The disertation thesis deals with the problem of marketing communication of universities. The main reason for a choice of the topic of dissertation thesis and solution to the theme of the dissertation thesis was a fact that nobody has paid adequate attention to the problem of marketing communication of universities Marketing communication of university is a complex problem which is a key part of strategic marketing of universities. The main emphasis is put on planning of marketing communication of university. The dissertation thesis proceeds from the latest knowledge in theory of marketing communication as a key part of marketing. The dissertation is based on the analysing and mapping of key groups of stakeholders by the means of Stakeholder Circle Methodology. The text of the dissertation thesis is divided into four main chapters. Chapter one analyses the current situation of the research problem in the Czech Republic and abroad. Chapter two specifies the subject of dissertation thesis, authors' benefits on the theoretical and practical level and the main aims of the dissertation thesis. Chapter three analyses the methodology of the dissertation thesis and all scientific methods and hypothesis of the dissertation thesis in detail. The main results and interpretation of the authors' research are summarized in the chapter four. At the end of this chapter there will be a verification of hypothesis and suggestion of solution of problems. In conclusion there is a summarisation of the benefits of dissertation thesis and fulfilment of dissertations' aims.

This thesis explores the process by which Chinese universities carry out strategy formation. It aims to provide an insight into the lives of the managers of Chinese universities in the period 2002-2003 which was a time of transition from the regime of President Jiang Zemin to that of President Hu Jintao. Chinese refer to this period as the transition from the third to the fourth generation of leaders. Strategy was defined as a course of action aimed at achieving an organization's purpose and strategy formation was defined as including strategy development and implementation. Answers were sought to the following questions based on data from a small number of universities using stakeholder theory to inform the data collection process: · What is the process by which strategy development and implementation takes place in Chinese universities? · How is the process applied in different universities? · How can an understanding of strategy formation in Chinese universities assist in the development of joint ventures in China by foreign educational institutions? The method of data collection involved interviewing three levels of management in six different universities drawn from three major cities in China. In order to guarantee confidentiality, the identities of the instutions and the individuals involved has been concealed. Background information collected included the history of Chinese universities to 2002 and important features of Chinese culture, society and politics. Stakeholder theory was found to provide a useful framework for analysing the process of strategy formation. It was found that assumptions based on the operations of Australian universities did not apply in China, particularly in the areas of work relationships, reporting and performance management and in the conduct of research. Findings included: · Three approaches to strategy emerged, including the President making unilateral decisions, a consultative approach including stakeholders, and an approach involving consultation with staff. · The process varies between universities depending on factors such as the guanxi relationships of the President. · The learnings from this project can be applied to other joint ventures in education in China.

<p>This thesis aims to develop a stakeholder analysis method for the upcoming standard on social  responsibility  (SR)  ISO  26000. The  goal  is  a method  that,  by  adhering  to  three criteria regarding comprehensibility, flexibility and ease of use, can be used and applied by organizations regardless of type (corporation, NGO, municipality etc.) and value chain size. The method consists of  six different  steps which, when completed, will produce a situation map of the organization’s key SR issues and stakeholders for those issues.   The  method  is  practically  applied  and  perfected  through  two  case  studies  on  the respective Swedish  branches  of  the Nordic  corporations  ICA  (grocery  store  chain)  and Eniro  (online and printed  information  services. Although  sharing  similar characteristics in organization size, there are big differences in value chain size and services provided.  The study contributes to providing practical experience with stakeholder analysis for ISO 26000 and as a point of departure  for  further  studies on how  to  identify key  issues and stakeholders;  the  generalizability  of  the  results  suggests  applicability  not  just  for  ISO 26000 but for other preconditions as well.  The results of  the case studies suggest  that  the model developed fulfils  the  three criteria set up for  it,  thus having great practical value for all kinds of organizations  that want  to work with ISO 26000. It is suggested that the model could be improved by applying it on organizations dissimilar to the ones used in the case studies in this thesis, and fine tuning it to those organization’s specific resources and needs.</p>

Zugleich: Diss. München. / Literaturverz.

This thesis aims to develop a stakeholder analysis method for the upcoming standard on social  responsibility  (SR)  ISO  26000. The  goal  is  a method  that,  by  adhering  to  three criteria regarding comprehensibility, flexibility and ease of use, can be used and applied by organizations regardless of type (corporation, NGO, municipality etc.) and value chain size. The method consists of  six different  steps which, when completed, will produce a situation map of the organization’s key SR issues and stakeholders for those issues.   The  method  is  practically  applied  and  perfected  through  two  case  studies  on  the respective Swedish  branches  of  the Nordic  corporations  ICA  (grocery  store  chain)  and Eniro  (online and printed  information  services. Although  sharing  similar characteristics in organization size, there are big differences in value chain size and services provided.  The study contributes to providing practical experience with stakeholder analysis for ISO 26000 and as a point of departure  for  further  studies on how  to  identify key  issues and stakeholders;  the  generalizability  of  the  results  suggests  applicability  not  just  for  ISO 26000 but for other preconditions as well.  The results of  the case studies suggest  that  the model developed fulfils  the  three criteria set up for  it,  thus having great practical value for all kinds of organizations  that want  to work with ISO 26000. It is suggested that the model could be improved by applying it on organizations dissimilar to the ones used in the case studies in this thesis, and fine tuning it to those organization’s specific resources and needs.

During centuries, places – nations, region and cities – have tried to make themselvesmore attractive, productive, lucrative and secure. This strive has accelerated due toglobalization and other external factors. Today there is fierce and global competitionbetween cities regarding promoting exports, convincing firms to invest as well asattracting tourists and inhabitants. The place brand, and the meaning of it, is key forsuccess. However, place branding is challenging. It includes the involvement of allstakeholders – possessing different agendas and target markets – and the coordination ofthose while simultaneously making sure that conflicting messages, harming the placebrand, are avoided. There is a disagreement among researchers whether to prefer asingle brand identity – contributing with a clear and trustworthy message, or if amultiple identity approach – enriching and diversifying the place brand, is desirable.The described conflicts above create the problem background on which this study isbased. Place branding is a relatively new but growing field of research. The topic ismultidisciplinary and we consider it advantageous to study place branding from astakeholder and coordination perspective. In this thesis, the Stakeholders are viewed asthe actors that engage in the act of Coordination to successfully undertake the process ofPlace Branding in order to develop a strong Place brand identity. Based on the purposeand research problems of this thesis, we aim to produce a better tool for analyzing brandidentity development. A theory based preliminary framework was developed with theintention of testing it on the case Place brand Umeå.For this qualitative research, a single case study design is used and nine keystakeholders are identified for the data gathering – using semi-structured interviews,secondary data and observations as data collection methods. The preliminary frameworkis used as an analytical tool and gives guidance to the research. For the analysis,categorization and pattern matching techniques are employed. The main finding of thisstudy is that the theoretical framework of place brand identity development holds andcan be used for the understanding of the process of identity development. The keystakeholders develop the brand identity through individual and common goals andactivities. Coordination can be managed through common activities within areas ofinterdependencies, hence the framework emphasizes the correct identification of keystakeholders, goals and activities. All components of the brand identity developmentprocess are affected by external factors. For the case of Place brand Umeå, theframework was slightly modified according to the empirical findings. We identifiedcoordination problems between the key stakeholders of Place brand Umeå and offeredrecommendations to manage the issues. The main contribution of this research is thetheory-based framework laying the foundation for a general theory on the topic, thuscontributing to theory. Our study also fills other research gaps by contributing with anunderstanding of the stakeholder’s role, prerequisites for coordination and by studyingplace branding in the context of a mid-size city. With regard to the empiricalcontribution, this study offers a range of insights for Umeå and the findings can beregarded as a starting point for brand managers working to develop the place brandidentity in other contexts.

Zugl.: Karlsruhe, Univ., Diss., 2009 / Hergestellt on demand. - Zusätzliches Online-Angebot unter http://uvka.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de/shop/isbn/978-3-86644-427-0

The UNESCO World heritage inscription has become popular with 1000+ sites nowadays, when it was introduced after the Second World War in order to protect significant areas such as landscapes and buildings. The popularity is visible in terms of touristic benefits and shows an attractive feature for the designated site, transforming the World Heritage label into a brand. However, this research finds the World Heritage brand is becoming weak in its ability to attract tourists which is in contrast with prevailing views found in preceding studies. The point of departure of this research is the situation on World Heritage Southern Öland what has influenced the scope of research focusing mainly on Nordic perspectives (Sweden, Denmark and Germany). The purpose of this paper is to call for improved stakeholder management at World Heritage sites to improve the brand and analyses the situation and practices in Sweden, Denmark and to a very limited extent, Germany. The research is based on theoretical stakeholder framework and cross-case analysis based on two case studies done in Denmark and Sweden employing data collection by interviews and questionnaires. It describes the stakeholder management and networking as contributors to the branding of the World Heritage sites. This paper shows various limitations of using the World Heritage brand and how World Heritage sites may attempt to strengthen themselves by creating a common network as well as using it as a local destination brand for commercial purpose.

Researchers who focus on strategic management and event management have used stakeholder theory to understand the relationships between a focal organization and its stakeholder. Nevertheless, achieving collaborative solutions can be difficult due to the widely varying values among actors as well as the influence of institutional forces such as legal or social norms. Furthermore, organizational, industrial, and national cultures in which these norms, values, morals, and ethics are embedded vary enormously. What varies culturally, however, is the perception of stakeholders and how a focal organization interacts with its stakeholders. What has yet to be examined in depth, however, is the relevance of national culture on stakeholder theory and factors that facilitate or impede networking and alliance formation for and through events in different cultural setting. The main research objective of the study is therefore to re-examine the relationship and interactions between a sports event organization and its stakeholders in Chinese culture. By conducting an ethnography study on a sport event company in Taiwan, this study attempted to perform a cultural configuration on the Western-developed stakeholder theory. The methods of data collection in this ethnographic study include participant observation, interviews, field notes, event analysis, and document analysis. Thick descriptions with detail the patterns of culture and social relationships in this specific cultural context are generated. A thematic was performed and thirteen themes emerge. Eleven of them are related to guanxi and concepts of stakeholder theory. The other two are not directly related but unique to the context of this study, i.e., the sport industry in Chinese society. Themes related to guanxi and concepts of stakeholder theory fall broadly into four categories: managerial level, organizational level, inter-organizational level, and macro level. The results suggest that Chinese culture does indeed have, at various levels, a profound influence on stakeholder theory. The finding of this study also indicates that the guanxi, renqing, and mianzi that embedded in Chinese culture could have a substantial influence on legitimacy, trust, and reciprocity that determine the way CEOs recognize and interact with their stakeholders. In conclusion, this study, coming from such an interpretivist viewpoint, uses an ethnographic approach to seek alternative and narrative accounts in a different national culture for stakeholder theory development. Lastly, limitations and recommendations for future studies are provided. / text

This dissertation is a triangulated case study of a superintendent of a large southwest urban school district. The case study focused on how the urban school district superintendent could promote relationships with selected stakeholder groups. Document analysis, participant observation, and superintendent interviews comprised the components of the triangulated case study. Decentralization of decision making is vital for the urban school district superintendent to promote relationships with the selected stakeholder groups. The main point for additional research in this topic lies in the challenge of local school council empowerment without school and district leaders having their decision-making authority diminished.