BRAND DRIVEN GROWTH: CASE AMER SPORTS CORPORATION IN THE SPORTING GOODS INDUSTRY

Brands have increased their importance in recent years due to various aspects. In the absence of a comprehensive theoretical framework for the phenomenon of brand driven growth, in this thesis the phenomenon is investigated using a case study as research strategy. Sporting goods industry is a highly competitive and growing, but also maturing industry, which provides a fruitful platform for investigating the phenomenon. Within the sporting goods industry, the case company Amer Sports Corporation is an atypical case, which enables more information to be revealed, because it activates more mechanisms and more actors in the situation studied. The company has a wide portfolio of brands, which enables better targeted offering to each relevant market segment and establishment of a differentiated and authentic brand positioning for each brand. The case company and its business environment are profoundly analyzed through four layers: macro-environment, industry, competitors and markets, and organization. In the context of the thesis the phenomenon of brand driven growth is investigated using multiple viewpoints during the iterative research process, and the main focus is specified as financial aspect of brand driven growth, including brands’ impact on both company’s financial performance and shareholder value, i.e. the process how customer value is translated into shareholder value. As a result of the identified points of convergence of the findings, and theoretical approaches and frameworks used in assessing possible elements of brand driven growth, a framework for the phenomenon has been created, and it serves also as a platform for future research efforts and development of the framework towards a general theory. Brand valuation is a core theme of the framework, and the respective process and its outcomes can be used in an ongoing form in investor relations communication and brand management, and as a tool of strategic control systems to create additional value for the organization and its shareholders besides the common use in acquisitions. Current brand valuation methods are based on single-brand approaches, although multi-brand portfolios are increasingly common. During the research process, a need for further research related to brand portfolio valuation methods was identified.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

A Preliminary Examination of Risk in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain (PSC) in the National Health Service (NHS)

YesThe effective management of pharmaceuticals in the National Health Service (NHS) is critical to patient welfare thus any risks attached to this must be identified and controlled. At a very basic level, risks in the pharmaceutical supply chain are associated with product discontinuity, product shortages, poor performance, patient safety/dispensing errors, and technological errors (causing stock shortages in pharmacies) to name but a few, all of which incur risk through disruption to the system. Current indications suggest that the pharmaceutical industry and NHS practitioners alike have their concerns as to the use of generic supply chain strategies in association with what is perceived to be a specialist product (pharmaceuticals). The aim of the study undertaken was to gain a more realistic understanding of the nature and prevalence of risk in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain (PSC) to be used as a basis for a more rigorous research project incorporating in-vestigation in the UK, Europe and USA. Data was collected via a workshop forum held in November 2005. The outputs of the workshop indicated that there were thirty-five prevalent risks. The risks were rated using risk assessment catego-ries such as impact, occurrence and controllability. The findings indicated that the risks identified are similar to those prevalent in industrial supply chains, regardless of the idiosyncrasies of pharmaceuticals. However, the group consen-sus was that caution must be applied in how such risks are addressed, as there are aspects of the product that highlight its uniqueness e.g. criticality

Nonbanks and risk in retail payments

This paper documents the importance of nonbanks in retail payments in the United States and in 15 European countries and analyzes the implications of the importance and multiple roles played by nonbanks on retail payment risks. This paper also reviews the main regulatory safeguards in place, and concludes that there may be a need to reconsider some of them in view of the growing role of nonbanks and of the global reach of risks in the electronic era.

Using Transaction Utility Approach for Retail Format Decision

Transaction Utility theory was propounded by Thaler to explain that the value derived by a customer from an exchange consists of two drivers: Acquisition Utilities and Transaction utilities. Acquisition utility represents the economic gain or loss from the transaction. Where as transaction utility is associated with purchase or (sale) and represents the pleasure (or displeasure) of the financial deal per se and is a function of the difference between the selling price and the reference price. Choice of a format has been studied from several dimensions including the cost and effort as well as the non-monetary values. However, the studies that present the complete picture and combine the aspects of the tangible as well as intangible values derived out of the shopping process are limited. Most of the studies, all of them from the developed economies, have focussed on the selection of a store. They represent a scenario where formats have stabilised. However, in Indian scenario formats have been found to be influencing the choice of store as well as orientation of the shoppers. Also, retailers are experimenting with alternate format with differing success rates. The author has also not found a study that has applied this theory. It is felt that the Transactional Utility Theory may provide a suitable approach for making format decisions.

Building Resilient Supply Chains in Industry 4.0 : The case of the medical equipment industry

The medical equipment industry is facing a new set of challenges in the era of Industry 4.0, where supply chains are becoming more complex and vulnerable to disruptions. The research question is "How to build resilient medical equipment supply chains in industry 4.0?" The study employs a qualitative approach, including a single case study, using interviews. The study identifies the critical success factors and the main challenges faced by the medical equipment industry in building resilient supply chains. The study also presents a framework for building resilient medical equipment supply chains in Industry 4.0, which includes an interdependency of strategies to enhance the resilience of medical equipment supply chains by addressing the different phases of supply chain resilience. This thesis contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the influence of Industry 4.0 on supply chain resilience in the medical equipment industry, and by providing practical recommendations for building resilient medical equipment supply chains

Development of a framework for enhancing resilience in the UK food and drink manufacturing sector

This thesis presents research undertaken to understand and enhance resilience in the UK Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector. It focuses on the development of a conceptual framework which establishes how specific vulnerabilities link to individual mitigation strategies available to the sector and the impact of such strategies on wider sustainability. The research in this thesis is divided into four main parts. The first part consists of three complementary review chapters exploring resilience as a theoretical concept, resilience in the UK Food and Drink Manufacturing sector and existing methods used to study and/or enhance resilience. The second part of the thesis begins by describing how the pragmatic philosophy and abductive stance underpinning the research, in combination with review findings, helped to determine the research techniques used in this work, which included the systematic review process and the mixed methods case study. Next, the research facilitating a novel conceptual framework describing how real-time vulnerabilities can be identified and mitigated in a way that is complimentary to the wider sustainability of the organisation is discussed. [Continues.

The Internet of Things Connectivity Binge: What are the Implications?

Despite wide concern about cyberattacks, outages and privacy violations, most experts believe the Internet of Things will continue to expand successfully the next few years, tying machines to machines and linking people to valuable resources, services and opportunities

Retail Distribution Within the New York City Organic Cacao Market

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small physical commodities firm owners need to establish a distribution channel within the commodities market to enhance profits. The general business problem was that importing physical commodities from emerging markets was not profitable. The specific business problem was some small physical wholesale commodities firm managers lacked strategies to establish distribution channels for imported commodities. The information presented in this study is important to suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of organic cacao products to identify strategies to enhance their distribution channels. Disruptive innovation and the theory of constraints grounded the conceptual framework to relate ideas presented in this study. The central research question guiding the study concerned strategies small physical wholesale commodities firm owners used to establish distribution channels within the commodities market. Participants included 6 small business owners who gave recorded responses during in-depth, face-to-face interviews. The 6 interview recordings were transcribed, then coded and interpreted. Data analysis revealed 6 themes, which included price point strategy, B2B relationships, differentiation, strategic locations, sufficient operating capital, and customer relationships. Enhancing profits in the distribution channels of small organic cacao companies requires a holistic approach in the New York City area. The social implications of this study may draw attention to organic cacao, which is a healthy alternative to confectionery chocolate. Strategies introduced to enhance profits may increase economic growth in the local communities in the New York Tri-State area