This thesis will focus on understanding how middle managers on five different car dealership companies in three different cities in the south of Sweden perceive the position and situation within the company, and the result of this position. It will also focus on how he or she perceive his or hers relationship with the employees and superiors in the company to be. This paper will also aim to understand by which means the middle manager chooses to deal with the perceived situation regarding the company and relationships within it. The study will be based on the experiences and opinions of the middle manager. This thesis is different from other studies made on middle managers due to the fact that even if stress will be a factor taken into consideration, it will not be the main focus of the paper. This BA thesis will be conducted with a qualitative method with semi structural interviews conducted at the interviewees respective workplaces. The result of these interviews are that the middle managers consider their relationships with the sales people at the company and with their superiors to be a good one, but not without complications. These complications are the result of the lines between professional and private life being blurred. These complications cause some stress and pressure for the middle managers, and the way for them to deal with this is to make their profession their lifestyle, they choose to live their professions. By doing this they limit the effect these complications have on their professional as well as private life

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2017-04-24T12:01:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcelo Alves de Souza_.pdf: 855945 bytes, checksum: 9461a25e1b5428dbc58da27dda36b17b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-24T12:01:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcelo Alves de Souza_.pdf: 855945 bytes, checksum: 9461a25e1b5428dbc58da27dda36b17b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-01-12 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / PROSUP - Programa de Suporte à Pós-Gradução de Instituições de Ensino Particulares / Esta pesquisa aborda a temática de obtenção de resultados em concessionárias líderes de vendas de veículos 0 km que praticam e obtêm resultados com o pós-venda. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar e comparar as práticas e os indicadores das concessionárias líderes de vendas de veículos 0 km instaladas no Rio Grande do Sul, permeando o modelo conceitual de pós-venda: suporte ao produto, relacionamento com cliente e gestão e recursos. A fim de atender a essa proposta, realizou-se um levantamento bibliográfico para dar embasamento teórico ao estudo e utilizou-se como método de pesquisa o estudo de caso. A coleta de dados foi feita por meio de entrevista semiestruturadas com executivos de 10 concessionárias de marcas distintas. Também foram coletados indicadores dessas empresas relativos aos veículos de entrada. Foi oportunizado a elaboração de um modelo teórico e a discussão sobre a aplicação do pós-venda. A contribuição gerencial centra-se na identificação das melhores práticas de pós-venda verificadas nas concessionárias de melhor desempenho em termos de qualidade e rentabilidade. / This research approaches the issue of obtaining results in car dealerships which are leaders in selling 0 km vehicles that practice and obtain after-sales results. The objective of this study is to analyze and compare the practices the car dealerships which are leaders in selling 0 km vehicles based in Rio Grande do Sul, permeating the conceptual after-sales model: product support, customer relationship and management and resources. In order to fulfill this proposal, a bibliographic research was carried out to provide a theoretical basis for the study and it was used a case study as the research method. The data collection was done through semi-structured interviews with executives from 10 car dealerships of different brands. The indicators of these companies were also collected for entry vehicles. The management contribution enabled the elaboration of a theoretical model and the discussion of the after-sale application. The management contribution focuses on the identification of the best after-sales practices verified in the best performing dealerships in terms of quality and profitability.

Small used car dealership ventures experience high business failures in the marketplace. Grounded in the resource-based view (RBV) theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used car dealership owners and managers employ to remain profitable and sustain operations for longer than 5 years. In this study, 10 participants, including 5 owners and 5 managers from small used car dealerships in Colorado participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. These participants have developed successful strategies to remain profitable for at least 5 years. Using methodological triangulation, field notes and documentary evidence supplemented the data collected through semistructured interviews. Through thematic analysis, 3 themes emerged from the research findings: customer care, aggressive marketing, and business knowledge. The findings showed the need for managers and owners of used car dealerships to employ strategies to compete in the marketplace and sustain growth. The positive social change resulting from this study includes the potential to increase small business successes, which could increase employment opportunities and the potential for job creation. The success of these small businesses could contribute positively to the economic empowerment of other related businesses and improve the economic wellbeing of communities through an increase in tax revenues and contributions to local nonprofit organizations.

The primary objective of the study was to determine the business success factors for the second-hand motor vehicle industry in the Vaal Triangle. This kind of study has never been conducted before within the Vaal Triangle and it is therefore intended to contribute to the body of knowledge within the field of entrepreneurship. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to dealerships within the Vaal Triangle region, and it was administered by the researcher. There are one hundred and twenty three (123) dealerships in the Vaal Triangle and fifty eight (58) participated in the study. The demographics of the study revealed that males dominate car dealerships as compared to females, and also that Whites and Indians are the dominating races. Most participants are relatively young, i.e. less than 35 years and also the majority of dealerships are less than 15 years old. Furthermore, the study found that participants preferred starting a business from their pockets rather than going to the bank or government institutions such as IDC or NEF for funding. There was no significant difference in opinion between males and females. There were, however, medium to large differences in opinion between owner, manager and sales executive on some of the entrepreneurial constructs, for example, customer services and SME characteristics. The study concluded that business success factors for the second-hand car industry in the Vaal Triangle region are (ranked from highest to lowest): Entrepreneurial competences, Marketing of the dealership, Dealership location, Product and Customer services, Characteristics of the Small Medium Enterprise and lastly, Resources and funding of the business. Based on the results of the analysis and discussions, practical recommendations are made which will assist in improving the knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship within the car industry. / MBA (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The primary objective of the study was to determine the business success factors for the second-hand motor vehicle industry in the Vaal Triangle. This kind of study has never been conducted before within the Vaal Triangle and it is therefore intended to contribute to the body of knowledge within the field of entrepreneurship. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to dealerships within the Vaal Triangle region, and it was administered by the researcher. There are one hundred and twenty three (123) dealerships in the Vaal Triangle and fifty eight (58) participated in the study. The demographics of the study revealed that males dominate car dealerships as compared to females, and also that Whites and Indians are the dominating races. Most participants are relatively young, i.e. less than 35 years and also the majority of dealerships are less than 15 years old. Furthermore, the study found that participants preferred starting a business from their pockets rather than going to the bank or government institutions such as IDC or NEF for funding. There was no significant difference in opinion between males and females. There were, however, medium to large differences in opinion between owner, manager and sales executive on some of the entrepreneurial constructs, for example, customer services and SME characteristics. The study concluded that business success factors for the second-hand car industry in the Vaal Triangle region are (ranked from highest to lowest): Entrepreneurial competences, Marketing of the dealership, Dealership location, Product and Customer services, Characteristics of the Small Medium Enterprise and lastly, Resources and funding of the business. Based on the results of the analysis and discussions, practical recommendations are made which will assist in improving the knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship within the car industry. / MBA (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Background: When a company is employing new salespeople, much is expected from these. The company is hoping that the new candidate is going to perform well and contribute to the fullest. One of the big questions that the organization has to face is how to evaluate and sift through sales candidates in order to find the best suited one. Previous studies have shown to some extent that a person's personality can be connected to how well they are performing in different occupations. One commonly used framework for assessing personality is the Five Factor Model (FFM) which is able to account for different traits without overlapping. One way to assess a person's personality traits is by the use of the big five inventory questionnaire (BFI). Purpose: To describe if there is a correlation between personality traits and sales performance in the Swedish car dealership market.Method: The research was a quantitative study of two Swedish car dealerships, where 60 out of 72 employees at Hedin Bil & Holmgrens Bil answered the BFI questionnaire. The response rate was 83%. The survey was sent out by mail to the two companies whose responsible managers divided their sales staff in three different groups (good performing, average performing and bad performing) according to the company's organizational goals.Conclusion: The conclusion of this study is that one of the hypotheses was supported and four rejected by the salespeople participating. The only hypothesis that was supported was that Neuroticism would correlate negatively with sales performance.

The automobile dealership is one of the more important types of small business. The operation of such a business is an integral part of the economy of the country, and conditions existing in the automobile field are usually fairly representative of those in other types of small business; therefore, the general personnel policies of an automobile dealership are basically similar to personnel policies of other small businesses in the distributive field. A study of personnel policies in this field will be of some use to anyone interested in the problems of small business.

Bakgrund: Studien har undersökt hur köpbeslutsprocessen och det fysiska mötet ser ut i bilhandeln samt om det finns skillnader mellan hur kvinnor och män upplever köpbeslutsprocessen inom bilhandeln. Studiens ämne valdes på grund av att det gjorts tidigare studier inom bilhandeln gällande köpbeslutsprocessen, men att det finns en brist sedan det digitala mötet kom in i bilden. Det har även genomförts flera studier om skillnader mellan mäns och kvinnors skillnader i köpbeteende, men det finns inga som studerar om skillnaderna ser likadana ut i bilbranschen. Forskningsfråga: Studiens huvudfråga lyder: Hur interagerar bilhandeln med kunden i köpbeslutsprocessen genom det fysiska säljmötet för att det ska leda till försäljning av bil? Studiens underfråga lyder: Skiljer sig bilköp åt för män och kvinnor och i sådana fall på vilket sätt? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur bilhandeln kan arbeta vid köpbeslutsprocessen i förhållande till det fysiska säljmötet och vad som gör att kunden genomför ett köp av bil.Vidare är syftet att studera om det finns några skillnader mellan män och kvinnor vid köpet av bil och om det finns, på vilket sätt skiljer de sig. Metod: Den här studien har en kvalitativ undersökningsmetod och ett abduktivt angreppssätt. Resultatet i studien bygger på 12 semistrukturerade intervjuer med respondenter spridda över Sverige. Slutsats: Studien har visat att köpbeslutsprocessen är oförändrad, i sin struktur, av den digitala närvaron. Däremot ser det fysiska mötet annorlunda ut då säljaren behöver inleda med att ta reda på hur långt kunden kommit i sin köpbeslutsprocess. Studiens underfråga har medfört resultat som visar att kvinnors och mäns evolutionära roller byter plats inom bilindustrin då det är män som uppskattar att handla mer hedonistiskt och kvinnor mer funktionellt. / Background: The study has examined how the buying decision process and the physical meeting work in car sales and whether there are differences between how women and men experience the buying decision process in the industry. The subject of the study was chosen due to the fact that there are previous studies in car sales regarding the buying decision process, but that there has been a shortage since the digital meeting came into the picture. There have also been several studies on differences in buying behaviour between men and women, but there are no studies regarding whether the differences look the same in the car industry. Research question: The main question of the study is: How does the car sales interact with the customers in the buying decision process through the physical sales meeting in order for it to lead to sales of a car? The study´s sub question reads: Do car purchase differ for men and women, and in such a case how? Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate how car sales can work in the buying decision process in relation to the physical sales meeting and what makes the customer to purchase a car. Furthermore, the aim is to study whether there are any differences between men and women in the purchase of a car and, if there is, how they differ. Method: This study has applied a qualitative method and abductive approach. The results of the study are based on 12 semi-structured interviews with respondents spread across Sweden. Conclusion: The study has shown that the buying decision process is unchanged, in its structure, of the digital presence. However, the physical meeting looks different as the seller needs to start by finding out how far the customer has come in the buying decision process. The study's sub question has resulted in results that show that women and men's evolutionary roles change places in the automotive industry as it is the men who appreciate to buy more hedonic and women more functionally.

Inventory management in car dealership enterprises is one of the main goals to promote competitiveness and also a key success factor of sustainable economic development. The purpose of the thesis involves improving car dealership enterprises’ inventory management. The thesis is concerned with theoretical approaches to inventory management. Educational literature, statistical data of the Federal State Statistics Service, corporative statistics data and also results of opinion pull findings were used as the basis for the research. In the master thesis was represented the algorithm of order and shipment of items, based on turnover ratio, storage period and sales variation coefficient. The key element of the algorithm lies in accounting of individual optional equipment of each item, not the item itself. Implementation of the described algorithm serves to reduce storage period of items, thereby driving down carrying costs. / Управление товарными запасами на дилерском предприятии является одним из факторов обеспечения конкурентоспособности и залогом устойчивого экономического развития. Цель работы заключается в совершенствовании управления запасами на предприятии. В работе рассматриваются теоретические подходы к управлению запасами на предприятии. Учебно-методическая литература, статистические данные Федеральной службы государственной статистики, данные корпоративной статистики и данные, полученные в ходе социологического опроса были использованы в качестве источников информации для проведения исследования. В ходе написания магистерской диссертации был разработан алгоритм заказа и отгрузки с распределительного склада автомобилей, который основан на учете коэффициента оборачиваемости, срока хранения и коэффициента вариации по результатам продаж, особенностью которого является учет индивидуального опционального оснащения в каждой заказанной единице товара, что позволяет сократить срок хранения товара на складе, тем самым способствуя сокращению затрат предприятия на хранение запасов.

Robots are constantly evolving, from Da Vinci's first robot to humanoids that exist today and are used in various industries. This study examines how a humanoid is perceived as service staff in a car dealership and this was done through a qualitative case study where semi-structured interviews and on-site observations were combined. These were carried out at Riddermark Bil, which is one of Sweden's largest car dealers for used cars. The theory part is based on the concept of anthropomorphism and the uncanny valley theory which are related and important to customers' acceptance of the robot. Anthropomorphism is about giving non-human objects, such as robots, human properties to make it easier to interact with them. Uncanny valley comes into the picture when these human qualities create an expectation in man that is not achieved by the robot and a feeling of discomfort arises in man. This feeling of discomfort is what characterizes the uncanny valley. The analysis showed that uncanny valley exists in the car dealership with the humanoid and customers, and how the degree of anthropomorphism affects the viewer and the interaction. What turned out overall was that most people, customers and staff, are positive about interacting with a humanoid, but present it does not really meet the expectations placed on it. Finally, it is discussed how uncanny valley affects customers in a car dealership and what the reasons for this are.