Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 106-108).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-148). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2005. / "Submitted to Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-158).

Dissertation--Universitäts St. Gallen, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [235]-248).

Thesis (M.Sc.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Title from title screen (viewed on Jan. 10, 2006) "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering Management." Includes bibliographical references.

Zugl.: St. Gallen, Univ., Diss., 2007. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, June 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

M.Comm. / New products are essential for a firm's long term growth and survival. But the process is frought with risk since new products fail at an unacceptably high rate in the marketplace. Thirty five years of research has not improved the results materially necessitating a re-investigation into the causation of new product success I failure outcomes. The study investigates the total market environment to identify key new product success and failure factors. This entails an examination of the firm's micro, macro and market elements to provide insights into the problem and provide information for strategic marketing planning to reduce the risk of failure. Since past research identified key failure factors by analysing results obtained from across many industries and from a firm's perspective, this study focuses on one industry and one complex product to identify new product threats from a customer's perspective. The reason for this approach was to identify the nature of the industry and product related threats that product managers should be aware of when launching new products, aspects which are not contextually raised in the literature. Customer value- and performance quality expectations, were found to be strong independent variables that determined the customer's value and performance satisfaction which in turn influences total customer satisfaction. In turn, total customer satisfaction is a pre-requisite for first time-, repeat and ongoing purchasing, a process essential for new product growth, increased demand, new product profits and its success. A new product which cannot generate planned profits is a failure. The empirical study verified these findings, leading to a proposed strategic framework for guiding the new product process. The framework considers the adoption of the marketing concept, neglected by most innovating firms and a customer focus to manage total customer satisfaction profitably before and after launch along the new product's life cycle. The framework formalises the new product development activities in the firm's hierarchical levels to attain and maintain total customer satisfaction, from the ideation stage to the product's planned termination phase. To avoid the risk of new product failure, customer satisfaction has to be maintained with superior new product/service value from the customer's perspective and with a sustainable competitive advantage from the firm's perspective. These objectives are best be achieved by planning, implementing and controlling the new product's marketing strategy that focuses on achieving total customer satisfaction in a turbulent business environment.

In South Africa the second economy continues to be marginalised in certain areas. This marginalisation exacerbates disparities in wealth. These ills have to be reduced for South Africa to prosper. A key driver for poverty reduction is ensuring all folds of society contribute to economic activity and are included within financial systems. A fundamental step in the process is for organisations to provision financial service offerings for the second economy. Whilst this has occurred, the majority of offerings have failed or have been met with limited success. There is a requirement to understand the customer and their needs hence providing a framework with which an organisation can create sustainable offerings for the second economy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve experts in financial service organisations. These persons had various roles from product managers to managing directors. The respondents hailed from research and non-governmental organisations. Using content and thematic analysis the researcher analysed data from the interviews. This data was used to transform a de jure new service development (NSD) framework created from the literature to a de facto NSD framework. This framework encompasses critical success factors and criteria required for sustainable offer development in South Africa. The research highlighted financial services organisations are not performing the basic processes and those performed, are performed ineptly. There is a dire need for a mind shift change, currently hindered by industry arrogance, to effect new process, to effect radical innovation, to effect new business models, to create sustainable service offerings for the second economy. Finally it’s evident a tool such as the de facto NSD framework, or similar, is essential in organisations to start perpetuating this change and supporting leaders in this drive. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted