This research has investigated factors that affect the successful commercialization of intellectual capital. The concept of social constructs of meaning for the interview participants provides the fundamental perspective of this research. The research was undertaken on the basis of a constructivist ontology, the epistemology was interpretivist, and a qualitative methodology was used. A constructivist ontology was selected due to the research aim to understand the perceptions of the interview participants. The interpretivist approach provided the framework to interpret meaning of the perceptions in the appropriate business context. The data collection methods included unstructured interviews of people holding key decision making positions within their organizations. The conceptual nature of intellectual capital and commercialization enabled the research to be viewed from a phenomenological perspective and aspects of grounded theory were applied in seeking meaning from interviewee perceptions to surface a theoretical model. The data analysis included coding of the interview transcripts utilizing NVivo qualitative research software and sorting the data into nodes. The nodes represented categories of information which became the foundations of the constructs. These nodes were examined for relationship and meaning until a theoretical model emerged from the data. The findings culminated in six (6) main constructs which were subsequently aggregated to form a composite model of factors which influence the commercialization process. / In addition a further discovery was made in terms of an `Intellectual Capital Approach' model which enables a classification and hierarchical relationship of intellectual capital to be mapped as a starting point for problem solving and strategy formulation. The results of this research have immediate application to business in terms of informing management about identification of intellectual capital and to consider alternative scenarios for wealth creation by way of commercialization.

This thesis evaluates the Value of Delay (VOD) to commercial vehicle operators due to highway congestions. The VOD for congestion is a fundamental parameter driving the private sectors’ response to public freight projects and policies such as corridor construction and tolling. Factors affecting the commercial VOD include direct operational cost, travel length, travel time variation, inventory holding, and warehouse management. To approach the VOD, two methods are adopted in this thesis. One is the Stated Preference (SP) survey. The other is carrier fleet operational simulation. The simulation framework uses ArcGIS, and C . ArcGIS is used to generate a freight network based on the Houston, TX highway system. A set of customers are randomly generated, each having a random demand for service, which is associated with time windows for delivery and pickup. A heuristic algorithm is proposed to dispatch vehicles for truckload service on a continuous time horizon. The average VOD is then obtained through the ratio between additional operational cost and the delay caused by the congestion. This ratio is assessed in two scenarios: single depot and two cooperating depots. Different tests based on demand size, demand distribution pattern, time window and location of congestion are conducted. Simulation shows a range of VOD from $93.99/hr to $120.89/hr for the case of a central depot and $79.81/hr to $83.81/hr for the case of two depots. In addition, a SP survey is conducted for truckers and carriers in two scenarios. The first scenario assumes a driver running late by 30 minutes on a congested road, while the second scenario assumes an on-time delivery or pickup. Several tolling alternatives are assumed to test the driver’s willingness to pay for using a hypothetical toll road. The data is then regressed with the logit model using maximum likelihood estimation to obtain perspective value of delay. A generic utility function is adopted, which results in a VOD range from $24.72/hr to $64.99/hr. A comparison between the survey and the simulation results shows that drivers perceive a significantly lower VOD than the simulated VOD in freight operation.

The rapid technological progress in the last 10 years and the coherent opportunities for consumers to communicate among each other almost borderless 24/7, also impacted marketing strategies. Whereas accentuation of product values and pricing are still valuable marketing strategies, consumers are due to the 24/7 access to knowledge, information and consumer feedback, desensitized when it comes to advertising. Availability of the internet across borders, all the time is the main driving factor for marketing practitioners to progressively try to build up a non-purchase pushing relationship to the consumer. With the content communicated in the foreground (informative, helpful or entertaining) and the commercial message in the background this marketing strategy is also known as Content Marketing. Whereas the use of Content Marketing in corporate world is relatively popular, academic research is relatively rare. Indeed, some research was conducted on storytelling and signature stories -a tool of Content Marketing-, however, the functionality of the generic term Content Marketing resembles rather a black box. With the aim to illuminate the understanding and functionality of Content Marketing, this study explored the coherences between content communication vehicles and content generating vehicles. In the scope of this thesis, a theoretical framework conceptualizes the commercial value added chain of Content Marketing response was developed and verified in a business to consumer scenario. This theoretical framework was substantiated with a real world application, more precisely the 'Be More human’ video campaign from the sportswear manufacturer Reebok served as a research object. A non-probability sampling frame, using convenience sampling resulted in a total sample size of 750 respondents. Since this study focused on the development and testing of a theory, partial least square - structural equitation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied using the software package SmartPLS3. Through the development of the commercial value added chain of Content Marketing response this study exemplifies the commercial content generation process and the content value added by the consumer and thus contributes to a better understanding in academia as well as in corporate world of the complex generic term Content Marketing.

The present state of forestry post mining land uses has prompted concern among researchers, landowners, and the public. Surface mines reclaimed to forests under the provision of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) may not achieve site productivity levels required by the law. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many pre-law reforested mined sites are growing productive forests. The purpose of this study was to characterize these forests and the mine soils in which they are growing, and use them to benchmark forest development on mined land. Using 14 mined and 8 non-mined sites in the midwestern and eastern coalfields research to address the following objectives was undertaken: (i) characterize the development, composition, and diversity of woody species on pre-SMCRA, forested surface mined land; (ii) estimate forest and site productivity on surface mined land and determine the soil and site properties most influencing forest growth; (iii) estimate projected rotation-age timber product value; (iv) quantify current carbon sequestration pools associated with the developing woody plant biomass, the forest floor, and developing soil medium; (v) compare the diversity, forest and site productivity, commercial value, and carbon capture of reclaimed mined sites to that of regional non-mined forest systems. Species richness between non-mined and mined sites was about the same within each region with 14 to 15 tree species in the canopy. Canopy richness of eastern mined sites was less than that on midwestern mined sites (12 species compared to 17 species, respectively). Species richness of the understory and woody ground layer were similar between sites planted to pines versus hardwoods. White pine (Pinus strobus) monocultures, planted on many sites in the eastern region, caused species unevenness throughout all forest strata. Midwestern mined sites and eastern sites planted to hardwoods closely approximated non-mined sites in commercial species composition. Planted species represented the majority of canopy layer dominance and abundance (82% relative dominance and 56% relative abundance). Site productivity between non-mined sites and 12 of the 14 mined sites was similar. Regression analysis identified the five most influential soil properties affecting site quality, which included soil profile base saturation, total coarse fragments, total available water, C horizon total porosity, and soil profile electrical conductivity. These five properties explained 52 % of the variation in tree growth. Forest productivity of these mined sites was equal to or greater than that of non-mined forests, ranging between 3.3 m3ha-1yr-1 and 12.1 m3ha-1yr-1. Management activities such as planting pine and valuable hardwood species increased the stumpage value of forests on reclaimed mine sites. Rotation-age stumpage values on mined study sites ranged between $3,064 ha-1 and $19,528 ha-1 and were commonly greater than stumpage values on non-mined reference sites. After 20 to 55 years, total site carbon levels on mined study sites averaged 217 Mg ha-1, while total carbon amounts on natural sites averaged 285 Mg ha-1. The amounts of carbon captured within the plant biomass and litter layer were the same on mined and natural sites. However, the soil carbon content of mined sites averaged 39 % lower than natural soils. The amount of carbon captured across mined sites was largely a function of forest stand age. Pre-SMCRA forests growing on mined sites with productivity levels similar to non-mined sites are capable of developing forest attributes comparable to or greater than those found on non-mined land within a period of 60 years, the length of a commercial hardwood rotation. These mature forests can serve as benchmarks for forest development on mined lands being reclaimed under current state and federal regulations. / Master of Science

In 2005 the wine importer and supplier Pernod Ricard Sweden acquired Allied Domecq, a company with a wide assortment of wines. However, due to Pernod Ricard Sweden’s strategic focus on spirits the last decade they now experience a lack of knowledge of how to best sell and endorse wine to restaurants. After thorough research of present academic literature we have found that there is a theoretical gap of knowledge regarding the relationship between wine suppliers and restaurants and the interactions between them. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of the influences on organisational buying behaviour when purchasing in a B2B environment. We have investigated what criteria and services are more important for restaurants when purchasing wine, in order for the supplier to understand the behaviour of the buyer and act accordingly. A qualitative research has been conducted where 18 high commercial value restaurants in the region Mälardalen in Sweden were interviewed via telephone. The interview questions consisted of both open-ended questions and close-ended Likert scale questions, in order to receive both deeper answers including the respondents’ own opinions and comments, as well as preference data and attitude measures. In the analysis of our data we have discovered the importance of offering a concept and not just a product to the restaurants. In this concept the price in relation to quality is vital, as well as value adding activities such as education, which is important since there is a lack of documented knowledge among the persons responsible for the purchasing of wine. Support and sales meetings have proven to be efficient ways for the supplier to communicate their message to the restaurants rather than the use of traditional communication channels e.g. TV and printed advertisement. Furthermore, we have observed that the relationship between the supplier and the restaurants is crucial. This is due to the fact that most high commercial value restaurants only have one supplier and their emphasised need for the business to run smoothly. Therefore, previous experience of the supplier and the established degree of trust are highly influencing factors. We believe that if the results of our study are taken into consideration, the supplier has a great chance of becoming successful and creating profitable long-term relationships with high commercial value restaurants.

<p>In 2005 the wine importer and supplier Pernod Ricard Sweden acquired Allied Domecq, a company with a wide assortment of wines. However, due to Pernod Ricard Sweden’s strategic focus on spirits the last decade they now experience a lack of knowledge of how to best sell and endorse wine to restaurants. After thorough research of present academic literature we have found that there is a theoretical gap of knowledge regarding the relationship between wine suppliers and restaurants and the interactions between them. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of the influences on organisational buying behaviour when purchasing in a B2B environment. We have investigated what criteria and services are more important for restaurants when purchasing wine, in order for the supplier to understand the behaviour of the buyer and act accordingly.</p><p>A qualitative research has been conducted where 18 high commercial value restaurants in the region Mälardalen in Sweden were interviewed via telephone. The interview questions consisted of both open-ended questions and close-ended Likert scale questions, in order to receive both deeper answers including the respondents’ own opinions and comments, as well as preference data and attitude measures.</p><p>In the analysis of our data we have discovered the importance of offering a concept and not just a product to the restaurants. In this concept the price in relation to quality is vital, as well as value adding activities such as education, which is important since there is a lack of documented knowledge among the persons responsible for the purchasing of wine. Support and sales meetings have proven to be efficient ways for the supplier to communicate their message to the restaurants rather than the use of traditional communication channels e.g. TV and printed advertisement. Furthermore, we have observed that the relationship between the supplier and the restaurants is crucial. This is due to the fact that most high commercial value restaurants only have one supplier and their emphasised need for the business to run smoothly. Therefore, previous experience of the supplier and the established degree of trust are highly influencing factors.</p><p>We believe that if the results of our study are taken into consideration, the supplier has a great chance of becoming successful and creating profitable long-term relationships with high commercial value restaurants.</p>

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