The primary goal of the study was to identify key success factors for the management of wedding tourism in South Africa. This goal was achieved by firstly conducting a literature study to determine the key success factors of strategic management for special events as stated in books, articles and other sources. Secondly, wedding tourism was analysed to provide an overview of the wedding tourism industry and weddings as tourism products. Thirdly, the results of the empirical research were discussed followed by the conclusions and recommendations made with regard to further research. From the literature study, aspects regarding strategic management were discussed namely, the strategic management process, marketing for special events, human resource management, financial management and operational management. These aspects were included in the questionnaires for the empirical research. Two different questionnaires were developed, one for wedding planners and one for owners/managers of wedding venues in the Gauteng and North West provinces. The purpose of the questionnaires was to gather information on the key success factors for wedding tourism and to gain insight of the wedding tourism industry. Personal interviews were held with wedding planners and owners1 managers of wedding venues; questionnaires were also distributed via email. All the data was processed by the North-West University's Statistical Consultation Services. A confirmatory factor analysis was done to produce a small amount of factors. The following factors were identified: strategic planning; SWOT analysis, human resources, financial management, market segmentation, promotion and operational management. After analysing the data it was clear that operational services like ensuring high levels of hygiene, having a liquor license, accessibility, secure parking and that services must meet the needs of guests were considered extremely important aspects for a wedding venue. The following aspects were considered extremely important by wedding planners: services must meet the needs of guests, offer unique products and develop a checklist as control mechanism. Owners of wedding tourism products and wedding planners have to consider and apply the key success factors in order to grow the industry and create sustainable products. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Framgång innebär att lyckas, att uppnå goda resultat. Begreppet har flera betydelser. Det kan handla om att lyckas på ett personligt plan men det kan även handla om att etablera, utveckla och förverkliga ett företags affärsidé. Det kan för ett företag innebära att bli en erkänd aktör inom ett marknadssegment, det kan handla om att maximera företagets vinster och aktieutdelning, det kan handla om optimal kundnöjdhet eller om trivsel på arbetsplatsen. Vad framgång innebär för ett företag beror helt och hållet på vilka värderingar och vilka visioner det specifika företaget har. I dagsläget finns ett stort antal streetwearinriktade företag på den svenska marknaden och i kontrast till den något stagnerade tillväxten i detaljhandeln i helhet kan en positiv försäljningsutveckling ses hos några av dessa. Fallstudien fokuserar på att undersöka hur streetwearföretagen Caliroots, FRCTN, Hollywood, Junkyard och Sneakersnstuff ser på begreppet framgång och hur de uppfattar sig själva som framgångsrika. Målet är att söka svar på vilka nyckelfaktorer som leder till framgång i dessa företag samt vad detta beror på. För att möjliggöra ett resultat har tillvägagångssättet först och främst varit att ta fram en teoretisk referensram som beskriver olika komponenter som kan bidra till ett företags framgång. Därefter har vi genom kvalitativa undersökningar genomfört personliga intervjuer med ägare, grundare och personer i beslutsfattande positioner och därigenom lyckats identifiera vad framgång innebär för de respektive företagen, såväl för den enskilde entreprenören som för företaget i helhet. Genom att ställa relevant teori mot framtaget empiriskt underlag har vi kunnat dra slutsatser att dessa företag besitter stora likheter vad gäller utveckling, marknadsföring och entreprenörsengagemang. I slutsatsen finner vi 7 olika nyckelfaktorer som binder samman företagen Caliroots, Hollywood, Junkyard och Sneakersnstuff. Företaget FRCTN omfattas inte av alla de framtagna faktorerna då de är ett relativt nyetablerat företag där vi snarare diskuterat vilka möjligheter till framgång företaget har i framtiden.Success is about achievement; the ability to reach competitive results. The concept of success has many meanings. It may be achievement on a personal level, but also in establishing, developing and realising a business idea. This includes becoming an acknowledged participant in a specific market segment, maximizing the business’s profit and capital gains, optimizing customer satisfaction or the well-being of employees. The key success factors for a business depend fully on the visions and values that are incorporated by it. There is a range of streetwear companies established on the Swedish retail market today and in contrast to the overall slow growth in the retail industry, some of these companies are currently experiencing a positive development.The main aim of this study is to find the key success factors related to this growth and how the companies achieve them. This will be investigated by looking at the companies’ view on success and the effect of the escalating use of e-commerce. The case study focuses in how streetwear companies define the concept of success and to what extent they consider themselves successful.In line with appropriate theories, we have been able to identify a number of components that may contribute to the success of a company. Based on this, qualitative interviews with owners, founders and employees in decision making positions have made it possible to identify the meaning of success for these companies, as well as for the individuals in them.The results reveal how these companies show similarities in development, marketing and entrepreneurial engagement. This has further provided a classification of seven key success factors that connects Caliroots, Hollywood, Junkyard and Sneakersnstuff. As the company FRCTN is relatively new, we have not been able to identify success factors, but instead analysed the possible future for this company in line with their current strategy. / Program: Butikschefsutbildningen

Background: Local and international non-governmental organizations play a pivotal role in a relief operation. However, as the number of disasters and their complexity is increasing, the challenges these organizations face during a relief operation are also growing exponentially. It is crucial for relief organizations to not only understand but also to prioritize the factors, which can make their supply chain work better. Therefore, this research aims at understanding the relationship between the key success factors, which can dramatically enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the relief operation. Moreover, this study also highlights how LNGOs and INGOs differentiate between these KSFs and how they rank them. Methods: To address the objective of this study, the Likert scale style questionnaire was developed and distributed online to all such NGOs (worldwide), which take part in the relief operation. The collected data was then tested for its empirical significance on SPSS using Spearman's Rho, Pearson Chisquare, to understand the relationship and importance of these factors. Whereas, the odds ratio was calculated to rank each KSF. Results: The results of the study indicate that there exist strong correlation among all selected factors and all KSFs affect INGOs supply chain at least twice as much as they do of LNGOs. Conclusion: According to our findings and in the light of literature discussed in this research, a successful relief supply chain depends not only on greater and stronger coordination & collaboration but also on sharing information and resources among LNGOs and INGOs.

<p>The main purpose of this study is to define important criteria to consider when selecting and implementing performance measures on a strategic, tactical and operational level. The thesis is built around the questions "What to measure" and "How to measure". Generally within the thesis the question of "what" concerns different frameworks and working procedures that can be used to determine what to measure, while the question of "how" concerns criteria to consider when implementing performance measures, such as how to design measure formulas and targets, how to communicate measures, etc.</p><p>The study has been conducted as a qualitative study, where the empirical data has been collected through interviews and by using information material from the case company. The purpose of the case study was to test the theoretical framework. The studied case company was Sandvik Process Systems, a product area within the Sandvik group. The case study was complemented by two minor comparative studies of companies also belonging to the Sandvik group. In total the study comprised interviews with 15 persons within different organizational levels.</p><p>Several different frameworks aiming to help organizations to answer the question of what to measure have been developed during the last decades. The frameworks differ more or less, but theorists appear to agree on several matters. My conclusions of the most important criteria to be taken into consideration when answering the question of what to measure is:</p><p>* Complement the outcome measures, i.e. the financial measures that show the results from past efforts, by pro-active performance drivers - the measures that drive the future performance</p><p>* Ensure linkage between performance measures and company vision and strategic objectives</p><p>* Involve the co-workers in the process of developing measures</p><p>* Use an overall comprehensive view and methodic approach</p><p>* Limit the amount of measures</p><p>* Retain the methodic approach – manage the performance measurement system</p><p>After answering the question of what to measure there are also a number of important criteria to consider when it comes to how to measure and implement measures into the organization:</p><p>* Define measure purposes</p><p>* Assign reasonable targets to the measures</p><p>* Consider the field of application when designing a performance measure</p><p>* Communicate the performance measures</p><p>* Specify the measures</p><p>Despite attempting to simplify a complicated reality the frameworks aiming to help organizations to select measures are all rather complex. Hence, to develop and implement a PMS (Performance Measurement System) by the book will imply an extensive project for any company. How time- and resource demanding the project will become will differ from one company to another. Thus, a general conclusion of this study is that a company must start out from its own conditions in order for the development and implementation not to become too complex a project, where the organization loses focus and fails to manage the project all the way through.</p><p>Companies must consider factors such as the size and complexity of the organization, how the business is controlled and managed as well as the structure and control of an already existing PMS. For large organizations, already possessing a rather unstructured PMS, the best approach could be to look upon the development as a constantly on-going activity in the spirit of continuous improvements, rather than a complex project running over a limited time. A vital success factor is also to communicate the intentions to the whole organization at an early stage. If the whole organization is aware of the intention and the purpose this will facilitate the process of developing and implementing a successful PMS.</p>

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This research aims to explore the application of video blog (vlog) in web based learning. The advancement of teaching technology is one of the key elements in education reform. The swift deployment of information technology, the circulation of Internet services and the proliferation of multimedia content have broaden the horizon of learning activity. Digital and video technologies have contributed to the rise of video blog services such as YouTube and the like. As the bandwidth for transmission broadens and the video service expands, everyone with a digital camera can become content generator. User-generated content makes video blog possible. Can video blog be applicable to teaching and learning activities? By conducting a thorough literature review of learning theories and information theories, this study aggregated seven dimensions comprising forty three elements. Through analytic hierarchical procedure (AHP) method, the researcher conducted the first-wave questionnaire survey to students at the Feng Chia University then selected first half elements for evaluation. The second-wave questionnaire, complemented by interview, was aimed at experts in the field, which resulted in a priority list of the elements. The research result suggests that video blog can be applicable to teaching activity indeed. When using video blog appropriately, teaching can become more lively and interesting. The most important factor still lies in how a teacher design the curriculum. Interface of design, putting in the second place in terms of importance, should be convenient, simple and easy for search. Those with higher information literacy, in the third place of importance, are more likely to use Internet for learning. The fourth important dimension is related to content formats including sound clearness, graph size and layout. This study should contribute to the education circle and curriculum production industry when considering how with which priority-setting video blog can be applied.

This research explores the application of new information and communications technology in political marketing. As a representative of Web2.0, blog has changed the way of interaction between the media and users as well as that between media users. Blog makes it possible for information receivers transmit messages and express views from bottom-up. As blog develops globally with its users increased, it has become an increasingly important issue regarding how it can be used for political marketing. It is common that Taiwan¡¦s politicians are increasingly interested in developing their own blogs for marketing themselves and providing constituency service. This study aims to examine how mayor candidates take advantage of blog for campaign marketing. It tries to understand and describe the intention of political bloggers. It also explores the key success factors regarding how political candidates conduct campaign marketing using blog. By a literature review of the Internet development and evolution, digital democracy, political marketing and blogs, the author found out six dimensions and 35sub-dimensions for evaluation: content expression, interactivity, marketing and promotion, business model and friendliness of using. Through analytic hierarchy process (AHP) , the first-wave survey for bloggers results in the first-half sub-dimensions. The second-wave interview was conducted to seven experts in the field of political marketing, which results in the priority-setting of the sub-dimension factors. The result shows that political marketing using blog targets mainly on young and well-educated electorates. The reasons for their using blog include fast accumulation of political information, interaction with candidates, and support from others. It shows that friendliness of access, interaction, and business model are the top three concerns when establishing a campaign blog. They are followed by marketing and promotion, interface design, and content expression. This study will contribute to the understanding of using blog for political marketing both at theoretical and practicallevels.

High oil price causing high cost of chemical industry, therefore the companies must pay attention to recycle of petrochemical sources, especially the reusing of wasted plastics which speeded global innovation of related techniques and formulas. The cost competition impact forced the plastic companies to raise effective strategy to avoid being expelled from the market. The research aims at three points: firstly, discussion of the facts of plastic recycles between Taiwan and China; secondly, discussion of the strategies of plastic recycles between Taiwan and China and the third, setting up the disruptive innovation strategy module of plastic recycles. The discussion of the theme focuses on organizational strategy, key success factors analysis, the third generation R&D and disruptive innovation. Through the analysis and discussion of some companies as well as the testing of plastic recycles disruptive innovation strategy module, it turns out to be the conclusion and suggestion for plastic recycles disruptive innovation strategy module.

Abstract In general, plastic materials can be classified into two categories: "thermoplastic" and "thermosetting plastic", the former is usually recyclable, when the latter isn¡¦t, and which results the solid waste problem. In the same way in thermoplastic divided into: generic plastic, generic engineering plastic, high-performance engineering plastic three categories. As technology advances, a variety of industries flourish as the world trend, various products are gradually moves forward. To improve performance, high-performance engineering plastic is more widely used and occupied part of the product cost. However, all the using of high-performance engineering plastic in Taiwan relies on imports, as any discarded after use like bury or burn in the landfill and incinerator results waste of resources and pollution problems. Therefore, recycling has become an important tool to make full use of limited resources. In literature review, we discuss the theory of technological innovation, according to the data of high-performance engineering plastic scrap recovery industry, using the AHP model to identify key success factors, as a supplementary tool for corporate decision-making to reduce costs and increase product competitiveness. After the AHP analysis, this study found that high-performance engineering plastic scrap recovery industry in the technology innovation process should emphasize the principles according to the order of (1) Technology Innovation Strategy (2) Technology Innovation Investment (3) Sources of Technology Innovation (4) Organization Design and Culture, and found the indicators to access each of these four principles. Which allows us to create higher value, to maximize corporate profits, and lower raw material costs of manufacturing, to achieve great competitive in the market share when countries around the world are now confronted with the rising pressure of increasing oil prices and actively promoting the environmental protection, energy conservation, and carbon reduction.