The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the applicability of Baxter and Matear's (2004) intangible relationship value (IRV) model in service industries. This model attempts to characterise the nature of the intangible relationship value that flows through a business-to-business buyer-seller relationship from the seller's perspective. However, the testing of that model has previously been restricted to the manufacturing sector (Baxter & Matear, 2004; Zhang, 2004). Considering the differences between the manufacturing and service sectors, it is necessary to examine the applicability of Baxter and Matear's IRV model in service industries. As a part of the examination of the model, a literature review was first performed; it concluded that the IRV model has potential to be applied in service industries.As a second step in the examination of the model's applicability, based on the data collected from 82 business service and consulting companies, an exploratory factor analysis found that the IRV in these companies was reflected in two dimensions: the human intangible relationship value and the structural intangible relationship value. The human intangible value was in turn reflected in three dimensions: competence, attitude, and intellectual agility. The structural intangible value was likewise reflected in two dimensions: relationships, and renewal and development. In addition, this intangible relationship value in service industries was confirmed to be associated with the future financial performance of the relationship. These findings indicate that the broad structure of the Baxter and Matear (2004) model was replicated in the service industries surveyed. However, one contrast in the current study with that of the Baxter and Matear model is that this study did not identify the "organization" dimension.Although this thesis has made a clear contribution to the marketing literature and provided some suggestions to managers in service industries, it has a few shortcomings. For example it had a small sample size, and did not evaluate the influence of time on relationship value. There is also some uncertainty concerning the reason for the lack of identification of the sixth value dimension, organization, which was clearly identified in studies in the manufacturing sector. Therefore, the applicability of the Baxter and Matear (2004) IRV model in the service sector needs to be further researched.

Companies in today's global and competitive business environment have realised that it is crucial for them to enhance their relationship with important customers in order to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. Account management has therefore received increasing attention during the last decades. Nonetheless, it seems as if the information requirements in combination with account management have so far been neglected in this discussion. / The aim of the review of contemporary theory thus is to investigate which information requirements are essential for account management, including its underlying concepts of key account management, strategic account management and global account management, and may lead to a competitive advantage. Consequently, the core questions are what kind of information is required, and how such information should be structured in an information system for account management to achieve a competitive advantage. Additionally, the terms and definitions of various researchers with respect to key account management, strategic account management and global account management as well as their interrelationship are discussed in detail within this review of the contemporary theory. / Analyses have shown that multinational corporations have recognised that only a limited number of key customers are vitally important to achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. Since this small number of customers is of such importance to the overall business performance, a successful business relationship with these customers is highly significant. In order to achieve a successful business relationship essential information about the individual customers has to be gathered. Information management and knowledge management are prerequisites for accumulating and using data concerning important customers. Specifying and obtaining the right information can be seen as a filter that sieves the information needed for account management from the vast amount of data available from knowledge management. Furthermore, this review of contemporary theory will argue that a specific information system is an indispensable tool involved in achieving a competitive advantage in account management. / Moreover, the review of literature has visualised that only a limited amount of material has been published about how to obtain and use the right information requirements effectively for account management. Therefore, it has to be investigated to which extent the combination between the specified information requirements and account management leads to a competitive advantage. Concluding, it can be said that further research is necessary in order to identify what kind of information is required for a comprehensive and unified account management information system. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-92). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-92). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.Hous.Man.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-71).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic version.

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Reducing customer churn while simultaneously increasing prices is a challenge in need of a successful intervention. This study takes an in-depth look into successful interventions that assist a business in retaining their customers while increasing prices. By identifying such successful methods, business can continue to have price optimisation strategies that can increase the value of the business through the growth in customer equity. By using an experimental design that takes place in a live setting on over 50,000 customers, interventions are tested to research whether they can have a causal relationship between the intervention and improved customer retention. Three different interventions target improving customer loyalty by offering them an additional benefit, providing justification of the increase through a personal phone call or both. The results of this research found that by simultaneously offering a customer an additional benefit and also creating a personal touch point by communicating directly with the customer telephonically in order to justify the increase had a significantly positive impact on customer retention. As an outcome, an additional level of depth can be added to the academic literature and a deeper insight into customer relationship management exists for businesses to learn from and grow their firm value. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lmgibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Launching new products into the market is considered a means of generating growth; however the growth is often short-lived as competitors copy product innovations. Organisations are learning that customers and not products are the most valuable resource and are the source of competitiveness and growth. Consequently, the requirement to change the organisational strategy from product centricity to customer centricity has become a topic of interest. It was identified by numerous authors that to attain customer centricity organisations need to change the design of their entities and related processes by harnessing organisation design competencies. In exploring this topic, a qualitative research approach was adopted. The research was conducted using a two phase approach. The first phase entailed an analysis of published case studies of four companies that have transitioned from a product centric to a customer centric strategy. The companies were from the financial services, electronics, real estate and information technology industries. The second phase of the research entailed conducting semi-structured interviews at a retail bank that was in the process of transitioning from a product centric to a customer centric strategy. Sixteen semi-structured interviews with the key managers across the retail bank were conducted. A central finding of this research was that the transition from a product centric to a customer centric strategy entails the understanding of key enabling factors. These are grouped into 3 categories, namely; technological, customer and organisational factors. Another central finding was the evidence in the changes in the organisation design. Changes in the structure, processes, rewards and measurements as well as people practices were noted. The role of leadership, culture and change management was highlighted. An organisation design capability was also cited as assisting in the transition to a customer centric strategy. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / ccgibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

M.B.A. / Please refer to full text to view abstract