Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-72). Also available via the Internet.

published_or_final_version / Business / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

As we know that the process of visions, strategies, plans, actions, reviews and re-plans are essential to managing a company and strategies obviously are the main guideline of all. The product strategies in marketing are recognized as the starting point to various kinds of strategies in production, marketing, human resource, R&D, finance, information system and logistic¡Ketc. The distribution organization of Multi-Level Marketing companies (hereafter named ¡§MLM companies¡¨) is different from those of other industries because in addition to being a customer, the distributors are not only their sales representatives but also supervisors of the sales teams. Therefore, the characteristics of distribution organization must be particularly taken into account while MLM companies plan on their product strategies. If they know well about the characteristics, the products strategies can be successfully initiated and company goal can be easily achieved as a result. In this study the data was collected through questionnaires which focus on the following three main issues in order to compare the differences and similarities of consideration factors between MLM companies and distributors while MLM companies plan on their product strategies.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 100-108) Also available in print.

Identifying appropriate international distributors for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the software industry for overseas markets can determine a firm's future endeavors in international expansion. SMEs lack the complex skills in market research and decision analysis to identify suitable partners to engage in global market entry. Foreign distributors hold responsibility to represent, sell, market, and add value to the software manufacturer's products in local markets. Identifying appropriate attributes to determine a suitable distributor is essential in assuring success in new export markets. Methods for partner selection have been addressed in the international marketing and information systems literature. Building on this literature, this dissertation develops an improved method for identifying suitable distributors in the SME software industry. The partner selection conundrum is modeled as a binary classification problem in that it involves predicting whether an alliance relationship will survive over a specific period. The challenge presented to researchers is not just the large number of variables involved in the selection process but also the inherent uncertainty in the decision making process. This study uses a Bayesian methodology for this classification task. A Naïve Bayes (NB) classification model was developed factoring sixteen alliance attributes identified in the partner selection literature and validated by domain experts who scored the importance of these attributes. Thirty years of partnership data that contributed to relationship longevity trained the model and held-back data was used to validate the model. The NB classification model returned accurate predictions in both the group of foreign distributors that succeeded and failed to reach the relationship longevity threshold of five years. The study's contribution to the software SME business community and its practitioners was the identification of an improved methodology for predictive success. The approach employed a simple Bayesian prediction model utilizing key alliance attributes to help software SMEs identify potential foreign distributor partners who can sustain relationship longevity from which to build a strong business partnership. Keeping the methodology simple is critical for SMEs who struggle with an abundance of challenges to maintain their corporate viability in the market place.

<p>The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumers’ behaviours towards the</p><p>distributors’ brands. The aim was to find out what were the most important criteria of the</p><p>marketing mix for a consumer in his buying process that make him choose between a</p><p>distributor’s brand and a leader’s brand.</p><p>In order to achieve that, a theoretical framework has been established about the distributors’</p><p>brands, their different types, their management compared to the one of the leaders’ brands,</p><p>then about the consumers, their relation towards the distributors’ brands, their personal</p><p>implication in the brand, and their role, and also the theory of the marketing mix has been</p><p>exposed.</p><p>A quantitative research was applied. The questionnaire focused on every customer leaving,</p><p>after purchases, from Carrefour and Casino in Montpellier. All economic and social status and</p><p>lifestyles were interesting to study.</p><p>12 questions were asked to each customer, and 100 of them fully answered.</p><p>The results of the study were that the price still is the most important criterion for the</p><p>consumers in their buying decisions. The attractive price is the reason.</p><p>But it was discovered that the quality became a real significant element for the consumers.</p><p>The principal conclusion was that consumers still didn’t trust enough the products from the</p><p>distributors’ brands, and that the price wasn’t anymore the only criterion to take into account.</p><p>It was suggested that the distributors’ brands could reinforce their performances if they give</p><p>more priority to the quality.</p>

The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumers’ behaviours towards the distributors’ brands. The aim was to find out what were the most important criteria of the marketing mix for a consumer in his buying process that make him choose between a distributor’s brand and a leader’s brand. In order to achieve that, a theoretical framework has been established about the distributors’ brands, their different types, their management compared to the one of the leaders’ brands, then about the consumers, their relation towards the distributors’ brands, their personal implication in the brand, and their role, and also the theory of the marketing mix has been exposed. A quantitative research was applied. The questionnaire focused on every customer leaving, after purchases, from Carrefour and Casino in Montpellier. All economic and social status and lifestyles were interesting to study. 12 questions were asked to each customer, and 100 of them fully answered. The results of the study were that the price still is the most important criterion for the consumers in their buying decisions. The attractive price is the reason. But it was discovered that the quality became a real significant element for the consumers. The principal conclusion was that consumers still didn’t trust enough the products from the distributors’ brands, and that the price wasn’t anymore the only criterion to take into account. It was suggested that the distributors’ brands could reinforce their performances if they give more priority to the quality.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Gary A. Knight, Florida State University, College of Business, Dept. of Marketing. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Jan. 26, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 89 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Les années 2000 ont marqué un fort regain d’intérêt pour l’alimentation, porté aussi bien par les consommateurs que par certains acteurs publics, qui se consacrent progressivement à la question alimentaire. Cette tendance est en partie liée aux dysfonctionnements et aux crises ayant affecté le système alimentaire agro-industriel dominant. En réaction, les initiatives de relocalisation de la production et de la distribution alimentaires se sont multipliées dans les territoires, visant au développement de « systèmes alimentaires alternatifs ». L’intérêt récent porté à ces systèmes, qui reposent bien souvent sur les circuits courts, a cependant conduit à négliger certains acteurs intermédiaires des systèmes alimentaires tels que les acteurs du commerce et de la distribution. La place de ces acteurs au sein des systèmes alimentaires, tout comme leurs compétences spécifiques, peuvent pourtant leur conférer un rôle privilégié au sein des territoires, pour favoriser l’accès des consommateurs à une alimentation de proximité. Les évolutions à l’œuvre en matière alimentaire conduisent à de nouveaux modes de coordination entre acteurs des territoires. Cette thèse étudie ainsi l’émergence d’une gouvernance alimentaire à l’échelon territorial. Elle interroge, en particulier, le caractère intégrateur des processus de gouvernance alimentaire territoriale, en se consacrant à un type d’acteur spécifique : les acteurs du commerce et de la distribution. Dans un premier temps, l’analyse de trois dispositifs publics alimentaires territoriaux, à Nantes, Lyon et Figeac, nous permet de décrire les processus de gouvernance alimentaire territoriale à l’œuvre, tout en mettant en évidence certaines difficultés liées à l’appréhension de la thématique alimentaire par les acteurs publics sur les territoires. De plus, au regard du rôle réduit que jouent les acteurs du commerce et de la distribution au sein de ces dispositifs, le caractère intégrateur des processus étudiés semble limité. Dans un second temps, nous adoptons une entrée « territoriale » par l’étude du Grand Clermont, qui permet d’aborder les pratiques des acteurs du commerce et de la distribution en matière de relocalisation alimentaire. Cette approche met en évidence les types d’interactions que les acteurs du commerce et de la distribution peuvent entretenir avec les acteurs publics territoriaux, et les enjeux autour desquels se jouent ces interactions. Plus généralement, nous mettons en lumière les difficultés liées à l’identification des acteurs du commerce et de la distribution par les acteurs publics territoriaux, du fait d’une méconnaissance, parfois teintée de défiance, entre ces acteurs. L’intervention des acteurs du commerce et de la distribution dans certains champs alimentaires (économie locale, nutrition, etc.) permet néanmoins d’envisager leur potentielle intégration aux processus de gouvernance alimentaire territoriale. Finalement, cette thèse propose une lecture des freins ou blocages à la mise en œuvre de processus de gouvernance alimentaire territoriale, à partir de l’exemple des acteurs du commerce et de la distribution. Elle illustre notamment le rôle spécifique des acteurs publics territoriaux dans ces processus, en tant que porteurs de démarches alimentaires territoriales, et fédérateurs des acteurs de l’alimentation. Par ailleurs, l’investissement de certains champs alimentaires par les acteurs du commerce et de la distribution, y apparaît comme un levier potentiel à l’émergence d’une gouvernance alimentaire territoriale. / Food became a subject of major interest since the 2000’s, for consumers as well as for public actors, who gradually address food issues. This phenomenon is mainly related to the recognition of dysfunctions and crisis prevailing in the agro-industrial and dominant food system. Consequently, food production and distribution re-localization initiatives multiplied, aiming at developing “Alternative Food Networks” (AFNs). However, the recent focus on these networks, frequently based on short food supply chains, has led to leave aside some intermediary actors in the food systems, such as food distributors. Food distributors include independent retailers (butchers, grocers, etc.), supermarket chains, wholesalers and new emerging forms of retailing. Distributors are central to the food systems and perform specific functions, allowing them to play a special role in food system re-localization.The recent dynamics in the food sector has brought new interactions within the food system, bringing out issues of change in food governance mechanisms. Thus, this thesis studies the emergence of a food governance at a territorial level. We particularly examine the integrative nature of territorial food governance processes, studying one specific actor: food distributors.First, we analyzed three French case studies in Nantes, Lyon and Figeac, describing the ongoing governance processes, but also some of the difficulties related to addressing food issues by public actors. The integrative nature of food governance processes seems limited, regarding the absence of food distributors and retailers in these processes. Then, we conducted a “territorial” work by studying a territory, the “Grand Clermont” in Auvergne, to analyze food distributors’ practices regarding local foods. This approach highlights the types of interactions established between food distributors and public actors, but also the issues at the heart of these interactions. More generally, we describe the difficult identification of food distributors by public actors, mostly due to a lack of knowledge – and sometimes to mistrust – towards these actors. However, food distributor’s intervention in some food sectors (i. e. local economy, nutrition, etc.) can help thinking their potential integration to territorial food governance processes. Finally, this thesis outlines the main obstacles and constraints to the implementation of territorial food governance processes, from a distributor’s perspective. In particular, it highlights the specific role territorial public actors play in these mechanisms, initiating public food programs and federating stakeholders around food issues. Moreover, food distributor’s intervention in various food sectors can be seen as a potential way to build a territorial food governance.

Field assessments were performed to establish the performance capabilities of a new flotation technology for fine coal upgrading, known as StackCell flotation. Flotation release analysis was performed on all samples to determine the amount of hydrophilic material present in the streams around the flotation cell. Data from this work supported recommendations from the equipment manufacturer that the wash water distribution system should be changed to a drip pan and that the design of the slurry-air distributor from the mixing chamber should be altered. The experimental data showed that as froth depth, rotor speed, and wash water rate changed, the performance of the cell followed expected trends with respect to product quality, but diverged from expected trends with respect to carbon recovery and yield. Other work performed includes the development of a new carbon partitioning test, which uses a blender to provide a high shear environment and uses oil to partition the slurry into a carbon rich oil phase and an ash rich pulp phase. This test is capable of producing results comparable to those of a traditional release analysis. Lastly, a spreadsheet program was developed that can aid users in designing drip pans. This program is capable of producing custom designs or unit cell designs. A study of the effect that plate thickness has on flow rate was performed in order to develop a model for flow through an orifice plate. The results of this work showed that plate thickness has little to no effect on the flow rate. / Master of Science