The focal point for this thesis is corporate social responsibility and how it can affect competitive advantage. This study is conducted within the pharmaceutical industry, an industry that is claimed to have a very high level of social responsibility. Thus, understanding what kind of CSR factors that contributes to competitive advantage might be seen as a relevant field of study. The purpose if this study is to explain what kind of social responsibility factors that generates competitive advantage for pharmaceutical companies. The method used in this thesis is a content analysis, where pharmaceutical companies´ social responsibility reports are viewed and where the appearance of certain key words associated with CSR factors were counted. The following CSR factors have been used: human rights, labour practice, environment, fair operating practice, consumer issues and community involvement and development.   Findings of this study indicate that consumer issues and community involvement and development are positively related to competitive advantage for pharmaceutical companies.   The main limitations of this study are that findings are only applicable for the pharmaceutical industry. Also, since the sample is relatively small (N=25) it might be hard to replicate the findings of this study. This might alter the generalizability ability. The original value of this study is that it is a step towards understanding what kind of CSR factors that contributes to competitive advantage for pharmaceutical companies.  Key words: pharmaceutical, CSR, corporate social responsibility, competitive advantage.

Darbo pavadinimas – Konkurencinio pranašumo stiprinimas Palangos viešbučiuose. Raktiniai žodžiai: konkurencinis pranašumas, viešbučio paslaugos, informacinės technologijos, inovacijos, santykių su klientais valdymo sistema. Darbo objektas – Palangos viešbučių konkurencinis pranašumas. Darbo tikslas – nustatyti konkurencinio pranašumo stiprinimo galimybes Palangos viešbučiuose. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti konkurencinį pranašumą lemiančius veiksnius teoriniu aspektu. 2. Ištirti pagrindinius veiksnius, stiprinančius Palangos viešbučių konkurencinį pranašumą, apklausiant viešbučių klientus bei darbuotojus. 3. Parengti Palangos viešbučiams pritaikytą konkurencinio pranašumo stiprinimo modelį. Darbe yra trys pagrindinės dalys. Pirmoje dalyje pateikiama konkurencinio pranašumo samprata, aprašyti konkurencinį pranašumą įtakojantys veiksniai, strategijos bei konkurencinio pranašumo modelio formavimo teoriniai aspektai. Antroje dalyje apžvelgiama tyrimo metodika ir organizavimas. Siekiant nustatyti viešbučių veiklos tobulinimo kryptis, atlikta anketinė apklausa viešbučių darbuotojams ir klientams, pateiktos tiriamų Palangos viešbučių SSGG ir PEST analizės. Trečioje dalyje aptariami gauti anketinės apklausos tyrimo rezultatai. Remiantis atliktais tyrimais Tailando viešbučiuose, pasiūlytas konkurencinio pranašumo stiprinimo modelis Palangos viešbučių veiklai gerinti. Rekomenduojama įdiegti santykių su klientais valdymo sistemą bei naujų paslaugų vystymo strategiją. Išvadose... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Title - Strengthening the competitive advantage for hotels in Palanga (Strengthening the Competitive Advantage of Hotels in Palanga). Key words: competitive advantage, hotel services, information technology, innovation, customer relationship management system. Object - hotels in Palanga, a competitive advantage. The aim - to establish a competitive advantage in building opportunities for hotels in Palanga. Objectives: 1st To analyze the determinants of competitive advantage in theoretical terms. 2nd To investigate the underlying factors that enhance the competitive advantage of hotels in Palanga, interviewing hotel staff and customers. 3rd Palanga hotels prepare customized competitive advantage in building a model.

<ul><li><strong>Syfte: </strong>Uppsatsen syfte är att beskriva och analysera varför IKEA-besökare i Karlstad, som tillhör kundgruppen 50+, väljer att inte handla möbler i samma utsträckning som de yngre besökarna. </li></ul><ul><li><strong>Metod:</strong> Uppsatsens undersökning grundas på en kvalitativ och en kvantitativ metod. Den kvalitativa metoden består av 20 öppna intervjuer med människor i kundgruppen 50+. Den kvantitativa metoden kompletterar den kvalitativa och består av frågeformulär som samtliga intervjuobjekt fick fylla i efter intervjuerna. </li></ul><ul><li><strong>Resultat: </strong>Flera faktorer framkom som viktiga för 50+ konsumenten då denne handlar möbler. När kundgruppen delades in efter kognitiv ålder märktes trender i deras preferenser. Personlig interaktion, tilläggstjänster och sortiment är exempel på faktorer som kundgruppen framhäver som viktiga men som de inte anser att IKEA erbjuder.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Rekommendationer: </strong>En figur med förslag på åtgärder åt IKEA har bearbetats fram. Bland annat föreslås att företaget; breddar sortimentet med lyxigare möbler, ökar medvetenheten hos 50+ gällande de tilläggstjänster som erbjuds samt ökar personalens tillgänglighet.</li></ul> / <ul><li><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyse why IKEA visitors in Karlstad, belonging to the 50+ market segment, choose not to purchase their furniture to the same extent as the younger visitors.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Method:</strong> The thesis is based on a qualitative and a quantitative study. The qualitative study consists of 20 open interviews with people from the 50+ market. The quantitative study complements the qualitative one and consists of a questionnaire that was filled out by all the interviewees after the interviews. </li></ul><ul><li><strong>Findings: </strong>Several elements proved to be of importance when the 50+ consumer purchase furniture. Trends regarding the consumer groups’ preferences emerged when the group was subcategorised according to cognitive age. Personal interaction, add-on services and range of products are examples of elements that the consumer group emphasises as important. However, the consumer group does not think that IKEA offers this at the moment. </li></ul><ul><li><strong>Recommendations: </strong>A figure containing suggestions for action has been created for IKEA. The company is for example recommended to; widen their range of products, increase the awareness amongst the 50+ market regarding the add-on services that are offered, and increase the availability of the employees.</li></ul>

Syfte: Uppsatsen syfte är att beskriva och analysera varför IKEA-besökare i Karlstad, som tillhör kundgruppen 50+, väljer att inte handla möbler i samma utsträckning som de yngre besökarna. Metod: Uppsatsens undersökning grundas på en kvalitativ och en kvantitativ metod. Den kvalitativa metoden består av 20 öppna intervjuer med människor i kundgruppen 50+. Den kvantitativa metoden kompletterar den kvalitativa och består av frågeformulär som samtliga intervjuobjekt fick fylla i efter intervjuerna. Resultat: Flera faktorer framkom som viktiga för 50+ konsumenten då denne handlar möbler. När kundgruppen delades in efter kognitiv ålder märktes trender i deras preferenser. Personlig interaktion, tilläggstjänster och sortiment är exempel på faktorer som kundgruppen framhäver som viktiga men som de inte anser att IKEA erbjuder. Rekommendationer: En figur med förslag på åtgärder åt IKEA har bearbetats fram. Bland annat föreslås att företaget; breddar sortimentet med lyxigare möbler, ökar medvetenheten hos 50+ gällande de tilläggstjänster som erbjuds samt ökar personalens tillgänglighet. / Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyse why IKEA visitors in Karlstad, belonging to the 50+ market segment, choose not to purchase their furniture to the same extent as the younger visitors. Method: The thesis is based on a qualitative and a quantitative study. The qualitative study consists of 20 open interviews with people from the 50+ market. The quantitative study complements the qualitative one and consists of a questionnaire that was filled out by all the interviewees after the interviews. Findings: Several elements proved to be of importance when the 50+ consumer purchase furniture. Trends regarding the consumer groups’ preferences emerged when the group was subcategorised according to cognitive age. Personal interaction, add-on services and range of products are examples of elements that the consumer group emphasises as important. However, the consumer group does not think that IKEA offers this at the moment. Recommendations: A figure containing suggestions for action has been created for IKEA. The company is for example recommended to; widen their range of products, increase the awareness amongst the 50+ market regarding the add-on services that are offered, and increase the availability of the employees.

The goal of this master's thesis is to provide the management of the selected undertaking with a view of possible weaknesses of their management, which may lead to problems in the future, threats present on the market having a negative external impact on the undertaking and to show the management opportunities arising from the external environment as well as strengths of their management. These recommendations will be formulated in the form of action plan. To achieve the goal of the master's thesis means to prepare the financial analysis, i.e. the internal analysis of the undertaking concerned that will serve as a source material on the basis of which strengths and weaknesses pertaining to the SWOT analysis will be formulated. To be able to prepare a competent SWOT analysis, I will perform two selected external analyses of the environment concerned, which are the PEST analysis and the Porter's Five Forces Model. These two external analyses will provide a framework depicting external factors such as opportunities and threats arising from the market. They will make it possible to compile a full-valued SWOT matrix. Based on this performed SWOT analysis, I will prepare the action plan formulating recommendations for the management of the undertaking focused on the elimination of the weaknesses of the undertaking as well as of the threats arising from the market, or possibly on the use of the opportunities present on the market and consolidation of the undertaking's strengths.