Abstract With the Introduction of the internet and human technological advancement, our everyday lives have changed dramatically over the past 20 years and because of this, how we communicate, form social networks and purchase or sell goods have also developed. In the light of this, we have completed this thesis which concerns the influence of the internet and the possibilities of forming long lasting relationships between businesses and customers through what we have described as ‘Locking in’ the customer. This is done by forming ‘Psychological Switching Costs’ that make the cognitive process of switching too expensive or un-wanted by the customer. In order to develop an understanding of this we saw it as prudent to interview senior managers of businesses that operate mainly on the internet to discover if they attempt such strategic moves in, ‘Locking in’ customers. Thus forming the research question; How are Companies based on the internet using Psychological Switching Costs as a strategy to Lock in the customers? The process by which the information was collected was through a qualitative method and semi-structured interviews. We found from the respondents that were interviewed that when it comes to operating a business on the internet it is important to consider, Transparency, Two-way communication, Simplicity, Agility and Flexibility in creating a loyal customer who is positively locked in. These were the strategies considered by the respondents to have an effect on customers. One of the most interesting points that were made was that if the customer was locked in to the business, the business did not have to be as dynamic. Thus, according to the respondents, Psychological Switching Costs do have an influence on how they form strategy to Lock In customers. In that it can be beneficial to attempt to Lock in customers rather than develop other Dynamic Capabilities. This factor seems very relevant when considering communication, agility and flexibility, in that by forming relationships and strategies directly to the customer these companies are creating something that is difficult to substitute, un-imitable for their competitors and convenient to the customer.

A groundbased instrument to measure the Atmospheric airglow of the molecular oxygen infrared atmospheric band emission was designed, built, tested and operated. The two channel photometer constructed was based on the original design by Evans (1967) that had been used in balloon experiments. The two channel photometer system specifications are presented. The major difference between the presented design and the earlier two channel photometers is the detector. An Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) photodiode provided better signal to noise in the conversion of the infrared light signal to an electronic signal than the previously used Lead Sulphide (PbS) detectors. The completed instrument was tested to determine its performance characteristics. Through these tests it was found that the photometer output offset is sensitive to ambient temperature fluctuations. An analysis of the instrument noise was done in an attempt to explain this sensitivity. The output noise performance was characterized and is presented together with the absolute brightness and wavelength calibrations. Data was collected with the instrument in Saskatoon, SK and Eureka, NU. After an initial observation campaign in the high arctic (Eureka, NU) modifications were made to the environmental housing of the instrument in order to improve the scientific value of the data collected. The collected data was processed and a simple analysis performed to demonstrate the capability of the photometer to measure the infrared atmospheric airglow. The collected data can be used to determine the mesospheric ozone height profile. The required data analysis to do so is beyond the scope of this presentation. However, the presented data does demonstrate that the designed and constructed two channel photometer can make the necessary measurements.

No description available.

A groundbased instrument to measure the Atmospheric airglow of the molecular oxygen infrared atmospheric band emission was designed, built, tested and operated. The two channel photometer constructed was based on the original design by Evans (1967) that had been used in balloon experiments. The two channel photometer system specifications are presented. The major difference between the presented design and the earlier two channel photometers is the detector. An Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) photodiode provided better signal to noise in the conversion of the infrared light signal to an electronic signal than the previously used Lead Sulphide (PbS) detectors. The completed instrument was tested to determine its performance characteristics. Through these tests it was found that the photometer output offset is sensitive to ambient temperature fluctuations. An analysis of the instrument noise was done in an attempt to explain this sensitivity. The output noise performance was characterized and is presented together with the absolute brightness and wavelength calibrations. Data was collected with the instrument in Saskatoon, SK and Eureka, NU. After an initial observation campaign in the high arctic (Eureka, NU) modifications were made to the environmental housing of the instrument in order to improve the scientific value of the data collected. The collected data was processed and a simple analysis performed to demonstrate the capability of the photometer to measure the infrared atmospheric airglow. The collected data can be used to determine the mesospheric ozone height profile. The required data analysis to do so is beyond the scope of this presentation. However, the presented data does demonstrate that the designed and constructed two channel photometer can make the necessary measurements.

Thèse de doctorat : Sciences économiques : Lyon 2 : 2000. / Thèse : 2000LYO22019. Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr.

<p>One of the grand challenges faced by industry is the accurate prediction of unsteady aerodynamics events, including frequency lock-in and forced response. These aeromechanical incidents occurring in airplane engines and gas turbines can cause high-amplitude blade vibration and potential failure of the engine or turbine. During the last decades, the development of computational fluid dynamics has allowed the design and optimization of complex components while reducing the need for expensive engine testing. However, the validation of frequency lock-in and forced response numerical results with experimental data is very incomplete. Despite tremendous advances in computational capabilities, industry is still looking to validate design tools and guidelines to avoid these potentially costly aeroelastic events early in the design process. </p><p>The research efforts presented in this dissertation investigate the aeroelastic phenomena of frequency lock-in and forced response in turbomachinery. First, frequency lock-in is predicted for two structures, namely a two-dimensional cylinder and a single three-dimensional airfoil, and the results are compared to experimental data so that the methods can be extended to more complex structures. For these two simpler structures, a frequency domain harmonic balance code is used to estimate the natural shedding frequency and the corresponding lock-in region. Both the shedding frequencies and the lock-in regions obtained by an enforced motion method agree with experimental data from previous literature and wind tunnel tests. Moreover, the aerodynamic model of the vibrating cylinder is coupled with the structural equations of motion to form a fluid-structure interaction model and to compute the limit-cycle oscillation amplitude of the cylinder. The extent of the lock-in region matches the experimental data very well, yet the peak amplitude is underestimated in the numerical model. We demonstrate that the inclusion of the cylinder second degree of freedom has a significant impact on the cylinder first degree of freedom amplitude. Moreover, it is observed that two harmonics need to be kept in the equations of motion for accurate prediction of the unsteady forces on the cylinder. </p><p>The second important topic covered is a comprehensive forced response analysis conducted on a multi-stage axial compressor and compared with the initial data of the largest forced response experimental data set ever obtained in the field. Both a frequency domain and a time domain codes are used. The steady-state and time-averaged aerodynamic performance results compare well with experimental data, although losses are underestimated due to the lack of secondary flow paths and fillets in the model. The use of mixing planes in the steady simulations underpredicts the wakes by neglecting the important interactions between rows. Therefore, for similar cases with significant flow separation, the use of a decoupled method for forced response predictions cannot yield accurate results. A full multi-row transient analysis must be conducted for accurate prediction of the wakes and surface unsteady pressures. Finally, for the first time, predicted mistuned blade amplitudes are compared to mistuned experimental data. The downstream stator is found to be necessary for the accurate prediction of the modal forces and vibration amplitudes. The mistuned rotor is shown to be extremely sensitive to perturbations in blade frequency mistuning, aerodynamic asymmetry, and excitation traveling wave content. Since this dissertation presents the initial results of a five-year research program, more research will be conducted on this compressor to draw guidelines that can be used by aeromechanical engineers to safely avoid forced response events in the design of jet engines and gas turbines.</p> / Dissertation

Bakgrund: Internet har skapat nya och billigare sätt för konsumenter att genomföra köp samt att söka efter information. Konsumenter är därför svårare att behålla i det nya affärsklimatet. E-lojalitet beskrivs som den viktigaste faktorn för e-handlare då det skapar lönsamhet och hög avsikt för upprepat köp. E-handlare behöver därför bygga relationer till sina konsumenter med hjälp av olika strategier för att skapa e-lojalitet. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att utforska hur konsumenter påverkas av företags strategier för att försöka skapa e-lojalitet. Metod: Kvalitativt utforskande tvärsnittsstudie med fokusgrupper. Slutsats: E-handlare kan påverka konsumenter genom olika strategier. Strategierna kan användas i syfte att påverka konsumenterna till skapande av e-lojalitet. På grund av förutsättningarna på internet är e-lojalitet skört och kan lätt brytas om inte e-handlaren levererar efter konsumentens förväntningar. / Background: The Internet has created new and and affordable way for consumers to make purchases and searching for information. Consumers are therefore more difficult to retain in the new business environment. E-loyalty is described as the most important factor for e-retailers in the creation of profitability and high intention to repeat purchase. E-retailers therefore need to build relationships with their consumers using a variety of strategies for creating e-loyalty. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how consumers are affected by company strategies trying to create e-loyalty. Method: Qualitative, exploring cross-sectional study with focusgroups. Conclusion: E-retailers can influence consumers through various strategies. These strategies can be used in order to influence consumers in the creation of e-loyalty. Because of the conditions on the Internet e- loyalty is brittle and therefore easily broken if not the e-retailer delivers up to the consumer's expectations.

No description available.

Issued also as thesis, Lausanne. / Bibliography: p. [xxv]-xxxv.

Konstanz, Univ., Diplomarb., 2003.