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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

This study examines the processes of advice seeking by small business owners and employs a Strategy-as-Practice perspective. The analysis of the data from 33 small business owners identified eleven factors that influenced the processes. These included: cost; proximity; technical skills and knowledge; business ties; similarity of goals; business savvy; appropriateness of advice; knowledge of the other; knowledge of the business and its context; personal relationships and trust. The extent of influence of the factors was shaped by the category of the advice provider as indicated by the type of relationship and the type and extent of trust in that relationship. This study makes two major contributions to knowledge. First, it highlights the fact that advice seeking is a practice within the broader practice of strategizing and shows the different roles advice plays in small business owner strategizing. Second, it develops a descriptive framework of the advice seeking practice of small business owners which shows that the small business owner’s practice of advice seeking is a set of open-ended activities which are cognitively ordered and spatially-temporally dispersed. High levels of trust and personal relationships are shown to create an advisory space in which the business owner is willing to be open and vulnerable to the advisor and so enables the advisor to gain knowledge of the business owner and his business which help shape the advice given.

Background: Today’s market is constantly going through changes. Customers havenew tendencies and preferences towards the products they buy. It is a customer centeredbusiness culture and companies must follow it if they want to stay in the market.Therefore communication is more personalized and tries to exchange as muchinformation with customer as possible. This enhances customer relationship anddevelops more customized products. The development of customer intimacy is requiredin order to have a broader understanding on customer needs. In that way firms are moreable to meet customer preferences with the products they provide.Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe sales strategies of additional products toexisting customers in the B2B Swedish market. Further this study will identifycommunication tools when contacting customers.Research Questions:RQ1: What sales strategies can Electrolux Laundry Systems implement for additionalproducts?RQ2: How can Electrolux Laundry Systems use communication when offering newproducts?RQ3: How could communication affect the customers?RQ4: How could managers and employees perceive the sales perspectives of ElectroluxLaundry Systems?Method: The chosen method was in depth interviews. In these interviews theresearchers asked open-ended questions via face to face and via telephone and recordedthe respondents answers. The observations were carried through interviews with ninecustomers of Electrolux Laundry Systems. Scandic Hotel Värnamo, VärnamoMunicipality, Ekdahls Länghem, Ljungbybostäder, Ljungby Hospital, ElderlyHomecare Ljungby, Tekniska Förvaltningen and Ljungby Municipality.Results: The research demonstrated that the company analyzed uses customer focussales strategies and direct marketing communications as the main tools to maintain andnurture a strong relationship with customers. Also important factors have beenhighlighted that explain the essence of the study, such as the use of communication andsales efforts to establish close relationships to later on cross-sell additional products in amore suitable way according to customer’s explicit needs.