This research is primarily concerned with extending the current knowledge of the corporate logo by developing a comprehensive conceptual model of its influence on corporate image and corporate reputation within the discipline of marketing. By examining the conceptual model, this research challenges the claim that a corporate logo, as a company’s ‘signature’, communicates corporate identity (Bromley, 2001; Van Riel et al., 2001) and enables the company to build an image of the company in the consumer’s mind (Henderson and Cote, 1998). Despite the significant and positive view of corporate logos as a communication tool, little systematic research has examined the effect of the components of logos on consumer evaluations of corporate logos (Henderson and Cote, 1998; Pittard et al., 2007; Van der Lans et al., 2009). Furthermore, too little study has been made of the relationship between the corporate logo, its dimensions, antecedents and consequences (Van Riel et al., 2001). This thesis adopts a mixed-method research design – a predominantly quantitative approach, which is supported by insights from an exploratory phase which encompasses in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The research’s conceptual model was developed on the basis of qualitative study and the existing literature. In the second phase, this conceptual model was used to examine consumers’ perceptions of the influence of the corporate logo on corporate image and corporate reputation in the context of a financial setting in the UK. A sample of 332 respondents allowed multivariate analysis of the data to be undertaken. It used exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Cronbach-alpha and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to ensure that the scales developed and adapted were robust in terms of validity and reliability. Structural equation modelling (SEM) allowed the hypotheses between constructs to be examined. The model confirmed a good fit to the data, good convergent, discriminant and nomological validity and stable reliability. Based on the statistical results, qualitative study (in-depth interviews and focus groups) and the related literature, the current research found that, apart from colour, all the antecedent factors (corporate name, design and typeface) impact favourably on the corporate logo. Furthermore, the relationship between the corporate logo and the consequences were evaluated; the results of the hypotheses testing demonstrate that that the corporate logo has greater impact on corporate image, attitude towards advertising, recognisability and familiarity. In addition, the relationship between corporate image and corporate reputation was confirmed. However, an unexpected outcome was that the relationship between attitudes towards advertising, recognisability and familiarity and corporate image were not significant. Overall, this study presents the corporate logo as a complex phenomenon. This thesis is the first systematic research to have conceptualised and operationalized the concept of the corporate logo, its antecedents and its consequences. This examination is expected to be of value in advancing current knowledge by offering a threefold theoretical contribution to the literature as theory extension, the level of conceptualisation and measurement and theory testing and generalisation. In terms of methodology, this research used a multi-disciplinary approach to the corporate logo concept since a major contribution of this research aimed to provide a holistic perspective on the domains of marketing, corporate identity, corporate visual identity and the literature on corporate logos. Furthermore, it is hoped that this investigation will make a considerable managerial contribution to the understanding of decisionmakers and graphic designers about the whole relationship between a favourable corporate logo, its antecedents and its main consequences. A clear understanding of the dimensions of the relevant concepts can help managers and designers to devise corporate logos which are more likely to advance a favourable corporate image and corporate reputation. This study seeks to develop an understanding of the construct of the corporate logo and some of its antecedents and outcomes, although the findings are not without some limitations in the methods of sampling/analysis and measurement. Additional guidelines are presented in the hope of stimulating further investigations to incorporate the novel research directions in the study of the corporate logo and its antecedents and consequences.

Privacy-invasive software is an increasingly common problem for today's computer users, one to which there is no absolute cure. Most of the privacy-invasive software are positioned in a legal gray zone, as the user accepts the malicious behaviour when agreeing to the End User License Agreement. This thesis proposes the use of a specialized reputation system to gather and share information regarding software behaviour between community users. A client application helps guide the user at the point of executing software on the local computer, displaying other users' feedback about the expected behaviour of the software. We discuss important aspects to consider when constructing such a system, and propose possible solutions. Based on the observations made, we implemented a client/server based proof-of-concept tool, which helped us discover other issues such as the effect on system stability. We also compare this solution to other, more conventional, protection methods such as anti-virus and anti-spyware software.

Abstract A high level of customer perceived value is the key to customer loyalty and to the profitability of customers and companies. It is not enough to meet the customer's needs in order to win customer loyalty. Instead the aim for companies should be to try to delight customers. Customers are delighted when they feel that the product or service not only fulfils their needs and expectations, but also gives them unexpected additional value. Value has been studied widely and there are several different models and theories to describe customer perceived value. In the main, they tend to be too general or insufficient or they do not provide a useful guide for management practices. Therefore the aim of this thesis is to generate a theory for consumer perceived value which could be useful for managements trying to develop superior value so as to improve their customer loyalty. Pre-purchase consumer value was examined applying Grounded Theory methodology and by synthesizing the existing research results. The resulting theory from this synthesis consists of three main stages namely, gaining, sacrifice and purchase factors. The gaining stage has three sub elements: substance, reputation and interaction. All these sub-elements have the same four subcategories: emotional, social, functional and economical elements. What is novel about this research is its treatment of customer perceived value firstly, from the perspectives of the companies – based on three functionally different factors: substance, reputation and interaction – and secondly from the perspective of the customers based on the identified subjective outcomes (i.e. emotional, social, functional and economic factors). Based on this approach companies can develop products based on a better understanding of consumer perceived value.

Organizational researchers have recently taken an interest in the ways in which social movements, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other secondary stakeholders attempt to influence corporate behavior. Scholars, however, have yet to carefully probe the link between secondary stakeholder legal action and target firm stock market performance. This is puzzling given the sharp rise in NGO-initiated civil lawsuits against corporations in recent years for alleged overseas human rights abuses and environmental misconduct. Furthermore, few studies have considered how such lawsuits impact a target firm’s intangible assets, namely its image and reputation. Structured in the form of three essays, this dissertation examined the antecedents and consequences of secondary stakeholder legal activism in both conceptual and empirical settings. Essay One argued that conventional approaches to understanding political risk fail to account for the reputational risks to multinational enterprises (MNEs) posed by transnational networks of human rights NGOs employing litigation-based strategies. It offered a new framework for understanding this emerging challenge to multinational corporate activity. Essay Two empirically tested the relationship between the filing of human rights-related civil lawsuits and corporate stock market performance using an event study methodology and regression analysis. The statistical analysis performed showed that target firms experience a significant decline in share price upon filing and that both industry and nature of the lawsuit are significantly and negatively related to shareholder wealth. Essay Three drew upon social movement and social identity theories to develop and test a set of hypotheses on how secondary stakeholder groups select their targets for human rights-related civil lawsuits. The results of a logistic regression model offered support for the proposition that MNE targets are chosen based on both interest and identity factors. The results of these essays suggest that legal action initiated by secondary stakeholder groups is a new and salient threat to multinational business and that firms doing business in countries with weak political institutions should factor this into corporate planning and take steps to mitigate their exposure to such risks.

This dissertation examines reputation as a regulating force in online and offline relationships and transactions, arguing that reputation requires protection through the promulgation of new laws. Using John Locke’s “under-labourer” approach as its central method, this dissertation ultimately sets out a series of conclusions, which form a preliminary framework upon which appropriate reputation regulation might be built. Part I of this dissertation studies offers an interdisciplinary study of reputation. Chapter 1 examines the ways that reputation is created and maintained, the purposes for which it is used, and its role in risk management and trust. These understandings are then applied to reputation in process. Chapter 2 explores formal reputation systems and the ways in which user investments and desires become written into reputation such that multiple levels of “dominant” norms may be simultaneously operant. Chapter 3 shows this normative force also operating on social network sites, shaping identity performances. Finally, having established these intersections and the regulating power of norms upon reputation, the effect of such performances is examined in chapter 4, which identifies reputation’s gatekeeper role in offline and online spaces and the risks this can create when information is accessed or employed without an understanding of the norms which have shaped that information. Thus reputation is shown as a socially negotiated and co-created process which exerts an unseen hegemonic force, with dominant political, economic and ideological interests embedded in seemingly social norms. These norms are enforced via reputation, which takes on a gatekeeper role, regulating access to a variety of spaces, information, and economic opportunities. Part II begins with an examination of the current forms of legal and quasi-legal regulation of reputation that exist, ultimately finding that none of them is fully applicable to the complexity of reputation. Having established this complexity and shown that current approaches are inadequate, chapter 6 moves on to examine and then reject the neoliberal approach currently applied to these issues, finding its focus on individual responsibility to be inadequate and inappropriate, calling instead for a mode of regulation that understands reputation within its social context.

The diploma thesis is covering questions of personnel marketing ( means problems of personnel branding and the recruitment process) of one of the biggest banking institution from the czech market in the time of comming recession. The thesis involve an aspect of marketing and a description of recruitment process. Also there is a description of main concequences of the financial crise to the labour market with the influences on the process of personnel marketing. Iintroducing of the organisation is followed by analysis of exact activities concerning personnel marketing, evaluation of these activities, which is based on studying of technical literature and companie's documentation. Finally there are some proposals to improve the quality of these processes.

M.Sc. (Information Technology) / In Africa, the economy is largely dominated by SMMEs that represent 90% of private businesses and contribute to more than 50% of employment and GDP. However, these SMMEs struggle to sustain their businesses in the current economic climate. To address this, advancements in mobile and cloud technology introduce new possibilities such as digital business ecosystems to support environment where small, micro, and medium enterprises can interoperate. The fundamental challenge for SMMEs in a digital business ecosystem is the selection of transaction partners. SMMEs are interested to transact with other SMMEs that will benefit their business through successful transactions. This leads to the sustainability and growth of SMMEs and consequently the economy. However, not all SMMEs behave as predicted and therefore, being able to trust another SMME in the digital business ecosystem is important. Trust is an essential part of business and personal life. The social nature of trust makes trust very personalised and for each individual, trust is interpreted, understood and perceived according to past experience and social behaviour. These factors are largely influenced by cultural norms and behaviours that individuals conform to. In African and some other regions, collectivist cultural norms and behaviours are common whereas in Westernised regions, individualist cultures are common. Therefore, it is not enough to just consider trust from a technical perspective but also from a cultural perspective. For small businesses in Africa and other regions in the world, this is especially true. Compared to larger companies in developed economies, SMMEs in Africa are more informal and operate in a more personal manner. This implies that trust decisions are largely influence an owner or employee’s cultural norms and behaviour. The research conducted in this dissertation proposes a trust model, known as Trustcv that supports the cultural norms and behaviours of collectivist cultures for trust in a digital business ecosystem. Digital business ecosystems, trust, culture and social network analysis provide the literature foundation for Trustcv. The effectiveness of Trustcv is measured through simulations of a digital business ecosystem in Africa, which provides interesting results compared to an existing trust model. The results indicate that Trustcv could be used to support trust in collectivist digital business ecosystems used by collectivist cultural SMMEs.

In today's globalized world where states compete with each other for political power and for the attention of potential investors, consumers, tourists, students and workers the nation brand is becoming more and more important. Those states which have a strong, positive and trustworthy image abroad gain a better position in the international relations and reach their political, economic and other goals more easily. That is why states are motivated to pay more attention to building their image abroad. The thesis analyzes the image of Sweden abroad and its authenticity. There have been considerable changes in the Swedish society recently. The aim of the thesis is to find out whether the changes in the society bring about changes in the basic societal values. And if so, whether these changes are reflected in the building of Sweden's image abroad, and in what manner.

The objective of this research is to ground the reputation construct in theory and to explore the formation of reputation through beliefs about the university and attitude toward the university. Additionally, it will allow for analysis of the consequences of reputation, specifically behavioral intentions, which has received limited attention in the extant literature. This study seeks a better understanding of the construct of reputation. Much of the existing literature on reputation has focused on measuring reputation. Earlier work identified reputation from a strategic perspective and more recently, studies have identified the importance of also understanding reputation from the stakeholder perspective. However, very few of either types of research have identified the theoretical foundation for the formation of reputation (Caruana, Cohen, & Krentler, 2006). There is also a paucity of research that examines the consequences or outcomes of reputation. This study will specifically examine the impact of university reputation on the behavioral consequences of prospective students. This study utilizes the theory of planned behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) to identify how reputation is formed through beliefs about and attitude toward the organization that results in behavioral intentions. The proposed model for this study is an adaptation of the Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) model and the model presented by Money and Hillenbrand (2006). Respondents to the survey were prospective students at two universities in the southeastern United States. Results support the hypothesis that beliefs about the organization and attitude toward the organization are related. Multiple regression identified that emotional appeal, social and environmental responsibility and financial performance of the university were significant predictors for a student‟s likelihood of enrolling in the university.

As organizations grow and expand past their operational headquarters, individual branches may reflect a different identity than that of the headquarters. The question then is, "Is senior management able to transcend geographical boundaries and communicate the identity that has shaped their strategy for the organization?" The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of geographical expansion on the reflected perceptions of internal stakeholders related to the organization's intended identity as defined by senior management. Through this study, four themes emerged from the data. The themes included a reliance on reputation, a sense of belonging, peer influence, and communication congruence. Based on this data, the study provides a marketing of identity process to assist organizations in communicating their identity throughout the organization and across geographic locations.