regime, in the sense as examined in chapter one. Chapter nine is dedicated to the conclusion.

Word of Mouth (WOM) is produced as a result of an interaction between a dyad of sender and recipient. Previous research on WOM has focused on the phenomenon's effect on the recipient's attitudes and behaviour, emphasising the role of WOM in customer acquisition. In contrast, little research has examined the effect of WOM on the person generating it: the WOM sender. Consequently, this study examines the consequences of acrticulating offline WOM, both positive and negative on this participant in the WOM dyad. These consequences of WOM can be categorised as firm-related and self-related outcomes. This study is the first of its type to examine these outcomes simultaneously and it provides empirical evidence that singular episodes of WOM not only hold implications for the firm but also have psychological implications for the sender. The firm-related implications comprise WOM sender's affective commitment towards the firm, their loyalty intentions and their likelihood to give future WOM about the services provider. The self-related outcome is the sender's self-enhancement. Our understanding of the impact of this WOM interchange on the sender is enriched by examining certain moderation and mediation effects. Tie strength within the WOM dyad is posited as a moderator of the effect of WOM on the sender's firm-and-self-related outcomes; affective commitment with the services provider is suggested as a mediator between WOM behaviour and firm-related outcomes. Finally, this study is the first to investigate the relative impact of WOM valence on the sender's firm- and self-related outcomes, complementing prior research which examined the relative impact of WOM valence on the recipient. Scenario-based experimental research design is employed to test the theoretical framework with mobile phone services and health club services as the research settings. A representative sample of respondents with an existing relationship with a services provider in these research settings are recruited via an online customer panel company. Pre-tests conducted to validate the scenarios and their realism suggests that the scenarios produce the intended effect. This study contributes to the WOM literature, by providing empirical evidence that WOM behaviour by an individual is likely to spawn their future WOM behaviour about the services provider, whatever the WOM valence. Furthermore, novel to the WOM literature this research indicated that self-enhancement is an outcome of WOM behaviour irrespective of WOM valence. On the other hand, the research findings show that the articulation of PWOM and NWOM have a converse effect on the affective commitment and loyalty of the sender. With regards to the relative impact of WOM, the research results suggest that NWOM holds a greater effect than PWOM on the sender's firm-related outcomes, whereas the impact of PWOM is stronger than NWOM on the sender's self-related outcome. Finally, this study indicated that the tie strength between the WOM participants does not influence the effect of WOM on the sender's firm- and self-related outcomes. This contrasts with prior research which suggests that tie strength is a key influence on the effectiveness of WOM on the recipient's behaviour (Bansal and Voyer, 2000). In addition, the analysis shows that affective commitment partially mediated the relationship between WOM behaviour and and future WOM intentions of the sender and fully mediated the relationship between WOM behaviour and willingness to pay more (attitudinal loyalty) regardless of valence. However, affective commitment fully mediated the relationship between WOM behaviour and switching intentions (behavioural loyalty), but only in the NWOM condition.