Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM) / Companies are putting in place systems that might assist in attaining their business goals and vision to improve the running of their business processes. Companies are looking at Business Intelligence (BI) as a means to attain a competitive edge over competitors, predict future trends, improve strategic decision making, facilitate quick and reliable decision making, or make the day-to-day running of business easier. The study looks at the perspective of middle to top management on the context of BI, with main focus on the technical capabilities of BI within medium to large companies in South Africa. To obtain factors relevant to the South African business context, an online survey was conducted with various sectors of South African industry. The study is part of research conducted collaboratively by the University of the Western Cape and Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences in Germany. It focuses on exploring usage of Business Intelligence Systems (BIS) together with Corporate Performance. Online surveys were conducted that targeted medium to large companies in Germany and South Africa by questioning middle to top management on issues surrounding BIS and Corporate Performance. On this basis online survey approach was taken to ensure required number of participants would be covered and approached. Therefore, the research adopted stratified sample method for the online survey. Stratified sampling enabled the expansion of the research by gathering and collaborating participants responses on the research question and eliminate the possibilities of unreliable sample from large population.

<p><strong>Aim:</strong></p><p>The purpose was to perform a pre-study to marketing planning for a local squash club in Sweden that had difficulties with membership growth and development. This pre-study would provide the squash club with valuable information and a starting point when creating its first marketing plan.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong></p><p>The chosen research approach included theoretical and empirical studies. Empirical data was collected by triangulation, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. A semi-structured interview and two surveys using on-line questionnaires were conducted, analyzed and presented. The discussed theory including key definitions, models and concepts was related to the empirical data findings and reflected on.</p><p><strong>Results & Conclusions: </strong></p><p>A small non-profit squash club with scarce resources and slim organization has to implement a customer centered mindset and work smarter instead of harder.It is important for the club to carefully match market opportunities with its objectives and capabilities.Engaging in marketing planning and the development of a marketing plan will enable the club to find new creative ways to offer a unique squash experience that will result in a positive membership development.</p><p><strong>Recommendations:</strong></p><p>The squash club should strive to develop key strategic partnerships that can compliment its strengths and help reduce its weaknesses.An own club website would improve internal and external communication significantly and decrease the club management’s administrative workload.It would be advisable for the club to perform annual online customer satisfaction surveys to monitor and measure own performance and detect key changes in the marketplace.</p><p><strong>Contribution:</strong></p><p>This pre-study could be a good opportunity for the squash club’s management team to engage in marketing planning and develop its first marketing plan. Perhaps this study could also benefit other small sports clubs with similar challenges and give them ideas and new tools for future development, such as using on-line surveys.</p><p><strong>Suggested future research:</strong></p><p>It would be interesting to perform a comparison among the four racket sports: tennis, badminton, table-tennis and squash and the reasons behind young people choosing to play one sport over the others.The result would help racket clubs to better understand how they should position themselves in the market place to attract young people to their particular sport.</p>

Aim: The purpose was to perform a pre-study to marketing planning for a local squash club in Sweden that had difficulties with membership growth and development. This pre-study would provide the squash club with valuable information and a starting point when creating its first marketing plan. Method: The chosen research approach included theoretical and empirical studies. Empirical data was collected by triangulation, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. A semi-structured interview and two surveys using on-line questionnaires were conducted, analyzed and presented. The discussed theory including key definitions, models and concepts was related to the empirical data findings and reflected on. Results &amp; Conclusions: A small non-profit squash club with scarce resources and slim organization has to implement a customer centered mindset and work smarter instead of harder.It is important for the club to carefully match market opportunities with its objectives and capabilities.Engaging in marketing planning and the development of a marketing plan will enable the club to find new creative ways to offer a unique squash experience that will result in a positive membership development. Recommendations: The squash club should strive to develop key strategic partnerships that can compliment its strengths and help reduce its weaknesses.An own club website would improve internal and external communication significantly and decrease the club management’s administrative workload.It would be advisable for the club to perform annual online customer satisfaction surveys to monitor and measure own performance and detect key changes in the marketplace. Contribution: This pre-study could be a good opportunity for the squash club’s management team to engage in marketing planning and develop its first marketing plan. Perhaps this study could also benefit other small sports clubs with similar challenges and give them ideas and new tools for future development, such as using on-line surveys. Suggested future research: It would be interesting to perform a comparison among the four racket sports: tennis, badminton, table-tennis and squash and the reasons behind young people choosing to play one sport over the others.The result would help racket clubs to better understand how they should position themselves in the market place to attract young people to their particular sport.

This paper presents the reasoning behind and the results from usability testing of the user- and administrative side of FIPIC (Flexible Interactive Platform for Interviews with Children), a digital questionnaire tool for children. The user side was tested with 24 elementary school children between grades 1-6. They first chose which avatar and voice they preferred and then answered six questions using FIPIC while being timed on each question. The administrative side was tested with five researchers from different universities in Sweden using a scripted list of user tasks and the think-aloud method. The researchers would then answer some follow up questions after their test session. The results showed that the user side did not have any major issues that significantly affected the usability of FIPIC. The biggest issues were the non-clickable emoji’s under the slider function and having to scroll up and down. The solution is to make the emoji’s clickable and replace the drop down with a text field to avoid the scrolling. The results of the administrative side showed that most of the usability issues were present in the newer functionalities such as question groups and group connections. Functionalities that are not present in other common questionnaire tools. The suggested improvement is to make the design more intuitive. For example, the create question group button should be placed at the top of the questions page instead of having to first click the create question button. This makes hierarchical sense because a group is needed in order to create a question.

O primeiro objetivo do presente estudo, de cunho metodológico, foi verificar a viabilidade da realização de uma pesquisa com usuários de ecstasy via internet. A metodologia desenvolvida para o recrutamento e coleta de dados atingiu os objetivos propostos, demonstrando-se viável e profícua, além de apresentar grandes vantagens em relação à coleta de dados presencial. O segundo objetivo foi oferecer subsídio para futuras intervenções de Redução de Danos para o uso de ecstasy. O questionário on-line foi respondido por 1.140 pessoas, primordialmente jovens, com boa formação escolar, inseridos no mercado de trabalho e/ou estudantes, pertencentes às classes socioeconômicas A e B, e poliusuários de drogas. As respostas dos participantes foram descritas estatisticamente e os dados comparados através dos testes t ou chi-quadrado, e analisados por regressão categórica (CatReg) em que se relacionaram os comportamentos de risco associados ao uso de ecstasy com as variáveis independentes relevantes. Os resultados não fundamentam a elaboração de materiais preventivos com direcionamentos específicos, seja para gêneros, para opções sexuais ou para classes socioeconômicas. Indicam, porém, locais privilegiados para a distribuição de material preventivo: ambientes de lazer noturno, festas e eventos ligados à música eletrônica, eventos como paradas comunitárias, e universidades públicas e privadas. São discutidos os principais conteúdos a serem veiculados, tendo sempre como princípio básico a transmissão de informações cientificamente comprovadas. Os dados mostram ainda que é crescente a disponibilidade de ecstasy no Brasil indicando urgência na implantação de um primeiro programa preventivo brasileiro voltado para essa droga. A acolhida e as declarações de interesse dos participantes demonstraram que o projeto inspirou confiabilidade, que existe demanda por intervenções na área e que uma proposta de Redução de Danos teria grande receptividade dos usuários de ecstasy, embora sua implantação dependa do interesse das autoridades responsáveis pela política pública brasileira em relação às drogas ilegais. / One objective of this study was methodological investigating the feasibility of conducting a Web-based survey with ecstasy users. The method developed for participants recruitment and data collection attained the propose proving feasible and fruitful, as well as showing great advantages as compared to personal data collecting. The second objective was to provide subsidies for future Harm Reduction interventions on the use of ecstasy. Participants (N=1.140) were mostly youngsters, with high schooling levels, and currently employed or studying, of A and B social-economic classes, and polydrug users. The data were analyzed using chi-square or t tests and categorical regression (CatReg). The latter evaluated users’ risk behaviors and related them to relevant independent variables. The results do not set the grounds for the drafting of specially-oriented preventive materials, be it for genders, sexual orientation, or even social-economic classes. They do, however, indicate privileged places for the distribution of preventive materials: evening entertainment places, parties and events related to electronic music, events such as community Parades, and universities. The main contents to be conveyed are discussed, always keeping the communication of scientifically proven information as the basic principle. The data also show that there is increasing availability of ecstasy in Brazil, thus pointing to the urgent need of implementing a first Brazilian ecstasy preventive program. The buy-in and the interested statements from participants demonstrate that the project inspired reliability, that there is a demand for interventions in the area and that a Harm Reduction proposal would be highly accepted amongst ecstasy users, although its implementation depends on the interest of authorities responsible for the Brazilian public policy towards illegal drugs.

O primeiro objetivo do presente estudo, de cunho metodológico, foi verificar a viabilidade da realização de uma pesquisa com usuários de ecstasy via internet. A metodologia desenvolvida para o recrutamento e coleta de dados atingiu os objetivos propostos, demonstrando-se viável e profícua, além de apresentar grandes vantagens em relação à coleta de dados presencial. O segundo objetivo foi oferecer subsídio para futuras intervenções de Redução de Danos para o uso de ecstasy. O questionário on-line foi respondido por 1.140 pessoas, primordialmente jovens, com boa formação escolar, inseridos no mercado de trabalho e/ou estudantes, pertencentes às classes socioeconômicas A e B, e poliusuários de drogas. As respostas dos participantes foram descritas estatisticamente e os dados comparados através dos testes t ou chi-quadrado, e analisados por regressão categórica (CatReg) em que se relacionaram os comportamentos de risco associados ao uso de ecstasy com as variáveis independentes relevantes. Os resultados não fundamentam a elaboração de materiais preventivos com direcionamentos específicos, seja para gêneros, para opções sexuais ou para classes socioeconômicas. Indicam, porém, locais privilegiados para a distribuição de material preventivo: ambientes de lazer noturno, festas e eventos ligados à música eletrônica, eventos como paradas comunitárias, e universidades públicas e privadas. São discutidos os principais conteúdos a serem veiculados, tendo sempre como princípio básico a transmissão de informações cientificamente comprovadas. Os dados mostram ainda que é crescente a disponibilidade de ecstasy no Brasil indicando urgência na implantação de um primeiro programa preventivo brasileiro voltado para essa droga. A acolhida e as declarações de interesse dos participantes demonstraram que o projeto inspirou confiabilidade, que existe demanda por intervenções na área e que uma proposta de Redução de Danos teria grande receptividade dos usuários de ecstasy, embora sua implantação dependa do interesse das autoridades responsáveis pela política pública brasileira em relação às drogas ilegais. / One objective of this study was methodological investigating the feasibility of conducting a Web-based survey with ecstasy users. The method developed for participants recruitment and data collection attained the propose proving feasible and fruitful, as well as showing great advantages as compared to personal data collecting. The second objective was to provide subsidies for future Harm Reduction interventions on the use of ecstasy. Participants (N=1.140) were mostly youngsters, with high schooling levels, and currently employed or studying, of A and B social-economic classes, and polydrug users. The data were analyzed using chi-square or t tests and categorical regression (CatReg). The latter evaluated users’ risk behaviors and related them to relevant independent variables. The results do not set the grounds for the drafting of specially-oriented preventive materials, be it for genders, sexual orientation, or even social-economic classes. They do, however, indicate privileged places for the distribution of preventive materials: evening entertainment places, parties and events related to electronic music, events such as community Parades, and universities. The main contents to be conveyed are discussed, always keeping the communication of scientifically proven information as the basic principle. The data also show that there is increasing availability of ecstasy in Brazil, thus pointing to the urgent need of implementing a first Brazilian ecstasy preventive program. The buy-in and the interested statements from participants demonstrate that the project inspired reliability, that there is a demand for interventions in the area and that a Harm Reduction proposal would be highly accepted amongst ecstasy users, although its implementation depends on the interest of authorities responsible for the Brazilian public policy towards illegal drugs.

The aim of diploma thesis is an analysis of HR marketing focusing on university students using the example of selected company. The theoretical part deals with an explanation of general terms continuing to concrete description of used analysis. Analyses in the practical part are followed by recommendation to improve the current situation of HR marketing focused on university students in selected company.

This thesis deals with an issue of how can graphical modifications of response options in online questionnaire influence the respondents' answers. Online questionnaire as a data collection method offers a wide range of visual adjustments. Therefore, it is necessary for the graphical format to be treated with caution, because it can produce significant differences in respondents' answers. The goal of this thesis is to find out, with the help of two versions of online questionnaire that differ in the graphical format of response options, whether and what differences in answers these modifications produce. The attention is also payed to the response time differences. Together there are eleven modifications tested, each of them is represented twice. The analysis shows that the differences in graphical format of response options do influence the answers; there were 7 of 11 hypotheses confirmed. One of the surprising findings is that in the case of comparing the format of check boxes and the format of writing answers into text boxes, respondents answered with a maximum number of allowed answers in both version. This type of result was not expected in the case of the "writing into text boxes" format. Other findings show that some modifications influence more women than men, for example the use of a...

The purpose of the case study is to research whether the brand Hollister can establish themselves to their target audience working with communication. To achieve the goal with the study, the following theories has been applied: brand building, visual communication, two-way symmetrical communication and communication channels. The study was conducted by a quantitative online questionnaire survey. The online survey was aimed at teenagers aged 15-18 years old living in Täby or Umeå where one question was "What difference can be discerned between Täby, where there is a shop, and Umeå where there is no shop". The material was collected during a period of eight days between december 11th to december 19th 2013. The online survey was answered by 90 units which means a response rate of 90 percent. The results of the study showed that it differed somewhat between the cities and above all it showed that the units from Täby had more knowledge about the brand's visual identity, and visited the store to a larger extent. The analysis also showed that branding is an important part to reach out and influence Hollister’s target audience where the work of visual communication is vital. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka om varumärket Hollister kan etablera sig hos sin målgrupp med hjälp av kommunikation. För att uppnå syftet har följande teorier tillämpats: varumärkesbyggande, visuell kommunikation, tvåvägs-symmetrisk kommunikation samt kommunikationskanaler. Studien har genomförts genom en kvantitativ enkätundersökning på webben. Webbenkäten riktade sig till tonåringar i åldern 15-18 år som bor i Täby eller Umeå då bland annat en frågeställning har varit ”Vilken skillnad går att utläsa mellan Täby, där det finns en butik, respektive Umeå där det inte finns någon butik”. Materialet samlades in under en period på åtta dagar mellan 11-19 december 2013. Webbenkäten svarades av 90 enheter vilket innebär en svarsfrekvens på 90 procent. Resultatet av studien visade att det skiljde en del mellan städerna framförallt går det att utläsa att enheterna från Täby hade mer kännedom kring varumärkets visuella identitet samt besökt butiken i större utsträckning. Analysen visade även att varumärkesbyggande är en viktig del för att nå ut och påverka sin målgrupp och bland annat att arbetet med den visuella kommunikationen är betydelsefull.