A Critical Review of Contemporary Practice and Educational Research in Internationalisation within the business education subject communities

This report critically reviews contemporary educational research and practice in the field of internationalisation within the business education subject communities in order to inform curriculum development and pedagogy geared towards the development of international perspectives and intercultural learning. Drawing on current pedagogical literatures as well as staff and student consultations, it identifies a number of key points which reflect good practice in business education curricula. Due to the broad disciplinary scope of the subject area in focus and the diversity of curricular activities across the UK, this critical review is selective rather than exhaustive and seeks to stimulate further discussion and research in the field. The report is structured as a reference text around key themes and issues emerging from the review, providing the reader who has a particular interest or issue in their practice with an outline of key texts which can be followed up as appropriate

Antecedents of purchase intention amongst the youth in the banking sector in South Africa

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing March 2016The banking industry is adopting a holistic and customer centric approach in order to match the evolving customer banking preferences; this study has set out to examine Customer Equity as an antecedent of Perceived Brand Authenticity and Purchase Intentions amongst the South African youth in the banking sector using Social Exchange Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. An empirical model was conceptualised to examine the relationships between Customer Equity and Perceived Brand Authenticity on purchase intentions. Four research hypotheses were developed and a data set of 253 was collected from a sample of Witwatersrand students to empirically test these hypotheses using Structural Equation Modelling (Amos 22 and SPSS). The findings indicated that from the relationship between Customer Equity and Perceived Brand Authenticity, Value Equity and Brand Equity had a significant and positive effect, however Relationship Equity had no significant influence. The relationship between Perceived Brand Authenticity and Purchase Intentions had significant positive effects. The findings from this study provide useful contributions to practitioners measuring marketing efforts and maximising Customer Equity in the banking industry and builds on existing literature on the Customer Equity framework in the South African context. Recommendations are outlined and future research direction is suggested.GR201

Investigation of Entrepreneurial Marketing Practices in Social Enterprises in the Context of Bangladesh

Despite the strong integration between marketing and entrepreneurship in practice and increasing attention towards social entrepreneurship (SE), marketing scholarsclaim that the current SE conceptualisation has yet satisfactorily offered a comprehensive framework for research, policy and practice adjoining its marketing phenomenon. This study thus employs entrepreneurial marketing (EM) as a theoretical framework to analyse and develop an insight into the practices used by social enterprises. As social enterprises typically seek betterment of social, environmental, and community-based initiatives and gain, the EM strategy often fits well for this venture as more unconventional means of marketing are usually required for such enterprises. In particular, this research investigates how social enterprises apply EM in Bangladesh, an emerging economy. In Bangladesh, Social Enterprises (SE) have experienced many challenges, including achieving long-term growth and remaining in business due to their unsustainable business models and lack of competitiveness in a highly competitive global market. A qualitative case study has been in this thesis adopts approach to examine the EM strategy and its practices. Data was also gathered and analysed through secondary sources such as online observation by reviewing websites, Facebook, YouTube, and different reports from case study SEs. In line with the interpretive approach, this online observation and case study method allows the researcher to gain insight into EM practices that helps the development of a new framework. Further, data was collected from interviews with the entrepreneurs and respective managers from some selected case study SEs. The researcher used a combination of purposive and snowballing sampling to determine 14 participants (entrepreneurs and managers) from seven case study SEs for in-depth interviews. Data triangulation was conducted to ensure the authenticity of data and information through in-depth interviewing of an additional five social entrepreneurs from five different SEs. By examining EM within the context of the social entrepreneurship sector, this study investigates how SEs in an emerging economy apply EM strategy. In so doing, this research examines the elements essential to an EM framework when being applied to a SE context. Furthermore, it offers a clear explanation of the interactivity of the elements. The thesis contributes to the EM literature by proposing a new EM framework for SEs, responding to the scholarly inquiry of cross-disciplinary research. A key contribution of this thesis lies in the integration of the social value creation element, an important aspect discussed in Shaw (2004) and Santos (2012), into the new EM framework and expanding this concept by introducing the empowerment dimension. In addition to the theoretical contributions, the research also offers managerial implications and suggestions for future studie

Rethinking the brand concept for air transportation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation at Massey University, Manawatū Campus, New Zealand

The study of brands and branding in the aviation industry is not new. However, in common with the more general branding literature, there is a fundamental problem at the centre of research: what is the subject of study? This is the problem of brand definition and, in common with most of the branding literature, it is not unusual to find studies of the brand or branding in the aviation literature where the understanding of the brand concept differs between authors. This thesis emphasises the need to have clarity of definition before proceeding to research a concept. The solution to the problem of brand definition is a return to what is described as the Label and Associations Model (LAM), as highlighted in Chapter 1. In the LAM, the brand is conceptualised as a trade name/logo that identifies a product and/or service or firm. The interesting point of study in this model is not the brand itself, but the brand associations (what comes to mind upon the presentation of a brand). The LAM is applied to study airline brand choice (Chapter 2), airport brand association structures, and airport brand choice (Chapters 3 and 4). The application of the LAM was done in conjunction with the guiding methodological principles of the thesis, which involved the free elicitation of brand associations to avoid self-generated validity and construct creation, as well as recognise heterophenomenology. Combining the LAM with free elicitation meant using the brand name or logo to elicit associations stored in long-term memory. This approach provides both clarity as to the subject of study (with the brand being a name or logo), while allowing participants to provide any form of association without prompting or bias from the researcher. The result of this approach is new research findings, theory, and managerial implications for the aviation industry. This thesis demonstrates that it is the tangible product/service attributes (e.g., price, reliability, facilities) that air travellers are most likely to associate with airline and airport brands, rather than more abstract associations (e.g., reputation, loyalty, social responsibility). Other insightful findings include discovering a new type of brand (termed as a compound brand) that applies to airports and highlighting the role of double jeopardy within airline markets. These contributions were only possible due to the use of the LAM in conjunction with the free elicitation of brand associations, thus unifying the thesis conceptually and methodologically

New and renewable energy social enterprises accessing government support: Findings from India

In a world that increasingly invites private actors to address social needs, there has been a rise of social enterprises in a variety of sectors, including new and renewable energy. As of yet, little research has focused on how these enterprises interact with government policy in low- and middle-income countries. This research specifically explores how social enterprises operating in rural India with decentralized renewable energy solutions seek to access government support, and what strategies they adopt to engage with the government. An inductive theory-building approach was adopted to explore this and advance current knowledge in the boundaries of social entrepreneurship and policy. We propose ‘Engagement’ and ‘Disengagement’ as the two strategies used by social enterprises in this context in accessing government support and policy. ‘Engagement’ is a strategy comprising of the tactics: (a) Leveraging Policy, (b) Building and Leveraging Relationships, (c) Lobbying, and (d) Monitoring. ‘Disengagement’ is a strategy comprising of the tactics: (a) Avoiding Government Presence, and (b) Disengagement from Policy.The work of V.P. was supported with funding from the Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge and Peterhouse, Cambridge, UK. The work of S.S. was conducted using resources at Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), Greater Noida, India, where he pursued his PhD, and also at the Business School, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Kuopio, Finland, where he was a visiting PhD researcher with the EDUFI Fellowship from the Finnish National Agency for Education

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Performance evaluation framework for destination management organisations: managers' perspectives.

This study aims to develop a performance evaluation framework for Destination Management Organisations (DMOs). Although tourism researchers (Ritchie and Crouch 2005; Pike 2005; Bornhorst et al. 2010; Morrison 2013; Pike and Page 2014) acknowledge that the organisational performance of a DMO is a key determinant of destination development and competitiveness, existing studies in this area are scarce. Therefore, the major contribution of this study is towards the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the construct of DMO effectiveness, and ultimately the development of a robust DMO performance evaluation framework (PEF). A stronger focus on evaluation of DMO effectiveness is particularly relevant in light of the recent public sector funding cuts in England that have significantly affected DMOs. The thesis is informed by a critical review of the existing tourism destination development and performance management literature. The discussion focuses on the strategic and operational roles of DMOs as key development agents within the contemporary context of destinations in England. Moreover, the study is informed by relevant performance management theories applied in wider private, public and non-profit organisational contexts. The principles of organisational effectiveness in this study are examined by a synthesis of multiple theoretical lenses: goal theory, stakeholder theory and competing values approach. Particular emphasis is placed on existing theory and practice of evaluating organisational effectiveness in the context of small and medium organisations, as well as development agencies, as they are pertinent to the organisational nature of DMOs. The study’s research design is underpinned by an interpretive social sciences paradigm and employs a qualitative methodology. A total of twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior DMO managers across England. Emphasis is on identifying senior DMO managers’ perspectives on the concept of effectiveness and organisational performance. Furthermore, the interviews focus on exploring the key determinants of DMO performance evaluation. The thematic analysis and critical discussion of DMO managers’ views with the relevant literature has led to relevant conclusions that informed the performance evaluation framework as presented in the final chapter of the thesis. The theoretical contributions of the study include the identification of key performance perspectives that enable the comprehensive evaluation of operational effectiveness and strategic impact of DMOs. The findings of this study suggest that DMO effectiveness is defined by the organisation’s rationale for existence and non-profit strategic impetus, which includes supporting the visitor economy by means of strategic value creation and co-creation, strategic leadership for tourism development, and advancing the collaborative governance structures for tourism development. The study ascertains that several features of the specific destination context determine the complexity of destination development and ultimately the emphasis of DMOs in particular performance evaluation perspectives. Nevertheless, it was found that a holistic approach to DMO performance evaluation requires a focus on two key interrelated perspectives: outward-looking and internal. From an outward-looking perspective, DMO performance evaluation primarily focuses on the achievement of strategic tourism development results that the DMO creates or co-creates with its stakeholders. These strategic results (or value) is underpinned by the DMO’s rationale for existence, and is associated with its supporting and leadership role in four destination development areas: identifying the rationale for intervention; designing action plans for the strategic support of tourism; administering the implementation of destination development activity; and, monitoring the impact of development interventions. Internal performance perspectives focus on internal value creation within a DMO in terms of business planning and organisational capability. The former relates to evaluation of business objectives and functions, as well as structures and processes; while, the latter relates to evaluation of resources, skills and competences. Importantly, the interface between outward-looking and internal perspectives of DMO effectiveness is elusive, as internal and external stakeholders co-create value with various levels of contribution at different stages of the process of development. The study specifies the nature and mechanisms of value creation and co-creation across outward-looking and internal perspectives of DMO performance; therefore, it supports an advanced understanding of the dynamics that determine the elusiveness between DMO and destination success. The study has several practical applications for DMO managers and policy makers. The study can help DMO managers conduct systematic and robust performance evaluations of their organisation by combining both outward-looking and internal perspectives of DMO effectiveness. This can help them identify areas for improvement of economy, efficiency, capacity and effectiveness in achieving strategic and operational results. Ultimately, this can lead to improvements in return on investment for DMOs and their resource providers (e.g. funders). The study can help DMO managers and stakeholders determine each other’s contribution to the value creation and value co-creation in destination development activities. This can assist DMOs evaluate their added value or additionality in destination development initiatives, which in turn can support or clarify the rationale for the DMO’s existence. Moreover, the study supports improvements in destination development initiatives by promoting the need for DMO managers to work in partnership with stakeholders and advance unified theories of change and impact chain models for destination development. This way, DMO managers can improve effectiveness in monitoring and controlling the processes of project and programme implementation. The study also helps DMO managers identify gaps in skills and competences for performance monitoring and evaluation. Demonstrating commitment in developing performance evaluation capability, as well being able to demonstrate return on investment can be valuable for DMOs. It enables them to gain credibility, trust and legitimacy, which can lead to improved capacity to develop successful partnerships with key stakeholders. This is then particularly important in the contemporary context of DMOs in England, where they work as key partners within LEPs. In addition, it is valuable in times of scarce public sector funding as strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders can lead to opportunities for revenue generation. Finally, the study can enable policy makers to evaluate DMO performance and rationalise their existence and their roles in the context of sustainable destination development

City strategy : final evaluation

The City Strategy (CS) concept was first announced in the 2006 Welfare Reform Green Paper – A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work. CS was designed at a time of growth in the national economy to combat enduring pockets of entrenched worklessness and poverty in urban areas by empowering local institutions to come together in partnerships to develop locally sensitive solutions. It was premised on the idea that developing a better understanding of the local welfare to work arena would allow partnerships to align and pool funding and resources to reduce duplication of services and fill gaps in provision. The ‘theory of change’ underlying CS suggested that such an approach would result in more coordinated services which would be able to generate extra positive outcomes in terms of getting people into jobs and sustaining them in employment over and above existing provision. CS was initially set to run for two years from April 2007 to March 2009 in 15 CS Pathfinder (CSP) areas, varying in size from five wards in one town through single local authority areas to subregional groupings of multiple local authority areas, across Great Britain. In July 2008, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced an extension for a further two years to March 2011. In April 2009, two local areas in Wales, which were in receipt of monies from the Deprived Areas Fund (DAF), were invited by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to form local partnerships with a similar remit to the CSPs, albeit more limited in scope – to develop locally sensitive solutions to economic inactivity, to the CSPs. During the period that the CS initiative was operational, economic conditions changed markedly with a severe recession, followed by fragile recovery. The CSPs had to cope with ongoing changes in policy throughout the lifetime of the CS initiative, including a General Election and a new Coalition Government at Westminster early in the fourth year. While policy changes are a fact of life for local practitioners operating in the welfare to work arena, the global recession in 2008/09 marked a fundamental change in the context in which local partnerships operated

The Antecedents of Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Retail-Shopping Setting

Customer loyalty is gaining considerable interest from academics and business practitioners because both are interested in knowing the driving forces that enhance a company’s competitiveness. Despite the importance of customer loyalty, there is still a lack of comprehensive work to explore how customers develop loyalty to a particular retailing outlet, and how that loyalty can be maintained. The main objective of this study is to explore the antecedents of customer loyalty from both attitudinal and behavioral perspectives based on two underpinning theories. The underpinning theories are the Oliver’s Four-Stage Loyalty Model and the Mehrabian-Russell’s Environmental Psychology Model. The study setting is on retail-shopping in Malaysia, which focuses on the hypermarkets. The data is collected from a few hypermarkets within Klang Valley and Putrajaya. The instrument used in the study is a self-administered questionnaire. As for the statistical analysis, Structural Equation Modeling is used to test the hypotheses. The findings disclose that the antecedents of cognitive loyalty are the components of store image. They are service quality, product quality, product selection, store atmosphere, and promotion activity. The antecedents for affective loyalty are customer satisfaction, loyalty program, and retailer brand equity. The antecedent for conative loyalty is customer commitment. Likewise, the antecedent for action loyalty is conative loyalty. However, there are no mediating effects of emotional states on cognitive loyalty, affective loyalty, and conative loyalty. Thus, there are three strategic tools that dominate attitudinal aspect, namely, store image, loyalty program, and retailer brand equity. In addition, the findings of the study reveal that the relationships between the four stages in Oliver’s model of cognitive loyalty to affective loyalty, affective loyalty to conative loyalty, and conative loyalty to action loyalty are positive and significant. The study concludes that the Malaysian hypermarket’s customer loyalty level is evolving in stages. Hence, the establishment of attitude-behavior relationship has a great meaning to the retailers due to its predictive power, particularly in marketing strategy formulation