Towards Understanding Social Software and Its Impact on Corporate E-Learning Motivation

This research combines recent discussions in the cross-disciplinary areas of e-learning, social software, and training motivation. On the one hand, e-learning with its role in a fast paced knowledge society, its potential to revolutionize education and the gap between research and practitioners is already in discussion for years. Discussions are becoming more intense with the rise of social software. On the other hand, human resources, life-long learning, and motivating employees to participate in trainings appear critical to organizations. This research focuses on e-learning in the corporate context and examines the impact of social software features on user motivation based on a review of training motivation literature and on 39 interviews conducted in an international IT services company. Findings suggest that the impact of social software features is still unknown, and that differentiating them by the learner’s needs leads to further insights

The management of sponsorship in a non-profit organisation

This research project is focused on providing an exploration of a non-profit organisation recognised all over the world. The investigation is focused on understanding the sponsorship management processes used by the organisation. The method chosen for this research was qualitative data. Two interviews were conducted to obtain information from the main source. Interviews were chosen because they allow investigating issues in an in-depth way. Moreover, they allow more detailed questions to be asked and incomplete answers or ambiguities can be clarified and interviewees are not influenced by others in the group. Limitations and findings are discussed, along with recommendations for future research. The results conclude with recommendations

Marketing development strategies to attract domestic customers

The purpose of this research is to improve the sales of a product in the New Zealand domestic market. The product is an eco-friendly way to deal with the problem of insects, including flies and mosquitos. It is a traditional Chinese product which is well known by Chinese and widely accepted in China and other counties like Australia and the United States of America. It has a potential market in New Zealand. The method of this research is based on the Ansoff matrix, and use of quantitative data. Sixty people participated in the questionnaire. The result of the survey shows that most New Zealanders (78%) have trouble with insects and 91% of participants would like to try an eco-friendlier way to deal with this problem rather than use insect spray. Most of the participants care about the price and quality of the product. This research will provide valuable information regarding the habit of domestic customers, recommendations for increasing sales, such as adverts and focus on price and quality, and creating a CRM system

Major factors responsible for occupancy

The aim of this research is to analyse demand and supply factors for pricing strategy, branding strategies, and social media channels. Mixed methods are used for research purposes. Interviews of the manager and other staff members are taken. Results of research show that competition affects pricing in the motel industry, major events and festivals affect occupancy because of demand and supply factors, corporate guests are major occupants on weekdays, and booking sites are a main source of branding and social media in the motel industry. Recommendations for the motel are that they should list and evaluate the prices of five of their closest competitors, and forecast and make a booking plan according to major festivals and events in Hamilton. The organisation should post themselves more aggressively on various booking sites and have lucrative deals for corporate guests. The organisation should have special packages for WINZ guests and should use SEO, Instagram and Pinterest as social media

Impact of corporate social responsibility disclosures on financial performance

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure on the financial performance of industrial companies operating in Australia. The study adopts a quantitative methodological approach. Using a statistical analysis technique, the study makes use of regression analysis to explore the relation between the independent variable (number of CSR achievements) and the dependent variable (average share price). The number of CSR achievements was extracted from annual reports using content analysis. The average share price was taken from the annual reports. The total sample is 10 industrial companies listed in Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), and the sample comprises 50 annual reports. The result of the analysis shows that overall there is positive relationship between CSR disclosure and the financial performance of listed Australian companies operating in the industrial sector of the economy. It is recommended that these companies pay more attention to their CSR disclosure, and view it to achieve better financial performance

Investigating different strategies for increasing sales and customer base

The study primarily discusses about the different strategies that the management of the company can implement in order to boost their customer base and net sales. The main aim of the research is to evaluate different strategies for increasing sales and customer base. A qualitative method was taken for this research, and data was collected with the help of primary and secondary methods. In the primary method, a semi-structured interview was conducted on the organisation’s premises with the store manager and other staff members. The secondary data was collected from books and the internet. The study has an emphasised focus on laying down several goals and objectives that the study plans to achieve. In this study, the researcher has tried to formulate the latest data and information about the company in order to provide the management with the latest insights about customer preferences and techniques that can be used for improving their decision-making process. The study has laid down processes and procedures that were followed in order to prepare the entire study. The key findings of the research are to introduce the new product, give some rewards points and add some more options for customers. The foremost recommendations for the organisation will be to improve communication with their customers, and to use PayWave service and wi-fi facility. Moreover, they should use social media and other platforms to advertise their products and add more features and varieties to the existing product to attract the attention of customers

The extent to which businesses in New Zealand are willing to pay carbon tax and other related mechanisms of carbon pricing.

Global climate change is the most critical environmental and economic problem that must be addressed. Failure to address the issue of climate change will result in catastrophic and irreversible damage to natural resources. Issues around climate change have been created by problems caused by industrial pollution and reckless deforestation for commercial gains. Therefore, corporations and businesses should be held accountable for damage they cause. The release of greenhouse gasses should be eliminated or reduced and one way to achieve this is by introducing carbon tax. The aim of this research is to determine the awareness and acceptance of carbon tax and carbon related pricing for businesses in New Zealand. This research included different businesses from different sectors to obtain generalisable results. Quantitative data was gathered from 15 businesses using a closed questionnaire. The data gathered by the survey were than analysed using a percentage approach. The research found that the businesses were aware of carbon tax and its importance. The majority of the businesses were prepared to incur extra carbon tax cost however, preferring the upstream method of taxation as they will be taxed based on quantum of emission. The literature and survey agree that revenue collected from carbon tax and related pricing should be used to fund research to reduce carbon emission and present carbon levels to the desired levels to protect the environment and ensure human existence

Daily operations management at a takeaway organisation

The aim of this research project is to distinguish various aspects of the newly established start-up of a takeaway shop and its various activities, in which we will look at the daily operation, consistency in taste, supply chain and delivery related problems. The personality behind this venture had worked with various franchises of the pizza industry. The vision behind the establishment of the takeaway was to introduce the new taste of the pizza on the streets of Hamilton. This franchise has 3 more outlets in Auckland. So, at the end of the study, the outcomes will be helpful for all the outlets. We will look for things that the takeaway does well and do not do well. A SWOT analysis was conducted, and a qualitative approach used to find solutions for problems. Personal observation was also under consideration for the purpose of solutions. The whole research gives a brief idea about problems and suitable solutions for the longer term. Giving some level of responsibility to every employee will make a huge impact on the operations side of the business. Business start-up research is not enough, and still it is under progress for some parts like pizza delivery and consistent supply chain. Its wide spread is a subject for further research

Small business preference for software package

Until late 2016, the majority of small business uses QuickBooks and Excel to do their accounting work. However, the functions of these accounting tools are insufficient, and also the demands of companies are increasing. It has become inefficient and antiquated to use the software. A small business looked for new accounting software, but found that choosing an accounting software system is not straightforward, as every software package consists of different functions for users. The aim of this research was to analyse small business’ perceptions and preferences for accounting software systems in New Zealand. This is followed by an analysis of why users might want to replace their previous accounting software systems. In addition, the requirements for selecting accounting software were analysed. The main method used was qualitative research. Three people were interviewed regarding the reason for replacing their previous accounting software system. The first interviewee had not changed their accounting software system previously, but their reason for replacing their current accounting software system was that their previous accounting software system lacked the functionality he wanted. The second interviewee said e she disliked that the system frequently crashed and that it lacked the features she wanted. The reason why the last interviewee changed her previous accounting software system was that MYOB system could not improve her work efficiency

Trust between service provider and customer in online environments

Nowadays online shopping is getting more and more popular in China. However, opportunities and challenges are coexisting, and the growth of e-commerce is also inevitable. In e-commerce online, trust has become a significant factor hindering development. A New Zealand organisation faces a lot of competitors. In order to increase its market share and remain competitive in the market, the organisation needs to have more loyal customers who repeatedly purchase their products. Therefore, the organisation should find an appropriate way to form or create trust with customers, to retain them. This research investigates how trust has been created in an online environment between an organisation and its customers. A qualitative method was adopted in this research and data collected using semi-structured interviews. The collected data was analysed adopting a thematic analysis method. The research findings show that a two-way communication system is the core factor in forming trust in the online environment. This research suggests that the organisation should consider two-way communication seriously, and develop that as a useful tool to build trust between them and customers; not just as a communication tool but as a tool for trust formation