Ce travail doctoral s’intéresse aux choix du mode d’entrée des PME de service d’ingénierie souhaitant s’implanter sur les marchés émergents. Le contexte est à un double titre : un pays d’économie en transition, la Russie, et une PME du type Born Global de services à forte intensité de connaissances (SFIC), secteur parapétrolier. Notre recherche porte sur la détermination des facteurs qui permettent de franchir avec succès les barrières à l’entrée dans ce contexte. Nous avons procédé à la collecte des données empiriques primaires sur le terrain en conduisant une analyse qualitative exploratoire longitudinale d’étude de cas unique sur la période 2006-2013. L’étude de cas a été privilégiée afin de valider nos propositions de recherche issues des travaux scientifiques identifiés tel que les théories concernant les modes d’entrée, les PME Born Global, l’internationalisation des activités de services aux entreprises, les réseaux relationnels. Les résultats obtenus montrent que les PME SFIC du type Born Global se développe à l’international en suivant leurs clientèles, en s’appuyant sur le marketing relationnel et sur leur réseau comme un outil d’accès à une information fiable dans une espace volatile, à la différenciation de l’offre et à la rapidité de réaction pour exploiter une stratégie de niche. La nature d’activité des SFIC nécessite pour convaincre les clients, d’exploiter les capacités rhétoriques du personnel en contact, faire attention à l’image projetée et de gérer les relations et les interactions avec les clients centraux. Nos résultats font apparaître l’importance de l’étape pré-export pour la réussite du projet d’implantation dans ce contexte de marché. / This research work focuses on the entry mode choices that best fit the needs of SMEs of engineering services which set up their business into emerging markets. The context is twofold: a country with transition economy, Russia, and the so-called « Born Global » SME of knowledge intensive business services (KIBS), operating in the oilfield sector. Our study tries to identify factors that may help successfully overcome the entry barriers in this particular context. To conduct this research, we used an empirical approach of primary data collected directly from the field. Our exploratory qualitative analysis has been carried out longitudinally and involves data collection of single case study over the period 2006-2013. The method of single case study was privileged in order to validate our research proposals that emerged from the theoretical background related to the works about: entry mode, « Born Global » SME, the internationalization of professional business service, networks. Our descriptive results indicate that « Born Global » KIBS firms attempt to set up their business by following their clients, through relationship marketing and networks approach as a tool to get an access to reliable information in the turbulent environment, reinforced by the offer differentiation, reactivity and a niche strategy. The work and the outcomes of KIBS cannot be immediately evaluated, which require to convince customers through the management of rhetorical skills of contact persons, image production and interactions with central clients. Moreover, our results show the importance of pre-export phase to perform better the set up project in the context of emerging market.

The after-sales pricing industry has, as many other industries, transformed with the digital era which have enabled automatization and scalable solutions. For companies pricing over 35 000 after sales items, scalable, digital solutions is needed. “The Company” International AB offers their SaaS solution Price, which integrates with the company’s ERP system and helps gain as much profits as possible by assisting with value-based pricing.  But lately, “The Company” has realized to be able to be market leading they need to ensure a better user experience (UX). This research’s aim was to understand how design affect customer value by understanding what UX factors are important to succeed in a B2B after-sales spare part market. The main research question were thereby: How do the UX design affect the customer value on an after sales digital service?. An important note to make is that this study will focus on the market, UX design trends and customers and their needs – not how the design should be done per se (e.g. “this button should be green, not blue”).  From the literature review, the sub-elements of UX were found to be Functionality, UI Design, Usability and Affect. Moreover, Organization is found to be a vital part to enable as good the UX as possible. The review suggested all sub-elements and their units could play a part of creating enhanced customer value.  The study is based upon qualitative interviews, followed up by a quantitative validation form studying the sub-elements and CSI. The interviews were held online with video calls and lasted for about 1–1,5 hr.  The findings verify earlier studies and implications, that all UX sub-elements do affect customer value significantly. The factor with least correlation to CSI is functionality which could be explained by being a hygiene factor, not motivator factor. Another finding, in contrary to B2C research, suggests that positive emotions is not wished for in B2B software’s as the users are “forced” to use the software as it is a part of their job, but this implication need to be further researched.  To be able to use UX as a market strategy “The Company” is advised to, within the product development team, not only prioritize new functionalities but also improving existing functionalities. It is also advised to share UX goals and vision throughout the different division working with Price. Some actions advice to take to enhance Price’s UX is making error messages actionable, enabling the user to save drafts in wizards and make it possible for the user to terminate any actions in the system.

Объектом исследования является идея осуществления производства антикоррозийных продуктов. Целью работы является обоснование экономической целесообразности реализации проекта по производству антикоррозийных продуктов. В процессе выполнения работы были получены следующие результаты. В рамках изучения методических подходов к оценке экономических перспектив были даны определения экономического и маркетингового анализа, определены их основные методы и задачи. А также составлена авторская классификация антикоррозионных продуктов, учитывающая их ключевые признаки. Результаты анализа рыночных и перспектив позволили выявить основных потребителей и конкурентов интересующего отраслевого рынка, а также позволили определить оптимальный объем выпуска антикоррозийного продукта и его среднерыночную стоимость. Таким образом, оптимальный объем выпуска, не нарушающий сложившегося рыночного равновесия, составляет порядка 30 тонн, а среднерыночная стоимость 1 тонны продукта составляет 100-110 тыс. рублей. Результаты патентного исследования, проведенного в рамках оценки научно-технических перспектив, позволили определить динамику патентования и выявить аналогичные технические решения. На основе результатов проведенного патентного исследования пределен средний срок жизни проекта по производству железооксидного пигмента с противокоррозионными свойствами – 4 года. Научно-практическим результатом, полученным автором в процессе выполнения работы, является создание модели производства, учитывающей более эффективные инструменты реализации идеи по производству антикоррозийных продуктов. В рамках этой модели, с учетом выводов, сделанных в аналитической части работы, рассчитаны показатели экономической эффективности трех вариантов трансфера технологии. / The object of the study is the idea of the production of anti-corrosion products. The purpose of the work is to justify the economic feasibility of the project for the production of anti-corrosion products. The following results were obtained in the course of the work. As part of the study of methodological approaches to the assessment of economic prospects, the definitions of economic and marketing analysis were given, their main methods and tasks were determined. And also the author's classification of anticorrosion products, taking into account their key features. The results of market and prospects analysis allowed to identify the main consumers and competitors of the industry market of interest, as well as to determine the optimal volume of production of anti-corrosion product and its average market value. Thus, the optimal volume of output that does not violate the existing market balance is about 30 tons, and the average market value of 1 ton of product is 100-110 thousand rubles. The results of the patent research conducted in the framework of the assessment of scientific and technical prospects allowed to determine the dynamics of patenting and to identify similar technical solutions. Based on the results of the patent research, the average life of the project for the production of iron oxide pigment with anti – corrosive properties is limited to 4 years. The scientific and practical result obtained by the author in the process of the work is the creation of a production model that takes into account more effective tools for the implementation of the idea for the production of anti-corrosion products. Within the framework of this model, taking into account the conclusions made in the analytical part of the work, the indicators of economic efficiency of the three options for technology transfer are calculated.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Relationship marketing has received much attention and widespread publicity over the past ten years and has moved to the forefront of research and practice. It provides companies with a management tool to establish economically profitable relationships, networks and interactions with different, but equally important stakeholder markets. The marketing concept as reflected in the four P's of the marketing mix was prominent in marketing practice and thinking until the mid-1980s, when reference to customer relationships and relationship building began to appear in the literature and became the focus of much research. The marketing concept, although still relevant, was expanded to include the dimension of relationships. The shift fiom transactional to relationship-based marketing has many implications for product and service based business. Marketing can no longer be viewed as a separate function to which an organisation can assign responsibility for the customer while the rest of the organisation gets on with their tasks. Rather, the relationship-based view of marketing places the responsibility for marketing (as defined broadly) on everyone in the organisation. In other words, it is the responsibility of every employee within the organisation to satisfy the needs of customers. A relationship marketing orientation can therefore create a competitive edge for an organisation and can also have a positive impact on organisational performance. In a highly competitive, global environment organisations are focussing more attention on building sustainable, competitive advantages by developing and maintaining close, cooperative relationships with a limited set of suppliers, customers and channel members. Through these relationships, organisations create value by differentiating their offering and/or lowering their costs. The term "relationship marketing" is therefore applied to a number of different marketing activities ranging from consumer frequency marketing programs to selling activities directed towards building partnerships with key customers. The focus of this study is to investigate the mutually beneficial nature of establishing long term relationships in supplier markets, customer markets, internal markets, recruitment markets, internal markets and influence markets. The different principles which are important to improve and professionally manage the relationships in the markets listed above, are identified and discussed. These principles were tested in travel agencies in the Western Cape province to determine their current and ideal application in a travel and tourism environment. The calculation of effect sizes were based on the difference between the current and ideal application of the principles within travel agencies in the Western Cape. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Relationship marketing has received much attention and widespread publicity over the past ten years and has moved to the forefront of research and practice. It provides companies with a management tool to establish economically profitable relationships, networks and interactions with different, but equally important stakeholder markets. The marketing concept as reflected in the four P's of the marketing mix was prominent in marketing practice and thinking until the mid-1980s, when reference to customer relationships and relationship building began to appear in the literature and became the focus of much research. The marketing concept, although still relevant, was expanded to include the dimension of relationships. The shift fiom transactional to relationship-based marketing has many implications for product and service based business. Marketing can no longer be viewed as a separate function to which an organisation can assign responsibility for the customer while the rest of the organisation gets on with their tasks. Rather, the relationship-based view of marketing places the responsibility for marketing (as defined broadly) on everyone in the organisation. In other words, it is the responsibility of every employee within the organisation to satisfy the needs of customers. A relationship marketing orientation can therefore create a competitive edge for an organisation and can also have a positive impact on organisational performance. In a highly competitive, global environment organisations are focussing more attention on building sustainable, competitive advantages by developing and maintaining close, cooperative relationships with a limited set of suppliers, customers and channel members. Through these relationships, organisations create value by differentiating their offering and/or lowering their costs. The term "relationship marketing" is therefore applied to a number of different marketing activities ranging from consumer frequency marketing programs to selling activities directed towards building partnerships with key customers. The focus of this study is to investigate the mutually beneficial nature of establishing long term relationships in supplier markets, customer markets, internal markets, recruitment markets, internal markets and influence markets. The different principles which are important to improve and professionally manage the relationships in the markets listed above, are identified and discussed. These principles were tested in travel agencies in the Western Cape province to determine their current and ideal application in a travel and tourism environment. The calculation of effect sizes were based on the difference between the current and ideal application of the principles within travel agencies in the Western Cape. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007