Thesis (Ph.D.)--Victoria University (Melbourne, Vic.), 2009.

Thesis (M. Hous. M.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.

Thèse (M.Ps.) -- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 2005. / "Mémoire présenté à l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi comme exigence partielle de la maîtrise en psychologie offerte à l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi en vertu d'un protocole d'entente avec l'Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières." Comprend des réf. bibliogr. : f. [123]-136. Document électronique également accessible en format PDF.

Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 22, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Hous. M.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-73).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2008. / Advisers: Linda Malone, Sandra Furterer. Includes bibliographical references (p. 208-211).

Cui, Xizhen. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 35-46). / Abstracts in English and Chinese; some questionnaires in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT (ENGLISH) --- p.i / ABSTRACT (CHINESE) --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.iv / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research Overview --- p.5 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Attitude Polarization and Dissatisfaction Aggravation --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Attitude Polarization --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Explanations of Attitude Polarization --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Attitude Polarization and Consumer Dissatisfaction --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2 --- Downward Comparison and Dissatisfaction Alleviation --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Downward Comparison --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Downward Comparison and Dissatisfaction Alleviation --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3 --- The Content of Negative WOM and Research Hypotheses --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The Evaluative Focus of Attitude Polarization Research --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- The Experiential Focus of Downward Comparison Research --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Hypotheses --- p.14 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- EXPERIMENTS --- p.16 / Chapter 3.1 --- Experiment 1 --- p.16 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Participants and Design --- p.16 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Procedure --- p.17 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Manipulations --- p.18 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Dependent Variable --- p.19 / Chapter 3.1.5 --- Results --- p.19 / Chapter 3.1.6 --- Post Hoc Analysis --- p.21 / Chapter 3.1.7 --- Discussion --- p.22 / Chapter 3.2 --- Experiment 2 --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Overview --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Participants and Design --- p.24 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Procedure --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Results --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Discussion --- p.29 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- GENERAL DISCUSSION --- p.30 / Chapter 4.1 --- Theoretical Contribution --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2 --- Managerial Implications --- p.32 / Chapter 4.3 --- Limitations and Future Research --- p.33 / REFERENCES --- p.35 / APPENDIX / Chapter I --- Questionnaire for Experiment 1 --- p.47 / Chapter II --- Questionnaire for Experiment 2 --- p.52 / Chapter III --- Samples of Thoughts for Experiment 2 --- p.59 / LIST OF TABLES / CHAPTER THREE / EXPERIMENT 1 / Table 1: Study 1 AD Means Across Two Groups --- p.20 / Table 2: Study 1 AD Gender Difference in Alleviation Condition --- p.21 / EXPERIMENT 2 / Table 3: Study 2 Hypothesized Predictions Across Four Groups --- p.24 / Table 4: Study 2 AD Means Across Two Groups --- p.26 / Table 5: Study 2 AD Means Across Four Groups --- p.27

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Business, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Magister Technologiae in Business Administration. / The different opinion about customer satisfaction amongst academics and practitioners is useful in gaining broader understanding of the term customer satisfaction. This study anchors its definition of customer satisfaction on three main drivers: (1) product’s knowledge such as emotional or cognitive, (2) consumption experience and (3) the response after consumption. Although, this definition departs from market expectation of companies’ production and marketing orientation, it certainly forms the base for concerns about the need for product quality that now drives companies’ quality and competitive strategy. This study evaluates the usage of quality management to understand management perception of product quality and its relationship with customers’ satisfaction and competitiveness. This evaluation used survey research method to collect empirical data from 110 respondents randomly selected from manufacturing companies based in Cape Town. The data received were analysed using descriptive statistic, presented in tables and charts to understand and describe respondents’ perception of the usage of quality management for improved customer satisfaction. The finding shows that quality, management was used to improve satisfaction of customers.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Public Relations Management in the Faculty of Informatics and design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / This study examined KAPPAHL and IKEA’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities and the effect it has on building consumer brand loyalty. The conceptual framework of the study is built on two theories, stakeholder theory and triple bottom line theory, which are relevant to the objectives of this study. The methodology of the present study is qualitative approach, undertaken for the study through analysis of the CSR activities practiced in the two selected organisations. The CSR objectives, plan, implementation strategies and role of various stakeholders have been analysed. The research concludes that there are several factors that help create brand value and consumer brand loyalty and CSR can be one of those factors. The main role of CSR in the process of branding is to assist the brand to “keep its promise” to the consumers. One way to achieve this is through clear and consistent CSR communication. The research suggests that a key point in an organisation’s CSR communication strategy is to always take action before communicating. By offering total transparency with the organisation’s CSR work and efficiently conveying its possible impact, CSR can serve as an effective tool in educating and engaging the consumer about the brand. In a more emotional and personal economy, CSR helps to create a more genuine and deeper relationship with consumers wherein bold and unrealistic advertising campaigns without any social commitment may fail to attract consumers. While advertising mostly seeks to assert what a brand wishes to be, this study implies that CSR takes the proposition of what the brand actually has done and what it has achieved. In a period when organisations seek to build relationships between the consumer and the brand, a value based and honest approach towards CSR helps in creating a more genuine and loyal relationship which certainly enhances the value of the brand