Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2004.

Customer value is essentially the perceived value that the customer gains when purchasing a product. The perceived value is the trade-off between the cost of the product and the benefits it provides. If the customer perceives the benefits exceed the costs, then the customer perceives value in the product. A need is defined as a perceived lack of something. Customers across industries consider fulfilment of their unique needs as a key metric in evaluating the effectiveness of a solution. In order for an organisation to successfully provide solutions based on customer needs it is crucial for the organisation to understand the needs of their target market. Market Needs Analysis (MNA) is the investigation that intends to improve knowledge about the needs of the organisation’s target market. Project Based Organisations (PBOs) are organisations who are primarily orientated to execute once-off projects with an organisational structure specially formed for a temporary period tailored to deliver a product that meets the needs of specific customers. This research investigates the value offering of a Turnkey PBO and its alignment to the needs of its market. The organisation is privately owned, operating primarily in the South African automotive industry. The true name of the organisation that will be researched will not be disclosed for confidentiality reasons; instead it will be called My Automation Company (MAC). Until the end of 2010, the core focus of the organisation was the supply and maintenance of specialised electronic and computerised tools and services used mainly for quality assurance and production support. Towards the end of 2010 the organisation shifted its focus to providing a new product and service, Turnkey Industrial Automation Projects, to its existing market. In the rush of introducing new products and services many organisations neglect to analyse the market to ensure that they fully understand and can satisfy its needs. Understanding customer needs is crucial in order for new products to be successful thereby capitalising on the available growth potential. Turnkey Industrial Automation Projects is a new product in the organisation’s existing market. It is therefore important that the organisation investigates the customer needs for this particular product as it will differ significantly from customer needs for Service Level Agreements which the organisation is familiar with. The purpose of this research study is to advance the current understanding of the Customer Value Proposition (CVP) of Turnkey PBOs by performing a systematic analysis of the determinants of customer value. This research is an exploratory quantitative study comprised of literature- and case study components used to test proposed hypotheses. The literature study was performed on secondary sources to establish the key concepts related to the topics of PBOs, Industrial Marketing, Market Needs Analysis and CVP. The empirical study consisted of surveys (questionnaires) completed by various customers and employees of MAC. The questionnaire used in this research consisted of questions regarding demographic data and questions regarding perceived CVP and influencing factors. Descriptive statistics was used to summarise the data into a more compact form which could simplify the identification of patterns in the data. Inferential statistics was used to verify if conclusions made from the sample data can be inferred onto a larger population Recommended business practices based on the statistical analysis of the survey results were identified. It was shown that there exists a relationship between Perceived Value and Product Characteristics, Relational Characteristics, Supplier Characteristics, Benefits and Sacrifices by using Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient to measure the linear association between the variables. A significant difference in the perceived performance of MAC in certain aspects was found. There is however no significant difference between the perceived importance’s assigned to CVP factors by High- and Low-level Management customers. It was also found that there is a significant difference in the perceived performance of MAC by Customers and Employees in certain aspects. While there is alignment between the importance Employees and Customers place on the majority of independent variables, there is misalignment with regard to the various Supplier Characteristics. Supplier Commitment was shown to be the factor that requires the most attention as: it has the biggest influence on the perceived value gained from dealing with MAC; Customers rate the organisations performance in this regard lower than Employees do and Employees assign lower importance to this factor than Customers. This study concluded in the development of a hypothesised CVP model that indicated not only which factors influence the CVP of a Turnkey PBO in the Eastern Cape but also the effect that each of the identified factors have on perceived value.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pennsylvania, 1933. / Bibliography: p. 120-121.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2007. / Title from file title page. Naveen Donthu, committee chair; Detmar Straub, Dan Bello, James Boles, committee members. Electronic text (152 p. : ill.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Nov. 14, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 142-151).

Diss. Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2007. / Title from file title page. James Boles, committee chair; Wesley Johnston, Greg W. Marshall, Edward Rigdon, Danny Bellenger, committee members. Electronic text (222 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Oct. 29, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 217-221).

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce in Marketing. / SMMEs are known to be a key driver of employment creation and economic growth on both developing and developed countries. In South Africa, SMMEs failure rate is very high; resulting in low economic growth as SMMEs are key engines for economic growth. Thus, SMMEs are well known to be the backbone of many economies around the world and they contribute greatly to a nation's wealth as they create jobs. Therefore, the sound performance of the SMME sector in a country relates to the performance of the Nation's economic performance. The SMME sector has a significant role to play in developing economies like South Africa; and poverty reduction and employment creation are some of the issues that SMMEs addresses in a country. This study was aimed at examining how product innovation, entrepreneurial orientation, risk-taking and resource leveraging can influence business growth of SMMEs. Research indicated that in South Africa, SMMEs make up to 91% of formalized businesses and provide employment to approximately 60% of the labour force and its total economic output accounts for 34% of the Gross Domestic Product. In South Africa, the failure rate of SMMEs is estimated to be between 70%. There are numerous challenges hindering SMMEs from growing and these include, but not limited to, insufficient management skills and lack of expertise in functional areas like marketing and finance. Subsequently, South Africa faces some unique challenges when it comes to building an entrepreneurial society, as it is a relatively young democratic country. South Africa has an extremely low rate of entrepreneurship compared to the rest of Africa and the world, combined with high rates of failure for a small business. This study took a constructive outlook on the use of entrepreneurial marketing strategies as a driving force for business growth. The implications of the findings were discussed; limitations and future directions were suggested as well. / PH2020

by Leung Yiu-kwan, Siu Kwok-keung, William. / Bibliography: leaf [72] / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

D.Comm. / Die identifisering en evaluering van suksesfaktore is 'n baie belangrike aspek in die strategiese beplanningsproses. Dit vorm die hoeksteen waarop 'n onderneming se strategie rus en dit dien as integrasiemeganisme tussen bestuur se langtermyn doelwitte en die kanalisering van skaars hulpbronne. Suksesfaktore kom basies op alle terreine binne die onderneming voor. Die terreine kan in drie groepe gegroepeer word, naamlik: die makro-omgewing (die onbeheerbare eksterne veranderlikes soos politiek, ekonomie, tegnologie, mededingers, en so meer insluit). Tweedens die mikro-omgevving (die onderneming self, oftewel die beheerbare interne situasie wat die onderneming se hulpbronne en sy mense insluit) en laastens die aard en omvang (eiesoortigheid) van die bedryfstak. Alhoewel suksesfaktore op basies alle terreine van die onderneming voorkom, verskil die faktore van bedryfstak tot bedryfstak en self van onderneming tot onderneming. Verskillende tegnieke kan gevolg word om suksesfaktore te identifiseer. Die tegnieke kan afsonderlik of gesamentlik gebruik word om moontlik suksesfaktore te identifiseer. Alle geidentifiseerde faktore is nie noodwendig suksesfaktore nie. Vir die gedentifiseerde faktore om as suksesfaktore geldassifiseer te word, moet dit: Die internasionale makro-omgewing is saamgestel uit verskeie elemente, te wete: die ekonomie, geologie en infrastruktuur, tegnologie, mededinging, die sosiokulturele, politiek en wetlike aspekte. Die ekonomie van 'n land kan onderverdeel word in verskeie aspekte naamlik: die grootte van die mark, die aard van ekonomiese aktiwiteite, handelsblok, beskerming en handelsbeperkinge. Elk van hierdie aspekte hou potensiele kritiese suksesfaktore vir ondernemings in. Die internasionale fisiese omgewing is hoofsaaklik saamgestel uit geografie en infrastruktuur. Geografie is die fisiese eienskappe van elke mark in terme van afstand, topografie, klimaat, weersomstandighede en natuurlike hulpbronne, terwyl infrastruktuur weer energie, vervoer en kommunikasie insluit. Kultuur word gesien as die aspekte wat meebring dat samelewings van mekaar verskil. Kultuur word aangeleer en is rue aangebore eienskappe nie. Kultuur kan tereg beskou word as 'n mensgemaakte omgewing. Alle aktiwiteite van die mens kan in vyf dimensies verdeel word en uit hierdie dimensies is kultuur saamgestel. Die dimensies is: Materiele kultuur: tegnologie en ekonomie; Sosiale instelling: sosiale organisasie, opvoeding en politieke strukture; Sedes: oortuigings, godsdiens, bygelowigheid en verwante magstrukture; Die estetiese: grafiese kuns, musiek, drama, dans en volkskunde; en Taal. Die politieke bestel en regering bepaal die klimaat waarin internasionale handel plaasvind. Ondernemings wat internasionale markte betree, moet deeglik kennis dra van die huidige vorm van regering, die stabiliteit van die regering en permanensie van regeringsbeleid. Ondernemings moet ook bewus wees van die feit dat hulle die prooi van politieke aksies kan wees. Die regering van die dag bepaal en maak die wette wat in 'n land gebruik word. Landswette en die toepassing daarvan verskil van land tot land. Dit is nie moontlik om 'n enkele wet as 'n suksesfaktor uit to lig nie, maar die kontrak tussen 'n onderneming en die gasheerland kan as 'n suksesfaktor uitgelig word. Tegnologie beteken in bemarking die toepassing van bestaande kennis, wat gebaseer is op wetenskaplike ontdekkings, uitvindings en innovasies. Nie alle lande is tegnologies ewe ver gevorderd nie en daarom moet 'n onderneming ag slaan op die tegnologiese gaping tussen lande voordat daar in die gasheerland bele word. Uit die hoofstuk kan die volgende as krities beskou word vir die bemarking van industriele produkte oorsee.