<p>The study aims to examine the factors that influenced the international students when selecting Karlstad University as an institution. The study also contains a secondary aim which is to examine how the international students evaluate their experiences in Karlstad. Further the study is built upon four research questions, where the three first research questions can be referred to the main aim whereas the fourh research question can be referred to the secondary aim. The main aim is by the research questions divided into a three step process, the factor that influnced the international students to study abroad, to study in Sweden and to study at Karlstad University. The fourth research question which concerns the secondary aim is about how the international students evaluate their stay in Karlstad.</p><p>The enquiry has been made with help of a questionnaire, which 98 of the international students at Karlstad University answered. The study showed that factors that influenced the international students to study abroad was to gain better understanding of the foreign language and the foreign culture. The students were also influenced by the student life and the life experiences that they would gain by studying abroad. They also stated that the value of their resume would be higher because of these studies. Factors that influenced the students to study in Sweden was i.a the factor of knowledge and awareness. A majority found the knowledge of Sweden, the reputations of the institution quality, the awareness of the quality of the education as influencing factors. The students also found it easy to obtain information about Sweden, which is very good since this factor is a great contribution to knowledge and awareness. The answers showed that a small majority of the students were influenced by low fees and by recommendations from authorized representatives. The students were influenced by low crime and low racial discrimination factors, such as factors of clean environment and an exiting place to live in. The influencing factors of studying at Karlstad University were the reputation for quality, the reputation of institution staff, the broad range of courses and programs and the the good facilities. However many of the students stated that they choose Karlstad University because of the agreements between Karlstad University and the home University. As the students were asked to evaluate their stay in Karlstad, they seemd to be satisfied with the quality of education, the facilities, the student accomodations, the students life and Karlstad as a city.</p>

The phenomenon of blogs is growing rapidly and is expected to increase even in a more rapid pace (Technorati, 2006, November 6). As Wright (2006) discuss; blogs provides a new way of communicating with customers, as customers want to be talked with, not to. Companies have newly started to pay attention to this and as a result, the concept of blog marketing has been born. The little research that has been done on blog marketing has been done from a company perspective. However, no or little research has yet considered how consumers use blogs. In order to use blogs as a communication tool, it is of huge importance for companies to understand how consumers use blogs in their decision making. Hence the purpose is; “To explore how and why consumers use blogs in their decision making process“ In order to answer this purpose we conducted nine interviews on young adults, as previous research suggests that this population use blogs the most (Tremayne, 2007). From the collected data a qualitative analyze was made in which the empirical findings was analyzed with support of the theoretical framework. From the analysis we found that consumers use blogs throughout their decision making. Within the consumers’ decision making, collaborative blogs was mostly used as the consumers could get more input from a larger audience and because this type of blog tended to cover a specific topic of interest for the consumers. Consumers were found mainly writing in the blogs when they had knowledge to contribute with or when they needed information that they could not otherwise find in the blogs. We also noticed that consumers turned to groups they belonged to, so called normative group, or they turned to groups that they did not belong to, so called comparative groups. These groups influenced the consumer by providing them with knowledge and by giving them positive and negative confirmation on their choice of purchase. However normative groups also persuaded the consumer to buy products in order to belong to the group. Besides this, a pattern of characteristics of the individuals that the consumer blogged with were noticed. Consumers wanted user experiences and thus the vast majority of these individuals they turned to, seemed to be consumers themselves, with relevant product experiences. The consumers also seem to blog more with certain individuals, whose opinions were valued more. These individuals often shared the latest information on products. Lastly we found that consumers seemed to be selective when reading blog posts. The blog posts needed to contain detailed- and up-to-date information. Moreover, consumers wanted blog post to be written by other consumers because they saw them as more credible then companies. The consumers also chose to read blog posts that show similarities be-tween the consumer and the blogger in terms of either usage pattern of product or preference for product choices.

The study aims to examine the factors that influenced the international students when selecting Karlstad University as an institution. The study also contains a secondary aim which is to examine how the international students evaluate their experiences in Karlstad. Further the study is built upon four research questions, where the three first research questions can be referred to the main aim whereas the fourh research question can be referred to the secondary aim. The main aim is by the research questions divided into a three step process, the factor that influnced the international students to study abroad, to study in Sweden and to study at Karlstad University. The fourth research question which concerns the secondary aim is about how the international students evaluate their stay in Karlstad. The enquiry has been made with help of a questionnaire, which 98 of the international students at Karlstad University answered. The study showed that factors that influenced the international students to study abroad was to gain better understanding of the foreign language and the foreign culture. The students were also influenced by the student life and the life experiences that they would gain by studying abroad. They also stated that the value of their resume would be higher because of these studies. Factors that influenced the students to study in Sweden was i.a the factor of knowledge and awareness. A majority found the knowledge of Sweden, the reputations of the institution quality, the awareness of the quality of the education as influencing factors. The students also found it easy to obtain information about Sweden, which is very good since this factor is a great contribution to knowledge and awareness. The answers showed that a small majority of the students were influenced by low fees and by recommendations from authorized representatives. The students were influenced by low crime and low racial discrimination factors, such as factors of clean environment and an exiting place to live in. The influencing factors of studying at Karlstad University were the reputation for quality, the reputation of institution staff, the broad range of courses and programs and the the good facilities. However many of the students stated that they choose Karlstad University because of the agreements between Karlstad University and the home University. As the students were asked to evaluate their stay in Karlstad, they seemd to be satisfied with the quality of education, the facilities, the student accomodations, the students life and Karlstad as a city.

During the last few decades the interest and demand for both healthy food and different beverages has increased the interest for healthy food and it is expected to continue increasing in the future. A strong reason for this is the desire among more and more people to live healthy and long lives. Because of this, the recent industry of functional foods has become increasingly popular as marketers aim to sell food products that can benefit a consumer’s health beyond a healthy or organic food products ability. “A functional food is, or appears similar to, a conventional food. It is part of a standard diet and is consumed on a regular basis, in normal quantities. It has proven health benefits…beyond its basic nutritional functions.” (Doyon and Labrecque 2008 pp.1147) In order for marketers to make the right marketing actions, a better understanding of consumer behaviour and attitudes towards functional food is needed. Without this information marketers will not be able to create effective marketing campaigns for functional food products. Consumer attitudes towards functional foods were looked at in four different factors/dimensions, reward, necessity, confidence and safety, and then each factors impact on consumer willingness to consume was measured.Purpose - The purpose of the study was to investigate consumer’s attitudes on functional foods and their willingness to consume functional foods.Method/Approach - A questionnaire was developed from a previous study (Lähteenmäki and Urala 2007) on consumer attitudes and their willingness to consume functional foods, using a combination of convenience sampling and judgment sampling.Findings- The data confirmed the results from previous studies that consumer attitudes play a role in impacting consumer willingness to consume functional foods, but also that the results cannot be generalized on all functional food groups or types.Conclusions – Each functional food category should be approached in a different way, from a marketing or advertising point of view and when marketing each functional food product. Different aspects e.g. Reward, necessity, confidence and safety should be highlighted for each individual food category in the packaging or advertisement to give the marketing strategy an advantage to increase consumer willingness to use that product. The study was found to collaborate with the previous studies conducted by Lähteenmäki and Urala (2007).Key Words – Attitudes, Consumer attitudes, Functional foods, Consumer behaviour

Title Effects of Demographic Characteristics on Consumer’s Choice of Buying Green Products: An Empirical Study of Swedish Electricity Market. Purpose Purpose of the research to study the consumer behaviour of the Swedish audiences based on  different demographic characteristics i.e. age, gender, income status, educational level and area of residence. The information will be useful to know that how different target groups based on different demographic attributes, perceive and respond the green electricity programmes, which will helpful to study the consumer behaviour and marketing of green electricity in Sweden. Methodology This research is mainly based on quantitative research, method which deals with use of statistical tools and numbers. A part of this research is also based on qualitative research which emphases on in depth analysis of information and finding a conclusion from the information gathered. The data have collected through using both primary and secondary sources. This research is mainly based on quantitative pattern; hence the data have collected using primary sources; the questioners. The questionnaires were distribute among the people of different age groups, income status, number of persons living in a household, residential status and income status. The aim of this survey was to target the audiences from whole Sweden, but due to limited time the data has collected only from the inhabitants of Eskilstuna, Västerås, Kvicksund, Södetalje, Köping, Arboga and Stockholm.   Analysis and findings For finding and analysis we have adopted a conceptual model to study the impacts of demographic characteristics on consumers’ choice of green electricity. This model leads to analysis according to findings from questionnaire and literature. Conclusion After careful compilation and analysing the results of our findings and with reference to the research topic of this thesis we have come to a conclusion that demographic characteristics (gender, age, income, education and area of residence) of Swedish consumers can influence their decision making to purchase green electricity.

Thesis (PhD)-Open University. BLDSC no.DX227573.

Brand relationship literature assumes that consumers draw little distinction between the relationships consumers have with brands and those they have with people. However, are brand relationships and human relationships really so similar? This research builds on the application of the Self Expansion Model (Aron & Aron, 1986) to brand relationship theory by revealing an indirect effect and a boundary condition to explain how and when brand relationships influence the pattern of resource allocation strategies that reflect a cognitive merging of “self” and “brand” thereby demonstrating a departure from the resource allocation strategies of interpersonal relationships (Aron et al., 1991).

Impulsive buying is another form of consumption behaviour that seems to be occurring more frequently today. This behaviour has both positive and negative effects, therefore, caution should be taken when making consumption decisions. This study attempts to investigate impulsive buying behaviour among marketing students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It discusses factors that contribute to such behaviour, some of which were identified in a study conducted by Youn & Faber (2000). These factors include lack of control (impulsivity), stress and absorption. The study highlights cultural influences on impulse buying behaviour. It mentions the several differences between male and female consumers. According to Zhou & Wong (2003), retailers need to understand how they can attract and retain a significant share of consumer impulse purchases for market survival. Understanding consumer behaviour helps in the development of effective marketing communications (Bothma et. al 2002). A literature review conducted to gain insight and understanding on impulse buying behaviour. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from fifty University of KwaZulu- Natal marketing students. Findings on the study highlight vast unplanned consumption behaviours. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

The internet has rapidly become a part of an every day experience for the consumer. The rapid expansion of information and communication technologies in daily business activities is the most important long-term trend in the business world. Quality is related to customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty in both the products and service settings and thus quality is expected to be a determinant of online retailer success as well. This study focused on the critical components of the business environment with regard to organizations retention of their customers and maintenance of their competitive advantage within an online environment. The main aim of this study was to determine the effects that customer satisfaction and service quality have on customer behaviour within an online environment. The population consisted of broadband users in the UK and the research instrument used was a questionnaire that was administered to a sample of four hundred consumers at four locations in the city centre of Victoria, London. The findings of this study are similar to previous studies conducted by researchers of service quality. The most important elements that surfaced were what customers require from an online shopping environment viz. reliability and efficiency of the website, correct product descriptions and advertising, accurate delivery times and correct orders. Best practices and recommendations with regard to organizations using past studies and models available as well as the use of strategic instruments to enhancement the organizations viability. It was recommended that organizational surveys be conducted as well as recommendations for empowering and equipping members of staff as well keeping service promises. Research is needed in the examination of inter-relationships among technology readiness, electronic service quality and electronic shopping behaviour of customers as well as research into actions on the Web site that most affect the identified key drivers of revisits or repurchase. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

Mobile commerce is a product of the convergence of the two fastest growing technologies of the modern era: cellular phones and the Internet (Attwood and Duncan, 2000). It delivers electronic commerce capabilities into a consumer's hand via wireless technology, that is an ability to perform a transaction using a mobile device (cell phone, laptop, PDA), such as the cellphone banking service. The cellphone banking service allows banking customers to perform banking transactions directly on their cellphone, using either WAP or WIG technology. Four big banks in South Africa provide the cell phone banking offering to customers. Nedcor first launch the cell phone banking service and other banks followed. Standard Bank launched the service in 2001 and thus far only 28 000 customers have registered for the cell phone banking service. The level of service adoption is very low, considering that there are 15million cellphone subscribers in South Africa. Banks projected that the take-up would be much higher than it currently is. For the purpose of this research study, the Standard Bank's cell phone banking offering will be evaluated. The problem area is that while Standard Bank launched the cellphone banking service in 2001, the consumer take up has been far lower than expected. Thus far, only 28 000 customers have registered for the service. No analysis has been conducted at Standard Bank to understand the reasons behind the slow rate of adoption by customers. The objectives of the study are to: o identify the factors that contribute to the non-adoption of the cell phone banking service by customers o identify factors that can increase the rate of service adoption and therefore assist the banks in promoting the service to critical mass o Establish the future of m-commerce in the banking industry. - v - A literature review has been conducted, where studies conducted internationally in mobile banking space have been discussed. These are studies conducted in Europe and the United States. The cell phone banking adoption framework model has also been derived. In terms of the research methodology, qualitative and quantitative research methods were both employed to gather the required data. For the qualitative methodology, interviews were conducted with the Standard Bank management team and a questionnaire was administered. For the quantitative methodology a questionnaire was designed and was used to gather the information from Standard Bank customers. The research results reveal that cellphone banking has not been widely adopted, despite the rapid diffusion of cell phones in South Africa and the popularity of cell phone functionality such as SMS. Factors likely to influence adoption include trialability, relative advantage, and the customer need for banking services from a cellphone and lower perceptions of technology risk. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Kwazulu-Natal, 2004.