The emergence of digital technology, social media and ubiquitous computing in the 21stcentury changed customer behavior and created new possibilities, but also challenges, forcompanies offering their services. The new customer generation is more tech-savvy thanever before, and therefore places higher demands on companies to have well-designed experienceswith services that can be consumed through various channels. This study investigatesthese service environments to see if they are actively shaped to cross-channel ecosystemsby the companies or if the companies react to the demands of their customers. Furthermore,the goal of this thesis is to find out how the current theory of cross-channel userexperience can assist in formulating design strategies for service ecosystems. To determinethis, the authors conducted a theoretical analysis of the current IS literature and created,based on that, a cross-channel user experience design framework. Within a case study of aSwedish transportation company, company and user interviews, direct observations of theavailable service artifacts, analysis of documentation, and the design of the user journeyswere executed to assess the as-is ecosystem. On the basis of these results, it was proventhat cross-channel ecosystems are shaped based on user demands. The created frameworkwas applied to formulate a language of critique of the cross-channel user experience designof the underlying case study, and the framework was proven to be applicative to practiceafter adjusting it to its final version.

The purpose of this study is to learn more about the consumers' interaction with companies over different channels. It is conducted from a consumer's point of view, but the insights gained through this study will help companies to design and build better services. In this context, the concepts of User Experience, cross-channel and Customer Experience provide a theoretical framework. The new approach in this study is to combine the three concepts, their framing and their identified design elements. This conceptual framing contains a list of design elements with a positive influence on the service experience. However, the conceptual framing provides no answers on how to apply these design elements. In the methodology part, possible approaches are discussed. The heuristic evaluation used in the two case studies is a method that takes all three concepts from the theoretical framework into account. With the first heuristic, it is possible to analyze single touchpoints like User Experience demands. The following heuristics are used within a cross-channel context. Finally, the last heuristic is responsible for the holistic perspective from Customer Experience. The case studies are then conducted to verify the applicability of the design elements with the heuristic evaluation. The findings of the study were positive and suggest that the heuristic evaluation is a suitable method to analyze a company's service offerings. Additionally, the case studies lead to results which are useful for the two companies (Migros and Nestlé). The overall conclusion of this study is that the three concepts complement each other very well. User Experience is responsible for well designed touchpoints. Cross-channel expands the perspective on ecosystems and evaluates how the touchpoints operate together. Finally, Customer Experience analyzes the whole company and its touchpoints on a heuristic perspective.

The objective of this master's thesis is to analyse trends in distribution in the German market and evaluate their importance in the retail environment. The first chapter of the thesis deals with the issue of distribution from a theoretical perspective. Analysis of the German economy and retail environment serves as a basis for further elaboration of the thesis. In the German market is growing the importance of the e-commerce and there is a tendency of integration of distribution channels. The current situation and trends in distribution channels as well as the trends of the future are outlined on the basis of secondary data. The analysis is completed by qualitative research, which determines the potential use of current trends.

Every product or service is part of an ecosystem. The analysis of ecosystems enables organizations to understand the use and potential of a product or service. The information that flows through ecosystems is not always tangible. However, it can be categorized and accessed through different gateways. In this thesis, the authors present an overview of current service design tools and compare them to a cross-channel ecosystem’s approach. The ubiquitous nature of technology permits users to interact and perform activities uninterrupted within physical and digital space. Therefore, the inclusion of external stakeholders within an ecosystem enables a richer analysis of a product or service design. Two major factors that are taken into consideration: 1. Touchpoints within the ecosystem. 2. The information channels that can be accessed through touchpoints. This thesis involves an exploratory case study that aims at mapping cross-channel experiences and ecosystems thereafter in relation to a publishing firm located in New York. Along the conceptualization process, the authors faced difficulties understanding appropriate methods of labelling and choosing of elements that assist in the construction of an ecosystem. However, the initial drawing of the firm’s ecosystem clearly differs from the results attained from the interviews outcomes on the one hand. On the other hand, the final diagram of overlapped information channels placed over a fraction of the ecosystem, provides a tangible understanding towards the presence of touchpoints in one or more information channels. By displaying such cross-channel ecosystems, organizations can increase or re-structure their activities according to their strategy. The study gives a very concrete proposition of how the ecosystems can be mapped. Further studies and guidelines to increase an ecosystems parameters and precision of execution is still to be developed and researched.

Problem: Showrooming phenomenon refers to the customer behavior of physically experiencing the product in a physical store before purchasing it from online stores. It is becoming increasingly prevalent today and has attracted the interest of academia. However, the majority of the existing studies explored this phenomenon from the perspective of retailers. The concern for different retailers’ gain and loss in showrooming process caused debate on how to define and interpret this phenomenon. Moreover, there are few existing studies that investigating this behavior from the consumers’ lens.  There seems to be a need for research focused on the customers’ showrooming experience and understand this phenomenon from their lens.   Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore what is showrooming phenomenon from customer’s perspective through investigating customers' personal showrooming experience in order to shed more light on the positive side of showrooming.   Method: Based on a social constructionism philosophy, this qualitative study utilizes a grounded theory strategy. In order to gather data through grounded theory method, in-depth interviews and a grounded analysis have been conducted. The analysis is conducted in three steps. First, in initial coding, codes and concepts are identified. Second, in axial coding, concepts are grouped into categories. Finally, in selective coding, categories are connected and grouped based on the intrinsic relationship between different categories. Also, the paradigm is built in these final step.   Conclusions: This study builds the paradigm model of showrooming phenomenon through exploring the experiences of showroomers. In the paradigm, the different conditions in the process are identified, including the core phenomenon, causal condition, contextual condition, intervening condition, action, consequences. Through building the model, this study explores the incentives and consequences of showroomers, the different influential factors during showrooming process, and the interpretations and perceptions from customer’s perspective.

The rapidly changing consumer behaviour and the increasing demand of convenience has put pressure on corporations to utilise their various capabilities more dynamically. As a result, operating through channels that are not synergised is no longer as effective as it used to be, and businesses are struggling with combining their existing channels with the market development. For Multinational corporations (MNCs) traditionally based on brick-and-mortar retailing, this has proven to be especially difficult as the market develops towards electronic solutions, but with a significant demand still for physical stores. This study aims to, by the assistance of theory, investigate the practice of how MNCs can utilise their capabilities dynamically in order to make their cross-channel integration process more dynamic, and thus maintaining their competitive advantage. Empirical data has been gathered through a case study on a brick-and-mortar MNC that is, at the time of this research, going through the process of cross-channel integration. Primary data has been gathered through semi-structured interviews that has also resulted in providing the secondary data in regard to the process. The combined data has then been analysed, using a pattern matching method, together with literature within both cross-channel integration and dynamic capabilities. The findings indicate that resources that can be connected to theory within dynamic capabilities play a central role in successful cross-channel integration. Furthermore, being up-to-date in terms of trends & development, having clear, change encouraging, company values and making sure that the employees are actively participating in the process is indicated to be of especial importance.

This thesis aims to answer the research question of how an industrial retailer’s level of channel integration can be evaluated and improved. A conceptual model is developed and applied in a case study context of the shop channel of a large international industrial distributor of maintenance, repair and operations goods. Marketing channel integration is proven to improve customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer expenditure - despite these benefits, there does not exist any evaluation method that helps researchers or practitioners determine the level of channel integration of an industrial retail channel. The case study follows a mixed method approach and uses qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 11 managers and 24 employees, as well as quantitative data from a management survey with 26 respondents. Using the conceptual model the shop channel of the German parent company was rated at a multi-channel level of integration and the Dutch shop channel at a multiple channel level of integration. Any improvement to the level of channel integration of an industrial retail channel depends on the understanding of and commitment to the integrated channel strategy by the shop management.

Cette thèse a pour objectif de définir un nouveau concept : celui de Territoire Transfrontalier Maritime (TTM) qui se différencie du concept de territoire transfrontalier terrestre par la présence de la mer qui modifie la dialectique ouverture/fermeture propre à ces territoires, du concept de territoire « inter-côtier » puisque la dialectique frontalière vient se superposer à la distance instaurée par la mer et des concepts de méditerranée dans la mesure où les territoires transfrontaliers maritimes se définissent par leur proximité à la frontière alors que les méditerranées comprennent des espaces distants de plusieurs milliers de kilomètres de la frontière.Pour y parvenir, la première partie de la thèse se décompose en trois chapitres. Le premier mène une réflexion autour de la territorialisation de la mer puisque les TTM sont centrés tant géographiquement qu’humainement sur la mer. Or si cette mer s’apparente à un no man’s land il semble inconcevable de parler de TTM. Le second chapitre revient sur la définition de ce concept et les questions qu’il soulève. Une réflexion autour de l’association des termes « mer et proximité » y est conduite : la mer éloigne-t-elle ou rapproche-t-elle les populations riveraines ? Enfin le troisième chapitre présente l’espace transmanche, retenu car il permet de produire des données empiriques inédites tout en testant les hypothèses. Il dévoile aussi le protocole méthodologique élaboré pour l’analyse des TTM, inspiré de la FSS de Di Méo et adapté aux spécificités de ces territoires. La seconde partie expose les résultats obtenus dans le cadre du terrain tout en conservant une démarche comparative afin de bien différencier conceptuellement les TTM des concepts cités précédemment. Le quatrième chapitre est en lien avec les pratiques de l’espace : Observe-t-on des spécificités dans ces pratiques ? La proximité les explique-t-elle ? En quoi les motifs de ces flux contribuent-ils à la territorialisation de l’espace ? Le cinquième chapitre analyse les représentations de l’espace puisque la thèse se positionne dans le champ de la géographie sociale et culturelle. Nous questionnons l’altérité des résidents transmanche : les résidents français et anglais de cet espace ont-ils des visions communes d’un espace partagé ? Enfin le dernier chapitre est dédié à l’institutionnalisation de l’espace. En effet les TTM n’ayant pas d’existence politico-administrative il est nécessaire que leurs acteurs coopèrent et partagent une vision commune de l’espace. Ainsi les concepts de coopération transfrontalière et de gouvernance transfrontalière maritime sont mobilisés. Une étude particulière est menée autour des jumelages transfrontaliers et des relations qu’ils entretiennent avec la territorialisation des espaces. Tout au long de notre travail, l’étude des interactions entre la matérialité, l’immatérialité et l’institutionnalisation de l’espace est au centre de la réflexion. Le questionnement général de la thèse intègre aussi l’incidence de la maritimité sur la constitution d’un TTM. Enfin en raison de notre territoire d’étude il est important de réfléchir sur le concept d’insularité. / This PHD has for objective to define a new concept: that of The maritime Cross-border Territory (MCBT) who differs from the concept of ground cross-border territory by the presence of the sea which modifies the dialectic opening/closure appropriate to these territories, the concept of "inter-coastal" territory because the border dialectic comes to overlap at the distance established by the sea and the concepts of Mediterranean as far as the maritime cross-border territories define themselves by their closeness on the border while the Mediterranean include distant spaces of more than thousands of kilometers of the border.To reach there the first part of the PHD decomposes into three chapters. The first one is dedicated to a reflection around the territorialisation of the sea because the MCBT is centered so geographically as humanely on the sea. Yet if this sea is similar to a no-man's-land it seems inconceivable to speak about MCBT. The second chapter returns to the definition of this concept and the questions which it lifts. A reflection around the association of the terms "sea and closeness" is led there : does the sea take away or does it move closer to the waterside populations? Finally the third chapter presents the cross-Channel, reserved space because it allows to produce new empirical data while testing the hypotheses. It also reveals the methodological protocol developed for the analysis of the MCBT, inspired by DI MÉO'S FSS and adapted to the specificities of these territories.The second part exposes the results obtained within the framework of the ground while keeping a comparative approach to differentiate well conceptually the MCBT of the concepts quoted previously. The fourth chapter is in connection with the practices of the space: observe Tone of specificities in these practices? Does closeness explains them? In what the motives for these flows contribute to the territorialisation of the space. The fifth chapter analyzes the representations of the space because the PHD positions itself in the field of the social and cultural geography. We question the otherness of the cross-Channel residents: have the French and English residents of this space seen in common a shared space? Finally the last chapter is dedicated to the institutionalization of the space. Indeed, the MCBT having no politico-administrative existence it is necessary that their actors cooperate and share a common vision of the space. So the concepts of cross-border cooperation and maritime cross-border governance were mobilized. A particular study was led around the cross-border twinnings and the relations which they maintain with the territorialisation of spaces.Throughout our work, the study of the interactions between the materiality, the immateriality and the institutionalization of the space was in the center of the reflection. The general questioning of the PHD also integrates the incidence of the maritimity on the constitution of a MCBT. Finally because of our territory of study it is important to think about the concept of insularity

Tekniken är en stor del av dagens samhälle. Allt fler tjänster och saker blir digitaliserade, nu även sjukvården. Denna avhandling kommer att introducera dig till e-hälsa och hur digitaliseringen av sjukvården påverkar relationen mellan doktor och patient samt vilka förtroendeproblem som kan uppstå.E-hälsopplikationerna behöver vara användarvänliga och enkla att använda för patienterna. Patienterna behöver känna sig trygga och säkra. För att undersöka användarupplevelsen i de olika kanalerna jämförde vi de två olika flödena: personligt möte med videosamtal.Det finns många olika leverantörer av e-hälsoapplikationer i Sverige, Kry och Min Doktor är två av de mest populära. Digitaliseringen av sjukvården påverkar inte bara patienterna utan läkarna är lika involverade. För att få en läkares åsikt ställde vi ett par frågor till läkare om bedömning av patienter via videosamtal. Ett frågeformulär gjordes för att samla in information om patienternas förhållande, användning och erfarenhet av e-hälsoapplikationer.Frågeformuläret visade att det finns delade åsikter om e-hälsoapplikationerna. Vissa patienter tror att e-hälsapplikationerna kommer att gynna samhället och kan själva tänka sig att använda en e-hälsoapplikation för mindre åkommor. Andra patienter är starkt emot e-hälsa och de flesta av dem instämmer i att det är ett slöseri med skattepengar. En annan vanlig orsak emot e-hälsa är att patienter tycker att deras åkommor är för komplexa eller att de inte litar på att läkaren ger dem korrekt vård genom en applikation. / Technology is a big part of today's society. At this time more things and services become digitized, now even healthcare. This thesis will introduce you to e-health and how to digitize healthcare will affect the doctor-patient relationship and the trust issue that may occur. E-Health applications need to be user-friendly and easy to use. The user needs to feel comfortable and safe. To investigate the cross-channel user experience we compared the two different flows: in-person appointment and video conference. There are many different providers for e-health applications in Sweden, most popular are Kry and Min Doktor. This digitizing not only affects the patients, but the doctors are also equally involved. We questioned doctors about their approach towards assistance through an application. A questionnaire was done to gather information about the patient's relationship and usage of e-health applications. The questionnaire showed that there are some divided opinions regarding e-health applications. Some patients think that e-health applications will benefit society and may use an e-health application for minor complaints. Other patients are strongly against e-health, and most of them agree that it is a waste of tax money. Another common reason against e-health is that patients think that their complaints are too complex or that they do not trust the doctor to provide them the accurate assistance through an application.

The bachelor thesis aims to explore whether students perceive the usage of self-service technology (SST) as positive, neutral or negative, which occurs before, under and after a visit at the library of University of Borås. In this paper, a qualitative user diary was used as a method to gather empirical data. An established UX method, customer journey mapping (CJM), was selected to analyze the empirical findings. The findings were further analyzed with a theoretical framework of the predecessor David Benyon to gain a deeper understanding of user experience in a cross-channel context. The study shows that students are overall positive to the usage of SST, but a deficiency of information affects the positive experience throughout the library.