The more and more competitive the commercial world is because of the market is opener and globalize. In the traditional age, the core competitive power of the enterprise was the organization of the enterprise, then as the days passing by, the suppliers and partners joined the group. However we should include the customer relationship into the new values network of the business. Due to the e-commerce technology develops the prosperous business world and brings new economic model and competition, the traditional ways to develop the new customers , aggrandize and keep the old customers are not enough to add values to the enterprise , enhance the loyalty of customers and the value of the customers. Therefore the enterprise needs some new models, systems and methods which are suitable for the e-commerce era, in order to run the business in the competitive and variable markets. We have to take different strategies according to the environment and the goals of the enterprise. The objective of this research is to evaluate the customer value of the customer relationship management via e-commerce attributes and the customer relationship management via the case study of using dispatching services of the human resource. In Taiwan, There are not so much related articles found in discussing about what customers value factors affect the business, and how they appear. I try to sketch the outlines of the research way by the value focused thinking method and the customer value way via the local dispatching industry through the method.

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Recently, the new type department stores are increasing rapidly. The competition among department stores is getting intensified. In early days, department stores usually competed with others by giving customers some discount or sending them gifts. However, the result of price war is that businesses are hard to raise their profits. This study analyzes consumer behavior by investigating the relation between store image and customer value, researching the correlation between customer value and price sensitivity and understanding the interference effects of demographics and lift style to test whether department stores can boost customer value by improving the store image and then decrease price sensitivity. This study adopts structural questionnaire to survey, Pearson Correlation Analysis and Canonical Correlation Analysis to analyze the relation between store image and customer value and research the correlation between customer value and price sensitivity, and Multiple Regression to investigate the mediating effects of customer value. Besides, in order to analyze the interference effects of demographics and lift style, this study chooses the Multivariate Analysis of Variance as testing tools to test these two variables. To understand what is the most important way for improving store image which can raise more customer values and what customer value was rose can boost more price tolerance, this study chooses the same sample, the same demographics or the same life style, to rebuild regression formulas, and identify the influence by observing the forecast variables and their coefficients. This study finds that if we choose different samples, including different ages, educational levels and lift styles, to build regression formula, the forecast variables and their coefficients would change. That is to say, if we want to increase price tolerance by raising customer value, we have to adopt different ways to different groups. In the same way, if businesses would like to raise costumer value by improving store images, they have to adopt different ways to different groups. If businesses adopt right way, they can let customer feel having more customer values so that customers can endure higher price and then reach the goal decreasing price sensitivity.

This PHD project aims to develop a service design system which has a customer-centric view and delivers a balance between profit and value for both customers and service providers. The system will enable designers to assess the design and provide decision support and rationale at an early service design development stage. Also during the lifecycle of the service it would provide a better cost estimation for the service provider to support its future decisions. The two first chapters give an overview of the service field and the research area. Chapter 1, the introduction, states the aim and objectives of this research along with setting the field of the rationale behind the motivation and scope. Chapter 2, the literature review, gives a thorough overview of the service design area mentioning the theories, techniques, methodologies and methods that have been used directly or indirectly for service modeling/design. Chapter 3, the research methodology, states the rationale behind the decisions to conduct this research in terms of purpose, design, strategy and data collection techniques. Moreover an analysis of the current methodology structure which was based on the adaptation of the aforementioned decisions is provided. In Chapter 4 there is a comparison among three different methods (Service Explorer (SE), Integrated Service CAD and Life cycle simulator (ISCL) and Service Blueprinting (SB)) as identified from the literature, which have been developed specifically for service design. The comparison looks at the dynamic features of each method. A dynamic feature is a property of a service method that has the ability to capture specific elements of the service design process which are subject to continuously change within a specific timeframe. At first, there is a brief discussion on how each method is applied and what the output as a generic process is. It starts with identifying generic key concepts of the service design approach by applying all methods to a rental service scenario. Following that, we create a virtual service of a rental machine scenario and map the previously identified key concepts into specific elements of the rental service. We test all methods against these service concepts to identify how well and in what scope each one performs. A merging process of the service concepts is then carried out to form 4 categories which form the specific dynamic features. We test all methods against these features. In particular we find that, SB lacks dynamic capability. SE does well on prioritising individual customer requirements but provides neither a modular design process nor the ability to deal with changes during the service lifecycle. ISCL can provide a process for generating models by combining previously established building blocks and a life-cycle service simulation. However the resources are fixed and there is no prioritisation on the requirements. A pragmatic service deployment requires a service environment that is subject to change, which in turn is not provided by the current methods we compared. The purpose of Chapter 5 is to demonstrate an open source agent-based simulation language that could be used for service design and to simulate the Emergent Synthesis (ES) methodology. This methodology was identified from the literature search as a potential solution to the research gap presented in Chapter 4. That would act as a validation of using the proposed method in the service design area. For this reason a service market is being used as a modelling example. First the area of agent-based modelling is introduced. Certain modifications take place according to the modelling language needs. Next step is the justification and discussion about these changes. The Systems Modelling Language (SySML) is being introduced as a diagrammatic notation method according to which the altered service market model is being represented. The purpose of Chapter 6 is to provide a new approach for accurate design of a service by combining and developing a unified modelling system which covers all important key aspects of a service scenario. To demonstrate the applicability and the output of the system, a case study has been selected. The rest of this chapter is structured as follows. Then there is the introduction and investigation of the service case study. Also the purpose of that choice is stated. Next step is the full breakdown of the system, the current data flow and how the combination of the individual methods has been implemented. Results of each method are produced while visualising the connections between each input-output. A comparison takes place to show the difference of using each method individually and how the emergence of the system as a result of the combination process affects the output. Last step is the validation and the analysis of the results. The penultimate chapter is the discussion, where the outcome based on the results of each chapter is discussed. In Chapter 4, we discuss the outcome of the comparative analysis process. In Chapter 5 we give the analysis and discussion of the service market modelling output and in Chapter 6 we place a discussion based on the system’s output. Last chapter is the conclusion where there is a brief restatement of the whole research work leading to major contribution points. The major contribution of the developed system is the integration of three major methods and methodologies (SE, ISCL, ES) in order to provide answers to the inherent limitations of current techniques (representation of social behaviours in an environment that is subject to change) in the service design domain.

Spending on robot surgery is expected to increase by $17 billion in the next 6 years. This new surgical treatment has challenged hospitals with higher costs and varying performance. Healthcare executives struggle balancing the adoption of medical innovations with managing healthcare costs. This dilemma can be further complicated by industry structures relative to capital-intensive medical innovations. This research explores the interaction between industry structure and customer value. Specifically, how can hospitals apply an understanding of supplier industry structure and customer value to improve the value of a robotic surgery program (RSP)? This industry study represents an exhaustive longitudinal review of over 15 years of public data relative to robotic surgery, across three distinct time periods. Within the research, industry structure is evaluated using Porter’s 5-forces model. A framework based upon contributions from Grönroos as well as Menon, Homburg, and Beutin is introduced to assess customer value based upon clinical, financial and strategic (CFS) value. The implications of periodic industry structure on customer value were examined to identify opportunities for hospital executives to increase RSP customer value. There were several empirical and theoretical findings from this research. First, in the face of increasing industry structure the identification of favorable forces may create opportunities to increase RSP value. Secondarily, exploring customer value through the lens of core, add-on, relational and transactional benefits in the sub-context of CFS value aids in the identification of market power influences on customer value. The implications of the absence of high levels of relational and transactional benefits without high levels of core and add-on benefits may influence avenues of pursuit in improving RSP value overall. The research also suggests that clinical and strategic value was present despite varying degrees of industry structure. Finally, this study represents an empirical joint analysis of industry structure and customer value in robotic surgery. Some proponents may find the introduction of an integrative model for measuring customer value in robotic surgery, applicable to other capital-intensive medical innovations or disruptive technologies at large.

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Purpose – Understanding student value in the Higher Education Sector has traditionally been conceptualised and measured using cognitive indicators, such as the National Student Survey (NSS). This thesis aims to build on the body of literature of service excellence, and alternative market sensing methods, such as the role of images and emotions in determining a deeper level of value for consumers. To apply a market sensing method to understand student value in an ever increasing complex environment, thus enabling a framework to develop differentiation in marketing strategy and communications for a University Business School. Design/methodology/approach – The focus for this inductive study was a Business School in which both undergraduate and post graduate students (n=24) were interviewed at depth, using a photo elicitation methodology based on Zaltman’s Metaphor Elicitation Technique, (ZMET) to explore their relationship with the business school and their real value. The process consisted of the candidate choosing a number of images, in-depth interview and then constructing emotion/value maps to elicit thoughts and feelings of value and relationship with the business school with respect to their stage of the journey. Findings – Results from the study found a number of emerging themes that were more significant at different stages of the transformational student journey. The study found that students resonated with similar images at respective stages of their programmes, and that a deeper level of understanding of the students emotional factors relating to their relationship with both the Business School and University, thus finding that an emotion based methodology was a better predictor of understanding student value, than cognitive measures of satisfaction such as National Student Survey (NSS). The findings from the ZMET based methodology also enabled better differentiation for market strategy, emotion based marketing communication and identified areas of operational process that could be improved through the internal marketing towards the internal customer. Originality/Value – The thesis establishes the need to use emotional depth methodologies when understanding the customer, to create differentiation in market strategy and customer driven market communications. This is the first time a Zaltman based methodology has been used in the UK Higher Education sector, specifically understanding student value. The thesis also contributes knowledge by extending the ZMET methodology with the development of a “Deep Value Mining” (DVM) depth gauge for understanding quality of data obtained through research methodologies understanding customer value. The research also created Emotional Value Maps (EVM) as a construct tool, creating a further extension to the ZMET methodology, to help researchers understand the association between value and emotion on a customer journey enabling the understanding of what’s really important to the participants of the research subject.

Research show that customer patterns in the textile industry are changing and the degree of personalization of products is getting more important to meet personal needs and preferences. Mass customization is a strategy named to create higher customer value by customizing products through a close interaction during the design and production process, high production flexibility and efficient logistics. The lack of research on the implementation of mass customization strategies and an identified gap between customer expectations and perception (customer value) of these types of products, are the incentives to conduct this research. The thesis has the purpose of identifying the drivers of customer value of mass customized garments and assess the value chain of the company Brohall & Son from a perspective of mass customization as a strategy, and from the results draw conclusions of customer value aligned with the implementation mass customization strategies. In order to perform the research a quantitative approach, doing a customer value analysis through a self-completion questionnaire, was conducted. Attributes of price, quality, fit, service and delivery capacity were investigated to get an understanding of what drives value for the customers. In addition a qualitative method was used, doing interviews with the CEO of Brohall & Son to gain a deeper understanding of their operations and value chain. The results show that quality, fit, delivery capacity and service are the most important attributes of customer value. Price is the least important attribute and also the least correlated/dependent variable to the rest of the attributes, showing a high willingness to pay for the garments. The analysis of the value chain indicates some areas of improvements regarding logistics, design process and production process. Solutions are brought up to get the value chain to get more aligned with the strategies of mass customization.

Syfte: Vårt syfte med denna studie är att ur ett företagsperspektiv undersöka hur köpkanaler kan integreras för att skapa kundvärde. Forskningsfrågor: Hur kan företag möta olika målgruppers behov genom att använda omnikanaler? Hur kan företag underlätta kunders vardag genom att använda omnikanaler? Hur kan företag förenkla kunders köpbeslut genom att använda omnikanaler? Metod: Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär, med en kombination av induktiv och deduktiv ansats. Den empiriska datan är insamlad genom sju semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Slutsats: Livsmedelssektorn genomgår idag en revolutionerande förändring där den försöker integrera köpkanaler och anpassa sig i en omnihandel. Kunden är idag mer medveten och aktiv än vad den någonsin tidigare varit, varefter den ställer högre krav på att företag ska förse dem med praktiska lösningar som genererar höga kundvärde. Studien resultat påvisar att det existerar en viss osäkerhet vid köpbeslut via online handel och vi kan konstatera att företag kan möta denna problematik genom att förse kunden med produktinformation samt skapande av förtroende. Studiens resultat indikerar på att företag bättre kan möta kunders behov och önskningar om de använder sig av psykografiska variabler vid segmentering. Genom att aktivt ta ställningstagande för hållbar utveckling kan företag attrahera den medvetna och aktiva kunden som förekommer på dagens marknad. Vi kan konstatera att kunden vill handla när, var och hur den vill vilket ställer krav på tillgänglighet och integration av köpkanaler. Studien har även påvisat att livsmedelssektorn inte implementerat mobila applikationer i den mån kunden önskar, men att detta är under utveckling. Teoretiskt bidrag: Studien bidrar med riktlinjer vilka kan följas vid utvecklingsarbetet gällande omnihandeln. Förslag till framtida forskning: Livsmedelssektorn har idag börjat integrera köpkanalerna för att möta kundernas krav och behov, men som framkommit ur studien finns det en problematik kring att skapa lönsamhet av denna verksamhet. Vi föreslår därför vidare undersökningar som fokuserar på hur aktörer inom livsmedelssektorn kan skapa lönsamhet i en omnihandel. / Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate from a business perspective how purchase channels can be integrated to create customer value. Research Questions: How can companies meet the needs of different target groups by using omnichannels? How can companies facilitate customers daily lifes by using omnichannels? How can companies simplify customers purchase decision by using omnichannels? Method: The study is of qualitative character, with a combination of an inductive and deductive approach. The empirical data has been collected through eight semi-structured interviews.  Conclusion: The food industry is experiencing a revolutionary change where it tries to integrate buying channels and adjust to an omnichannel environment. Today’s customer is more aware and active than it ever has been before, from what their demands are higher on the companies to provide them with practical solutions, which generate high customer value. The study shows that certain insecurity exists concerning the buying decision online and we note that companies can meet these problems by providing the customers with product information and trust creation. The result of the study indicates that companies can meet the needs and wishes of their customers in a better way by using the psychographics variable when segmenting.  By actively taking a stand for sustainable development companies can attract the conscious and active customer present on todays market. We can conclude that the customer wants to shop when, where and how it wants to which requires availability and integration of buying channels. The study has also shown that the food industry not yet implemented mobile applications to the extend the customer wishes, but that it’s developing. Contribution of the thesis: The study contributes with guidelines, which can be followed in the progress work concerning the omnichannels. Suggestion for future research: The food industry has today begun to integrate buying channels to meet customer demands and needs, but that emerged from the study, there is a problem on creating profitability. We therefore suggest further research that focuses on how companies in the food industry can create profitability in an omnichannel world.

Consumer value is an important determinant of consumers’ post-use behaviour, for example satisfaction, repeat purchase and word of mouth. The existing research mainly looks at the factors associated with the product and service providers to improve consumer value. Few studies on the role of the consumer in shaping consumer value have found consumer knowledge to be an important element in shaping consumer value. Adopting critical realism, this PhD expands this area of knowledge by investigating knowledge miscalibration (i.e., the inaccuracy in subjective knowledge) as a significant antecedent of consumer value. Most of the time, consumers’ perceptions of what they think they know (i.e., subjective knowledge) has been shown to be different from what they actually know (i.e., objective knowledge). Thus, subjective knowledge is usually inaccurate. This inaccuracy in subjective knowledge relative to objective knowledge is called knowledge miscalibration. Although the effect of knowledge miscalibration on consumers’ purchasing decisions has been investigated in the consumer behaviour literature, its role in the use stage of consumption has received much less attention. The aim of this research is to examine the effect of knowledge miscalibration on product or service use, and more specifically on the value consumers derive from actually using products or services (i.e., value-in-use). In this research a critical realism paradigm is pursued, implying that reality exists in the three domains of the empirical, the actual and the real. The research starts with observing regularity in the empirical domain (i.e., consumer value) followed by imagining the causal power in the actual and the real domains (i.e., knowledge miscalibration), shaping the research question. A retroductive strategy is followed, firstly by proposing the effect of knowledge miscalibration on consumer value and secondly by conceptually and empirically testing this relationship. This research conceptualises that knowledge miscalibration influences consumer value dimensions, described as efficiency, excellence, play and aesthetics. It is suggested that underconfidence (i.e., knowledge miscalibration where subjective knowledge is deflated) and overconfidence (i.e., knowledge miscalibration where subjective knowledge is inflated) influence consumer value dimensions differently as they generate different consequences in use. Therefore, a conceptual model is developed that describes the effect of knowledge miscalibration (i.e., overconfidence and underconfidence) on the dimensions of consumer value. The empirical part of the research is designed by conducting a covariance-based study and an experimental investigation in order to gain both internal and external validity. The covariance-based investigation is conducted in the context of amazon.com online shopping. Knowledge miscalibration and consumer value dimensions are measured in this study. This study supports the negative effect of underconfidence on efficiency, excellence, play and aesthetics and the negative effect of overconfidence on play. The experimental investigation is designed in the context of prezi.com, an online dynamic presentation creation website that enables its users to move between slides, words and images during their presentations. In this study, overconfidence and underconfidence are manipulated and their effects on the dimensions of consumer value are examined. The findings of this study show that underconfidence negatively influences efficiency, excellence and aesthetics, while overconfidence negatively impacts excellence, play and aesthetics. Overall, this PhD concludes that knowledge miscalibration negatively influences the dimensions of consumer value, with the exception of overconfidence impacting efficiency. The contradictory results of the covariance-based study observed in the experimental study can be explained through its inability to account for reciprocal relationships (i.e., where consumer value dimensions also impact knowledge miscalibration) and the existence of a third variable affecting both independent and dependent variables. Furthermore, the context of the experimental study (employing a new consumption task) is proposed to be the main reason for the lack of support for the effect of underconfidence on play.