Although the Internet has become a global medium, which companies use to access individuals worldwide, it is argued in this thesis that cultural issues still need to be taken into account when designing Web sites. In fact, international marketers agree that culture in terms of consumers‘ values and beliefs remains a significant constraint for reaching international consumers. Professional analysts and designers generally agree that well-designed user interfaces improve the performance and appeal of the Web and help in reaching large numbers of consumers across cultures. Therefore, one way of improving the user-interface is by paying attention to users' culture, which means developing culturally adapted Web sites. The Web localisation literature addresses the users' ultural concerns by utilising some of the popular cultural models like those of Hofstede and Hall; however these tools are not appropriate for handling the cultural values affecting the online behaviour of consumers. Effective Web localisation can be achieved through an appropriate cultural framework that incorporates the cultural values that affect the online behaviour of consumers. This thesis introduces the electronic cultural adaption framework or E-CAF, as a structure for adapting local Web interfaces. The E-CAF, constructed for the travel domain, uses six cultural dimensions derived from the observation of behaviour and identifies unique cultural variables that affect online consumer behaviour. The E-CAF is constructed using grounded theory methodology and is then evaluated as a tool for adapting local Web interfaces. This includes discussing the applicability of the E-CAF as a tool for identifying online marketing strategies suitable for targeting consumers across cultures and using the E-CAF to assess and evaluate the cultural adaptation of three Egyptian local travel interfaces. Finally, the E-CAF is utilized as a means for developing questions that can help designers to collect the clients' designing requirements. This helps the designers to build an effective local interface based on an understanding of each client‘s special design requirements.

Packaging plays a key role in product success within the highly competitive food and drinks sectors of the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry. However, relatively little has been written about packaging in the marketing management literature. The majority of published research focuses on the marketing communications aspects of packaging. As a result, whilst there is substantial literature revealing the significance of packaging in purchasing decisions and perceptions of the product, its role in product development and the creation of new opportunities has been largely overlooked. Against this background, the research examines the management of packaging development within the FMCG industry: in particular, the food and drinks sectors. The purpose of the study is twofold: to examine how the development of a new product’s packaging is managed and integrated into the new product development (NPD) process of firms; and to explore how firms in the industry manage the opportunities that new packaging development may provide. The research finds that in their packaging development, most firms focus on ‘skindeep’ issues, such as the development of the label, and aesthetic modifications to the body of the packaging, such as changing the colour of a bottle. The analysis reveals three distinct levels of packaging development and argues that the development of new packaging formats and genuine packaging innovation is being overlooked by firms. The framework developed from the research reveals that the orientation of packaging development (skin-deep, aesthetic body modifications, or technological format change) is influenced by internal packaging capability, perceptions of the production process, the role of buyers, and concerns over the impact of changes on the product’s retailing. This in turn impacts on the role of the consumer and suppliers in development. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing new insight into the relationship between packaging development and NPD. The framework generated contributes to the existing stage based models of NPD by revealing that previous research has largely failed to analyse packaging development at the level of technological and format change. The findings also have implications for firms, identifying a need to re-examine their packaging development activities, to ensure that these address all three levels; not merely ‘skin-deep’ packaging.

M.Comm. / A review of literature reveals that salespeople may have misperceptions of their own role and these misperceptions may influence their performance. Selling has also become more complex and scientific in these tough economic times, and more salespeople are involved in selling teams that provide customised solutions to customers’ needs. Salespeople often need to depend on other types of salespeople within the supply chain to be able to successfully perform their own role. Therefore, salespeople may have misperceptions of the roles of other salespeople with whom they work and on whom they depend. These misperceptions may influence the performance of salespersons. Salespeople play an important part in the successful selling of an organisation’s products and the eventual success of the business itself. This study aims to contribute to improving the performance of salespeople by investigating the role perceptions and possible role misperceptions, of mutually dependent Key Account Managers and Sales Agents. Taking into consideration the identified research problem, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the role perceptions of salespeople regarding their own, and their mutually dependent counterparts’ role in the supply chain of a fast-moving consumer goods organisation, and the impact that such perceptions may have on performance. The study employed a mixed method approach to measure the role perceptions of mutually dependent salespeople within the supply chain of a fast-moving consumer goods organisation. The researcher used an exploratory mixed method design. The first phase comprised the collection of qualitative data, and the quantitative phase was then based on the learning’s from the first phase. An exploratory design was ideal for exploring relationships as the study variables were unknown, and a new instrument needed to be developed based on a preliminary qualitative inquiry. Therefore, the research was divided into two phases with the first phase facilitating the design of the instrument for the quantitative second phase of the study. The data collected with the questionnaire was coded, and aside from the normal descriptive statistical analysis such as frequency percentages and standard deviations, hypotheses testing using Pearson product correlations was conducted. For the two smaller groups of respondents a Spearman rank was used, and a Parametric test was employed for the larger group as the variables were normally distributed.

The increase in number of banks entering the South African banking sector has caused the big four banks to lose their market share to the new entrants. As a result, the new entrants in this sector have also had negative effects on the existing banks’ sales growth and net profits. Business banking, in particular, has been one of the departments which has become competitive as it is considered to generate the most revenue from all the different bank departments. Business clients have been targeted as their fees are high compared to normal individual clients and also, their investment sizes are big compared to individuals, hence the increased interest in this section. This then prompts the question, what are the factors influencing sales growth in business banking? This question then brings one to the following sub-problems: Is the pricing offered by the various banks to their business bank customers competitive enough to retain them?; How competent and knowledgeable is the staff dealing with business bank customers in ensuring good relationships with business banking clients?; is the technology used by the banks advanced enough to address the banking requirements of business banking customers? Are business banking customers loyal to their respective banks to ensure repetitive sales? In dealing with the above, the author undertook a research study to determine whether factors such as competitive pricing, competent staff, advanced technology and customer loyalty influence sales growth in business banking in Buffalo City Municipality “BCM”. The sample of 90 business banking customers who were given questionnaires to test the above were from a population of business banking customers in BCM. The author underwent a theoretical and an empirical investigation using the survey method through questionnaires. These questionnaires were distributed to the various financing institutions dealing with business banking clients. The findings of the empirical study suggest that through the use of the hypothesis test, it was concluded that of the four factors, advanced technology and customer loyalty influence sales growth in business banking in BCM. While pricing and competent staff do not influence sales revenue growth.

This thesis is concerned with that part of retail location analysis which involves estimating the sales volume potential for a proposed shopping centre. It examines the practised methods and available models employed in the prediction of potential sales volumes. A survey of the literature dealing with techniques of sales volume estimation revealed that the theory behind sales volume estimating was somewhat disjointed, since the models and methods available emphasized different approaches and factors, and ignored or inadequately accounted for others. Furthermore, it was apparent that predictive accuracy was far from satisfactory with the presently available tools of analysis. It was felt that the problem revolved around the assumptions and factors inherent or absent in each model or method. Since estimating a potential sales volume for a proposed centre involved estimating the number of consumers who will patronize that centre, it becomes obvious that an accurate estimate of expected consumer patronage necessitates an understanding of the factors and influences which motivate consumers in their choice of a particular retail outlet in which to purchase desired merchandise. It was felt that by examining these determinants of consumer behaviour, some light could be shed on those factors which are inadequately recognized or represented in the various methods and models examined in this thesis. This thesis, then, first examines the validity and limitations of the many arguments, assumptions, concepts, and factors considered to be important in a discussion of the determinants of consumer patronage behaviour. It then examines the various models and methods in order to a) determine how adequately they recognize and incorporate these arguments, assumptions, concepts, and factors in their formulae or procedures, and b) evaluate their ability to produce theoretically sound, consistent predictions. The models and methods are found to be largely incapable of accurate and consistent predictions owing to their oversimplified and imprecise construction. Inadequately represented consumer patronage factors are presented which, if they were more explicitly recognized, would tend to improve the predictive capabilities of the models and methods. These factors are shown to be additional factors of attraction and resistance which influence the consumer in his choice of a shopping destination. The main conclusion presented is that if these factors were more precisely defined and quantified, and more explicitly recognized in the formulae, either through restructuring the parameters or through expanding the number of variables in the formulae, the descriptive and predictive capabilities of these models and methods might be improved with a corresponding decrease in the necessity for subjective judgment. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

The business environment is currently typified by rapid and ongoing change, which causes the future to be increasingly unpredictable and unsettled. Companies are struggling to maintain their competitive edge and to survive. It is therefore important that management should ensure that the necessary competencies and abilities are available to enable the coordination of both diversifies and specialized functions within the organisation, providing for current and future requirements. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between embarking on the Competency Acquisition Process (CAP) learning program for account managers and work performance. In order to attain this goal, the primary focus of the literature study was investigating what a learning organisation is, the importance and principles of a learning organisation, the types of learning and characteristics and approaches to a learning organisation. The company as a learning organisation and CAP was defined. Learning is then linked to performance by looking at the relationship between the two variables and also comparing the traditional approach of training with learning as a process. A questionnaire was designed consisting of forced-choice questions and answers and some open-ended questions. The purpose was to survey a large number of people about the topic of the research. Percentage in sales growth per sales staff member was obtained from the sales database department, and correlations were made with CAP progress data on SAP HR. From the analysis of data the following results were apparent: <ul> <li>--Embarking on CAP improved the relationship between subordinates and management and also assisted in improving teamwork amongst team members.</li> <li>--Most sales staff believes that CAP significantly influenced their In Trade Outlet Survey (ITOS) ratings.</li> <li>--CAP assisted the company in gaining a larger market share.</li> <li>--The majority of the respondents strongly agreed that the competencies and knowledge gained through CAP assisted them in increasing their sales of carbonated soft drinks.</li> <li>--CAP is believed to have improved the company’s Customer Service Measurement.</li> <li>--CAP significantly improved the levels of confidence of the sales staff.</li> <li>--99 % of the respondents believe that the Value Chain learning outcome positively influenced their work performance.</li> <li>--99 % of the respondents believe that the learning outcome: Knowledge of how sales fits in the Value Chain positively influenced their work performance.</li> <li>--Every respondent in the survey believed the product knowledge module had a positive impact on their work performance.</li> <li>--CAP emerged to be the learning intervention that has the most impact on the work performance of sales staff, followed by coaching by managers and the Sales Academy.</li> <li>--The results of the survey indicated that 96 % of the respondents believe that CAP was a worthwhile initiative.</li> </ul> Significant differences were found in sales growth since embarking on CAP between different race groups. Significant differences for CAP progress were found in respect of different plants. The research aimed to prove the hypothesis that CAP improved work performance. The core measurement of sales staff is growing sales volume, with all the other measurements measured in the questionnaire supporting this core function. Copyright 2005, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Bergh, C 2005, The impact of a competency acquisition process on the work performance of sales staff, MCom dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-06212005-084440 / > / Dissertation (MCom (Human Resources Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

Independent financial advisers have to address different problems as they pro¬gress through the life cycle stages of their businesses. A number of researchers, however, are of the opinion that small business owners do not have the ability to manage the growth-related transitions effectively. It appears that additional guidance is needed to assist independent financial advisers with the survival and growth of their small businesses. Until now, only a small amount of research has been conducted in this area and no formal research study has proposed a marketing mix framework for these advisers, portraying the various factors threatening their survival and growth in their organisational life cycle, as well as the various marketing mix strategies that can be implemented to proactively manage the problems and help generate sales growth. The objective of this study was to propose such a framework to offer additional assistance for business survival and sales growth. This study was exploratory in nature and commenced with a comprehensive lit¬erature investigation to gain the necessary background to support the empirical part of the study. Different opinions and studies were presented and evaluated, which led to the identification of a general business life cycle model as well as a number of problems and marketing mix solutions that could potentially occur in each life cycle stage. These literature findings were then further investigated among independent financial advisers by means of telephone and personal interviews. Following the empirical findings, the recommended framework suggests that independent financial advisers may experience three types of problems in their businesses: critical problems, important problems and problems that only need consideration. Independent financial advisers can use four groups of recom¬mended marketing mix strategies to address these problems. There are also four groups of recommended marketing mix strategies that can assist these advisers to grow their sales (commission). These advisers would, however, need to ensure that they are aware of and understand the various environmental factors that can hinder the successful implementation of the marketing mix strategies. They also need to be able to use the recommended counterstrategies to address the environmental factors. Ultimately, the successful implementation of the recommended marketing mix strategies could then help independent financial advisers to grow their businesses and progress to a more advanced life cycle stage. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Marketing Management / DCom / Unrestricted

The ‘bottom of the pyramid’ (BoP) refers to the world’s poorest socio-economic group. In South Africa, consumers in this segment are an increasingly attractive target market for multi-national corporations (MNCs), partly because they constitute more than one-third of the population. However, a key managerial challenge remains in distributing goods and services to these consumers. This research sought to identify the alternative channels of distribution that firms develop to reach the BoP. Using a qualitative research methodology, eighteen depth interviews were conducted tracing the channels of seven firms from firm to end-user. The results suggest that many MNCs are indeed developing BoP channels, with varying degrees of success. Further, success seems to be driven by the level of managerial commitment. In addition, the BoP in South Africa is best understood as two distinct sub-segments, the urban BoP is characterised by more competition and crime, while the rural BoP has lower population density which heightens logistical challenges. Community involvement, where locals serve as distributors or salespeople, is a central feature of successful strategies to reach the BoP. Finally, the findings suggest that alternative distribution channels present benefits for MNCs in terms of cost to serve, local knowledge and increased penetration. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

Tesis para optar al grado de Magíster en Gestión y Dirección de Empresas / La presente tesis está enfocada en mejorar el proceso S&OP de Signify, (ex Philips Lighting), la cual es líder mundial en productos de iluminación tanto profesional como de consumo, con una facturación local de 20 Millones de Euros al año. A medida que las empresas se vuelven globales, se comienzan a complejizar sus procesos productivos; en este sentido, se debe convivir con altos lead times, con un sistema de libre mercado sumamente competitivo, donde también se subcontrata la fabricación de sus productos y otros servicios, etc. Todos estos factores hacen que aumente la incertidumbre en los recursos de suministro. En otras palabras, la globalización de los negocios ha creado problemas que muchas organizaciones no saben cómo superar. Para ayudar a superar estos desafíos está el Sales and Operation Planning o S&OP, el cual es un proceso colaborativo que busca alinear el lado de la oferta de una organización con el lado de la demanda. De esta manera, al compatibilizar los objetivos de los diferentes departamentos se crea una organización optimizada. El plan de optimización presentado en este proyecto expone la situación actual de Signify Chile, en términos del manejo del proceso de Sales and Operation Planning (S&OP), cuyo resultado tiene directa relación con la gestión de inventario y el nivel de servicio ofrecido a los clientes, en donde se buscarán oportunidades de mejora del proceso general, para así lograr un beneficio no sólo financiero, sino que también de compromiso organizacional y de estrategia empresarial. La metodología del presente estudio incluye en primer lugar un benchmarking del mercado relacionado al S&OP, así como las sugerencias de los autores más destacados de esta área, para luego profundizar el diagnostico al proceso actual de Signify, así como su situación en términos de inventario, costos logísticos, nivel de servicio y gestión de portfolio y clientes. Finalmente en base al resultado de este diagnóstico encontrar las mejoras necesarias para tener un nivel proactivo de S&OP, el que se buscará mediante una estrategia centrada en tres pilares fundamentales: Procesos, Personas y Tecnología, y para cada uno de ellos se propondrán mejoras relevantes que impacten positivamente a Signify, para así lograr los objetivos propuestos en esta tesis. El proyecto presentado a nivel financiero tiene un costo de $55M, lo cual en un flujo a 5 años a una tasa del 10,45% generó un VAN de $453M con una TIR del 90%. Si se toma un escenario más conservador con una caída en la venta del 30% en 5 años, el VAN queda en $264M con una TIR del 64%. Por lo tanto existe una oportunidad, que generará un importante beneficio, y con una baja inversión, con lo cual se recomienda llevar a cabo un plan de trabajo para buscar consolidar organizacionalmente el componente estratégico del S&OP que permitirá a la empresa lograr sus objetivos mediante la excelencia operacional.

In recent years the advent of social networking has exploded across the Internet. Online communities such as LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com have captured the attention of millions. These environments allow individuals to connect, communicate, and discover new virtual experiences with other people. In the age of Web 2.0, Internet users are redefining the rules of social interaction by leveraging a range of new technologies to create and sustain virtual communities based upon common interests. Communications channels such as blogs and Wikis, amplified by collaborative technologies such as social networking, provide powerful tools for sharing information and sustaining relationships across geographic borders and common areas of learning. What is often referred to as ‘collective intelligence,’ the body of knowledge created by these social online gatherings of like minds, can easily produce a ‘sum of the parts is greater than the whole’ effect. The purpose of this research is twofold: first, to evaluate how social networking impacts collaboration and learning within the high tech sales industry and; second to determine if a need exists for the development of an online social networking environment to address the particular interests of the Information Technology (IT) sales professional.