Consumer value is an important determinant of consumers’ post-use behaviour, for example satisfaction, repeat purchase and word of mouth. The existing research mainly looks at the factors associated with the product and service providers to improve consumer value. Few studies on the role of the consumer in shaping consumer value have found consumer knowledge to be an important element in shaping consumer value. Adopting critical realism, this PhD expands this area of knowledge by investigating knowledge miscalibration (i.e., the inaccuracy in subjective knowledge) as a significant antecedent of consumer value. Most of the time, consumers’ perceptions of what they think they know (i.e., subjective knowledge) has been shown to be different from what they actually know (i.e., objective knowledge). Thus, subjective knowledge is usually inaccurate. This inaccuracy in subjective knowledge relative to objective knowledge is called knowledge miscalibration. Although the effect of knowledge miscalibration on consumers’ purchasing decisions has been investigated in the consumer behaviour literature, its role in the use stage of consumption has received much less attention. The aim of this research is to examine the effect of knowledge miscalibration on product or service use, and more specifically on the value consumers derive from actually using products or services (i.e., value-in-use). In this research a critical realism paradigm is pursued, implying that reality exists in the three domains of the empirical, the actual and the real. The research starts with observing regularity in the empirical domain (i.e., consumer value) followed by imagining the causal power in the actual and the real domains (i.e., knowledge miscalibration), shaping the research question. A retroductive strategy is followed, firstly by proposing the effect of knowledge miscalibration on consumer value and secondly by conceptually and empirically testing this relationship. This research conceptualises that knowledge miscalibration influences consumer value dimensions, described as efficiency, excellence, play and aesthetics. It is suggested that underconfidence (i.e., knowledge miscalibration where subjective knowledge is deflated) and overconfidence (i.e., knowledge miscalibration where subjective knowledge is inflated) influence consumer value dimensions differently as they generate different consequences in use. Therefore, a conceptual model is developed that describes the effect of knowledge miscalibration (i.e., overconfidence and underconfidence) on the dimensions of consumer value. The empirical part of the research is designed by conducting a covariance-based study and an experimental investigation in order to gain both internal and external validity. The covariance-based investigation is conducted in the context of amazon.com online shopping. Knowledge miscalibration and consumer value dimensions are measured in this study. This study supports the negative effect of underconfidence on efficiency, excellence, play and aesthetics and the negative effect of overconfidence on play. The experimental investigation is designed in the context of prezi.com, an online dynamic presentation creation website that enables its users to move between slides, words and images during their presentations. In this study, overconfidence and underconfidence are manipulated and their effects on the dimensions of consumer value are examined. The findings of this study show that underconfidence negatively influences efficiency, excellence and aesthetics, while overconfidence negatively impacts excellence, play and aesthetics. Overall, this PhD concludes that knowledge miscalibration negatively influences the dimensions of consumer value, with the exception of overconfidence impacting efficiency. The contradictory results of the covariance-based study observed in the experimental study can be explained through its inability to account for reciprocal relationships (i.e., where consumer value dimensions also impact knowledge miscalibration) and the existence of a third variable affecting both independent and dependent variables. Furthermore, the context of the experimental study (employing a new consumption task) is proposed to be the main reason for the lack of support for the effect of underconfidence on play.

Background: Price pressure, together with factors as commodization and demands for lower production costs has had a negative impact on further investments on the tea industry in Sri Lanka. Developing countries must persist in their efforts to catch up with the rapid growth and increased global trade to maintain an important source of growth. Despite increased recognition regarding the importance of economic growth, where it is crucial for a company’s ability to profit with long-term viability by finding a unique combination and collaboration of activities within the value chain, there is still a confusion of how an emerging vertical integration can strengthen the tea industry. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to evaluate, define and describe the value chain of actors and activities from raw material to finished product that activate value increments within the tea industry in Sri Lanka. In order to reach this aim, a deeper understanding of how enterprises choose their way of distribution commodities or value-added product. The empirical data is combined with a theoretical framework that investigates the challenges with vertical integration within the tea industry, focusing on strengthen Sri Lankan tea producers’ value chains. Delimitations: Distinction that investigates Sri Lanka and its value chain of tea. Methodology: This minor field research was performed with an evaluating research design in Sri Lanka. A qualitative approach has been used in combination to the ethnographic method that carries out the collection of data. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted with companies within the tea industry in Sri Lanka to meet the research objective. Conclusions: The vertical integration can be strengthened through informal integrate functions and its emergence can thus promote business networks. Actors linking through investments by brokers can thereby simplify the process of value adding activities to the current tea industry in Sri Lanka.

In the last twenty years, Google had a tremendous growth, from a small project of two PhD students to one of the most valuable companies on the globe. This growth is characterised by the versatile of the company, next to its search engine, Google explored many different value chains along the way. In this study, the value grid model is used to examine their movements. It can be stated that Google used, and uses, the paths/dimension as implied by Pil and Holweg (2006) to explore new opportunity and demand. The main reason why Google is able to do so is because of its board and management, who are innovative, and open-minded. Next to the top management is the appearance of Google in many different sectors and value chains a reason of their growth. The variety in businesses allows them to create a “Google experience”, and thus a competitive advantage in comparison with their main competitors who do not have this ability.

Faculty of Science School of Statistics and Actuarial science 9802374m nhuang@glenrandmib.co.za / The purpose of this research report is to review the embedded value concept and to examine its practical use in South Africa. Important recent developments relating to the embedded value concept are discussed and compared with the existing embedded value concept. These developments include fair value accounting, market-consistent embedded value and the European Embedded Value Principle. In the second part of the report, the disclosure of the embedded value information of four major South African life assurance companies is examined. It was found that the market capitalisations of these companies were smaller than their embedded values for most of the period under the investigation. Reasons for this phenomenon are considered and tested against the data available. It was found that the risk discount rates used by some life assurance companies in calculating their embedded values may be too low. It appears that a ‘herding’ tendency exists among South African life assurance companies when selecting risk discount rates for the embedded value calculation. It is suggested that a more market consistent approach for the embedded value calculation and a better disclosure for the embedded value reporting should be considered by life assurance companies in South Africa. This should improve investors’ understanding and confidence in the embedded value disclosed, which in turn should help narrow or eliminate the discount of the market capitalisation to the embedded value observed in the market.

A presente pesquisa objetivou investigar a relevância das informações relacionadas às reservas provadas de petróleo e das informações contábeis (lucro e patrimônio líquido) divulgadas por empresas petrolíferas. Por meio de um estudo de value relevance aplicado ao setor petrolífero mundial, o problema de pesquisa desta tese foi traduzido na seguinte questão: qual a relevância das informações relacionadas às reservas provadas de petróleo e das informações contábeis (lucro e patrimônio líquido) divulgadas por petrolíferas integradas e listadas na Bolsa de Valores de Nova Iorque (New York Stock Exchange - NYSE), durante o período de 2001 a 2012? Para responder a essa questão e atingir o objetivo proposto, foram aplicadas regressões considerando a técnica de Dados em Painel em uma amostra composta por 15 petrolíferas, cada uma com observações para os 12 anos pesquisados, totalizando 180 empresas-ano. Foram testados 8 modelos, todos tendo como variável dependente o logaritmo neperiano ou natural (ln) do preço médio das ações, considerando os preços de fechamento dos meses de novembro, dezembro, janeiro e fevereiro. Como variáveis explicativas foram testadas o Patrimônio Líquido (PL), o Lucro Líquido (LL), os Custos Capitalizados (CC), o Volume de Reservas de Óleo e Gás (RPO&G), suas alterações e o Fluxo de Caixa Futuro Descontado (FCD) decorrente dessas reservas. Os resultados mostraram que as informações sobre o PL são mais relevantes do que as informações sobre os resultados (LL). As informações sobre os Custos Capitalizados são relevantes e com forte relação inversa (negativa) com os preços das ações. Fraca relevância das informações sobre o volume das Reservas Provadas de Petróleo e do Fluxo de Caixa Futuro Descontado relativo a essas reservas. Quando desagregados em seus componentes principais (revisões, melhorias de recuperação, descobertas, compras, vendas e produção) a informação sobre o volume das reservas ganharam relevância. Especificamente, observou-se considerável relevância das informações sobre descobertas, produção e compra de petróleo. Por fim, os resultados indicaram que o valor de mercado de uma petrolífera é função da variável contábil PL e de informações relacionadas às reservas provadas de petróleo e de gás. Esse achado reforça a ideia de que os dados contábeis são informações incompletas para a determinação do valor de uma petrolífera, sendo que as informações relacionadas às reservas provadas de petróleo e de gás contribuem incrementando a relevância das variáveis contábeis mensuradas a valores históricos. Em decorrência disso, informações adicionais em notas explicativas sobre as reservas de petróleo são relevantes e necessárias, além das tradicionais já divulgadas nas demonstrações financeiras. / This actual research investigated the relevance of information related to proven reserves of oil and accounting information (net income and book value) disclosed by oil companies. Thus, by means of a value relevance study applied to the global petroleum industry, the following question resulted from the research problem: What relevance does information related to proven reserves of oil and accounting information (net income and book value) disclosed by integrated oil companies that are listed on the stock exchange in New York (New York Stock Exchange - NYSE), during the period 2001-2012, have? To answer this question and achieve the proposed objective there were applied panel data regressions in a sample of 15 oil companies, each company with observations for 12 years, totaling 180 observations. There have been tested 8 models, each of them having as dependent variable the Naperian or natural logarithm (ln) of the average share price, considering the closing prices of November, December, January and February. As independent variables have been tested book value (PL), net income (LL), capitalized costs (CC), volume of gas and oil reserves (RPO&G), components of the change in reserve value, discounted future cash flow (FCD) of the reserves. The results revealed that the information about PL is more relevant than the information about LL. The information about the capitalized costs is relevant, with a strong inverse negative relationship with the share prices. Further, the results demonstrated a weak relevance of information on the volume of gas and oil reserves and the discounted future cash flow of the reserves. When broken down into its main components (reviews, recovery improvements, discoveries, purchases, sales and production), the information about volume of gas and oil reserves gained in relevance. Specifically, there has been observed a considerable relevance of information about discoveries, production and the purchases of oil and gas. Lastly, the results indicated that the market value of oil company is a function of PL variable and accounting information relating to proved oil and gas. These findings reinforce the idea that the accounting data are incomplete information for determining the value of an oil company, as the information related to proven reserves of oil and gas contribute to an increasing relevance of the measured accounting variables in historic values. As a result, additional information in the note about the reserves of oil is relevant and necessary, beyond the traditional remarks disclosed in the financial statements.

Dentre as empresas atuando na Base da Pirâmide socioeconômica, os bancos comerciais têm-se destacado nos últimos anos. Eles têm participado em operações de microcrédito por meio de uma forma contratual de concessão de crédito, os empréstimos de microcrédito de responsabilidade individual, cujos riscos e custos de transação são elevados. Estudos reconhecem que nem todas as estratégias empresariais voltadas aos mercados da Base da Pirâmide são bem sucedidas. Porém, existem condições para que seja possível desenvolver estratégias focadas em atender as necessidades desses mercados, de modo que possibilitem a criação de valor compartilhado. O objetivo central do presente trabalho é levantar indícios de como a forma contratual de responsabilidade individual no microcrédito pode contribuir para a criação de valor compartilhado. O objeto de análise é a forma contratual de responsabilidade individual de Microcrédito Produtivo Orientado no mercado brasileiro. A abordagem metodológica escolhida é exploratória e qualitativa, por meio do método de estudo de caso de um programa de microcrédito. Ao cruzar informações da literatura com os dados coletados na etapa empírica, constatou-se o papel fundamental dos agentes de microcrédito na forma contratual de responsabilidade individual. A boa operação do programa de microcrédito analisado depende do trabalho do agente de microcrédito, o qual deve estar bem capacitado e treinado para exercer suas atribuições. Adicionalmente, sua atuação deve estar alinhada com o posicionamento estratégico do banco. A criação de valor tangível e intangível para empresa observada está intimamente relacionada com o bom funcionamento do programa, o qual, além de buscar atender as necessidades da comunidade, deve manter uma operação eficiente para alcançar os objetivos empresariais. / Amongst the companies working in the socioeconomic Base of the Pyramid, commercial banks have been a highlight in recent years. They have participated in microcredit operations through a contractual form of lending, the microcredit loan of individual liability, for which risk and transaction costs are high. Studies recognize that not all business strategies addressing the Base of the Pyramid markets are successful. However, there are conditions that allow the development of strategies focusing on meeting the needs of these markets in order to enable the creation of shared value. The main goal of this research is to raise evidences of how the contractual form of individual liability in microcredit can contribute to creating shared value. The object of analysis is the microcredit\'s contractual form of individual liability in Brazil. The methodological approach chosen to meet the research goals is exploratory, through a qualitative method of a case study of a microcredit program. While crossing information from the literature with data collected in empirical stage, the strategic role of microcredit agents was noticed in the contractual form of individual responsibility. The good operation of the microcredit program analyzed depends on the microcredit agent\'s dedication, who not only must be well qualified and trained to perform his duties, but also his performance should be aligned with the bank\'s strategic positioning. The creation of tangible and intangible value to the company observed is closely related to the proper functioning of the program, which, in addition to seeking to meet the needs of the community, must maintain an efficient operation to achieve business objectives.

The thesis deals with the topic of terminal value assessment in DCF models. Examining ten different techniques, the parameters behind, and the possible perils, its aim is to formulate the best practice for terminal value estimation. Afterwards, eleven of real business valuations are analyzed with the previously formulated best practice serving as a benchmark. Where possible, the impact of departures from the best practice on the estimated business value is quantified. The analysis confirms the hypothesis that practical terminal value assessments often diverge substantially from the best practice, which has a material impact on the resulting business value estimate.

As instuições financeiras do Brasil que possuem Comitê de Auditoria e/ou estão listadas em Bolsa de Valores, são obrigadas a divulgar dois balanços diferentes: seguindo o padrão Bacen-GAAP e em IFRS. A partir desse contexto, este estudo objetivou comparar a relevância desses dois tipos de informações. Era esperado que as informações em IFRS fossem, de forma geral, mais relevantes do que as em Bacen. Para tanto, a metodologia envolveu o uso do Modelo de Ohlson (1995) com adição de variáveis de controle e dados em painel para os anos de 2010 a 2017. Foram estimados dois modelos, um para cada tipo de informação, e a análise da relevância deu-se com base nos valores do R2, critérios de informação e teste de robustez. Os resultados foram estimados por efeitos fixos corrigidos por erro-padrão robusto agrupados por empresas. No modelo com todas as variáveis, o IFRS foi mais value relevant do que Bacen. Já na estimação separada do LPA, este, quando mensurado em Bacen, é mais relevante, mas isso se inverte na estimação do VPA, em que o IFRS tem maior relevância. Além disso, o LPA apresenta maior poder explicativo do que o VPA. As diferenças na relevância, no entanto, são sutis, o que sugere interferências do ambiente institucional brasileiro. Esses resultados podem sugerir uma reflexão do Banco Central no sentido de analisar a adoção das IFRS de forma plena, o que caracterizaria uma economia de custos de divulgação. / The Brazilian financial institutions that have an Audit Committee and/or are listed on the Stock Exchange are obliged to disclose two different balance sheets: one following the Bacen GAAP standard and the other in IFRS. From this context, this research aimed to compare the relevance of these two types of information. It was expected that IFRS information would, in general, be more relevant than those in Bacen. To do so, the methodology involved the use of the Ohlson Model (1995) with addition of control variables, and panel data for the years of 2010 to 2017. Two models were estimated, one for each type of information, and the analysis of relevance was given based on the R2 values, information criteria and robustness test. The results were estimated by fixed effects, corrected by robust standard error grouped by companies. In the model with all variables, the IFRS was more value relevant than Bacen. On the other hand, in the separate estimation of the LPA, when measured in Bacen is more relevant, but this is reversed in the VPA\'s estimation, in which the IFRS is more relevant. In addition, the LPA has more explainatory factor than the VPA. The differences in relevance, however, are subtle, suggesting interference from the Brazilian institutional environment. These results may suggest a reflection by the Central Bank in order to analyze the adoption of IFRS in full, which would mean a disclosure cost saving.

<p><strong><em>Research Question</em></strong><strong><em>:</em></strong> Can organizations truly create value for all its stakeholders simultaneously, without a significant trade-off from one group to another? And what role does current ICT infrastructure play?<strong> </strong></p><p><strong><em>Purpose:</em></strong> This study is aimed at determining how organizations create value simultaneously for stakeholders without a trade-off, and also examine the role of ICT (Information and communication technologies) in balancing responsibility in trying to satisfying all stakeholders (customers, suppliers, society, environment, employees and shareholders) in complex ICT environments.</p><p><strong><em>Methodology:</em></strong> The study involves business organizations in Sweden. A research questionnaire was sent to one thousand five hundred top level management executives in Swedish based business organizations, to collect data.  Business organizations were carefully selected to cut across many industry sectors.</p><p><strong><em>Findings:</em></strong><strong> </strong>Some of the findings includes: that many companies in Sweden still have a hard time satisfying all stakeholders simultaneously without trade-off, even with the huge ICT infrastructures. We discovered that although companies invest a lot on ICT, but the combination of strategy which will bring corporate partnership and create value for all without “robbing Peter to pay Paul” is still lacking.</p><p><strong><em>Research Limitations:</em></strong><strong> </strong>First, the study was limited to Sweden because of lack of resources to conduct interviews in many countries. Thus, there is the need to exercise caution in generalising these findings. Second, the number of respondents was limited, because it was difficult to get very busy top management executives from different companies to respond to our questionnaire.  <strong></strong></p><p><strong><em>Originality:</em></strong> This research work provides insight to understand and interpret balanced stakeholder value creation in companies, identify attributes for simultaneous value creation, as well as the role information and communication technology play in achieving this objective.</p><p><strong><em>Keywords:</em></strong> Stakeholder, Value Creation, Information and communication technology, Sustainable Value, and Stakeholder Analysis</p>

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