The present research, which treats about the development of Corporate Strategics, was done at Holding CVI, with home office in Santa Maria-RS city. The Holding CVI, that among others investments, works on beverage area, has as its main business, The Coca Cola Company franchise, in the region of Santa Cruz do Sul, Passo Fundo and Santa Maria, cities located in Rio Grande do Sul. This research is case a study, and has as its goal suggesting to the stockholder the development of Strategics Alliances - merging, purchases an associations that allow the grow of the Holding. To the conception of this Strategics Alliances it takes into consideration the followings points: the company historic, the environment analyze of beverage field and the stockholder profile. / A presente pesquisa, que trata sobre o desenvolvimento de Estratégias Corporativas, realizou-se na Holding CVI, com sede na cidade de Santa Maria-RS. A Holding CVI, que, entre outros investimentos, atua no segmento de bebidas, tem como seu principal negócio, a franquia da The Coca Cola Company, nas regiões das cidades de Santa Cruz do Sul, Passo Fundo e Santa Maria, situadas no Rio Grande do Sul. Esta pesquisa caracteriza-se com um estudo de caso, tendo como principal objetivo sugerir, para os acionistas, o desenvolvimento de Alianças Estratégicas - fusões, aquisições e associações que permitam o crescimento da Holding. Para a concepção dessas alianças estratégicas considerou-se os seguintes pontos: o histórico da empresa, a análise ambiental do setor de bebidas e o perfil dos acionistas.

M.Tech. (Construction Management) / The aim of the study was to assessment of the critical success factors of joint ventures in the South African construction industry. The study strived to further establish the benefits and sustainability of contractor joint ventures between established contractors and small and medium contractors in the industry. In undertaking the study, primary data relative to contractor joint ventures was obtained by means of an administered questionnaire to one hundred and twelve (112) contractor representatives in the South African construction industry that had partaken or had an involvement in a joint venture project, to both the established and small and medium contractors. The findings indicate that multiple factors lead to the successfulness of contractor joint ventures, among these however, the main factors found to be efficient planning, commitment, trust, communication and comprehension. Other findings included the main benefits of both emerging and established contractor as well as the factors that can be used to measure the success of joint ventures. The research limitations can be said to include the fact that the study focused only on contractors that had previously taken part in a joint ventures project in Gauteng.

Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role as employers and in the economic growth of South Africa and in Africa as a whole. SMEs comprise over 90 percent of African business operations and contribute to over percent of African employment and GDP. SMEs sector has shown positive signs in South Africa, Mauritius and North Africa. SMEs constitute 95 percent of formal manufacturing activity in Nigeria. Senegal and Kenya have provided an environment which is conducive for SMEs (African Development Bank 2005). In August 2006, flood damage to small businesses and residential premises in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Area was estimated at R120million (SABC News 2006). The holding of an insurance cover by SMEs is crucial and beneficial to the economy and to the survival and success of the Small and Medium Enterprise sector. If a business has an insurance policy and a relationship with its insurer it becomes easier for the company to over come such a catastrophe. However, literature has shown that insurance companies are not willing to insure SMEs and it is the aim of this research to establish whether a relationship between the two constructs exists. An article entitled New Deal In The Offering for SMMEs, the author stated that the insurance industry prefer to deal only with established businesses (Mthimkhulu 2008). The aim of this research is to establish the importance of business relationship between Insurance companies and SMEs. The research will show how beneficial such a relationship is to both industries. The data for the research was collected through a survey type structured questionnaire that was developed and validated. The questionnaire was administered to the owners or managers of SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Area. The primary objective of this research was to establish whether SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Area have insurance policies for their businesses, and the results have shown that most of the SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Area do not have insurance policies for their businesses.

This thesis aims to explore the role of social network in the international market for the companies that plan to test their capabilities of social network for enhancement of business. In order to explore such capabilities, LinkedIn, Facebook, twitter and other social networks have been considered as examples, using companies from three different countries France, China and India. The findings highlight the social network contributing the acceleration of internationalization process and cost reduction. The methodology is used for assessing its relevance of moving internationally by the firms and assessment in the initial phase of implementation. However, its relevance is bigger in advanced stage of the implementation process. LinkedIn, Facebook, twitter can be obtained by new firms to obtain several benefits such as brand awareness and exploring new opportunities, customer retention and few other factors. This study results in providing complete knowledge to those companies or new startups that plan to move into international market after being into the business for few years locally.

Ce travail de recherche doctoral vise à examiner les interactions entre les multinationales, les entreprises algériennes et leurs firmes communes et identifier l’impact sur la structure et la culture développée au sein de celle-ci.Il vise également à examiner les caractéristiques de la structure et de la culture des alliances dyadiques internationales et comprendre leurs spécificités dans le contexte algérien.Enfin, un autre objectif assigné est l’examen du modèle décisionnel au sein de l’alliance et l’identification des rôles joués par la joint-venture, le parent local et la multinationale.Pour ce faire nous partons du constat, issu de la littérature, stipulant que les multinationales en position de force, chercheront à imposer leur modèle de structure à la firme commune et de développer leur culture d’origine au sein de celle-ci. Elles chercheront également à dominer la relation et centraliser l’ensemble des décisions.A partir d’une étude de deux cas d’alliances, l’un conclu dans le secteur hôtelier avec une multinationale française et l’autre conclu dans le secteur pharmaceutique avec une multinationale américaine, nous démontrons que ces constats théoriques, ne sont que partiellement confirmés au sein des alliances étudiées.Cette recherche effectuée s’est insérée dans un travail de terrain, avec une étude à la fois qualitative et quantitative, sur un territoire algérien, où aucune étude similaire n’a été conduite, à notre connaissance.Nous démontrons que la multinationale impose sont modèle organisationnel, mais ne parvient pas entièrement à développer sa culture commune au sein de l’alliance.Nous démontrons également que les multinationales dominent certaines décisions managériales et partagent d’autres avec le partenaire local. Et que lorsque la multinationale tente de dominer l’ensemble, des représailles concurrentielles peuvent être envisagées par l’allié et toucher ses intérêts.Nous avons également dégagé, des caractéristiques de la structure et de la culture des alliances internationales, étudiées en contexte algérien.D’un autre côté, l’étude des alliances dyadiques internationales en contexte algérien ; semble faire apparaître l’existence de différences de comportement de l’alliance et du parent local, en fonction du statut « public » ou « privé » de ce dernier. / This work of doctoral research aims to examine the interactions between multinationals, Algerian companies and their common firms and identify the impact on the structure and culture developed within it. It also aims to examine the characteristics of the structure and culture of international dyadic alliances and understand their specificities in the Algerian context.Finally, another objective it is reviewing the decision model in the alliance and the identification of the roles of the joint venture, the local parent and the multinational.To do this we assume acknowledged, in literature, stipulating that multinational position of strength, seek to impose their structure model to the common firm and develop their own culture within it. They also seek to dominate the relationship and centralize all decisions.From a study of two alliances, one found in the hotel sector with a French multinational and the other found in the pharmaceutical sector with a US multinational, we demonstrate that these theoretical findings, are only partially confirmed within the studied alliances.This research is inserted into field work with a study of both qualitative and quantitative, on the Algerian territory, where no similar studies have been conducted, to our knowledge.We demonstrate that the multinational imposes its organizational model, but fails to fully develop its common culture within the alliance.We also demonstrate that multinationals dominate certain managerial decisions and share more with the local partner. And when the multinational is trying to dominate the whole, competitive retaliation may be considered by the ally and touch his interests.We also cleared, the characteristics of the structure and culture of international alliances studied in Algerian context.On the other hand, the study of international dyadic alliances Algerian context; seems to reveal the existence of differences in behavior of the alliance, depending on the status of "public" or "private" of the local parent.

Co-creation has been conceptualized in a number of ways but is generally referred to as an ongoing partnership between a firm and stakeholders (i.e. consumers) to collaboratively identify and solve mutually beneficial issues. While current scholarship has deepened our knowledge about the process of including consumers in the co-production of value, much remains to be learned. This is particularly true with respect to the consumer behavior side of the discipline as it pertains to creativity and motivation. Thus, the focus of the following three essays is to investigate how customer participation in the ideation of products and advertising influences down-stream responses, depending upon an individual's regulatory focus. According to regulatory focus theory, individuals are motivated to pursue their goals based upon two distinct self-regulatory systems known as promotion and prevention. Promotion-focused consumers are most concerned with the achievement of accomplishments and aspirations, which often results in approach oriented behavior. In contrast, prevention focused individuals seek to avoid negative end states, such as losses, and therefore are concerned with their security, duties, and obligations, resulting in avoidance-related behavior. These two distinct motivational states influence the way these individuals approach creative goals, which shares commonalities with co-creation. By its very nature, the goal of co-creation is to develop novel output, which often requires creativity. However, the way promotion versus prevention consumers approach creativity significantly varies, and therefore, the purpose of the present research is to understand how regulatory focus interacts with co-creation across three specific contexts to influence consumer responses. Essay 1, titled "From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Using Analogies to Increase Consumer-Brand Outcomes," finds across two studies that when engaging in co-creation, promotion focused individuals have significantly greater purchase intentions if first given an analogical reasoning task prior to a co-creation activity. Prevention-focused consumers (who are often considered less creative) can also experience heightened creativity and purchase intentions if first primed with images having common ground (near analogies) as inspiration, compared to promotion individuals who need images with less common ground (far analogies). In addition, study 1 found that an analogical reasoning task produces ideas that are significantly more creative than providing no task, whereas study 2 finds that far visual analogies produce ideas that are significantly more creative than near analogies. Two post-hoc studies also provide additional insights. Essay 2, titled "Advertising Co-Creation to Decease Texting and Driving: A Regulatory Focus Perspective," demonstrates that co-creation and creativity can also be helpful within a social marketing context (i.e. texting and driving). Construal level theory is combined with regulatory focus theory to show how user generated advertisements about the dangers of texting and driving are more effective at decreasing harmful behavior than an ad that was not self-created. However, it depends upon who the advertisement is created for (i.e. social distance). Across 4 studies, essay 2 finds that a co-created advertisement, as opposed to an ad that was no self-created, is more effective at reducing cell phone related distracted driving because it encourages deeper processing of information which then increases mental imagery and advertisement believability. However, the effectiveness of a co-created ad for decreasing harmful texting behavior can be further enhanced by asking promotion focused consumers to create a socially far advertisement (i.e. ad for an average college student) vs a socially near advertisement (i.e. ad for best friend) for prevention focused individuals. Analytical vs. imagery processing are offered as explanations. Essay 3, titled "Regulatory Focus and Creativity: How an Episodic Induction Enhances Self-Perceived Levels of Creativity and Downstream Consumer-Brand Responses," explores the differences between prevention and promotion individuals pertaining to their self-views of creativeness and how this influences brand responses. Specifically, 5 studies demonstrate that promotion individuals have more positive brand responses (i.e. willingness to pay) when engaging in a creative brand encounter because they have more certainty in their own ideas which increases self-perceived level of creativity. However, prevention individuals can also experience positive outcomes by appealing to their episodic memory through a remembering the past task, which helps them to have more certainty in their own ideas which then increases self-perceived level of creativity. These positive outcomes can be further strengthened by prompting prevention consumers to remember a positive past experience. In summary, these three essays provide a solid foundation of how regulatory focus interacts with co-creation and creativity to influence down-stream responses. Essay 1 provides evidence for the merits of giving consumers a creative task that matches their regulatory focus prior to engaging in a creative brand encounter. Next, essay 2 explores how advertising co-creation can be an effective way of reducing texting and driving behavior among college students. Lastly, essay 3 examines how self-perceived creativity influences downstream brand responses depending upon one's regulatory focus.

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<p>How do firms decide which corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative to take on and when? The extant research has not been able to give definitive answers to these questions. As a result, despite CSR being an integral part of doing business today, many executives remain unsure about integrating CSR considerations into core strategy and decision makings. CSR is often considered in silos and not in conjunction with core corporate activities.  The three empirical essays in this dissertation seek to understand the role of CSR in corporate strategy, particularly in strategic alliance and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) contexts, and identify means through which CSR can be integrated into core strategic decision making. </p> <p><br></p> <p>The first essay, titled “Honor by Association: Does a Partner’s CSR Matter in Strategic Alliances?” investigates the role of partner’s CSR in strategic alliances, i.e. whether CSR of a partner affects the focal firm’s value creation from the alliance. Drawing on the stakeholders-based view of strategic alliances and advancing relational capabilities perspective on CSR, I argue and provide evidence that, faced with information asymmetry and collaborative challenges, a focal firm can rely on CSR performance of the partner to make judgements about value creation potentials from the alliance.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The second essay, titled “CSR Learning: Does a Firm’s CSR Influence Its Partner’s CSR?”, extends my first essay and puts forth the notion of CSR-learning through CSR knowledge and capabilities transfer in strategic alliances. A central argument is that the extent of CSR engagements and practices of a firm has an impact on those of its partner(s) in an on-going alliance. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Last but not least, the third essay is co-authored with Professor Ozmel and is titled “CSR in M&A: Does Relativity Matter?" This study examines the impact of relative CSR, <em>defined as the extent to which a target’s CSR resources and capabilities are superior to those of the acquirer</em>, on an acquiring firm’s value creation from M&A.  We contend that relative CSR matters in M&A as acquiring firms can gain access to superior CSR resources and capabilities to unlock relational and non-market synergies, resulting in additional value creation.</p>

This thesis investigates strategic alliances in the aviation industry, focusing on resource sharing, using Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) within Star Alliance and SkyTeam as case studies. It examines the operational and competitive benefits of these collaborations through qualitative research, including interviews with executives and experts. The study highlights alliance dynamics like antitrust immunity, code sharing, and the resource-based view. Findings show alliances improve operational efficiency, competitive positioning, and customer service. It also considers the impact of new technologies and global events on alliances, which pool tangible (technology, infrastructure) and intangible assets (brand reputation, identity), fostering deeper integration. This research enhances understanding of strategic drivers in airline alliances and the complexities of resource sharing in the global aviation sector.

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