The purpose of this study is to investigate the topic of how a brand’s increased associations with unintended customer segments may impact the consumers who purchase the brand’s products for their intended use. This regards the consumer’s brand perception, brand avoidance, and purchase intentions. The focus of this study is the outdoor sports brand Haglöfs and Swedish gangster culture as the unintended customer segment. The possible associations between Haglöfs and gangster culture gave rise to this thesis. This research adopts a qualitative logic, using a focus group to collect data and gain insight into consumers’ brand perception, brand avoidance, and purchase intentions. Six (6) participants in total were included in the interview. The data was analyzed with ananalytical framework with support from the existing theoretical frameworks. The results from the focus group suggested that the increased associations between gangster culture and Haglöfs have not largely negatively affected the participants’ brand perception, brand avoidance, and purchase intention, with the exception of one participant. However, other insightful results were discovered related to ‘product avoidance’. The managerial contributions may include insights for brands in mitigating potential devaluation of brand perception as a result of being associated with unintended customer segments.

Les débris en orbite sont actuellement une source de préoccupation majeure pour les acteurs du spatial et pour le reste de la population, comme en témoignent les articles de presse et les œuvres cinématographiques sur le sujet. En effet, la présence de ces objets menace directement les astronautes en mission et les satellites en opération. Parmi les nombreuses options déjà envisagées pour les traiter, cette thèse se concentre sur l’approche robotique, en proposant des outils et des méthodes de modélisation et de contrôle pour un satellite chasseur équipé d’un bras manipulateur. Des modèles dynamiques et des schémas de simulation optimisés sont ainsi développés pour tout système multi-corps constitué d’une base mobile supportant un nombre quelconque d’appendices rigides ou flexibles. Par la suite, les trajectoires de capture sont générées en conservant la continuité en accélération avec le mouvement naturel du point cible, dans le but de saisir aussi délicatement que possible le débris en rotation. Le suivi de cette trajectoire par l’effecteur du robot chasseur est alors assuré par une loi de contrôle à deux niveaux, dont le réglage repose sur la synthèse H1 structurée. Une étude de robustesse est également mise en place pour assurer la stabilité et les performances du système en boucle fermée, malgré les changements de configuration du bras. Enfin, la validation des travaux de thèse est réalisée par voie numérique avec un simulateur haute-fidélité, et par voie pratique avec un banc d’essais robotique incluant des composants physiques en temps réel. / On-orbit debris are currently causing deep concern for space agencies, related companies, and also among the population. ¿is is evidenced by the numerous scientific articles and recent movies on the matter. Indeed, these objects pose a serious threat for the astronauts on mission and for operational satellites. Among the various technical concepts already designed to address these threats, this thesis focuses on space robotics. Tools and methods are thus introduced for the modeling and control of a chaser satellite equipped with a manipulator. Dynamic models and optimized simulation schemes are developed to handle any multi-body system made up of amoving base embedding various appendages, either rigid or flexible. ¿en, a trajectory planner is designed to ensure acceleration continuity with the natural motion of the debris in order to perform a soft capture. ¿is reference trajectory is tracked by the end-effector of the chaser using a two-level control law, which is tuned by the structured H1 synthesis. A robustness analysis is also presented to assess the stability and the performances of the closed-loop system with respect to the motion of the robotic arm. Finally, the outcome of the thesis is validated by a twofold approach: by numerical means with a highfidelity simulator, and by practical ones with a robotic test bench including physical components in real time.

La Géométrie Discrète, comme Science de l'Informatique Théorique, étudie notamment les motifs linéaires tels que les primitives discrètes apparaissant dans les images : les droites discrètes, les segments discrets, les plans discrets, les morceaux de plans discrets par exemple. Dans ce travail, je me concentre tout particulièrement sur les diagrammes de Farey qui apparaissent lors de l'étude des primitives discrètes que sont les (m,n)-cubes, autrement dit les morceaux de plans discrets. J’étudie notamment la Combinatoire des droites formant les diagrammes de Farey, en établissant des formules exactes. Je montre alors que certaines méthodes utilisées auparavant ne permettront pas d'optimiser la Combinatoire des (m,n)-cubes. J'obtiens aussi une estimation asymptotique en utilisant la Théorie des Nombres Combinatoire. Puis, concernant les sommets apparaissant dans les diagrammes de Farey, j'obtiens une borne inférieure. J'analyse alors les stratégies déjà mises en place pour l'étude des $(m,n)$-cubes par les seuls diagrammes de Farey en deux dimensions. Afin d'obtenir de nouvelles bornes plus précises pour les $(m,n)$-cubes, une des seules méthodes actuellement existantes, est de proposer une généralisation de la notion de pré image d'un segment discret, à celle de pré image d'un $(m,n)$-cube, avec pour conséquence une nouvelle inégalité combinatoire sur le cardinal des (m,n)-cubes (inégalité qui pourrait même s'avérer être une égalité). Ainsi, nous introduisons la notion de diagramme de Farey en trois dimensions / Discrete Geometry, as Theoretical Computer Science, studies in particular linear patterns such as discrete primitives in images: the discrete lines, discrete segments, the discrete planes, pieces of discrete planes, for example. In this work, I particularly focused on Farey diagrams that appear in the study of the $ (m, n) $ - cubes, ie the pieces of discrete planes. Among others, I study the Combinatorics of the Farey lines forming diagram Farey, establishing exact formulas. I also get an asymptotic estimate using Combinatorial Number Theory. Then, I get a lower bound for the cardinality of the Farey vertices. After that, we analyze the strategies used in the literature for the study of (m, n)- cubes only by Farey diagrams in two dimensions. In order to get new and more accurate bounds for (m, n)- cubes, one of the few available methods, is to propose a generalization for the concept of preimage of a discrete segment for (m, n) - cube, resulting in a new combinatorial inequality. Thus, we introduce the notion Farey diagram in three dimensions

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O trabalho traz inicialmente uma abordagem histÃrica, da GrÃcia (com os pitagÃricos), com o matemÃtico Eudoxo, fazendo referÃncia a talvez à maior obra matemÃtica, os livros de Euclides. Em seguida, trazemos definiÃÃes e construÃÃes sobre os nÃmeros reais com um corpo completo, os conceitos de Ãnfimo, supremo, sequÃncias infinitas com destaque as convergentes, sequÃncia de Cauchy e os trÃs teoremas fundamentais para o curso de cÃlculo, o teorema do anulamento, do valor intermediÃrio e de Weierstrass. Logo apÃs, definimos mÃtrica e espaÃo mÃtrico no plano, mostramos que o processo de comparar um segmento arbitrÃrio com outro fixado como unidade nos conduz aos diversos tipos de nÃmeros reais positivos: inteiros, racionais e irracionais, onde a noÃÃo de segmento comensurÃvel à explicada. O cÃlculo de Ãrea para figuras planas, onde sÃo apresentadas as fÃrmulas usuais para as Ãreas dos polÃgonos mais simples, apresentamos uma aplicaÃÃo, a fÃrmula de Pick, sem demonstraÃÃo do teorema, simples, divertida, prÃtica e eficiente para o cÃlculo de Ãrea, um conteÃdo da disciplina de matemÃtica presente em todo o ensino bÃsico do Brasil sempre presente em avaliaÃÃes externas como a OBMEP. / The work initially brings a historical approach, Greece (with the Pythagoreans), with the mathematician Eudoxus, referring to perhaps the greatest mathematical work, Euclidâs books. Then bring definitions and constructions of the real numbers as a complete body, the concepts of tiny, supreme, infinite sequences especially the convergent, Cauchy sequences and the three fundamental theorems for the calculus course, the annulment of the theorem, the intermediate value and Weierstrass. Soon after, we define metric and metric space in the plan, we show that the process of comparing an arbitrary segment with another set as unit leads to various types of positive real numbers: integers, rational and irrational, where the notion of measurable and immeasurable segment is explained. The area calculation for plane figures, where the usual formulas for the areas of simple polygons are presented, we present and application, Pickâs formula, without demonstration of the theorem, simple, fun, practical and efficient for area calculation, one this mathematical discipline of content throughout basic education in Brazil always present in external evaluation as OBMEP.

Africa has been identified as an upcoming market in which luxury brands should secure future growth opportunities. A review of related academic literature, however, reveals that limited research has been conducted which focuses specifically on the continent’s luxury consumers. This gap in the literature highlights the need to further the body of knowledge on luxury consumer behaviour in this context. However, as the continent comprises a vast number of countries with diverse consumer profiles, it was decided that this study would focus on the assessment of the behaviour of the members of luxury consumer segments in the South African market. The specific areas that require research in order to establish an understanding of luxury consumer segments’ behaviour commenced from a review of different trends and developments in the South African market. The core trends, along with calls for further research on luxury brands in the international academic literature were combined to identify numerous avenues for further research. This eclectic approach aimed to not only contribute to an enhanced understanding of the behaviour of luxury consumer segments in the South African market, but to develop and extend the existing body of academic knowledge and literature on luxury brands. Four research questions were developed from both the identified avenues from the review of the trends in the market, and the calls for further research in the academic literature. Each of these questions was then addressed by four individual papers.  This thesis makes a number of contributions to the related body of knowledge as it details the behaviour of different luxury brand consumer segments in the South African market, thereby serving as a step towards addressing the gap in the literature on luxury consumers on the African continent. / <p>QC 20170411</p>