This study has been conducted in cooperation with Fläkt Woods, an industrial supplier of ventilation systems. The study only concerned chilled beams which are an explicit group of ventilation products within Fläkt Woods’ product portfolio. The purpose of the study was to explore how Fläkt Woods’ customers perceive certain elements when choosing Fläkt Woods as a supplier of chilled beams and why they perceive them the way they do. The elements include quality, service, technical performance, technical knowledge, communication, time of delivery, installation, calculation program, flexibility, market adjustment, technical documentation, relationships and geographic distance. The study has been conducted employing a combination of both a quantitative and a qualitative approach in which a questionnaire has been sent out to Fläkt Woods’ customers in order to shed light on their opinions. The results showed that most of Fläkt Woods’ customers are satisfied or even very satisfied with the elements that were investigated. The elements that the customers were most satisfied with concerning the chilled beams were quality, service and technical knowledge. They believe that Fläkt Woods’ products have a good finish, that they are easy to get in touch with, that they are able and willing to give quick answers and feedback and that they have great knowledge about their chilled beams. The element that the customers are least satisfied with and that Fläkt Woods need to improve is flexibility. Even if Fläkt Woods believe that their special solutions are flexible, their customers do not fully agree. The customers’ attitude towards the flexibility is that Fläkt Woods prefer to provide standard solutions of chilled beams rather than offering special solutions. The results also showed that Fläkt Woods’ competitors are one step ahead considering the design of chilled beams. Thus, design is an element of the marketing program that Fläkt Woods need to improve. Furthermore, the study showed that relationships and communication which represent the “soft” elements concerning human interaction are just as important as the rest of the elements. Thus, Fläkt Woods need to consider these elements as well as the others when outlining the marketing program.

<p>This study has been conducted in cooperation with Fläkt Woods, an industrial supplier of ventilation systems. The study only concerned chilled beams which are an explicit group of ventilation products within Fläkt Woods’ product portfolio. The purpose of the study was to explore how Fläkt Woods’ customers perceive certain elements when choosing Fläkt Woods as a supplier of chilled beams and why they perceive them the way they do. The elements include quality, service, technical performance, technical knowledge, communication, time of delivery, installation, calculation program, flexibility, market adjustment, technical documentation, relationships and geographic distance. The study has been conducted employing a combination of both a quantitative and a qualitative approach in which a questionnaire has been sent out to Fläkt Woods’ customers in order to shed light on their opinions.</p><p>The results showed that most of Fläkt Woods’ customers are satisfied or even very satisfied with the elements that were investigated. The elements that the customers were most satisfied with concerning the chilled beams were quality, service and technical knowledge. They believe that Fläkt Woods’ products have a good finish, that they are easy to get in touch with, that they are able and willing to give quick answers and feedback and that they have great knowledge about their chilled beams. The element that the customers are least satisfied with and that Fläkt Woods need to improve is flexibility. Even if Fläkt Woods believe that their special solutions are flexible, their customers do not fully agree. The customers’ attitude towards the flexibility is that Fläkt Woods prefer to provide standard solutions of chilled beams rather than offering special solutions. The results also showed that Fläkt Woods’ competitors are one step ahead considering the design of chilled beams. Thus, design is an element of the marketing program that Fläkt Woods need to improve. Furthermore, the study showed that relationships and communication which represent the “soft” elements concerning human interaction are just as important as the rest of the elements. Thus, Fläkt Woods need to consider these elements as well as the others when outlining the marketing program.</p>

This study investigated and distinguished between two different aspects of trust (i.e. inter-personal and inter-organisationl) in business relationships. Reviewing the extant literature, a model of business relationships was developed, bridging social exchange theory and transaction cost economics, in addition to using some ideas from the resource-based view. This model was built on an overall framework consisting of three main groups of business relationship characteristics, (1) attitudes (inter-personal and inter-organisational trust) (2) behaviours (commitment, information sharing and relationship-specific investments) and (3) outcomes (financial and non-economic (soft) performance). The overall framework suggested that the attitudinal characteristics affect behavioural characteristics, which consequently affect relationship outcomes. Furthermore, the role of the other party’s opportunistic behaviour as an antecedent of trust aspects was suggested in the model. In line with the overall framework, a basic model was developed with sixteen hypotheses. The model was extended considering dependence as a moderator, and suggesting two additional hypotheses.A questionnaire was designed to measure the characteristics in the model. Data collected from 331 informants (i.e. middle or senior managers knowledgeable about supplier relationships) was used to empirically test the model, using structural equation modeling. The analysis was performed testing the model fit and its underlying hypotheses, additionally using a control variable (the relationship length) and multiple-group analysis (controlling for the size of the company). Inter-personal trust and inter-organisational trust were found to be two distinct constructs (by means of implementing several techniques testing discriminant validity). The results supported the impact of inter-personal trust on inter-organisational trust, inter-personal trust impacting on commitment and information sharing while inter-organisational trust impacting on commitment, information sharing and relationship-specific investments (all in a positive way). The positive effect of behavioural characteristics on relationship outcomes was supported, commitment and relationship-specific investment influencing both financial and non-economic performance, while information sharing influencing non-economic performance. Relationship-specific investments impact positively on commitment, and financial performance impacts positively on non-economic performance. The moderating effects were supported; the positive effect of inter-organisational trust on relationship-specific investments and the positive effect of relationship-specific investments on commitment decrease as dependence increases. The negative effect of the other party’s opportunistic behaviour on trust dimensions was found, while its expected negative effect on relationship-specific investments was not supported in the whole sample. A mixture modeling approach was performed to explore this result. The negative effect was supported in a number of responses, as expected. However, surprisingly a positive effect was also found in a group of responses that were characterised by having relatively longer relationships with the supplier and observing a higher degree of opportunistic behaviour. Additionally relationship-specific investments had a stronger effect on its consequences within this group. Potential explanations for the findings with regard to this group were introduced. The research contributions and implications were also discussed.

Social media (SM) is an innovative strategy used to develop new forms of communication channels and platforms. This has led to a positive transformation in the marketing strategy for both small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises. There has been a lot of research conducted on the utilization of SM by Business-to-Consumer (B2C) marketing. However, the use of SM in Business-to-Business (B2B) marketing has not been explored as much in comparison to B2C marketing. The aim of this study is to understand the role of SM channels in B2B service-based SMEs, while also analyzing the challenges and opportunities incorporated by the integration of the SM platforms and the impact it has on B2B relationships. Our research builds on the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) related “Activities-Resources-Actors (ARA) Model” and the interconnection between the three layers to understand and analyze the utilization of SM.  This study takes a qualitative case study approach to answer the research question formulated in this study by conducting semi-structured interviews. The interviewees included five respondents: two from the focal company and three from their existing business networks. From the findings, three themes were formulated to understand and analyze the data collected: Adoption decision of SM channels in the case SME and the network firm, Collaboration process with the business customers, and Content co-creation. Based on the findings we conclude that SM is an emerging tool for SMEs to incorporate it in their marketing strategy. It can help the firm to improve the bonds between the actors within the organization as well as with their customers and networks. However, the successful utilization of SM in SMEs depends on the commitment of SMEs to incorporate SM tools effectively in their operations. This can be achieved by the “Hybrid approach” by integrating SM communication with the conventional modes of communication for B2B marketing.

No description available.

Cloud accounting software (CAS) emerged as part of the overall development of cloud computing. The cloud, as it is referred to, has heralded a new age in information technology and offers new and unique opportunities and challenges for organisations of all sizes. The aim of this study was to determine the awareness and perception of cloud computing technology by accounting firms in Cape Town. The findings of the survey reveal that significant awareness exists of CAS by firm managers and accountants. In some respects there are significant differences between small and medium-large firms regarding their perceptions of CAS. Smaller firms seem to be more positive toward CAS and also more agile and capable of deploying CAS than medium-large firms, and thereby are taking advantage of CAS more effectively. It is evident from the study that there are opportunities for both small and medium-large firms to make use of CAS in their attempts to grow their businesses and it is important that they become familiar with CAS and the opportunities and threats which it presents. Marketers of CAS products need to consider the firm’s size, as well as the organisational decision-making process for CAS acquisition, which can aid them in their marketing designs. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The reality of a so-called theory/practice divide between what the academic world research and teach and how it is applied by practitioners has existed for decades. Academics commented about the practical applicability of theories concerning business management applications. This research attempts to understand a concept from a practitioners’ viewpoint. The focus of the research was on marketing and management practitioners’ application of market segmentation principles in their businesses. The study was qualitative in nature. Discussion guidelines were used in in-depth interviews from purposefully selected case study organisations. The analysis indicated that practitioners readily apply the economic principle of market segmentation. That is to divide the broad market into parts (segments) and then focus their attention on selected segments. The analysis also indicated that practitioners deviate from the current marketing theory on market segmentation. It was further found that management practitioners could benefit from applying some of the principles taught in market segmentation theory. The implications from the findings are twofold. The first is that an alternative theory regarding market segmentation emerged from management practitioners’ perspectives. The second is that it is possible to integrate aspects of other market segmentation schemes with the alternative theory to ensure a market segmentation approach that confirms management intuition as well as existing market segmentation theory. Merging these approaches creates a possible improvement in the practical application of current market segmentation theory. / Business Management / D. Phil. (Business Management)

This thesis investigates the factors to consider when implementing a business to business market entry strategy within the automotive industry. The aforementioned is conducted through an exploratory case study at a global industrial firm providing a comprehensive range of products and services within the motor vehicle industry. The case study is made on the foundation of existing theory, previous empirical research and interviews with relevant companies within the industry. The thesis provides an overview of the factors to be considered when executing a business to business market entry strategy on the automotive market based on existing literature and empirical research. Furthermore, the six main challenge areas that the case company faces in its work with entering a new market is displayed. These challenges are; (1) internal communication, (2) customer relations, (3) technical requirements, (4) strategic initiatives, (5) management support and (6) organizational alignment. In addition to the six challenges, potential strategic initiatives are discussed within each of the challenge areas. The six challenge framework can be used as a framework for other industrial firms striving to implement an industrial business to business market entry strategy. The main theoretical contribution of this thesis is the identification of challenges during a market entry within the automotive industry. Furthermore, the thesis concludes that the implementation of a market entry strategy can provide greater challenges than the development of the strategy itself, which is supported by both literature and empirical findings. Related to this, a misalignment between the business type and the marketing strategy type within the case company is identified. / Detta examensarbete undersöker vilka faktorer som bör beaktas vid implementering av strategier för att ta sig in på en ”business-to-business”-marknad inom fordonsindustrin. Detta görs genom en explorativ fallstudie på ett globalt industriföretag som säljer ett stort antal produkter och tjänster till fordonsindustrin. Fallstudien är grundad i litteratur, tidigare empiriska studier och intervjuer med relevanta företag inom industrin. Examensarbetet ger en översikt av de faktorer som bör beaktas då man implementerar en “business to business”-marknadsstrategi inom fordonsindustrin baserat på existerande litteratur och en empirisk undersökning. De sex främsta utmaningarna som fallstudieföretaget står inför identifieras, vilka är (1) intern kommunikation, (2) kundrelationer, (3) tekniska krav, (4) strategiska initiativ, (5) ledningsstöd och (6) organisatorisk sammstämmighet. Utöver de sex utmaningarna diskuteras potentiella strategiska initiativ inom varje utmaningsområde. De sex utmaningarna kan användas som ett ramverk för andra industriföretag som söker att implementera en marknadsstrategi. Det huvudsakliga teoretiska bidraget av detta examensarbete är identifiktationen av de utmaningar som uppstår vid en markandsingång inom fordongsindustrin. Dessutom visar examensarbetet att implementeringen av en marknadsstrategi kan visa sig vara en större utmaning än att ta fram densamma, vilket stöds av både litteraturen och den empiriska undersökningen. Relaterat till föregående kunde vi identifiera en obalans mellan fallstudieföretagets affärstyp och marknadsstrategi.