My diploma thesis analyses present situation in the area of marketing management in the company offering predominantly services. According to completed analysis in the conclusion of my thesis I offer suggestions which lead to improving of the company management and which also lead to rise of the competitiveness and profit of the company and other important economical indicators.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) is the practice of household members undertaking home improvement or maintenance on their own, instead of hiring professional help. While DIY is a substantial and steadily growing cultural and economic phenomenon in several developed countries, in India, it is still in a stage of infancy. The objective of this research is to understand whether DIY can be introduced and developed in India as a significant consumer activity based on an understanding of the DIY markets in developed countries (like USA, UK & France) and the business models in place to service them. The concept of DIY started sometime in middle of the 20th century in the USA and it eventually spread to UK and rest of Europe in the later part of the century. Currently, in most developed countries DIY constitutes a significant portion of the Home Improvement and repair Market and there are specialized organized retail chains to cater to the DIY demand. In India and most developing countries, DIY is not an established practice and does not contribute at all to the Home Improvement and repair Market. Organized retail in most developing countries is very small and most of the Home Improvement Market is serviced through local decorative and hardware distribution outlets. Brazil is an exceptional case due to its large organized retail structure for servicing the home improvement market. Organized retail to service the Home Improvement and repair Market in China has started in a big way and is witnessing exponential growth year on year. Similar phenomenon has started in India as well. However, both in China and India, there is no specific demand for DIY products and the same clearly needs to be created. Existing research literature on DIY, focuses mainly, on the determination of variables that influence the decision to take up a DIY or a home improvement project. Apart from this, a large number of business reports and studies profiling specific DIY markets are available over the internet. Work has also been done to trace and record the history of DIY and its impact on culture and society. While there has been some research work carried out that deals with the development of strategy for DIY markets in developed countries, no such work has been done in the context of developing countries. The purpose of this research is to do just that but the scope is limited to household painting and carpentry. The pilot study (focussed group discussions) and the questionnaire survey reveal that, in India, there is a clear bias against DIY mainly on account of perceived lack of time and knowledge. But it is possible to define a demographic profile of people that will show the highest inclination towards DIY. The survey reveals that this profile varies depending on the type of the DIY activity (Electrical, Plumbing, Indoor Painting, Outdoor Painting, carpentry and Gardening). The final part of the research involves the formulation of a holistic marketing strategy, based on the research findings and the understanding of prevalent business models to service DIY in developed countries, to create and service demand for DIY products related to household painting and carpentry in India.

No abstract available / Graduate School of Business Leadership / M.B.L.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

This dissertation considers organizational problems of market entry. The research follows the experimental path. Game theoretic models are combined with laboratory experiments to produce a set of empirical findings. Two market entry problems are studied. The first considers the chain store paradox developed by Selten (1978). This game considers an established chain store with locations in numerous towns. In each of these towns a different competitor decides whether to enter and compete with the chain store. When entry occurs, the chain store can respond cooperatively or aggressively. The game proceeds sequentially, the players are not symmetric, and the critical solution concept is the subgame perfect equilibrium. Three experiments are conducted for a total of 550 trials of the game. Experiments differ in the size of payoffs, the number of entrants, the anonymity of the chain store, and whether subjects play in both the role of the chain store and an entrant or in just one role. There is qualified support for the game theoretic prediction that a chain store cannot deter the sequential entry of competitors. Entry occurred on 459 of 550 trials; while some chain stores pursue deterrence, it largely is not effective in these specific experimental environments. It is suggested that deterrence might be effective if the number of entrants or payoffs are increased. The results have implications for discussions on predatory pricing, reputation, and the value of backwards induction as a solution concept. The second market entry problem is based on a simultaneous market entry game developed by Rapoport (1994). In this game symmetric players decide simultaneously whether to enter a market with a specified capacity. The game theoretic prediction for the number of entrants is based on a Nash equilibrium (in pure or mixed strategies). Again, experimental results support game theoretic predictions. Across three experiments the correlation between the number of entrants and the size of the market capacity is consistently above 0.90. Taken together, these experiments on market entry problems provide strong support for the conceptual use of game theory and the methodological use of controlled laboratory experiments in the field of strategic management.

by Lee Yung-wong. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1980. / Bibliography: leaves 268-272.

本论文由两个供应链模型组成，是关于定价、渠道结构和策略消费者行为的综合研究。 / 由于互联网和电子商务的出现，在过去几年中大量创新的销售策略被引入到在线旅游业内。在第一部分中，我们主要研究了策略消费者的情绪因子（后悔）和不同的信息结构在“买方自主定价“渠道中的影响。通过加入策略消费者的预期后悔，我们首先刻画了每个消费者的购买渠道选择和投标策略，然后导出了以最大化利润为目标、具有双渠道结构的寡头服务供应商的贝叶斯纳什均衡，通过比较得到服务供应商的最优销售渠道选择和最优定价。最后，我们评估了不同类型的预期后悔（预期作为后悔和预期不作为后悔）对服务供应商定价，总利润和最优销售渠道选择的影响。对不同的信息结构按照相同的逻辑也做了分析。 / 另一方面，随着公众越来越意识到环境问题，绿色供应链管理已经得到了越来越多的关注。在第二部分中，我们建立了公司在两个部门下分别管理其新产品和可区分的再制造产品的定价模型。我们首先把在两个独立市场下的研究作为这一问题的基准，然后得到了在同一市场的广义模型下，集中式系统的最优定价以及分散式系统的纳什均衡结果。通过对确定性模型的分析和数值试验，得到了管理上的一些洞识。 / This thesis, consisting of two supply chain models, is an integrated study of pricing, channel structures and strategic consumer behavior. / Due to the the emergence of internet and e-commerce, masses of innovative selling strategies have been introduced in the online travel industry over the past few years. In the first part, we mainly investigate the impact of the strategic consumer’s emotional factor (regret) and the alternative information structure on the Name-Your-Own-Price (NYOP) channel. By incorporating the strategic consumers’ anticipated regret, we first characterize the optimal channel choice and bidding strategy for each consumer. Then we derive the Bayesian Nash equilibrium for a profit maximizing monopoly service provider with a dual channel. Optimal channel selection, followed by the corresponding optimal pricing decision, are obtained via comparison. Finally, we evaluate the impact of different types of anticipated regret - action regret and inaction regret - on the service provider’s pricing, overall profit and optimal channel selections. The alternative information structure could be analyzed following the same logic. / On the other hand, Green Supply Chain Management has gained increasing attention as the public becomes more aware of environmental issues. In the second part, we examine a pricing model for a firm that manages both new and differentiated remanufactured products under two divisions. We first investigate the problem under two independent markets as a baseline, and then derive the optimal pricing decisions in a centralized system as well as the Nash equilibrium results in a decentralized system for the general model under one market. Several managerial insights are obtained from the deterministic model and numerical study. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Jiang, Jun. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-124). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese. / Table of Contents --- p.x / Chapter 0 --- Notation / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Sell through an NYOP Channel: Information and Regret --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Literature Review --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Regret Theory --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Name-Your-Own-Price Selling Mechanism --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3 --- The General Model and Assumptions --- p.16 / Chapter 2.4 --- Consumer Regret --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Consumer Inaction Regret --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Bayesian Nash Equilibrium with Inaction Regret --- p.29 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Consumer Action Regret --- p.32 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Comparison --- p.35 / Chapter 2.5 --- Consumer Information --- p.40 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Clear Capacity --- p.40 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- No Commitment of Clearing Capacity --- p.43 / Chapter 2.6 --- Extensions --- p.45 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Vertical Integration of the NYOP Channel --- p.45 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Optimal Linear Pricing Contract --- p.47 / Chapter 2.7 --- Numerical Study --- p.50 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- The Impact of Inaction Regret --- p.50 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- The Impact of Action Regret --- p.55 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- The Impact of Information --- p.59 / Chapter 2.8 --- Summary --- p.61 / Chapter 3 --- Intra-firm Competition in Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Operations --- p.62 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.62 / Chapter 3.2 --- Literature Review --- p.65 / Chapter 3.3 --- The Model --- p.67 / Chapter 3.4 --- Random Return --- p.68 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Independent Market --- p.69 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Centralized System --- p.70 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Decentralized System --- p.72 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Multiplicative Return Form --- p.81 / Chapter 3.4.5 --- Efficiency Improvement Methods --- p.83 / Chapter 3.5 --- Deterministic Model --- p.85 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Independent Market --- p.85 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Centralized System --- p.86 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Decentralized System --- p.89 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- Coordination --- p.92 / Chapter 3.6 --- Numerical Study --- p.94 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- The Impact of System Parameters --- p.94 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Deterministic Model --- p.97 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Efficiency Improvement Comparison --- p.99 / Chapter 3.7 --- Summary --- p.100 / Chapter 4 --- Conclusion --- p.101 / Appendix / Bibliography --- p.113

"Digitization" is the global economic policy and technology development trend of the times. Cable companies have begun the digital world layout a long time ago. This research aims at finding out what kind of role as enterprise architecture plays in the digital cable TV internal marketing management. In this research, we select ¡§C¡¨ cable company in Kaohsiung as a case study, using both participant observation and secondary data analysis for data collection purpose, conducting semi-structured interviews for interviewing purpose, in order to find out how much benefit is generated by applying enterprise architecture to the digital cable TV internal marketing management. We construct a digital cable TV enterprise architecture platform for the evaluation of marketing strategy. Through case study, comprehensive results shall provide digital cable TV industry some insight recommendations on the organization marketing management of promotion, the use of help, and marketing of reaching consensus and proper use of various marketing tools. This is the contribution of our research.

An exploratory investigation using a survey study approach was undertaken in two organisations in retailing, to explore whether there is any connection between HOD leadership style and the effectiveness of marketing concept in the organisation. Findings emerged on several levels. Despite the agreement on the importance of leadership in IM, little integration of leadership and IM research is found in the literature. Traditionally, leadership studies relate to job satisfaction, motivation, performance, productivity and communication. The term leadership means different things to different people (De Jong 2006). Although no ultimate definition of leadership exists (Yukl 2002) the majority of definitions reflect some basic elements including influence, motivation, intention, and change. Despite the importance of acknowledging the concept of leadership and its implications on internal marketing, it emerges that empirical studies of the relationship between leadership and internal marketing are unduly under-represented. Looking at the results, the achievement oriented and participative styles are positively associated with internal marketing. The achievement oriented is somewhat a better predictor than participative style in predicting variability in internal marketing. Conversely, the directive style is negatively associated with the internal marketing variable. The only leadership style that has no significant effect on internal marketing is the supportive style. The results also show that staff job satisfaction levels are positively predicted by leadership style. Further analysis shows that only 2 out of 4 leadership styles have positive significant effects on internal marketing; these are: achievement oriented and participative styles. The other two are not significant in predicting the variability in job satisfaction. The regression results show that leadership style has a significant effect on the HOD performance variable. All leadership styles, except supportive style, have significant effects on HOD performance. The achievement oriented and participative styles have positive significant effects, but the directive style has a negative effect on HOD performance. The overall results show that achievement oriented and participative styles have positive significant effects directly and are mediated by internal marketing effects on job satisfaction and HOD performance. But the directive style of leadership has a significant direct negative effect and is mediated by internal marketing on HOD performance only and not on job satisfaction. Survey data at the individual level was aggregated across the two organisations and analysed. While these results cannot be statistically generalisable because of the small and unrepresentative sample used, the findings suggest that the link between individual organisation members’ perceptions of Internal Marketing and HOD leadership would be worthy of a larger study.

It is expected that South Africa will have to construct as much generating capacity in the next five years as has been constructed over the past 50 years. Industrialization and urbanization dictates that the larger portion of this increase will be required in the supply areas under the control of Municipal Electricity Undertakings, which means that these undertakings will have to anticipate rapid growth in their infrastructures. This will put a tremendous strain on their resources of revenue, materials and labour, and it is obvious that comprehensive and co-ordinated policies are required to be developed to enable these undertakings to deliver the electrical energy to the final consumers at the lowest possible cost. The Electricity Undertaking is a business organization with unusually difficult managerial problems in all its functional areas. Its personnel are adversely affected by the vast area of supply and by the resulting difficulty of direct supervision and control. The capital cost of electrical equipment is high, and there may be a tendency to reduce the initial cost by ignoring the long term costs associated with the selection of equipment. Electricity pricing is very difficult, as electricity is not a uniform product. The consumption patterns of the consumers causes severe peaking of loads to occur, resulting in very low utilization )f the capital equipment involved, and which can threaten to overload existing networks. These problems are compounded by the fact that the undertaking is a monopoly and as such is not driven by the free-market motivating forces, such as a profit motive and the constant need to improve to meet competition. There is thus no motive to seek optimum solutions to the many problems. It is shown that the Load Factor is an indication of the efficient use of scarce resources, and that it is similar to measurements of profitability, such as Return-on-Investment, etc. It is therefore possible to replace the missing drive for profit and product improvement by the need to constantly improve the load factor. By making this the main objective of the undertaking many of the stated problems are put in their correct perspective. Maintenance becomes important, as power failures adversely affect the load factor. More care is exercised in equipment selection, as long term energy losses are taken into account. Electricity pricing and its effect on consumer consumption patterns becomes important. The concerted effort to improve the load factor is referred to as load management. Due to the tremendous increase in electricity consumption which is expected over the next decade it is certain that load management will play an ever increasing role. Load Management is defined as the sustained attempt at modifying the load curve. Soft load management refers to pricing policies and incentive schemes designed to induce users to shift their loads .out of the peak periods. Hard load management physically switches customer loads. This thesis examines the results obtainable from various methods of load management including off-peak incentive tariffs, on-peak-reduction rebates, the use of current limiters, peak load reduction by means of voltage reduction and remote control of water heater cylinders. It is shown that whereas Sasolburg saves around R7S0 000.00 p.a. and Randburg saves over Rl,5-million p.a.,other towns such as Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg find their geyser control systems ineffective, and are phasing them out. It has hitherto not been possible to determine the actual savings which would result from the installation of a geyser control system, or to determine the optimum number of controlled geysers. The result was that some undertakings would install a control system at considerable expense which resulted in minimal savings, while other towns forego the opportunity to save hundreds of thousands of rands in reduced demand charges. In this thesis, the author develops a feasibility study model which permits the system load curve to be analysed and the viability of a geyser control system to be determined. The model was tested against the controlled and uncontrolled load curves of Somerset West, and was found to be accurate. It was shown that a geyser control scheme is a very viable proposition for those undertakings where the feasibility study shows a contribution of more than 0,5 KVA per geyser towards peak load reduction. This forms the basic guideline for the selection of an appropriate form of load mangement, and guidelines are presented to develop supporting policies in all fields of the undertakings' functions. In order to facilitate correct decision-making and to assist in the development of comprehensive policies, a database of concepts and models is presented in the various fields and various misconceptions are dicussed. The guidelines have been applied by several electricity undertakings. By using the Feasibility Study Model it was shown that the proposed installation of 4000 geyser control units at Oudtshoorn, at a cost of over RI-million, was not viable. The Feasibility Study Model permits the savings to be calculated for different numbers of geysers and it was shown that the system saturates at about 1500 controlled geysers. By reduci ng the number of controlled geysers to around 1500 the installation cost will be reduced by about R500 000.00 and the system will show a net operating savings , " of RI05 540.00 in the first year, increasing as ESCOM increases its tariffs. The application of these principles conceivably prevented the needless expenditure of RI-million on a system that would have run at an operating loss of over R17 000.00 p.a. The feasibility study model was applied to the Stanger load curve to determine the correct selection of load management. The results indicate excellent response to geyser control, and showed that a system controlling 2500 geysers, costing R498 500.00 would show a gross savings of R297 000.00 in the first year, rising to RSI0 000.00 within 5 years if ESCOM increases its tariff by 10% p.a. Based on these results and recommendations the Department of Finance gave ad hoc approval to the Borough of Stanger for the additional expenditure in the current financial year to install the control equipment. The guidelines indicated a similar result for Tongaat, where the gross savings would be R360 000.00 in the first year, increasing to R637 680.00 within 5 years if ESCOM increases its tariff by 10% p.a. The estimated cost of the control equipment is R493 649.00. In complete contrast, the feasibility studies for geyser control undertaken on the Ballito load curve showed a contribution of less than 0,5 KVA per geyser, which indicated that the alternative forms of load management should be implemented. The results are contained in the case studies. / Thesis (DBA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1986.