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by Kwan Hon-kong William [and] Tang Wai-fan Ofilia. / Bibliography: leaf 101 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1984

by Pan Sui-Pang. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1987. / Bibliography: leaves 47-48.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to knowledge of customers’ buying behaviour toward premium dog food by examining their brand associations and how these are shaped by using Bozita Robur as a case study. Background: Market for dog food has increased heavily during the last decades what made knowledge of underlying driving forces of dog food consumption crucial for dog food producers. Quite peculiar is a phenomenon of purchasing behaviour towards a product purchased but not consumed turning it into a more complex and dynamic object of study. Lack of coherent and conclusive research that offer an understanding of primary behavioural drivers and preferences of Swedish dog food customers makes it a good opportunity to continue investigating the dog food industry. Method: The study is conducted in the form of a single case study. A survey instrument is used to collect data on awareness and to identify behavioural beliefs and subjective norms of consumers, followed by phone interviews that uncover their attitudes towards dog food brands. Lantmännen Doggy’s brand Bozita Robur is used for this purpose. Data collected is further analyzed with the application of consumer behaviour related theories. Findings: The study has found that Swedish customers have built a positive image associated with premium dog food brands, where superior quality is the primary association. On the brand schema level, each of the premium dog food brands investigated holds specific associations in consumer minds, whereas the strength of these associations depends much on brand recognition levels. Bozita Robur, though less familiar among respondents, was found to have a positive brand schema and is associated with Swedishness and high quality. Customers of premium dog food brand actively search for information when making a purchasing decision towards a dog feed brand. In a product, they do value high nutrition content. Dog owners are influenced by various social groups, among which breeders and specialty store staff have the strongest influence when it comes to purchasing advice of the dog food brands.

<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to knowledge of customers’ buying behaviour toward premium dog food by examining their brand associations and how these are shaped by using Bozita Robur as a case study.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Background:</strong> Market for dog food has increased heavily during the last decades what made knowledge of underlying driving forces of dog food consumption crucial for dog food producers. Quite peculiar is a phenomenon of purchasing behaviour towards a product purchased but not consumed turning it into a more complex and dynamic object of study. Lack of coherent and conclusive research that offer an understanding of primary behavioural drivers and preferences of Swedish dog food customers makes it a good opportunity to continue investigating the dog food industry.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong> The study is conducted in the form of a single case study. A survey instrument is used to collect data on awareness and to identify behavioural beliefs and subjective norms of consumers, followed by phone interviews that uncover their attitudes towards dog food brands. Lantmännen Doggy’s brand Bozita Robur is used for this purpose. Data collected is further analyzed with the application of consumer behaviour related theories.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>The study has found that Swedish customers have built a positive image associated with premium dog food brands, where superior quality is the primary association. On the brand schema level, each of the premium dog food brands investigated holds specific associations in consumer minds, whereas the strength of these associations depends much on brand recognition levels. Bozita Robur, though less familiar among respondents, was found to have a positive brand schema and is associated with Swedishness and high quality.</p><p><strong> </strong>Customers of premium dog food brand actively search for information when making a purchasing decision towards a dog feed brand. In a product, they do value high nutrition content. Dog owners are influenced by various social groups, among which breeders and specialty store staff have the strongest influence when it comes to purchasing advice of the dog food brands.</p>

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1979.

This thesis follows four main objectives. First, it explores Iran's First Development Plan directives from the economic, marketing, cultural, and financial perspectives by comparing data available from both local and international organisations. Second, it sets out to evaluate and determine the categories in which Iran has a comparative advantage. Third, it purports to analyse Iran's classification of competitors, and her exports potential to EU by considering similar and comparable economies. Fourth, it predicts Iran's marketing with EU during her Second Development Plan by forecasting both economic and non-economic factors. In this thesis, we first review and explore many factors that have been considered to be essential for Iran's export during her First Development Plan by using statistical methods such as the trend and time series analyses. Furthermore, the results of Iran's Reveal Comparative Advantage (RCA) for Non-Oil exports to EU indicate that it has a good potential for developing its exports in agriculture and labour-intensive products. Moreover, by reviewing and analysing the trade performance of Iran and its competitors, we can determine the marketing and economic status of these countries in terms of export trends and Non-Oil Export Similarity Index(ESa) in selected categories. Considering our classification of Iran's competitors, we can predict its marketing of Non-Oil products to EU in accordance with its Second Development Plan (1995-99) and with respect to three categories: political and cultural backgrounds, economic and marketing analyses, and interviews with experts. Finally, we can conclude that the model which we have proposed for the export marketing of Iran's Non-Oil products, and which is based on the theories of International Product Life Cycle and Experience Curve, fits in with the implications of the results obtained throughout this research.

This dissertation analyses the statistical and theoretical basis of Goodhardt, Ehrenberg and Chatfield's (1984) NBD-Dirichlet model of purchase incidence and brand choice. In doing so it makes a contribution to the understanding and use of this model specifically and to gamma models in general. / Particular attention is devoted to the mixing distributions of the NBD-Dirichlet model. It takes the oft-mentioned and little understood random variables of the model and exploits these as the principal tool of understanding. / The value of this approach is demonstrated by the proposition that all of the NBD-Dirichlet model parameters (A, K, S and the g brand α) can be comprehended to such a degree that a reader will be able to anticipate values of these parameters for different categories prior to fitting the model, and further, that it is possible to develop empirical generalisations relating to these parameters. / A deeper understanding of this model is, therefore, achieved through examining the gamma distribution. By understanding this continuous distribution, its parameters and random variables, the NBD-Dirichlet model and its parameters may be understood. The starting point is the random variable. Properly understanding the random variable of the NBD-Dirichlet model's mixing distributions in the marketing context is integral to this dissertation. / This dissertation expands the conceptualisation of the random variable briefly mentioned in the literature for the negative binomial distribution and also extends it to the underlying random variable for the Dirichlet multinomial distribution, hence resulting in a conceptually identical random variable for both brand choice and purchase incidence. These random variables are termed selection rates, and are latent, with each shopper having a 'latent selection rate' for every brand in the category and an additional, and independent, latent selection rate for the category itself. Thus in a g brand category, each shopper has g + 1 latent selection rates. In the NBD-Dirichlet model, latent selection rates are distributed gamma over the population. / Nine propositions regarding the NBD-Dirichlet model parameters in fast moving consumer goods (hereafter FMCG) categories are derived from latent selection rate theory. A number of these propositions are supported either directly or indirectly by the literature, with a tenth proposition arising solely from this second source. Observations of parameters in 50 FMCG categories are obtained in order to test these propositions. The empirical results demonstrate the utility of the theory of latent selection rates and in addition develop a number of generalisations relating to the NBD-Dirichlet parameters. The principal result of this dissertation is that the theory of latent selection rates enables the parameters of the NBD-Dirichlet model to be anticipated for a given FMCG category. / The notion of latent selection rates and describing the underlying random variables of the NBD-Dirichlet model is not unique to this dissertation, however using them as a tool for understanding, and anticipating the parameters of the model is. This dissertation thus enhances the practical and theoretical usefulness of the NBD-Dirichlet model by focusing on its parameters which fully specify any stationary and non-partitioned category. / This is achieved by showing that the parameter values of the NBD-Dirichlet model for a given category may be anticipated simply through a basic knowledge of the category and a theoretical knowledge of the model; specifically the theory of latent selection rates. The theory thus enables a greater comprehension of the NBD-Dirichlet model and has significant implications for both academic research and everyday managerial decision making. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2005.

Thesis (Ph. D. individual interdisciplinary)--Washington State University, May 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.