Cette thèse avait pour objectif de contribuer à l’étude des déterminants de la performance de l’entreprise mesurée du point de vue client. Nous nous sommes intéressés à la création de valeur en général et à la création de valeur pour le client en particulier comme facteur explicatif de la performance de l’entreprise mesurée par la satisfaction et la fidélité du client. Au niveau de notre travail, nous avons pris le domaine du tourisme tunisien comme terrain de recherche et notre objectif à été d’étudier l’impact de la création de valeur pour le client sur la performance des hôtels tunisiens. Nous avons cherché à savoir si les services proposés par une entreprise hôtelière génèrent de la valeur pour ses clients et donc pour celle-ci.Au niveau empirique, l’intérêt de ce travail à été de rejoindre les préoccupations économiques du pays où plusieurs études tunisiennes (ONTT, ministère du tourisme) préconisent de créer plus de valeur pour les clients afin de relancer le secteur et améliorer la performance des entreprises hôtelière touristiques ; ainsi que les préoccupations des managers qui s’intéressent aux conditions appropriées pour atteindre la performance grâce à la création de valeur. / This thesis aimed to contribute to the study of the determinants of business performance measured from the customer perspective. We are interested in value creation in general and to creating value for the customer in particular as an explanatory factor in the business performance measured by customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. In this research, we took the tunisian tourism as a research field and our objective was to study the impact of the value creation for the customer on the performance of the tunisian hotels. We investigated whether the services provided by hotel companies generate value for its customers and thus for the hotels. Empirically, the interest of this work was to join the economical concerns of the country where several Tunisian Studies (ONTT, Ministry of Tourism) call to create more value for customers in order to boost the sector and improve business performance of the hotels; and the concerns of managers who are interested in meeting the appropriate conditions to achieve performance through value creation.

This research was designed to provide insight into South African financial companies’ activities among the poor or the BOP (Base Of the Pyramid). South African businesses should build resources and capabilities with a strategic intent to create and exploit the traditionally under serviced markets while delivering goods and services that are of value. In doing so, managers, marketers and business leaders should view the South African adult population as households and not individual decision makers. The aim of this study was to determine the applicability of an equal partnership model for the BOP engagement in the South African economy. In the investigation of the equal partnership model, it was found that the participants (including the BOP as producers or consumers, business, local community members, nongovernmental organisations and local government) could derive mutual value. This mutual value can be described as the enhancement in growth for the business, raising the BOP out of poverty, involving the poor in the economy and boosting national economic growth (through job creation, tax revenue and investment). Findings of this research supported the aspects of resource commitment, experiential preparation, innovation and technology use in product or services together with mutual value creation for all partners (especially the poor). In addition, there was support for the different levels of risk taken by the partners, responsibilities expected from participants, the sustainability of the collaboration and the required depth of understanding of BOP circumstances. Bank managers responded positively to there being value at the level of the poor (such as profits, poverty alleviation and improved reputation). The collectivist nature of the poor in South Africa (in that the poor carry out financial decisions at the household level) was not established in this research and needs further investigation. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Innovation is an important activity for organizations to be able to compete and handle changing environments. Since innovations are uncertain it is difficult to evaluate them. Traditional evaluation models are based on historical data, but since innovations do not have any history traditional models are not applicable. The real option is an evaluation model that can incorporate all the properties of innovations and thus give a fair value to innovation. But a barrier to using real options is that the value it creates can be ambiguous to decision-makers. In our opinion, this hurdle could be diminished if similarities were identified since it would create clarity in the value that is created. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to identify similarities in the value created, when real options are used to evaluate innovations. This study used literature study to collect data, and thematic analysis was used to determine if there exist common themes in the value created. Ten articles were analyzed. Flexibility and learning were identified as the common themes in the value created by real options. Real options create the possibility to execute activities in shorter phases, which creates flexibility for the decision-maker and builds knowledge. Future research should focus on investigating the situations under which real options are effective, to determine whether real option is a general tool that can be used in all-organizational settings.

Yes / The leading frameworks of internationalization have contributed significantly to our knowledge of how firms internationalize, but do not fully explain how firms actually create and capture value from customers when internationalizing their activities. Understanding the value creation and capture activities defining their business model(s) is critical for firms moving into less familiar markets, and is particularly relevant for service firms where variability is an inherent feature of the firm/client experience. To address this gap, we take a business model perspective to analyze 144 internationalization events of 10 professional service firms. We find that the case firms adopted four different business models when internationalizing, and that single firms may utilize portfolios of business models. Our findings contribute to both the services internationalization and business model literatures by showing how variability in the internationalization process substantiates the need for business model portfolios.

Organizations operate in a dynamic environment in which they are faced with an ongoing dilemma of maximizing profit and meeting the demand from society to take social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained an increase in interest with its intended aim of corporations taking responsibility for how the business affects the society within an economic, environmental and social perspective. However, its intended aim is being hindered by the idea of a trade-off between profit and social responsibility in CSR theory and practice. We suggest that social entrepreneurship can have an impact on CSR in moving beyond these trade-offs and can furthermore bridge the gap between business’ and society’s demands. Thereby, our thesis has the aim to investigate how CSR research can move beyond the presumed trade-offs through the impact of social entrepreneurship theory. For this purpose, we have chosen a conceptual research approach in order to build a conceptual model that can serve as a theoretical contribution and an inspiration for further practical use. The model suggests that components of social entrepreneurship can be linked to strategic CSR dimensions and, therefore, impact the outcome by creating both economic and social value.

No description available.

Mobilapplikationer har på bara några år kommit att bli en naturlig del i marknadsföringsmixen för många företag som vänder sig till slutkonsumenter. Nu spås företagsapplikationer, mobilapplikationer skapade för företagsanvändare, stå inför sitt stora genombrott. Det verkar bland forskare och praktiker finns en allmänt utbredd åsikt om att mobilapplikationer har stor potential att bli en kraftfull B2B-marknadsföringskanal. Trots detta har mobilapplikationer ännu inte fått något omfattande genomslag inom B2B- sektorn och det råder stor osäkerhet kring hur de möjligheterna som mobilapplikationer har potential för ska tas tillvara. Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att försöka räta ut några av dessa frågetecken genom att utreda hur en mobilapplikation används som marknadsföringskanal av ett svensk B2B- företag, och utifrån detta undersöka mobilapplikationers potential som marknadsföringskanal utifrån två för B2B-marknadsföringsområdet centrala teoretiska perspektiv: relationsmarknadsföring och värdeskapande. För att kunna göra detta har vi genomfört en fallstudie av hur ett svenskt B2B- företag, ABB använder sig av mobilapplikationer i marknadsföringssyfte. Studien bygger på både kvantitativ och kvalitativ data i form av en telefonsurvey med 50 respondenter i mobilapplikationens primära målgrupp, samt 7 djupintervjuer varav 2 intervjuer med intressenter från undersökningsföretaget och 5 intervjuer med kunder till företaget som använder mobilapplikationen. Baserat på resultatet av undersökningarna har vi kunnat konstatera att den undersökta mobilapplikationen i ABB:s fall har påverkat både relationen mellan företaget och dess kunder, och det värde som kunderna upplever i transaktioner med företaget, positivt. Vidare har vi kunnat konstatera att en majoritet av respondenterna i våra undersökningar har en positiv inställning till mobilapplikationer som marknadsföringskanal. Våra djupintervjuer har också visat att kunderna anser att mobilapplikationer har många fördelar gentemot andra marknadsföringskanaler. Vi har utifrån detta kunnat dra slutsatsen att mobilapplikationer kan utgöra en lämplig marknadsföringskanal för B2B-företag. / Mobile applications are often claimed to be a suitable marketing tool for B2B companies and the world market for B2B mobile applications is expected to outgrow the mobile app market for consumer products within a few years. The idea of using mobile applications as a B2B marketing tools has been discussed by theorists in the field for years but there is still an evident lack of studies focusing on the use of mobile application in a B2B context. Many practitioners seem convinced that mobile apps have the potential to become a powerful B2B marketing tool. Yet B2B mobile applications are still fairly uncommon and great insecurity seem to prevail in regards to how companies can use mobile apps successfully as vehicles for B2B marketing. The purpose of this study is to investigate how mobile applications can be used as marketing tools in a B2B context and to investigate if mobile applications have any impact on customer relations and experienced customer value. To do so, we have conducted a case study of a B2B company using a mobile application in their marketing programme. A quantitative telephone survey was conducted to estimate awareness and usage of the app among customers within the target group. Qualitative data has been compiled through a number of in-depth interviews with involved stakeholders of the investigated company as well as a number of customers using the app. The empirical findings have been analyzed using a theoretical framework based on theories of relationship marketing and value creation, encompassing Morgan & Hunt’s (1994) Key Mediating Variable Model and Amit & Zott’s (2001) Value Creation Model. The findings of the study indicate that mobile applications can have a positive impact on customer relations and the value that customers experience when engaging in transactions with a company. Furthermore, a majority of the respondents participating in the study have a positive attitude towards mobile applications and believe that mobile apps have a number of advantages in relations to other marketing channels. Based on these finding the authors have come to the conclusion that mobile apps can be an appropriate marketing tool for B2B-companies seeking to deepen customers relations and enhance customer value.

No description available.

This study is grounded in the evolving perspective of Service Marketing, Service-Dominant-Logic and ServiceLogic and aims to provide a holistic view of how the digitalization of interactions affects the service provided by the restaurant and in turn the customers’ value creation processes. More exactly, the study examines a digital system for information exchange, order placements and payments in a restaurant on the Swedish market. The study adopts a qualitative approach and data has been collected through the use of unstructured observations and semi-structured interviews. The findings are that the system for digital interactions has both positive and negative effects on valuecreation. It also changes other aspects of the service not directly linked to the system. If this ultimately creates more or less value for the customers is believed to depend on the customers’ individual differences, but if the system is used as a complement to the already existing service rather than as a substitute of the human interaction there are opportunities for a successful implementation.

Titel: Gemensamt värdeskapande i praktiken Författare: Lydia Frykman och Johanna Wennerström Handledare: Rasmus Nyqvist Bakgrund: I dagens samhälle är utmaningarna inom hållbarhet högst väsentliga, till följd av att företag inte tar sitt fulla ekonomiska, ekologiska och sociala samhällsansvar. CSV har som ett resultat av detta blivit alltmer uppmärksammat då konceptet belyser företagens roll i att driva hållbarhetsutvecklingen framåt. Det saknas däremot empiriskt underlag som visar hur företag kan arbeta för att uppnå gemensamt värdeskapande i praktiken, samt hur den komplexa avvägningen mellan företagsnytta och samhällsnytta ska gå till. Därför undersöker denna kvalitativa studie värdeskapande aktiviteter samt avvägningen mellan företagsnytta och samhällsnytta. Syfte: Syftet är att bidra med en ökad förståelse för de aktiviteter som skapar gemensamt värde, vad som krävs för att företagen ska motiveras till dessa aktiviteter samt för hur företag hanterar den komplexa avvägningen mellan företagsnytta och samhällsnytta. Metod: Denna kvalitativa studie utgår från ett hermeneutiskt perspektiv, har en tvärsnittsdesign och en abduktiv forskningsansats. Det empiriska underlaget samlades in genom två studier, som bestod av semistrukturerade intervjuer med företagsrespondenter och experter inom ämnet. Slutsats: Resultaten från studien tyder på att företagen utövar CSV-aktiviteter i olika utsträckning, men att en stor utmaning är att identifiera när det är ekonomiskt rationellt att uppnå ett gemensamt värde. Vidare har studien klargjort att det finns flera drivkrafter till att uppnå gemensamt värdeskapande. Däremot behöver dagens lagkrav ytterligare förtydligande och förbättring, för att företagen ska agera mer osjälviskt. Studien lyfter avvägningen mellan företagsnytta och samhällsnytta och det framgår att det är denna del som är mest väsentlig i diskussionen om hur företag kan uppnå gemensamt värdeskapande. Slutligen har företagens utvecklingsriktning visat att det har adderats en intention om att göra gott för samhället, men faktumet att den ekonomiska faktorn väger tyngst kvarstår. / Title: Creating Shared Value In PracticeAuthors: Lydia Frykman and Johanna Wennerström Supervisor: Rasmus Nyqvist Background: In today's society, the challenges connected to sustainability are highly significant, as a result of companies not fully taking their economic, environmental and social responsibility. As a result, CSV has received increased attention as the concept highlights companies’ role in driving sustainability forward. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence showing how companies can work to achieve shared value in practice, as well as displaying how the complex trade-off between economic and social value creation should be handled. Therefore, this qualitative study examines value- creating activities and the trade-off between economic and social value creation. Purpose: The aim of the study is to contribute to an increased understanding of the activities that create shared value, what it is that motivates the companies to these activities and for how companies manage the complex trade-off between economic and social value creation. Methodology: This qualitative study is from a hermeneutic perspective, has a cross- sectional study design and an abductive research approach. The empirical evidence was collected through two studies, which consisted of semi-structured interviews with respondents from practice and experts within the field. Conclusion: The results of the study displays that companies practice CSV activities, however it ́s explained that it's hard to determine when it's economically rational to achieve shared value and not. Additionally, the study has clarified several driving forces to achieve shared value. Although, it ́s declared that today's legal regulations need further clarification, in order for companies to act more selflessly. Furthermore, the study highlights the trade-off between economic and social value creation and it appears from the results that this ́s the most essential part in the discussion of how companies can achieve shared value. Finally, the companies’ development has shown that an intention to do good for the society has been added, however, the fact that the economic aspect weighs the most still remains.