An increased openness and rapidity of the media has resulted in more comprehensive coverage of organizations and their behavior. Additionally increased customer awareness of corporate ethical behavior has led to higher customer demands and expectations resulting in added pressure on companies. Corporate social responsibility has by researchers been identified as the solution to these increased expectations. There are various types of CSR activities and this study focuses on the concept of Fair Trade. A literature review examining the existing research within the field was performed to identify a research gap that assisted in establishing the purpose of the study. The purpose of this study is to assess how practicing CSR strategies at Coop influence subjective performance, and if these are deliberate or emergent. Three research questions were formulated to answer the purpose. The study tests a research model that has not yet been tested in practice, namely the 3C-SR model. The study has been conducted through a case study in the form of in-depth interviews and content analysis. The study was carried out through five interviews with employees from the Swedish grocery chain Coop. Organization-wide needs for well-developed communication, consistency and clear goals regarding CSR and Fair Trade were recognized. Practical managerial implications have been concluded based on these findings. Additionally, a suggestion for developing the existing research model is presented. The study reveals that Fair Trade is not practiced entirely in accordance with the 3C-SR model. Potentiality was identified concerning the subjective assessment, hence the subjective performance was not ultimate. The study further concluded that despite deliberate features, the corporate strategy was highly emergent.

This present thesis aims to contribute to a better understand about how to use value innovation to get competitive advantages and get leading position in the market.   This theoretical approach is supported by an empirical case study about IKEA in Nanjing, China. This case is based on a qualitative research method of in-depth interviews with the local customers, co-workers and managers. The outcome is IKEA uses a unique strategy execution in Nanjing, and it fits Nanjing’s market very well.   The competitive strategy of IKEA is based on its vision of “create better everyday life for many people”, combined with the value-based service culture, and use value innovation to create more value for both customers and company. This present thesis will show its unique strategy operation way together with value creation, which leads IKEA successful apply its Blue Ocean strategy in a foreign country and gets leading position in the market.   So far we have the opinion that IKEA has been successful in Nanjing by implementing a Blue Ocean strategy, which is crucially supported by good value innovation for both customers and company. It is quite a good example of successful Blue Ocean strategy operator in globally.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka om ett eventföretag skulle kunna arbeta utifrån marknadsföringsprojektet Stockholmsstrategin. Utifrån teorier om evenemang och strategier och med hjälp av teorier om image, värdskap, mötesindustrin samt konsulten, ämnar vi analysera och problematisera ovan nämnda eventföretag och Stockholmsstrategin. Metoderna som har använts för att få en bild av dessa två företag är kvalitativa strukturerade intervjuer med öppna frågor och platsbaserade, aktivitetsbaserade och öppna observationer av event som vart och ett av företagen har anordnat. Vid insamlandet av empiri rörande Stockholmsstrategin användes själva dokumentet Stockholmsstrategin samt en kvalitativ strukturerad intervju med projektledaren för projektet. Även vid denna intervju användes öppna frågor. Vår ambition är att ta redan på om det är möjligt för dessa företag att arbeta utifrån Stockholmsstrategin, om de skulle tjäna något på att arbeta mot målen i strategin. Det generella resultatet är att de båda företagen inte direkt skulle tjäna på att följa Stockholmsstrategins mål, och att de i dagens läge inte jobbar mot att marknadsföra Stockholm, utan att åta sig jobb från kunder. / The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether an event company could work on the marketing project the Stockholm Strategy. Based on theories of events and strategies and using theories about perception, hospitality and meeting industry and consultants, we aim to analyze and problematize the above event companies and the Stockholm Strategy. The methods which have been used to obtain a picture of these two companies are structured qualitative interviews with open questions and location-based, activity-based and open observation of events. Each of them has arranged. In the collection of empirical data regarding the Stockholm strategy was used on the document the Stockholm strategy itself and a qualitative structured interview with the project manager for the project. Also at that interview we used open-ended questions. Our aim is to see if it is possible for the two companies to be a part of the Stockholm strategy, if they would serve something to work towards the objectives of the strategy. The general result is that both companies would not directly benefit from following the Stockholm Strategy, and that they are not currently required to work towards promoting Stockholm, without taking on jobs from clients.

Abstract Education in Taiwan today face the most serious problem is that rapid fertility decline. The population is concentrated to the metropolitan area, relocation of villages and towns of the young population. Aging seriously dropped the number of students in remote areas, while the tertiary institutions have increased rapidly. Therefore, the private colleges will face the dilemma of low enrollment, the education market today liberalization in recent years, the number of additional colleges and universities nearly saturated, from the 1986-2008 school year, the number of colleges and universities has reached 162. School for the sake of sustainable development, to avoid being out of the market must change the current mode of operation. Private colleges and universities must master their own unique advantages, improve teaching quality, and to make appropriate use of marketing strategies to cope with enroll and enroll management insufficient predicament. The purpose of this study, that is the object from the private post-secondary school students (graduates close to 300-500 in the name of the country) questionnaire data and other high homogeneity of Nursing (1-2 home) Admission strategy, for the respondents By using quantitative analysis of questionnaire data, this research through quantitative survey data collected in the synchronization of the views of students and graduates around the country in about the views of school choice to students in-depth understanding of the key decision factors, to find private post-secondary school Admission policies should be Note that matters.

Several empirical studies have investigated and established the effect of HR practices and systems on organizational performance. However, there has been little or no focus on the effect of the HR function on organizational performance in both human resource development (HRD) and human resource management (HRM) literature. The term human resource development and management (HRM&D) is utilized to represent scholarly and pragmatic considerations of both fields in representing the HR function. This study elaborates on ways in which organizations achieve the HR-firm performance linkage using the resource-based view of the firm as a theoretical framework. In order to do so, the study examined HRM&D function involvement in lean and quality strategy (LQS) implementation in four U.S. based distribution companies. A qualitative case study approach was utilized to answer the following research issues: 1) the role; 2) the extent of HRM&D involvement in LQS implementation and; 3) the effect on organizational performance. A total of 51 executives participated in the study. Qualitative analysis of data using the constant comparative method helped in understanding the distinctive ways firms achieved the HRM&D-firm performance linkage. Five interrelated components are macro-conditions, strategy (LQS), structure, cross functional performance, and organizational performance affecting HRM&D involvement in LQS implementation. The results suggest that organizations leverage external and internal resources for sustaining competitive advantage, thereby enhancing organizational performance. Further, it was found that the extent of HRM&D involvement in LQS was dependent on functional engagement between the Operations and HRM&D functions. Finally, based on empirical data gathered and verification, the following results emerged: (1) three distinctive levels of cross functional performance; interactions, alignment and integration between Operations and HRM&D illustrated the manner in which HRM&D functions are utilized by organizations espousing LQS; (2) stronger HRM&D-firm performance linkages are created by socially complex relationships influenced by environment and internal factors such as leadership, culture, strategy and structure, (3) strategic relevance of the HRM&D role increased involvement in organizational strategy implementation and, (4) potential resource based advantages for HRM&D function in achieving business partner status were isolated. The implications of the study are outlined.

ABSTRACT All companies want to make profits and will be globalized, but how do they get it? Human resource management must be the key point. Corporate cultures and business strategies try to catch changing environment. How do they affect human resource systems especial in staffing strategies and organization performances? We have 106 effective samples from 1.Taiwan¡¦s 5000 Top manufacture corporations surveyed by CHINA CREDIT INFORMATION SERVICE, LTD. in 2002. 2. Association of Taichung Human Resource Managers. The effective recover rate was 19.2% and then used the SPSS & LISREL software to analyze our questionnaire. The main conclusions of our research are¡G 1.The different corporate culture firms can be classified four types by the two dimensions of flexibility and external focus. Each of the four types has significant deviation. 2.The different business strategy firms can be classified four types by the two dimensions of innovation and market range. Each of the four types has significant deviation. 3.The corporate cultures and business strategies affect organization performances through the staffing strategies

ABSTRACT Postponement strategies offer opportunities for firms to achieve effective supply chain management. Postponement strategies could be classified into manufacturing postponement which delays the product differentiation and logistics postponement which delays the distributing process to the confirmed customer orders. In practice, the way to implement manufacturing postponement is more complicated than logistics postponement¡¦s. By employing the logistics postponement strategy, all the firms have to consider is the distribution of finalized products from a centralized inventory to final retailers. Comparing with integrating all the manufacturing activities, logistics postponement strategy could be an effective one for firms to handle the demand uncertainty over the regional markets. By employing the logistics postponement strategy, firms could decrease the cost of inventory and backorder through delaying products distribution to the confirmed customer orders. The connection between real options and postponement is also showed on this point. By employing the real options, decisions could be made when the firms wait and get more information about the market. The value the firms wait to get is also the benefits that logistics postponement strategy could reach by logistics postponement. Thus, the flexibility to decrease the inventory and backorder cost is considered as the management flexibility that real options could evaluate. On the other way, it¡¦s not always free for firms to get such a flexible management ability. The capital that firms have to invest for any change of the supply chain becoming the flexible one could be equal to buying the exercise right in real options. We therefore could construct a model to evaluate the value of logistics postponement strategy via real options and help the firms to judge what would be the proper occasions for logistics postponement to be implemented.

In the knowledge economic era, how to effectively accumulate and explore knowledge becomes the key factor to the success of MNCs in the global market. ¡§Human¡¨ will be the main source to create the competitive knowledge, also plays an important role of the process in knowledge management. Therefore, knowledge and human capital investment will be the most important resources for enterprises to keep competitive advantage. The main purpose of this research is to develop a framework of knowledge strategy and human capital in subsidiaries of MNCs. Using quantitive interview research, samples are from 6 companies in 3 industries. The major findings of this study are listed below: 1. ¡§Active subsidiary¡¨ and ¡§early entryer¡¨ will have positive effect in human capital investment. 2. The more subsidiary adapt ¡§global innovator¡¨ and ¡§local innovator¡¨ these two knowledge strategies, the more they will emphasize on human capital localization and top manager¡¦s competence. 3. ¡§human capital investment¡¨, ¡§top manager¡¦s competence¡¨ and ¡§ employee¡¦s ability of entrepreneurship¡¨will have positive effect on subsidiary¡¦s performance. 4. In the network between HQ and subsidiary, ¡§outflow of knowledge¡¨ will have positive effect on subsidiary¡¦s performance.

Due to the rampant growth in the number and high similarity of banking activities, the competition among national banks has become vigorous in recent years. At the same time the foreign banks, with advantage of their international experience in diversified operation and management, bring in even more contesting pressure on the domestic banks. Therefore, expanding business arena overseas has become an alternative policy for domestic banks. Presently the overseas branches of our domestic banks are mainly located in the Asia-Pacific countries, such as Hong Kong, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore. The current studies were thus conducted to compare operation strategies between domestic banks and foreign banks in Hong Kong, where our domestic banks have established numerous branches. A general introduction was made about the banking development in Hong Kong area in the first part of my study. Two banks were selected for case studies: Fubon Bank Hong Kong (representative of domestic bank) and CitiBank Hong Kong (representative foreign bank). The similarity/differences and respective advantages/disadvantages were summarized in the aspects of their entry and market positioning strategies. The results showed no absolute ideal entry strategy, but rather depended on the market positioning and operation policy of the enterprise. In terms of products, both cases displayed similar product line while the novelty of products became the key to success. Nevertheless, CitiBank prevailed as far as brand name is concerned. Both banks possess comparable network dimension in Hong Kong. Finally we suggest the following principles for those who intend to establish branches in Hong Kong, or destine China and other overseas territories through Hong Kong: (1) Acquire the small and medium banks in Hong Kong or create strategic alliances (2) Put equal emphasis on enterprise financing and consumer financing (3) Take advantage of local resources and fulfill local needs (4) Integrate financial information of Mainland China and Hong Kong

Securities investment trust industry was in fact an oligarchy in Taiwan. Under the restriction of governmental regulation, there were only China(¤¤µØ), International(°ê»Ú), Abn-Amro (¥úµØ), and National(«Ø¥°) securities company in existence before 1992. As the development of global financial liberalization going and the effort of government trying to join WTO, domestic financial policy is growing wide open. The threshold for the establishment of securities investment trust corporation company has been constantly adjusted since 1995; moreover, the qualification for being a shareholder of securities investment trust corporation company is loosen. The possibility of establishing securities investment trust corporation company with 100% foreign funds or domestic funds has attracted national and international corporations to establish investment trust corporation company in Taiwan. There were a total of thirty-eight (38) investment trust corporation companies in Taiwan by the end of 1999. A fund management company must be a financial institute that is stable and capable of providing investors with long-term profits. However, the newly born domestic securities investment trust corporation company has indeed grown rapidly but learned from the hard way too. The turnover rate of management is beyond imagination. According to the statistics of Investment/Trust and Investment Consulting Association, managing director of securities investment trust corporation company lasts for only 16 months in general up to 1999. In fact, there are only six (6) managing directors with a seniority of two (2) years that responsible for fund management amounts to NT$774.2 billion. The rapid growth of securities investment trust corporation company has reinforced the need of securities investment and trust company for professional managers; therefore, competition is brutal, turnover rate of employment is high, and operational risk is severe. The securities investment trust corporation industry relies its operation heavily on ¡§talents.¡¨ No matter it is for the promotion of fund business or the management of fund assets, it is done by ¡§people.¡¨ Therefore, the number of people and the quality of talents do affect operation and business performance; therefore, the importance of human resources management strategy goes without saying. Securities investment trust corporation industry in Taiwan will be discussed in this study with a focus on the impact of business environment, business characteristic, business strategy, and human resources management strategy on operation performance. Interviews will be conducted in accordance with the content of questionnaire; also, research hypothesis will be verified through statistical analysis. It is concluded from research result that there is a significant relation existed between business environment and business strategy; also, business capabilities and business strategy; and business culture and leadership. There is a significant positive relation between the application of ¡§human resources management strategy¡¨ and ¡§investment differential strategy,¡¨ ¡§number of workers,¡¨ ¡§information control,¡¨ and ¡§number of beneficiaries.¡¨ On the contrary, there is a significant negative relation between ¡§the establishment of branch office¡¨ and ¡§human resources management strategy.¡¨ If all variables do comply with human resources management strategy, operation performance could be upgraded. Moreover, once securities investment trust corporation company adopts ¡§investment differentiation strategy,¡¨ the application of ¡§human resources management strategy¡¨ will be with an orientation of ¡§accumulative¡¨ strategy. Once investment and trust company starts establishing branch office, in other words, once organizational operation is in a larger scale, the adoption of ¡§human resources management strategy¡¨ will be with an orientation of ¡§accumulative¡¨ strategy. It is also concluded from the study that a securities company with business capabilities outperforms the one without. Recommendation is made to securities investment trust corporation company in accordance with research result regarding the importance of human resources department or unit. At the time of drafting up human resources management strategy, it is important to give it a thorough and complete consideration and match it up to organizational business strategy in order to regulate appropriate human resources management strategy and to improve organizational performance. Moreover, the management should strive to develop the core competitiveness of company and to control its competitive advantages. We would like to suggest the successors to exercise multiple criteria for performance evaluation; also, to expand the scope of research in order to improve research value.