Current marketing literature, regardless of its underlying paradigm/logic, lacks consensus on how to conceptualise value creation, how to define what it entails, along with by whom, how, where and when it is created (Voima et al., 2010). It is no surprise then that the value creation process is often described as a ‘black box’ (Grönroos, 2011b; Leroy et al., 2013). In this doctoral research the customer’s perspective on value creation has been advocated. Research was conducted using mixed methods in the context of digital camera usage. It was found that value creation process consists of inputs (resources, customer and other socio-economic actors), 5 value creation phases (this is actually the content of black box: usage episode initiation, resource selection, resource adjustment, resource integration and evaluation) and outputs (side effects and value-in-use as a mix of instrumental benefits, experiential benefits, symbolic benefits and sacrifices;). Simultaneously to value creation, each consumption episode provides an opportunity for customer’s episodic learning that can result in customer’s augmented or new knowledge, skills and experience. Research found value to be episodic phenomenon, while value creation consistent with Roggeveen et al. (2012), was found to be cyclical and non-linear, showing how unpredictable the unique value creation path of an individual customer can be. This indicates that a value creation episode can evolve in unique ways depending on the sequence of value creation phases, given that customers may revisit already visited value creation phases (unless resources are not destroyed). In this way, while the study acknowledges the idiosyncrasies of individual customers’ approaches, on the other hand, it provides a theoretically structured view of this inherently idiosyncratic process.

This thesis investigates the important topic of technology transfer effectiveness from international joint ventures (IJVs) established in the automotive industry of Pakistan to their local components suppliers; a relatively under-explored area and context. Using hybrid methodology (qualitative interviews conducted with the 50 Pakistani first tier suppliers, 3 of the major assemblers who control 95%-98% of the market and with the officials of the Ministry of Industries and Production, supplemented with survey questionnaire), the study argues that IJVs in the automotive industry of Pakistan have transferred very limited low-medium complexity parts technology to their Pakistani component suppliers. The results also demonstrate that the assemblers have not, so far, transferred the whole package of technology to their suppliers. This whole package of technology is important for the resource constrained and underdeveloped suppliers to move up in the global value chain. The results also point out that the willingness of the sender is an important aspect for any technology transfer to take place and, in the context of Pakistan; assemblers are willing to transfer components to component- based technology depending on the underlying complexity of that particular component. Inter-organisational dynamics in the form of trust and social ties play a considerable and vital facilitating role in the transfer and effectiveness of technology. The recipient‘s role also in terms of learning intention and absorptive capacity is, highly relevant along with the willingness of the sender for the technology transfer to be effective. The study also shows that different governance mechanisms play an important role for technology transfer effectiveness, and the results demonstrate that only a few suppliers have developed exploitative/ exploratory innovations and a depth/breadth of learning. Finally, the study presents relevant contributions for managers, policy makers and researchers interested in the field of technology transfer and its effectiveness.

This study attempts to explain the banking performance in Jordan to draw out the implications of related theories and evidence for policy makers. Accordingly, they can influence the banking industry, which, in turn, impacts the economy overall. First, we investigate bank performance and the likely impact of market structures on such performance. The way in which market structure has an emotional impact on banks’ performance is vital for the reason that one objective of bank regulation is to ensure market competitiveness. Chapter three seek to examine two competing hypotheses, the SCP and the Efficient Market, for the Jordanian banking market using an unbalanced panel data set over the period 1991 to 2009. The results obtained support the SCP hypothesis as an explanation for market performance in Jordan. In chapter four we investigate the portfolio behaviour of Jordanian banks during 2002 to 2009 using monthly data. The model used is based on the portfolio choice theory, originated by Hicks (1935) and developed by Markowitz (1952) and Tobin (1958). Several nested models are developed to test the theoretical restrictions, including symmetry and homogeneity of the interest rate matrix. The empirical results, in general, clearly do not provide any support for interest rates which are important in determining the general composition of the portfolio holdings of Jordanian banks. The results show, however, that availability of funds is more important in determining the structure of these portfolios. In chapter five, the last empirical study, we examine the influence of efficiency estimates, which are derived from the Data Envelopment Analysis, on stock prices of listed banks in the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). We test whether changes in banks’ efficiency scores have helped to explain the change in banks’ stock prices. The overall findings suggest that the share prices of Jordanian banks move according to the representative changes under the technical efficiency variables in the three presented panels.

How does a new medium create its audience? This study takes the business model of commercial media as its starting point and identifies industrial audience measurement as a constitutive operation in creating the sellable asset of advertisingfunded companies. The study employs a qualitative case study design to analyse how a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) company harnesses digital behavioural records generated by computational network infrastructure to turn network subscribers into an advertising audience product. The empirical evidence is based on a three-months intensive fieldwork at the company office. The analysis reveals comprehensiveness, openness and granularity as the historically new attributes of computational data vis-à-vis traditional audience measurement arrangements. These attributes are then juxtaposed with four kinds of business analytical operations (automatic data aggregation procedures, the use of software reporting tools, organizational reporting practices and custom analyses) observed at the research site to assess how does computational media environment rule key audiencemaking practices. Finally, the implications of this analytical infrastructure are reflected upon three sets of organizational practices. The theoretical framework for the analysis is composed by critically assessing constructivist approaches (SCOT, ANT and sociomateriality) for studying technology and by discussing an approach inspired by critical realism to overcome their limitations with respect to the objectives of the study. The findings contribute toward innovating new digital services, information systems (IS) theory and the study of media audiences. The case opens up considerable complexity involved in establishing a new kind of advertising audience and, more generally, a platform business. Sending out advertisements is easy compared to demonstrating that somebody is actually receiving them. The three computational attributes both extend and provide summative validity for mid-range theorizing on how computational objects mediate organizational practices and processes. Finally, the analysis reveals an interactive nature of digital audience stemming from the direct and immediate behavioural feedback in an audiencemaking cycle.

Collaborative knowledge-building (CKB) in online social networking settings is an area of concern among educators and researchers alike. The focus however, seems to be on how social networking sites mediate the process of CKB while neglecting the role of design in making such knowledge-building and collaboration a sustainable activity. The relative lack of attention to design, points to the need for methods to guide the development of CKB environments. Additionally, despite the increasing use and benefits of informal online learning approaches for professional development, many Caribbean educators are still not making effective use of this approach to their professional development. This thesis addresses these issues and contributes to work in the field of learning design in the social networking setting. This thesis therefore draws on a three-year designing for learning action research exploration in the Caribbean Educators Network (CEN) which aimed to establish possible benefits from a framework-driven approach, given that the development of informal online social networking environments are not traditionally driven by any particular theoretical or design frameworks. Using the research findings, guided by activity theory (Leont'ev 1978; Engeström 1987), group cognition (Stahl 2005; Stahl 2006), community of inquiry (Garrison et al 2001), I advanced a conceptualisation of a framework to mediate collaborative knowledge-building in the CEN. The framework is a focus on processes (what is done) and presences (the environment or condition) and is expressed along 4 themes: community presence, cognitive presence, moderating presence and 'artefactization' presence. In addition to the development of the mediating framework, the exploration also resulted in a meaningful experience and approach that revealed design for learning in the informal online social networking settings as a dynamic, living, messy, critical-reflective and participatory process of meaning-making.

The motivation for this research arose from two projects in which the author advised on inventory centralisation. Since it was found that the literature was of limited value, inventory centralisation was identified as a suitable topic for research. Operationalisation is not adequately addressed in the literature on centralisation models. 'Operationalisation' denotes the translation of abstract concepts such as 'inventory service' into measures enabling observations to be recorded. In the literature, 'inventory service' is often equated to 'probability of stock-out' but many other measures are used in practice. This thesis presents a network of relationships between six commonly used measures. This is useful when decentralised depots do not share a common measure, or when the measure changes after centralisation. This thesis argues that, under all circumstances which arise in practice, it will be possible to achieve inventory availability benefits from centralisation with no added investment in stocks. A counter-example to the universal application of this rule have been presented in the literature but it is shown that such counter-examples are artificial. Since savings from centralisation may be offset by increases in transport costs, the reduction in stock-holdings needs to be estimated. The models presented in the literature assume that the estimation of demand variance and the correlation of demand between depots is not problematic. In practice, reliable estimates may be difficult to obtain, particularly for slow-moving items. Consequently, it is difficult to decide which items should be centralised and which, if any, should not This thesis proposes a 'quadratic variance law' approach', linking the variance of demand to its mean. This approach is underpinned by a model which allows correlation effects to be taken into account The 'variance law' approach is a contribution towards the operationalisation of centralisation models, since reliable estimates of mean demand are easier to obtain than estimates of variance and correlation. The 'quadratic variance law' is examined empirically using a sample of 230 stockkeeping units from an engineering supplies company. The approach is shown to be well-supported by the data. All the model assumptions are supported except one. The postulated independence between mean order-size and mean demand is rejected since a weak correlation was found. However, the simpler quadratic law is found to be more robust than a more complex law which would have taken this correlation into account.

Existing economics literature, especially empirical, on the role of advertising in the diffusion process is sparse. In this thesis, explicit attention was given to the part played by advertising in the diffusion of new consumer durables, both at a theoretical and empirical level. The two competing epidemic and probit demand diffusion models were used and two period models established. Advertising was incorporated into each framework, becoming endogenous once a supply side was added. The resulting profit maximising advertising sales ratio within each model was compared and contrasted to the standard Dorfman-Steiner and Nerlove-Arrow conditions found in the literature. The special features of the models did impinge upon these ratios. Alternative supply structures (defined in terms of number of firms) were considered and the resulting effects on the industry advertising sales ratio within each demand framework explored. The results could not be rigorously shown. however the essence of each of the demand frameworks had potentially different implications for the monopoly as compared to oligopoly outcome. The existence of a positive generic information externality in the epidemic model, reducing the advertising intensity once the monopoly assumption was relaxed, whilst the negative early extraction effect and intertemporal price discrimination opportunities in the probit model could increase the advertising sales ratio in an oligopoly industry. Two new consumer durables were chosen for the empirical investigation, the video cassette recorder and the colour television receiver. Both demand diffusion models were applied to the data for each product using OLS estimation procedures. It was found that the epidemic model performed relatively better to the probit model for the video cassette recorder, indicating a positive and statistically significant role for advertising, when entering indirectly through the social contact coefficient. Thus the information variables took precedence for this particular product. However there was some question over the predictive ability of the model and no account was taken of any possible simultaneous equation bias that would arise if advertising was endogenous, as suggested in the theoretical chapters. In contrast, the probit model performed relatively better for the colour tv receiver, showing the importance of the economic variables such as relative price, hire purchase restrictions and total advertising messages, in addition to the existing owners to non owners explanatory variable. This conclusion was reached after recognition of the possible existence of simultaneous equation bias. The information about the advertising decision contained in the theoretical chapters was used to identify the instrumental variables to include in the TSLS estimation procedure. However, restricting the sample period to the first 11 years of the diffusion process cast some doubt upon the probit model specification. This might indicate that future work should consider incorporating information variables into the probit structure in a more satisfying manner.

The way consumers perceive professional sport brands and form their loyalty towards the brands has been one of the central interests of researchers and practitioners. Despite growing importance of overseas markets for the brands, those studies have been limited in domestic market context, and the issue has been underresearched in overseas consumer context. This research investigates loyalty formation process towards the brands in both domestic and overseas consumer contexts, particularly focusing on the attitudinal aspect of brand loyalty, and compares the two groups of consumers. It argues that these two types of consumers are likely to be different in the psychological process of forming loyalty towards the brands. A conceptual model which consists of the hypothesised relationships amongst the types of brand associations and brand loyalty is proposed and tested empirically. Data for the empirical test is collected from 537 fans of a professional sport brand (Arsenal FC). Exploratory factor analysis is conducted in order to validate the measurement scale in the two market contexts and the professional sport (football) setting. Confirmatory factor analysis is administered for checking the fit of measurement models and structural equation modelling is used to test the proposed hypotheses empirically. The results show that, at the level of attitudinally loyal fans, domestic consumers and overseas consumers have not only dissimilarity but also similarity in the loyalty formation. The two types of consumers display dissimilarity in terms of the relevance of attributes to their perception of benefits. However, those two types of consumers exhibit similarity in terms of the needs they seek to satisfy in the brand consumption. This research provides useful implications to marketers of the brands by suggesting an insight on consumers with high attitudinal loyalty in the overseas markets. The research also provides limitations of the study and suggestions for future research.

This research is in reply to requests made by academicians to conduct research on cross-border marketing channels in developing countries (cf Cunningham, 2001). With its grounding in interaction theory and relationship marketing theory, an interpretive approach is taken that looks into the relationships between importers from a developed country (UK) and exporters from a developing country (Pakistan) in a context which has not been studied before. Nine pairs of importerexporter dyads from across three industries (bed-linen, towels, leather apparel) were interviewed iteratively. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed hermeneutically to build categories and themes of data. The results showed that good relationships had built over the years of mutual exchange and the relationships were characterised by building of relational bonds that acted as governance structures. But the relational bonds were unique to the dyads. Exporters made process and product modification investments but importers investments were limited to time and effort in learning. Extensive learning was involved in the initial days of relationship start-up but a happy centre-point had been achieved. The IMP model was modified for the context of the research based on respondents‟ definitions of their perceptions of relational exchanges and their effects on the dyadic relationship. It was found that country perceptions played a very strong role in the entire interaction process. It mediated the adaptations and institutionalisation of relational bonds, carried with it a strong product quality perception, and governed the power/dependence, conflict/cooperation, closeness/distance continua. Another phenomenon of interest was observed. Steep price pressures from the retailers due to changing market structure and increasing competition for both importers and exporters had a very strong negative influence on dyadic relationships. Importers and exporters defined it as a transient phase due to China‟s artificially depressed prices, and the dyads perceived that these prices were not sustainable and would eventually rise. But in the meanwhile, it was observed that as importers moved their purchases to cheaper supply-sources, they showed high levels of relationship energy. Though interorganisational relationships may have been subdued, or even severed, interpersonal relationships were strong and strategically maintained to keep the crucial link that would allow importers to return once the unstable conditions of perceived unstable short time depressed prices had alleviated and Pakistan was once more considered an efficient source of supply. Exporters devised strategies to survive in the interim period while they waited for importers to return with renewed business. Opportunism was also observed on part of both importers and exporters since short-term gains became more attractive than long-term returns on relationship-investment. This state of heightened uncertainty and short-term perspective of the otherwise long-enduring relationships was termed a consequence of Perceived Dynamic Competitive Prices.

This thesis deals with the involvement and role of procurement professionals in industrial projects. The role of procurement in industrial organisations with continuing operations has attracted considerable attention over the last several years; however, the role of procurement in industrial projects is rather under-researched. The literature review undertaken confirms that existing procurement literature based on continuous operations is in itself consistent and describes in depth the organisational principles as well as the role of procurement. From a project management point of view, procurement is mainly considered a transactional task, and remarkably few project management standards consider procurement at all. To overcome this gap, a Procurement Project Involvement Matrix has been developed in this thesis from the literature. This matrix defines, with examples, four possible project types in which procurement experts might be involved: an engineering project, a product development project, a multidisciplinary project, and a project portfolio. Based on these four project types, the research analyses what procurement experts do and what they should do. This thesis develops an integrated framework based on four interdependent research steps. The framework then allows the definition of the appropriate procurement tasks for all procurement job levels in relation to the project type. In addition, as both the procurement organisation and leadership tasks are of significant importance, a Project Procurement Organisation Model is developed. In general, the project procurement job tasks framework as well as the Project Procurement Organisation Model will help to implement, improve and audit the involvement level of procurement in projects. The thesis draws its findings from the analysis of a wide range of data. First secondary sources, such as job advertisements, public training programmes and presentations held at the BME (German member of the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management) symposium, were accessed. This was followed by an in-depth analysis of four consulting projects performed by the researcher in a project-based environment. The thesis concludes with a qualitative survey performed by means of interviews. Figure 1 summarises the thesis and provides an overview of the research, including references to the entire study. The numbers in the speech balloons below reference the appropriate figures. Even though the arrows suggest a sequential flow of the research, in reality the individual steps are interdependent, as shown in Figure 3 on page 9.