Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) spend plenty of resources in developing products and establishing a profitable market. This includes time-consuming investigations, costly research and development processes, as well as a great deal of risk-taking. In comparison, certain companies specialise in fitting aftermarket merchandise to established markets of products. These companies copy existing aftermarket products as they supply the consumer an alternative that is often cheaper. These are regarded as ‘will-fitters’. Not only do will-fitters act within the market without the need for a lengthy R&D process, or exposure to high risk, but they also seize market share and thereby compromise OEM part sales. Will-fitters pose a concrete competitive threat to an automotive OEM in the aftermarket. The aftermarket is considered highly lucrative, as profitability is relatively high when compared to the car sales market. As will-fitters are active in the market, spare part market share is lost and pieces of a highly profitable market are seized by such competitors. This study investigates relevant OEM competition barriers for will-fitter deterrence and analyses the effects of implementing these barriers. The findings are based upon a case study performed at an automotive OEM, i.e. Volvo Cars. The case focuses on the OEM’s engine air filter, which is currently highly exposed to competition from alternative suppliers. Through combining theory regarding product development and entry barriers along with empirical findings at the case company, the study concludes six competition barriers that are relevant for the OEM as it faces will-fitters. These barriers are: patenting a utility, increasing the level of product complexity, raising the necessary financial investments, delivering additional value offerings, obtaining a strong customer value perception, and pricing competitively. The study concludes each of the barriers’ potency in competition deterrence and discusses the effects of implementing those barriers on the products’ underlying costs. Finally, it is concluded that these barriers could be implemented in order to deter competition. However, none of the discussed competition barriers has shown to yield complete market dominance for the OEM, i.e. a market without competitors. Rather, an effect in the form of decreasing the amount of competitors has been noted. Admittedly, reducing the sheer quantity of active market players seems favourableto the OEM, but a direct correlation with increased market share cannot be concluded. / Tillverkare av originalutrustning (Original Equipment Manufacturer, OEM) spenderar stora mängder resurser för att utveckla produkter och etablera vinstdrivande marknader. Detta kräver ett stort risktagande då tid och kostsam utveckling utförs utan garanterade intäkter. Till skillnad från OEM-företagen finns företag som enbart fokuserar på att producera eftermarknadsprodukter till redan etablerade marknader. Dessa företag, benämnda “will-fitters”, kopierar existerande eftermarknadsprodukter och erbjuder kunden ett, oftast, billigare alternativ. Will-fitters affärsmodell utgörs därmed av att agera inom etablerade marknader vilket medför drastiskt minskade produktutvecklingskostnader samt lägre risk. Som en konsekvens av will-fitters intåg i marknaden reduceras försäljningen för OEM-företagen. Will-fitters utgör därmed ett konkret hot inom eftermarknaden för en OEM såsom en biltillverkare. Eftermarknaden är en lukrativ marknad då vinstmarginalerna är höga relativt nybilsförsäljning. Då will-fitters är verksamma i marknaden tar de marknadsandelar och därmed tappar OEM en del av en lukrativ marknad. Denna studie undersöker konkurrenshinder relevanta för en OEM att implementera mot will-fitters och analyserar effekterna av att implementera dessa hinder. Resultaten baseras på en fallstudie utförd hos en biltillverkare, Volvo Cars. Studien fokuserar på biltillverkarens motorluftfilter, vilken är utsatt för konkurrens av will-fitters. Genom att kombinera teori gällande produktutveckling och konkurrenshinder med empiri från det studerade företaget togs sex relevanta konkurrens hinder fram för en OEM som konkurrerar med will-fitters. Dessa hinder är: patentering av en produkt, öka produktens komplexitet, höja de nödvändiga investeringarna, bidra med ökat värde, förbättra kundens uppfattning av produkten, sätta ett konkurrenskraftigt pris. Studien konkluderar konkurrenshindrens potential i att avskräcka konkurrens samt diskuterar hur implementation av hindren påverkar produktens underliggande kostnader. Slutligen påvisar studien att konkurrenshindren kan implementeras i syfte att avskräcka konkurrenter. Dock visar studien även att ingen av konkurrenshindren skapar en marknad utan några konkurrenter. Snarare, så är den påvisade effekten att antalet konkurrenter minskar. Visserligen är en reduktion av antalet konkurrenter i marknaden positivt för en OEM men en direkt korrelation med ökad marknadsandel har inte kunnat påvisas.

Thesis (MBA. (Administration)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / The purpose of this study was to investigate career-entry barriers for female professors and doctors at the University of Limpopo. The findings not only offer a wealth of strategies for career success and for overcoming professional and personal challenges, but also shed new light on critical factors that affect women and their experiences at work. The quantitative investigation was the main method used and thus formed the core of this study. The quantitative investigation was based primarily on confidentially structured questionnaire provided to 66 female professors and doctors. The findings from the study revealed that there are various personal, institutional and societal barriers affecting women’s participation at the university. At the personal level such factors as academic qualification (PhD), administrative experience, management skills, confidence, assertiveness, high visibility, hard work and diligence were found to enhance women’s participation in university. On the other hand, absence of these personal attributes were said to limit women’s confidence in applying for senior management positions. At the societal level support from family and friends was found to enhance women’s participation. At the institutional level the recruitment, appointment and promotion practices stood out as the main factors affecting women’s participation in university management. In some cases these policies were not clearly documented. The results revealed that to overcome career- entry barriers at the University of Limpopo, female professors must constantly overachieve, maintain good relationships with others, and hold onto personal and institutional values to do the right things, expand themselves constantly, and utilize strong mentors’ assistance as well as sponsorship. v Recommendations such as an urgent need for the formulation of equal opportunity policies, provision of professional development and mentoring opportunities and the creation of a family-friendly working environment by providing programs, facilities, and services that respond to the needs of people with children where suggested. From the recommendation it is clear that there are strategies that needs to be put in place to solve career entry barriers. A prerequisite to meet this is hard work, commitment, support structure and persistence.

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數位時代孕育大數據技術的發展並帶動產業的創新，使用者數據的運用也日益活躍於商業領域，並分別為消費者與事業帶來便利的生活與競爭優勢。然而蒐集、處理、運用等數據價值鏈活動對於市場競爭造成相當的影響，也成為事業為反競爭行為的誘因，而引起競爭法的關注，多國競爭執法機關亦已陸續展開調查或進行相關研究。由於使用者數據涉及個人資訊隱私，更因其係產業創新的動力之一，從而競爭法管制的合適性與必要性一直為爭議性議題，後續延伸出對於現有競爭法架構的相容性疑義。本文透過文獻與案例分析，從使用者數據的特色出發，探討使用者數據於競爭法框架下之爭議，包含與隱私法規的競合問題及衝擊現行制度之因應方式。基於競爭法適度管制的觀點，提出可能評估市場力量的方式與使用者數據可能形成的限制競爭或不公平競爭之風險類型。冀望對於我國公平交易法就此議題之剖析與因應有所助益，迎接數據經濟的浪潮。 / Big data analytics technology evolves rapidly and enhances the pace of the innovation of industries in the digital era. Utilizing user data, which is a sort of valuable assets, becomes more popular in business. The new technology brings consumers fitted products and convenience and creates competitive advantages to firms. However, collecting, processing and analyzing large sets of user data not only benefit the entities in the market but also impact market competition. Competition agencies around the world have engaged in related investigations and research on data and competition. The mainly concerns are whether the amount of user data may build a barrier to entry, and whether firms which control user data in a massive amount or essential to competition may have incentives to abuse their market power to foreclose marker. Moreover, because user data is one factor of fostering innovation and has a strong correlation with privacy, the suitability and the necessity of competition law to regulate data issue is still controversial. If competition law intervenes, we should further consider how to adapt it to the present regulation. By reviewing academic literature and practical cases, this thesis begins with the introduction of characteristics of user data, followed by the analysis of the controversy concerning user data under the framework of competition law, including the trade-off between it and privacy laws and possible adjustment to the present framework. This paper also discusses the way to assess market power and specific types of anticompetitive and unfair competition behaviors. Finally, this thesis concludes with a short remark. Hopefully it can provide some references for further discussion on this issue under the Fair Trade Act in Taiwan.

聚醯亞胺薄膜用於軟性電路板市場從2006年起，由於競爭者眾多，整個產業環境變得十分嚴苛，事業屬性從獨佔性變成競爭十分激烈的寡佔性市場。此篇論文通過產業的總體環境分析及產業分析來對軟板市場進行區隔，並針對不同目標市場擬定行銷策略，將產品重新定位來滿足不同目標市場的需求，以期達到杜邦公司聚醯亞胺薄膜產品在軟性電路板市場的永續成長。 從含有產品價格因素在內的問卷調查中找到產業鏈中最有議價能力廠商的最重要需求及預估用量，進而做為公司開發下一世代聚醯亞胺薄膜產品的依據。 / Start from 2006, Polyimide films industry has become very competitive in flexible printed circuits applications. The polyimide film industry has transformed from monopoly to oligopoly, major players in flexible printed circuits market are DuPont, Kaneka, SKC-Kolon and Taimide companies. After analyzing the political, economics, social, technical and industrial trends, The FPC industry has been re-segmented into two segments – Basic market and Niche market. With different strategies been developed for different markets, we re-position our different type of Kapton® polyimide films for different markets and developed an executable marketing plan which will be test in selected customers. Through price included questionarries, we also found the key industrial decision makers’ unmet needs, price expectation and potential volume. Base on the findings, we are able to develop the next generation polyimide films to satisfy customers.