The population of late-married or non-married women is growing in the current society. Considering single women¡¦s unique consumer psychology and consumer behaviors, the researcher aimed to investigate the feasibility of a single women¡¦s virtual community by employing the web 2.0 and the visual community with a focus on its economic characteristics. The data were collected through the observations of related industries, interviews with experts and targeted groups, questionnaire investigation, and operation proposals. The results of the study were classified into two categories: the business model and the position strategy. The business model (a) can enhance increasing returns effects of the dynamic circle and the lock-in circle and accumulate members, (b) plays a role of informational intermediatry who integrates contents with strategic alliances, and (c) offers E-commence with which to satisfy users¡¦ dynamic needs. Three main phases¡Xexperience economy, reputation economy, and profit-earning¡Xare developed through such an advantage. The position strategy is to provide single women with an informational platform which addresses convenience, affinity, diversity, accuracy, safe-transaction, and customized-services. The platform includes four main topics: health, entertainment, self-growth, and investment. Therefore, it is able to meet single women¡¦s needs regarding health, travel, learning, and finance. The study also offers four suggestions for people who want to manage the virtual community. First, the virtual community should be developed based on market segmentation and take customers¡¦ intentions into account. Second, it should offer customized services and promote the worth of using experiences. Third, it should be a friendly, risk-free platform in which varied, up-dated information is given. Fourth, it should offer customers easy-using ways and allow them to share information as well as interact with others.

Abstract By the advantage of technology innovation, the New Technology-Based Firms can not only win the competitive advantage but also make a great contribution to the national economic growth. (Rickne & Jacobsson,1996¡FAutio & Yli-Renko,1998¡FAcs,1999¡FFontes & Coombs,2001)¡C The technology of touch screens originated in military use, but it has been extensively applied to consumer, commercial, and public products. Among the touch screens, the capacitive touch screens are the best and the most expensive product. There used to be a single producer in the industry. But now, there is another company with the key manufacture technology and this company is also our study case. This study used the descriptive case-study method to analyze the strategic positioning of the New Technology-Based Firm in the industry. This study suggests the ¡§Focus Strategy¡¨ to be the strategic positioning of the new technology-based Firm in the capacitive touch screens industry, including the ¡§Cost Focus Strategy¡¨ for the cost advantage of customizing sizes and the ¡§Focus Differentiation Strategy¡¨ for the customization policy.

[pt] A indústria de telecomunicações no Brasil vem passando por profundas transformações desde meados da década de 1990, quando da alteração da regulamentação e da privatização do monopólio estatal prestador de serviço telefônico fixo comutado (STFC). No arcabouço regulatório da indústria, estas alterações implicaram em grandes transformações no ambiente competitivo e nas estratégias competitivas adotadas pelas empresas concessionárias originárias a partir deste momento. A partir do estudo de caso de uma empresa concessionária privatizada em 1998, procurou-se identificar alterações em suas estratégias competitivas, em seu ambiente competitivo e no desempenho desta empresa, antes e após a privatização. A identificação das estratégias competitivas foi baseada na classificação da empresa, a partir de 20 variáveis estratégicas, segundo a tipologia de Porter (1986), em entrevistas com funcionários e ex-funcionários da empresa selecionada, concorrentes e consultorias especializadas no setor. No período anterior à privatização (1996-1998), dado o regime de monopólio estatal no qual a empresa selecionada operava, não foi possível identificar um posicionamento estratégico bem definido, apesar da proximidade com a estratégia de diferenciação. Já no período posterior à privatização (1999- 2003), a empresa busca um posicionamento estratégico de diferenciação, apesar de algumas ações táticas inconsistentes com esta estratégia. A comparação dos indicadores de desempenho apurados antes e após a privatização indica que, apesar da empresa adotar com sucesso um posicionamento de diferenciação, a significativa transformação do ambiente competitivo foi desfavorável, tornando o ambiente competitivo mais hostil e prejudicando os resultados da empresa. / [en] The telecommunications industry in Brazil had been through significant changes during the mid-1990's and the beginning of the 21st century, due to a new regulation and the privatization of the state-owned telephony monopolistic operators. These regulatory changes caused a major transformation in this industry's competitive environment and in the recently privatized operators competitive strategies. This dissertation seeks to identify changes in the competitive environment by means of a more detailed analysis of a privatized operator, this company's competitive strategies and performance indicators through a comparison of two distinct periods - before (1996-1998) and after (1999-2003) the privatization. In order to identify the competitive strategies, the selected company was classified under 20 strategic variables, according to Porter's (1980) typology. The research is based on interviews with current and former employees from the selected company, its competitors and the industry's consulting firms. During the period that preceded the privatization process (1996-1998), the company's strategy can not be classified under Porter's (1980) typology due to the monopolistic regime in which the company provided its services, although it was possible to infer that the company's strategy seems closer to a differentiation strategy than other generic strategies. On the other hand, during the period following the privatization (1999-2003), the company positioned itself on a differentiation strategy, although some adopted tactics might diverge from this positioning. In spite of successfully adopting a differentiation strategy, the company's results have decreased, as shown by a comparison of performance indicators from both periods. These poorer results after the new regulation are mainly due to a much more hostile competitive environment than before.

[pt] O propósito desse estudo foi analisar a influência das estratégias competitivas implementadas por empresas de petróleo na percepção de valor dos seus acionistas. Para isso, foi adotada uma linha de investigação através da qual foi associado um conjunto de variáveis, mensuráveis através de dados contábeis, a posicionamentos estratégicos relevantes visando à identificação de grupos estratégicos na indústria petrolífera. Este trabalho adotou como base a tipologia de estratégias genéricas desenvolvida por Chrisman et al. na identificação dos grupos estratégicos. O conceito de percepção de valor dos acionistas aqui abordado foi retratado pelo Q de Tobin, razão entre o valor de mercado das empresas e o valor de reposição dos seus ativos. Foram adotados indicadores de desempenho amplamente utilizados nos estudos de finanças corporativas, tais como retorno sobre capital empregado, faturamento e lucro líquido. O método de análise utilizado constituiu-se numa revisão bibliográfica para identificação de variáveis estratégicas e de desempenho e do levantamento de uma base de dados obtida a partir de relatórios de atividades e demais informações relevantes publicadas por essas empresas. Uma vez selecionados, os dados de cada empresa foram submetidos a procedimentos estatísticos visando à identificação das estratégias competitivas adotadas. Basicamente, foram utilizados três métodos estatísticos: a análise de cluster, o teste de Wilcoxon Sign e o teste de Kruskal-Wallis, respectivamente, na identificação da composição dos grupos estratégicos, na verificação da coerência dos mesmos com as características apontadas pela tipologia adotada e na comparação do desempenho das empresas de cada grupo. Foram desenvolvidas análises anuais dos posicionamentos estratégicos das empresas, bem como análise de longo prazo considerando a formação de grupos estratégicos baseados no posicionamento mais freqüente das mesmas em todo o período estudado. Uma vez identificados os grupos estratégicos, foi verificado se a percepção do investidor foi afetada pelo posicionamento estratégico das empresas através da comparação dos valores do Q de Tobin dos diferentes grupos formados e na observação das demais variáveis de desempenho. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que, em uma perspectiva de longo prazo, é possível afirmar que os acionistas percebem valor nas estratégias adotadas pelas empresas de petróleo, ao passo que, em uma base anual, não é possível confirmar, com confiabilidade estatística, esta mesma afirmação. / [en] The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of the competitive strategies implemented by oil companies in the value perception of their shareholders. For that, an investigation line was adopted where a group of variables, measurable through accounting data, was associated to important strategic positionings seeking to the identification of strategic groups in the oil industry. This work adopted the typology developed by Chrisman et al. in the identification of the strategic groups. The concept of value perception of the shareholders was portrayed by Q of Tobin, the reason between the market value of the companies and the replacement value of their assets. Perform indicators widespread used in the studies of corporate finances, such as return on employed capital, revenue and net profit, were adopted to complement Tobins q analysis. The analysis method used was a bibliographical revision for identification of strategic variables and the prospection of a database obtained from reports of activities and other important information published by the companies. Basically, three statistical methods were used: cluster analysis, Wilcoxon Sign Test and Kruskal-Wallis Test, respectively, in the identification of the composition of the strategic groups, in the verification of the coherence of the same ones with expected characteristics for the adopted typology and in the comparison of companies s perform in each group. Annual analyses of the strategic positionings of the companies were developed, as well as long period analysis considering the formation of strategic groups based on the most frequent positioning in the whole studied period. Once identified the strategic groups, was verified if the investors perception was affected by the strategic positioning of the companies through the comparison of the values of Q of Tobin of the different strategic groups and in the observation of the other performance variables. The obtained results suggest that, in a perspective of long period, it is possible to affirm that the shareholders notice value in the strategies adopted by the oil companies, while, in an annual base, it is not possible to confirm, with statistical reliability, this same statement.

Taiwan¡¦s IC foundry has truly emerged as important roles in Taiwan¡¦s electronic industries, whose fast growth has successfully been in the construction of Taiwan¡¦s economic miracle. Through the differentiation strategy, TSMC, the largest and most successful dedicated IC foundry in the world, expands and develops its business from bottom to top. It also has well driven IC industries a Cluster Effect, prosperously fostering the industries in its supply chain, from IC design and manufacturing to packaging and testing, even rapid growth of Taiwan¡¦s personal computer and peripheral industries relatively. Long-term, increasing growth for IC industries had earned many companies to invest low entry barrier factories - IC packaging that needs lower technical expertise and less capital. However, against semiconductor industrial booming and bust cycles, and the phenomenon known as the Bullwhip Effect in supply chains, most packaging factories have been confronting with the challenges in worse and more competitive environments. Those factories, even the same for the new entrants, actively adopted all different types of competitive, cooperative and integrated strategies, not only for profits but survival. In this study, based on path dependence theory, the competitive strategies among ten new IC packaging companies were introduced to discuss, examine, and more further verify the linkages between their competitive strategies and developing paths. The conclusion indicates that competitive strategies of positive developing path may offer new entrants a successful, experienced model to copy with. 1.The advancement of Taiwan IC packaging new entrants gave evidence for developing path¡¦s model. That is to say, different competitive strategies will result in different developing paths. 2.The competitive strategies of the positively developing path¡¦s model are helpful for new entrants to develop positively. Strategic positioning helps to concentrate company¡¦s resources onto her beneficial path to develop. Innovative strategies will help to break through the limitations of path and guide the developing path to success. Competitive advantage helps the developing path come into positive cycles. 3.IC packaging companies have to review and react very often to manage their competitive strategies when the developing path is influenced by the variances of inner and outer environments.

This multi-site case study is really the story of three same-state community colleges (Bridge and Buffer Community College, Grants and Reserves Community College, and Crystal Ball Community College) two years after they suffered a potentially catastrophic 50% reduction in state allocations. This study examined their responses to those reductions and attempted to frame those responses according to existing research on strategic activity and strategic positioning. The theoretical framework used, referenced as a theoretical mesh, consisted of academic capitalism (Slaughter & Leslie, 1997; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2004), resource dependence theory (Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978), state relative autonomy perspective (Dougherty, 1994), and neo-institutional theory (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983). The synthesis of these theories facilitated the analysis of the findings of this study. This study identified three key phenomena: The Quartering of Community Colleges to conceptualize and organize the abundance of external pressures facing community colleges, Mandates to Neutralize to explain the importance of an aggressive and formal approach to neutralizing external pressures, and Embedded Community Colleges whose strategic positions are strengthened through a deliberate, committed approach to fostering close relationships with their local communities.

Este trabalho analisa o posicionamento estratégico de duas grandes redes pertencentes ao ramo varejista de bens duráveis: Lojas Colombo e Magazine Luiza, no intuito de identificar através de informações coletadas em entrevistas, reportagens das principais revistas e jornais, como estas empresas buscam obter vantagens competitivas num cenário altamente concorrido como o atual. A análise usa como referencial teórico as idéias de posicionamento estratégico de M. Porter e a exploração de vantagens de custos e benefícios para obtenção de vantagens competitivas e melhor posicionamento no mercado. O referencial escolhido mostrou-se bastante útil para entender as escolhas de estratégia das empresas estudadas. As análises realizadas com base em informações obtidas levaram ao entendimento que as Lojas Colombo têm como foco de atuação a competição por benefícios, optando pela diferenciação. Já o Magazine Luiza tem um posicionamento estratégico voltado para a competição por custos, considerando os mesmos critérios de avaliação para as duas empresas. / This paper examines strategic positioning applied to two well-established rival Brazilian companies that belong to retail trade market of durable goods. We collected information from newspapers and magazines in order to identify how those companies obtain competitive advantages in such a dynamic today’s market scenario. Our analysis is based on M. Porter's ideas of strategic positioning and competitive advantages in cost and benefits, focusing on how to achieve a better position in the local market. Porter's theory turned out to be the best choice for understanding these company approaches. As a result we found out different initiatives between the two studied chains. The first one, called Lojas Colombo, focuses on competitive benefits while the second, called Magazine Luiza, establishes competitive costs. We considered the same assessment criteria for both companies.

Este trabalho analisa o posicionamento estratégico de duas grandes redes pertencentes ao ramo varejista de bens duráveis: Lojas Colombo e Magazine Luiza, no intuito de identificar através de informações coletadas em entrevistas, reportagens das principais revistas e jornais, como estas empresas buscam obter vantagens competitivas num cenário altamente concorrido como o atual. A análise usa como referencial teórico as idéias de posicionamento estratégico de M. Porter e a exploração de vantagens de custos e benefícios para obtenção de vantagens competitivas e melhor posicionamento no mercado. O referencial escolhido mostrou-se bastante útil para entender as escolhas de estratégia das empresas estudadas. As análises realizadas com base em informações obtidas levaram ao entendimento que as Lojas Colombo têm como foco de atuação a competição por benefícios, optando pela diferenciação. Já o Magazine Luiza tem um posicionamento estratégico voltado para a competição por custos, considerando os mesmos critérios de avaliação para as duas empresas. / This paper examines strategic positioning applied to two well-established rival Brazilian companies that belong to retail trade market of durable goods. We collected information from newspapers and magazines in order to identify how those companies obtain competitive advantages in such a dynamic today’s market scenario. Our analysis is based on M. Porter's ideas of strategic positioning and competitive advantages in cost and benefits, focusing on how to achieve a better position in the local market. Porter's theory turned out to be the best choice for understanding these company approaches. As a result we found out different initiatives between the two studied chains. The first one, called Lojas Colombo, focuses on competitive benefits while the second, called Magazine Luiza, establishes competitive costs. We considered the same assessment criteria for both companies.

Este trabalho analisa o posicionamento estratégico de duas grandes redes pertencentes ao ramo varejista de bens duráveis: Lojas Colombo e Magazine Luiza, no intuito de identificar através de informações coletadas em entrevistas, reportagens das principais revistas e jornais, como estas empresas buscam obter vantagens competitivas num cenário altamente concorrido como o atual. A análise usa como referencial teórico as idéias de posicionamento estratégico de M. Porter e a exploração de vantagens de custos e benefícios para obtenção de vantagens competitivas e melhor posicionamento no mercado. O referencial escolhido mostrou-se bastante útil para entender as escolhas de estratégia das empresas estudadas. As análises realizadas com base em informações obtidas levaram ao entendimento que as Lojas Colombo têm como foco de atuação a competição por benefícios, optando pela diferenciação. Já o Magazine Luiza tem um posicionamento estratégico voltado para a competição por custos, considerando os mesmos critérios de avaliação para as duas empresas. / This paper examines strategic positioning applied to two well-established rival Brazilian companies that belong to retail trade market of durable goods. We collected information from newspapers and magazines in order to identify how those companies obtain competitive advantages in such a dynamic today’s market scenario. Our analysis is based on M. Porter's ideas of strategic positioning and competitive advantages in cost and benefits, focusing on how to achieve a better position in the local market. Porter's theory turned out to be the best choice for understanding these company approaches. As a result we found out different initiatives between the two studied chains. The first one, called Lojas Colombo, focuses on competitive benefits while the second, called Magazine Luiza, establishes competitive costs. We considered the same assessment criteria for both companies.

Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2016-05-31T14:40:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Jose Marcelo Goncalves Leitao.pdf: 1105247 bytes, checksum: ea17ba11d52b7ac760deeab07b5e1e2d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-31T14:40:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jose Marcelo Goncalves Leitao.pdf: 1105247 bytes, checksum: ea17ba11d52b7ac760deeab07b5e1e2d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-31 / The production of dairy products is a key economic supporters of rural region in Pernambucano where Ipanema Valley and Ipojuca Valley concentrate 53% of the total of produced milk in the state. In the current economic market of dairy products, cooperatives, as well as companies in general, need to develop new business models in order to reach an administrative direction of its executives and associates to grow and to develop. Therefore, the adoption of strategies enhancing the standards of competitiveness, as well as administrative and management competence are needed to achieve a better market position and compete on equal terms with companies. This research studied the Competitive Positioning of the three cooperatives in activity in these microregions: COOP ANEMA, COOPLESA and COOPSAL. Thus, this study aims to examine the competitiveness of Milk Agricultural Cooperatives in Central and South Rural regions of Pemambuco, through its competitive factors, identifying their vulnerability and capability in marketing their products facing large buyers and evaluating how economic results interfere with social outcomes. The methodology in this analysis was qualitative, with the use of questionnaires and interviews with presidents, directors and associates of the three cooperatives. With these results we can verify that the cooperatives, besides being located in different microregions they differ in their structures, and in structures and in the commercialization ofthe products. However, they have similarities in relation to partnerships in training members, adoption of generic strategies of focus and leadership in total cost and suffer from high informallity in the sector. Therefore, it is necessary to promote cooperative campaigns with official institutions responsible for inspection and health monitoring for quality assurance of products and also to defme strategies aiming to increase herd productivity, besides training in management tools for their managers. / A produção de leite e derivados constitui um dos principais suportes econômicos do Agreste Pemambucano onde as microrregiões do Vale do Ipanema e Vale do Ipojuca concentram 53% do volume total de leite produzido no Estado. Na atual conjuntura econômica do mercado de leite e derivados, as cooperativas, assim corno as empresas de uma forma geral, precisam desenvolver novos modelos de gestão visando um direcionamento administrativo de seus executivos e associados em busca do seu crescimento e desenvolv.imento. Portanto, a adoção de estratégias valorizando os padrões de competitividade, além de competência administrativa e gerencial, são fundamentais para se conseguir um melhor posicionamento no mercado e competir em condições de igualdade com as empresas. Diante desta realidade, esta pesquisa estudou o Posicionamento Competitivo das três cooperativas em atividade nestas microrregiões: COOP ANEMA, COOPLESA e COOPSAL. Sendo assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a competitividade das Cooperativas Agropecuárias de Leite nos Agrestes Central e Meridional de Pemambuco, através de seus fatores competitivos, identificando a sua vulnerabilidade e potencialidade na comercialização dos seus produtos diante dos grandes compradores e avaliando como os resultados econômicos interferem nos resultados sociais. A metodologia utilizada nessa análise foi através de pesquisa qualitativa, com utilização de questionários e entrevistas a presidentes, diretores e associados das três cooperativas. O modelo de análise utilizado se baseou na estrutura das cinco forças que interagem com os negócios de uma instituição empresarial/cooperativa. Através dos resultados encontrados pode-se verificar que as cooperativas além de estarem localizadas em microrregiões diferentes apresentam divergências tanto em suas estruturas, quanto na comercialização dos seus produtos principais. Porém, as mesmas possuem convergências em relação às parcerias em capacitação para os associados, adoção das estratégias genéricas de enfoque e liderança no custo total e sofrem com a elevada informalidade no setor. Sendo assim, toma-se necessário que as cooperativas promovam campanhas com órgãos oficiais responsáveis pela inspeção e vigilância sanitária para garantia da qualidade dos produtos, e que defmam estratégias de atuação para os associados, objetivando o aumento da produtividade do rebanho, além de promover treinamentos em ferramentas gerenciais para os seus dirigentes.