Aim: The aim of this research is to investigate whether CSR can be used as a marketing tool by the readymade garment suppliers in Bangladesh to attract international buyers. Method: This study is conducted by applying qualitative method. The data has been collected through semi-structured interview and using secondary data.   Result and Conclusions: The study reflects that that CSR implementation generates various benefits such as, creates good corporate image, reputation and opportunity for innovation and offers competitive advantage.  As international buyers’ foremost requirement is to verify suppliers’ social compliance, the CSR practices and benefits act as marketing instrument by the garments suppliers to attract international buyers and grab more business. Suggestions for future research: This study considered multiple large (1st tier) garments suppliers and multinational buying organization which calls for further research such as, a comparative study on taking both large and small scale suppliers as well as more international buyers. One of the findings indicates that buyers’ support is important in CSR implementation which can also be considered for further investigation. Contribution of the thesis: This study investigates suppliers’ CSR practices from the marketing perspective in relation to buyers in business to business context which has not been considered in previous literature. Further CSR as marketing tool has not been addressed in developing country context while this study includes empirical study on garment suppliers of Bangladesh. This study suggests that managers need to be aware of the significant role of CSR as marketing tool while designing and implementing CSR programs effectively to increase business. Moreover, CSR activities benefit both the company as well as other stakeholders (customer, employee, public, shareholder, government) of the society by way of meeting those stakeholders’ interest.

Thesis (PhD(Agric) (Agriculture))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Traditionally, agricultural land was regarded mainly as a production factor. Accordingly, in their application of the market sales comparison approach to agricultural land, valuers relied on a set of attributes related to agricultural production as the primary determinants of an agricultural property’s highest and best use (HBU) and market value. These characteristics were measurable and related to the property’s income-generating capacity. The emergence of a multi-functional rural land market with alternative uses of agricultural land, such as for lifestyle purposes, has transformed this concept. Lifestyle inspired buyers often focus on a wider range of attributes not necessarily related to income, but associated more with satisfaction derived from the property. This creates a measurement problem for agricultural land valuers, as the characteristics valued by lifestyle buyers are more intangible and subjective, which leave valuers without a base from which to value such properties. The presence of lifestyle inspired buyers makes agricultural land valuations more demanding as it implies different interpretations of the same farm and complicates the choice of a single HBU. The continued use of familiar conventional farming attributes by valuers when valuing farms where lifestyle motivations are present, and the omission of less measurable characteristics, implies that the market sales comparison method cannot be executed accurately. The objectives of the study were twofold: to reveal the dominance of value attributes applicable to farming as HBU when valuing farms bought primarily for lifestyle purposes and to identify the characteristics of land important to lifestyle inspired farm buyers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the saleability judgements of retail store buyers of women's and men's wear. A sample of 81 women's and men's wear buyers, representing two specialty stores and one mass merchandiser, was sent questionnaires. Principal Components Factor Analysis with Varimax Rotation was used to reduce the number of product, vendor and information source variables to eight factors. Three significant differences existed between the women's wear and men's wear buyers, verifying that not all retail buyers are alike. Results will benefit educators in preparing students to become more effective buyers, retail management can incorporate this same information into a buyer training program and apparel manufacturers can use the study in planning product strategies to retailers.

How consumers act during the buyers decision making process can change with age. How older consumers use modern technology in the buyers decision making process has however not been given a clear picture by researchers. Therefore the purpose of this study is to examine how older consumers use technology in the buyers decision making process and create a more nuanced picture of their usage. By using a qualitative method in the form of small-N-study and semi-structured interviews we have been able to answer our research questions. We have found that the technology i mainly used during the information gathering stage and the evaluation stage of the buyers decision making process, according to our respondents. From this we have been able to identify two seperate user types: Searcher-Stig and Evaluation-Ulla (Sökar-Stig och Utvärderar-Ulla). These two user types describe how older consumers mainly use technology in the buyers decision making process. / Hur konsumenter agerar i köpprocessen kan ändras med åldern. Hur äldre konsumenter sedan använder teknologin i köpprocessen är dock något som forskningen inte lyckats ge en fullständig bild kring. Därmed är syftet med denna studie att undersöka hur äldre konsumenter använder modern teknologi i köpprocessen för att skapa en mer nyanserad bild av äldre konsumenters användning av teknologi. Genom att använda oss av en kvalitativ metod i form av en små-N-studie och semi-strukturerade intervjuer har vi kunnat besvara våra frågor. Enligt våra respondenter så används mobilen främst under informationssökningsfasen och utvärderingsfasen av köpprocessen. Detta har lett till at vi kunnat ta fram två användartyper: Sökar-Stig och Utvärderar-Ulla, som skall beskriva äldre konsumenters användning av teknologi i köpprocessen.

Os pregoeiros são os servidores responsáveis pela condução dos processos licitatórios de aquisições e contratações dos órgãos públicos no Brasil. A função de pregoeiro, apesar de sua complexidade e importância à eficiente utilização dos recursos públicos, vem sendo negligenciada pelo Estado. Até o momento não há uma carreira específica ou remuneração condizente ao risco dessa atividade. Os métodos e análises realizadas por este estudo, à luz dos Estudos Baseados em Prática (EBP) e do knowing-in-practice, permitiram melhor visibilidade aos elementos tácitos que compõem os saberes os pregoeiros desenvolvidos no seu cotidiano de trabalho. Partindo da identificação e descrição de suas práticas de trabalho, a função pregoeiro caracteriza-se pelo acúmulo e sobreposição de atividades, dificultando assim desenho de um perfil para a mesma. Outra característica inerente a função é a presença de uma forte estrutura normativa a qual norteia e permeia esse trabalho. A partir dos discursos dos entrevistados, constatou-se que o Curso de Formação de Pregoeiros demonstrou-se insuficiente para desenvolver as habilidades de negociação e conversação e os aspectos atitudinais da atenção, equilíbrio e retidão necessários à sua prática. Assim, a aprendizagem no cotidiano de trabalho dos pregoeiros ocorreu de forma situada através dos conhecimentos informais e tácitos, compartilhados por meio das interações sociais entre os servidores, facilitada pela estrutura em rede dos Institutos Federais de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia (IFs) (instituições pesquisadas), fóruns e comunidades de praticantes, confirmando assim a perspectiva do knowing-in-practice. Afirma-se então que o desenvolvimento dos saberes do pregoeiro não está descolado de suas práticas de trabalho. A partir dos elementos identificados neste estudo, sugerem-se ações para melhoria das condições de trabalho, desenvolvimento e reconhecimento profissional do pregoeiro. Um olhar mais sensível da sociedade e dos representantes políticos é necessária, dada a importância estratégica do papel do pregoeiro na garantia da qualidade do gasto público. / Public Procurement Officers are the public servers responsible for conducting bidding processes of acquisition and hiring for public organs in Brazil. The main duty of the Public Procurement Officer, despite its complexity and importance to the efficient use of public resources, has been neglected by the state. Still, there is no specific career or equitable salary which represents the risks of this activity. The methods and analysis made by this study, considering Practice-Based Studies (PBS) and of knowing-into-practice, allowed a better visibility in the tacit elements that build the knowledge Public Procurement Officers have developed in their daily work. Starting with the identification and description of their practices at work, the Public Procurement Officer function is characterized by the accumulation and overlapping of activities, making it difficult to draw a proper profile to the function. Another intrinsic characteristic of the Public Procurement Officers' function, which directs and permeates this paper, is the presence of a normative structure. Through the speech of the interviewees it was possible to state that the Basic Training Course Public Procurement Officers take is not sufficient to develop the negotiation and reasoning skills and the attitude of attention, balance and rectitude needed to the practice of this function. Therefore, the Public Procurement Officers’ learning process happens throughout informal and tacit knowledge, shared through servers’ social interaction – facilitated by the structure in network from Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology (FIs) (institutions where the research took place), online forums and communities, corroborating the knowing-in-practice perspective. It can be stated that the knowledge development of Public Procurement Officers is not disconnected to their practice. Based on the elements identified in this study, some actions are suggested to improve the working conditions, development and recognition of the Public Procurement Officers. A more sensitive consideration from society and from political representatives is necessary, given the strategic importance of Public Procurement Officers’ role in assuring the public money is being well spent.

This dissertation begins with a comprehensive examination of the current state of research regarding organizational buying behavior. Through this review we identify a significant gap in our existing knowledge regarding organizational buying behavior in the public sector. Due to the high level of impact that government purchasing has on the economy, and the nuances that differentiate public from private sector purchasing practices, I further explore organizational buying behavior in the public sector to make the following contributions. First, I highlight the common practice in business-to-government (B2G) and business-to-business (B2B) transactions where buyers limit suppliers’ access to them during the buying process. This research terms these buyers “barricaded buyers.” Despite their prominence in practice, research related to barricaded buyers remains virtually non-existent. Therefore, the present research draws on insights gleaned from eight case studies over a period of approximately eighteen months to shed light on this important topic. Second, this dissertation advances a conceptual framework highlighting competitive actions a focal supplier can take to improve its selection likelihood when selling to barricaded buyers. The framework identifies novel ways suppliers can gain advantage by reducing competitive intensity in the pre-barricade phase (e.g., by peacocking) and by enhancing their RFP response quality in the post-barricade phase (e.g., by offering consummate solutions). Importantly, the framework invokes the notion of strategic information disclosure whereby a focal supplier may gain advantage by knowing when to convey what types of information in barricaded buying environments.

<p>This thesis aims to contribute to global value chain studies by examining an empirical case of vietnamese apparel firms in Swedish clothing value chains with a focus on insertion and upgrading issues . we apply mixed method of  both qualitative and quantitative tools from a holistic approach researching from both vietnamese suppliers and Swedish buyers perspective. Our findings show some progressive improvements of Vietnamese suppliers in GVC especially of private sector. In swedish value chain trust and long term cooperative business realtions for mutual benefits are among the key points for insertion and ugrading. On Vietnamese suppliers side, lack of information serves as the main reson for their reluctance in approaching Swedish market . Willingness to listen to buyer's advice or suggestions and management strategic Vision of development are critical for upgrading sucess of suppliers.</p>

Problem: The developing business market and the pressure it puts on business gives rise to new fields of business within SCM and logistics. Third party logistics (TPL) services have grown rapidly in importance as an alternative to vertical business integration. The emergence of TPL has brought about interest in the topic by academia, but recent literature reviews express a need for research on TPL relationships where both buyer and provider perspectives are viewed simultaneously, since a majority of previous research has been conducted more from a single organisational viewpoint. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how providers and buyers in TPL relationships adapt and cooperate to develop mutually beneficial and long-term relationships, as well as investigating their willingness and attitudes in this concern. Method: The thesis combines an explanatory and exploratory classification, and performs a qualitative, mono method study of viewpoints on TPL relationships from Swedish and Norwegian providers and buyers that currently are in a TPL relationship. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with four providers and three buyers. The findings are analysed and interpreted in light of a theoretical framework developed from the literature review, which in the analysis is applied in a TPL context to extend the understanding of TPL relationships. Conclusions: Willingness to adapt and cooperate in TPL relationships is connected with the parties’ perceived potential for economic gain and also with being able to trust the other party. Buyers emphasise the need for providers to have knowledge about the buyers’ business. Providers emphasise the need for buyers to be knowledgeable about their own business and for the buyer to fits their solutions. Attitudes: Both parties emphasise communication as crucial for the development of mutual benefits. Buyers adapt to providers’ standards as far as possible. Providers seem to want buyers to adapt to their solutions to gain economies of scale, and therefore appear reluctant to make relationship-specific investments. The use of contracts in the TPL context appears to contradict literature in that contracts work as a foundation for building trust, as well as for reducing opportunistic and operational risk. In practice, both providers and buyers highlight the use of integrated IT-solutions as a means of adapting to each other. Regular operational meetings are emphasised as part of the practical cooperation to develop the relationship’s future and to discuss day-to-day issues.

Skuldsättningsgraden hos svenska hushåll ökade stadigt från i mitten av 1990-talet fram till 2008. För att hejda denna utveckling införde finansinspektionen i oktober 2010 ett allmänt råd om begränsning av säkerhet i bostad vid upptagande av lån, det så kallade bolånetaket. Innebörden av detta är att 15 procent av bostadens marknadsvärde i kontanta medel krävs vid upptagande av bostadslån. För en förstagångsköpare som skall köpa bostad i Göteborg betyder det att en betydande summa pengar skall ha sparats ihop. Eller så blir alternativet att ta ett dyrare blancolån om inte kapitalet finns. För att undersöka hur förstagångsköpare i Göteborg har löst det ekonomiska genomfördes en enkätundersökning bland studenter på Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, Göteborgs Universitet och Högskolan Väst. Här undersöktes även hur de som har köpt före samt efter oktober 2010 har löst det ekonomiskt. Banktjänstemän och fastighetsmäklare intervjuades för att få en inblick i hur de ser på bolånetaket, samt hur de tror förstagångsköparna påverkats. Enkätundersökningen visade att majoriteten av de som skall köpa sin första bostad planerar att spara ihop till kontantinsatsen. Hälften av de tillfrågade förstagångsköparna beräknar att kunna spara ihop till kontantinsatsen på 1-3 år. De tillfrågade banktjänstemännen och fastighetsmäklarna ser samtliga att lösningen efter bolånetakets införande blev att föräldrar fick hjälpa till ekonomiskt. Detta genom att gå in som borgenär, pantsätta sitt boende som säkerhet eller hjälpa till med kapital. Förstagångsköparna har i större utsträckning behövt hjälp utifrån för att klara av de ekonomiska kraven från bankerna. I Göteborg där bostadsbristen är stor finns inte alltid något annat val än att köpa en bostad. Lösningen blir ekonomisk hjälp från föräldrar. Undersökningen tyder även på att andragångsköpare i Göteborg har det svårt att byta bostad till något större eller köpa bostad som dyrare än den bostad de äger. Möjligheten finns att det är en fördröjning på bolånetakets effekter, och att bosparandet inom de närmsta åren kommer att öka. Förhoppningsvis kommer förstagångsköpare inte behöva ekonomisk hjälp från föräldrar. / Indebtedness in the Swedish market had steadily increased from the mid-1990s until 2008. For this reason, the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) in October 2010 introduced a general advice on the restriction in the pawn of your property when applying for a mortgage, the so-called mortgage ceiling. This means that the buyer requires 15 percent in capital for the admission of mortgage. For a first-time buyer to buy a property in Gothenburg, this means that a significant amount of capital should be accumulated beforehand. The alternative, if assets are absent, is to take an unsecured loan, which is more expensive. To examine how first-time buyers in Gothenburg have solved the economic situation, a survey among students at University of Chalmers, University of Gothenburg and University West was conducted. It also examined how those who bought their first property respectively before and after October 2010 found a financial solution. Bank employees and real estate agents were interviewed to obtain their opinion on the mortgage ceiling, and how they think the first-time buyers were affected. The survey showed that the majority of those who plan to buy their first property are planning to save up for down payment. Half of those surveyed first-time buyers expects to save up for the down payment in 1-3 years. Respondent bankers and estate agents have seen that the solution for introduction of the mortgage ceiling was that parents had to help financially. This was done by becoming a creditor, pledging their homes as security or helping with financial assets. First-time buyers have in greater extent needed help from outside to meet the financial demands of the banks. In Gothenburg, where the housing shortage is high, there is not always another choice but to buy a home. The solution is to get financial help from parents. The study also suggests that second-time buyers in Gothenburg find it difficult to buy something bigger, or buying a home that is more expensive than the home they live in. There might be a delay in the mortgage ceiling effects, and that savings will increase within the next few years. Hopefully first-time buyers in the future will be able to stand on their own without parental financial assistance.

The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the dominating discourse in the preliminary work of the Sex Purchase Act. In order to achieve the aim of this study we selected preliminary work of the Sex Purchase Act that was produced between 1977 and 1999. The selection is based on the fact that prostitution began to be recognized as a social problem and a gender equality issue between men and women in society. The ongoing debate during the chosen years resulted in the Sex Purchase Act, which was passed in 1999. By using discourse analysis as a methodological and theoretical approach, we have empirically studied and theoretically analyzed the dominating discourse in the preliminary work of the Sex Purchase Act. This study shows that the dominating discourse in the preliminary work is based on a perception that prostitution reflects violence against women, which prevents women and men from becoming equal in society. The dominating discourse in the preliminary work is characterized by a heteronormative standard and has influences that can be recognized as feminist ideology. The content in the dominating discourse is produced by people with high social status, which gives sex buyers and sex workers limited influence on how their categories are presented in the preliminary work.