Customer retention plays a pivotal role in contributing to the profitability of retail banks. Within this extremely competitive market it necessitates retails banks to follow a structured, data-driven approach to identify “at risk” customers and to launch proactive retention campaigns based on identified drivers of customer attrition. The following main drivers of customer attrition were identified in the retail bank:  Attrition decrease as Vertical Sales Index increase.  Attrition is lower where customers receive their salary in a BANKXX account.  Attrition decreases as duration increases.  Black and Coloured have a higher attrition rate than White and Asian. A literature review was conducted to identify the possible independent variables of customer retention and the concept of the profitable customer was addressed throughout proposed conceptual model was developed, signifying the best fit to identify drivers of customer retention in the retail bank. The analytical tool, SAS was used for data collection and statistical analyses of the data. This high-performance analytics assisted in providing the retail bank with valuable insight into how to successfully manage risk, retain profitable customers, improve operational efficiency and differentiate them in the marketplace for competitive advantage. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Customer retention plays a pivotal role in contributing to the profitability of retail banks. Within this extremely competitive market it necessitates retails banks to follow a structured, data-driven approach to identify “at risk” customers and to launch proactive retention campaigns based on identified drivers of customer attrition. The following main drivers of customer attrition were identified in the retail bank:  Attrition decrease as Vertical Sales Index increase.  Attrition is lower where customers receive their salary in a BANKXX account.  Attrition decreases as duration increases.  Black and Coloured have a higher attrition rate than White and Asian. A literature review was conducted to identify the possible independent variables of customer retention and the concept of the profitable customer was addressed throughout proposed conceptual model was developed, signifying the best fit to identify drivers of customer retention in the retail bank. The analytical tool, SAS was used for data collection and statistical analyses of the data. This high-performance analytics assisted in providing the retail bank with valuable insight into how to successfully manage risk, retain profitable customers, improve operational efficiency and differentiate them in the marketplace for competitive advantage. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Typically, small businesses have encountered issues with sustaining their enterprise for longer than 5 years after inception, which can adversely affect the prosperity of the communities in which the businesses operate. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify and explore strategies some owners of small business trucking companies used to achieve profitability and longevity for longer than 5 years. The population of the study consisted of owners of 4 small business trucking companies located in Northern Virginia, who demonstrated profitability and longevity for longer than 5 years of operation. The conceptual framework for this study was systems theory. The data for the study came from semistructured interviews, and review of companies' documents. The data analysis process consisted of organizing the data, interpreting the data, and identifying the themes. After verifying the themes through methodological triangulation, 3 themes emerged: relationship building, passion and commitment, and access to capital. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations from this study could effect social change by providing profits to the small business trucking owners for sustaining and aiding employees, families, and their communities' economies.

Recently, hunting and associated recreation have become an important business for Texas landowners. Most ranchers want to realize maximum net return from their investments. This study's objectives were to develop white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and livestock enterprise budgets and to determine optimal economic combinations and levels of deer and livestock enterprises to maximize net returns. Questionnaires were mailed to landowners in the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains who purchased shooting preserve licenses in 1985. Five hundred and twenty-four ranchers responded {23.4%). Respondents were segregated by enterprises (deer, cattle, sheep, and Angora and Spanish goats) and a 5% random sample Has chosen from each group for personal interviews. Forty-two and eighteen ranchers in the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains, respectively, provided operational and financial information about their ranch enterprises. Typical ranch enterprise budgets were developed for four types of deer enterprises, three cattle enterprises, one sheep enterprise, two Angora goat enterprises, and one Spanish goat enterprise in the Edwards Plateau. In the South Texas Plains, enterprise budgets were developed for four types of deer enterprises and two cattle enterprises. Available resources, such as hectarage, labor, forage, and capital, were determined for typical ranches in both regions. The year deer enterprise was the most profitable deer enterprise in both regions, followed by the season, short-term/season, and short-term deer enterprises. The nanny-mutton-kid-breeding-mohair Angora goat enterprise was the most profitable livestock enterprise in the Edwards Plateau, while the cow-calf enterprise was the most profitable in the South Texas Plains. Linear programming was used to determine optimal combinations and levels of deer and livestock enterprises on typical Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains ranches. The most profitable combination (in this case only one activity) in the Edwards Plateau was the nanny-mutton-kid- breeding Angora goat enterprise, which had an extremely high gross income due to high mohair prices and government subsidies. The year deer and cow-calf enterprises were the most profitable combination in the South Texas Plains. The most binding constraints on enterprise combination and level were labor, livestock investment, and spring and summer forage.

Magistro darbo I dalyje išnagrinėti teoriniai įmonių veiklos finansinės būklės analizės aspektai, nustatyti teoriniai investicinių projektų vertinimo metodai. II dalyje išanalizuoti UAB „Plungės lagūna“ veiklos ypatumai, vertinti 2005-2007 metų įmonės veiklos finansinės būklės rodikliai, jie palyginti su šakos rodikliais. Analizės metu nustatyta, kad įmonės pardavimų augimas sustojo, didėja veiklos kaštai dėl to, kad įmonė neturi betranšėjų technologijų ir dauguma darbų atlieka subrangos būdu, įmonei trūksta gamybinių-sandėliavimo plotų, o 2006 metais paimta ilgalaikė paskola nedavė rezultatų. Magistro darbo III dalyje buvo pasiūlytos dvi investicinio projekto alternatyvos: betranšėjų technologijų pirkimas ir 2500 m2 gamybinių-sandėliavimo plotų (I-oji alternatyva) ir tik betranšėjų technologijų pirkimas (II-oji alternatyva). Atklikus investicinio projekto alternatyvų vertinimo analizę, nustatyta, kad I-oji alternatyva yra naudingesnė ir efektyvesnė investicija, todėl įmonės vadovybei tai ir būtų pasiūloma. / There were set the theoretical aspects of the companies‘activity financial situation and analysis in the first part of the master work. The singularities of the JSC „Plungės lagūna“ activity, the financial rates of the company of the period of 2005-2007 and the financial rates of the construction sector were analyzed in the second part of the master work. There was set, that the company hasn’t non-trench technology and many works made by subcontracts, besides, company is lack of the storehouses and the long-term credit, taken by the company in 2006, does not give the results. Consequently the were suggested two alternatives in the investment project: the purchase of the non-trench technology and the storehouse (I alternative) and just the purchase of the non-trench technology (II alternative). After the analysis of the alternatives of the investment project, there were set, that the I alternative is more useful and more effective to the company.

ABB is a global company with a leading position in power and automation technologies. Being active on a global market creates a high pressure to always develop the business and reduce costs in order to stay competitive. The purchasing function at ABB ́s unit Control Products is divided into a strategic- and an operative purchase department. The negotiated setups the strategic purchasers establish with the suppliers have been shown to affect the transport- and inventory costs that are charged to the operative purchase department. In order to determine whether more beneficial setups could be negotiated by including transport- and inventory costs when they are evaluated, this case study has been requested. Two master students from Linköping University have conducted the study and by investigating different setups, conclusions to answer the study ́s purpose could be drawn. The purpose is presented below. The study’s purpose is to recommend future guidelines for the strategic purchasers at ABB’s unit Control Products that can be applied when negotiating with suppliers, by evaluating purchase-, transport- and inventory costs. In order to investigate how the purchase-, transport- and inventory costs were affected by different setups, four different cases were defined. Each case included a specific article, which was chosen based on its properties and its current and alternative setups. The conducted literature reviews and interviews with employees at Control Products resulted in the two sub- criteria lead time and net price were defined as the most important ones when negotiating and evaluating suppliers. A combination of these sub-criteria was therefore used to choose suitable articles. Once the cases had been defined, the purchase-, transport- and inventory costs could be calculated for both their current situation and alternative setup scenarios. Theories from relevant researches were used to strengthen and criticised the cases’ results. Each case's result provided information regarding how the purchase-, transport- and inventory costs were affected by specific setups. By comparing the alternative scenarios with the setup currently used, the alternatives ́ profitability could be determined. The cases showed that by only studying one of the three cost posts, only a limited insight was gained. Even if the purchase cost was to increase for an alternative setup, it could still be profitable to implement due to decreased transport- and inventory costs. Furthermore, an alternative setup that showed significant potential to reduce inventory costs was proven to not be profitable because of its effect on the net price. Neglecting to take transport- and inventory costs into account when a potential supplier is evaluated can make a deal look more profitable than it is. The final recommendation is that purchase-, transport- and inventory costs all have to be taken into consideration in order to determine which setups that are economically preferable. If the strategic purchasers at Control Products includes these when they negotiate with suppliers, more profitable deals can be obtained. / <p>Examensarbetet är en förvrängd version då känslig information om ABB inte ska läcka ut.</p>

Authors: Michelle Karlsson and Johanna Rydberg Titel: How organizational culture can look like in sport organizations – A qualitative study about how Karlskrona Hockey Club’s administrative personnel’s potential culture. This study is written because of the reason that today’s sport organizations have become more like traditional and profitable businesses, which makes the administrative personnel work more important for the organizations. Earlier studies have been made, but the focus is on the players or the members in the organization and also on their development. We want to concentrate this essay on the administrative personnel’s potential culture and their contribution to the organization. Our research questions are 1) How does the administrative personnel’s work look like in a sport organization from a cultural perspective?, and 2) If, and which, culture pursues sport organizations and the administrative personnel? To answer these questions we have used theories from Edgar H. Schein and Mats Alvesson, who are leading cultural scholars. We turned to Karlskronas Hockey Club as a case study where we made six individual interviews and general observations that became our empirical basis. The chosen theories and the collected empirical data were later interconnected and used for further analysis. The main conclusion of our analysis, based on the theories, is that sport organizations culture are dependent on what context and state the organization is in. In our case study Karlskrona’s Hockey Club is a relatively new organization with a lot of new employed people who influence the culture. The theories, taken from Alvesson and Schein, explain the effects when new people get employed. The culture that exists among the administrative personnel is therefore under consistent development and has a hard time finding stability. Nowadays sport organizations need to focus on the budget and economy to survive, but profit isn’t the main purpose. People working in sport organizations are driven by commitment and interest for the sport and members in the organization.

Denna studie syftade till att finna svar hur verksamheter som genomför evenemangsprojekt arbetar med riskhantering och vilka sekundära effekter riskhanteringen kan leda till. Studien syftade även till att finna svar ifall evenemangsansvariga anser att riskhantering är lönsamt. Anledningen till att vi valt att studera detta ämne är för att evenemangsindustrin är en av de störst växande marknaderna. Evenemang av olika karaktär attraherar stora folkmängder och riskerna blir mer påtagliga desto fler människor som samlas på en och samma plats. Teori och tidigare forskning visar att alla evenemangsprojekt inte genomför en tillräcklig riskhantering, trots att riskerna är många och dess konsekvenser kan vara förödande. Vi har genomfört kvalitativa intervjuer med personer som arbetar med evenemangsprojekt för att få en uppfattning om hur de arbetar och ser på riskhantering. Vi har kommit fram till att de studerade evenemangsverksamheterna arbetar med riskhantering under alla evenemangsprojekt men att riskhanteringsmetoderna skiljer sig åt. I studien framkom att alla de studerade evenemangsverksamheter fokuserar på säkerhetsrisker under evenemangsprojektets genomförande, snarare än risker som påverkar projektets planeringsfas. De sekundära effekterna av riskhantering är många och en återkommande effekt är medvetenhet hos projektmedarbetare. Alla informanter är övertygade om att riskhantering lönar sig. / This study was aimed to find answers how the event industry is working with risk management and which secondary effects risk management generates. The study was also aimed to find answers whether the event managers think risk management is profitable. The reason we decided to study this subject is because the event industry is one of the largest growing markets. Event of different category attracts a lot of people and the risks increases when masses gather at the same spot. Theory and previous research shows that not every event project implements an appropriate risk management, even though risks are many and its consequences can be devastating. We have done qualitative interviews with persons working with event projects to get a perception of how they work and their opinion of risk management. We have concluded that the studied event firms are working with risk management in every event projects but generally event managers use different risk management techniques. The study revealed that all the studied event firms focus on security during event projects implementation, rather than risk affecting the projects planning phase. Secondary effects of risk management are many and a recurrent effect is the awareness among project staff. All the informants are convinced that risk management always is profitable.

Este trabalho de conclusão aborda a satisfação de clientes em uma organização sem fins lucrativos. Através de um estudo de caso, procedeu-se uma avaliação qualitativa por meio de observação participante do pesquisador, percepções dos professores e acadêmicos envolvidos no atendimento prestado pelo Serviço de Nutrição do Centro Universitário Franciscano- UNIFRA, e também dos usuários finais do serviço. Objetivou-se, assim, avaliar como a satisfação de clientes é gerenciada neste serviço, usando-se as variáveis de pesquisa: estratégia, sistemas e pessoas como norteadoras das investigações efetuadas. Com o intuito de atingir os propósitos do estudo, o público envolvido no atendimento, composto por coordenador do serviço e professores, foi ouvido por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas. No público constituído de acadêmicos que prestam o atendimento e usuários do serviço foi utilizada a técnica de entrevista de grupos focalizados. Para o tratamento dos dados coletados procedeu-se a sua descrição, análise e interpretação. A análise dos resultados foi apresentada em blocos que contemplam: estratégia, sistemas e pessoas. As opiniões emitidas pelos públicos consultados e a observação do pesquisador apontaram acertos e oportunidades de melhoria no serviço prestado, dando indicativos de dimensões importantes para o gerenciamento da satisfação de clientes deste serviço. / This work deals with consumer satisfaction in a non-profitable organization. Through a case study, a qualitative assessment was developed based on participating observation of the researcher, perceptions of professors and academics evolved on Nutrition Service of “Centro Universitário Franciscano – UNIFRA”, and also of the service final users. The main goal was evaluate how the consumer satisfaction is managed on this service using the research variables: strategy, systems and person as starting points of the effectuated research. Intending to reach the study’s purpose, the public evolved on the service, compound by the service coordinators and professors, was heard through individual interview technique. In the public compound by academics that provide the service and service users the technique used was the focus group interview technique. For the treatment of the data collected it’s description, analysis and interpretation was made. The analysis of the results was divided in blocks that include: strategy, systems and persons. The opinions given by the consulted public and researcher observation pointed some things right and opportunities of making the service better, giving important indicatives for the management of the client satisfaction of this service.

Este trabalho de conclusão aborda a satisfação de clientes em uma organização sem fins lucrativos. Através de um estudo de caso, procedeu-se uma avaliação qualitativa por meio de observação participante do pesquisador, percepções dos professores e acadêmicos envolvidos no atendimento prestado pelo Serviço de Nutrição do Centro Universitário Franciscano- UNIFRA, e também dos usuários finais do serviço. Objetivou-se, assim, avaliar como a satisfação de clientes é gerenciada neste serviço, usando-se as variáveis de pesquisa: estratégia, sistemas e pessoas como norteadoras das investigações efetuadas. Com o intuito de atingir os propósitos do estudo, o público envolvido no atendimento, composto por coordenador do serviço e professores, foi ouvido por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas. No público constituído de acadêmicos que prestam o atendimento e usuários do serviço foi utilizada a técnica de entrevista de grupos focalizados. Para o tratamento dos dados coletados procedeu-se a sua descrição, análise e interpretação. A análise dos resultados foi apresentada em blocos que contemplam: estratégia, sistemas e pessoas. As opiniões emitidas pelos públicos consultados e a observação do pesquisador apontaram acertos e oportunidades de melhoria no serviço prestado, dando indicativos de dimensões importantes para o gerenciamento da satisfação de clientes deste serviço. / This work deals with consumer satisfaction in a non-profitable organization. Through a case study, a qualitative assessment was developed based on participating observation of the researcher, perceptions of professors and academics evolved on Nutrition Service of “Centro Universitário Franciscano – UNIFRA”, and also of the service final users. The main goal was evaluate how the consumer satisfaction is managed on this service using the research variables: strategy, systems and person as starting points of the effectuated research. Intending to reach the study’s purpose, the public evolved on the service, compound by the service coordinators and professors, was heard through individual interview technique. In the public compound by academics that provide the service and service users the technique used was the focus group interview technique. For the treatment of the data collected it’s description, analysis and interpretation was made. The analysis of the results was divided in blocks that include: strategy, systems and persons. The opinions given by the consulted public and researcher observation pointed some things right and opportunities of making the service better, giving important indicatives for the management of the client satisfaction of this service.