The remarkable growth of the video game industry has triggered an interest for the capabilities that video game companies need in order to seize opportunities in the market. Companies that continuously provide product innovations are arguably better equipped to succeed in the dynamic, digitized video game landscape. Market sensing capabilities have been brought forward as particularly useful in environments with these characteristics and research suggests that user communities could be critical sources of external knowledge for video game companies. Hence, the aim of this study is to provide a framework where these concepts are combined into a unified dynamic capability, Community Sensing Capability, and to quantitatively test its effect on product innovativeness. An interview-administered questionnaire was used to gather data, resulting in a sample of 72 observations. The capability builds on three different sub-processes; sensing, sensemaking and response. Reliable measurements were developed for Community Sensing Capability, sensing and response respectively. The regression analysis indicate that sensing and response are positively related to product innovativeness, while Community Sensing Capability is not significantly related. This study contributes to literature by shedding light on a new phenomenon and giving initial insights to how the Community Sensing Capability can be exploited in innovation processes.

The aim of this study was to improve the mechanical and electrical properties of conductive polymer composites. For this purpose, different studies were performed in this dissertation. In order to investigate the effects of the carbon nanotube (CNT) surface treatment on the morphology, electrical and mechanical properties of the composites, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) based conductive polymer composites were prepared by using as-received, purified and modified carbon nanotubes in a twin screw extruder. During the purification of carbon nanotubes, surface properties of carbon nanotubes were altered by purifying them with nitric acid (HNO3), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) mixtures. Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) results indicated the removal of metallic catalyst residues from the structure of carbon nanotubes and increase in the oxygen content of carbon nanotube surface as a result of purification procedure. Surface structure of the purified carbon nanotubes was also modified by treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and diglycidyl ether of Bisphenol A (DGEBA). Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of the carbon nanotube samples indicated the existence of functional groups on the surfaces of carbon nanotubes after modification. All composites prepared with purified and modified carbon nanotubes had higher electrical resistivities, tensile and impact strength values than those of the composite based on as-received carbon nanotubes, due to the functional groups formed on the surfaces of carbon nanotubes during surface treatment. In order to investigate the effects of alternative composite preparation methods on the electrical and mechanical properties of the composites, in-situ microfiber reinforced conductive polymer composites consisting of high density polyethylene (HDPE), poly(ethylene terephthalate) and carbon nanotubes were prepared in a twin screw extruder followed by hot stretching of PET/CNT phase in HDPE matrix. Composites were produced by using as-received, purified and PEG treated carbon nanotubes. SEM micrographs of the hot stretched composites pointed out the existence of in-situ PET/CNT microfibers dispersed in HDPE matrix up to 1 wt. % carbon nanotube loadings. Electrical conductivity values of the microfibrillar composites were higher than that of the composites prepared without microfiber reinforcement due to the presence of continuous PET/CNT microfibers with high electrical conductivity in the structure. To investigate the potential application of conductive polymer composites, the effects of surfactant usage and carbon nanotube surface modification / on the damage sensing capability of the epoxy/carbon nanotube/glass fiber composite panels during mechanical loadings were studied. Surface modification of the carbon nanotubes was performed by using hexamethylene diamine (HMDA). 4-octylphenol polyethoxylate (nonionic) (Triton X-100) and cetyl pyridinium chloride (cationic) (CPC) were used as surfactants during composite preparation. Electrical resistivity measurements which were performed during the impact, tensile and fatigue tests of the composite panels showed the changes in damage sensing capabilities of the composites. Surface treatment of carbon nanotubes and the use of surfactants decreased the carbon nanotube particle size and improved the dispersion in the composites which increased the damage sensitivity of the panels.

市場導向指的是一種辨識市場狀態和顧客需求的企業理論，可以藉由不同的市場情報蒐集來達成。由此，其中的「市場感知能力」和「市場連結能力」能夠幫助企業不斷地修正、改進、創新及再定義原本的市場觀點，並研究市場中所有角色之間的關係。本研究致力於如何以文字探勘、資料探勘及機會發掘等理論創造一個服務的資訊系統來提升這兩個能力。運用本系統可以協助企業在不同市場中找到潛在資源及合作夥伴以共創複合性產品。換句話說，以這種開放關係和不同公司的共創方式更能達到相互曝光、產品與服務互補的效果。而更好的市場導向可以幫助企業間創造出更好的複合式產品並達到利基市場的競爭優勢。 / Market orientation refers to the business philosophy that focuses on identifying and meeting the stated or hidden needs of customers through various approaches of intelligence gathering activities. To this end, two important capabilities, market sensing and market relating, are to enable business to formulate, examine, modify, renovate and redefine their market views and investigate among all players in the market. This study focuses on how to exploit information system as a service to facilitate the acts of the market sensing and market relating capabilities in terms of information technologies of the text mining technique and the chance discovery theory. In addition, this service would help various businesses seek new, necessary and related resources or fellow companies for each other to cooperate to form a complex service product from different markets. In other words, cooperating in the open relationship, different companies attain more possibility to mutually expose their features, product or service, which achieves a marketing for those companies in different markets as well, and better market orientation is also avail business to make better complex product or service for niche market to get competitive advantages.