Internal market orientation:construct, measurement and consequences

This thesis contributes to the paucity of marketing research into the area of internal marketing. Drawing from knowledge developed in a diverse range of marketing and management literatures, the domaill of internal marketing is clarified Gild a new concept, internal market orientation is developed. A new instrument, measuring the internal market orientation, is developed and subjected to standard scale development procedures. Six dimensions of the construct are confirmed; collegial interaction, group interaction, jorlllal interaction, external envirollment, wage flexibility and job flexibility. A sample of 766 UK retail store managers are surveyed to identify levels of internal market orientation and external market orientation in large UK multi-product, multi-site retailers and the structural relationships between internal market orientation, extemal market orientation alld company performance are examined. The external market orientation construct is applied to the local retail market and established measurement instruments adapted to this pwpose. Three measures of performance are employed ill this study. The structural relationships between the six dimensions of internal market orientation and the three dimensions of external market orientation are examined employing structural equations methodology, using LISREL 8.3. alld the impact of internal market orientation Oil external market orientation and company performance is measured. The study finds no direct link between internal market orientation and financial performance but does identify the moderated role of internal market orientation on financial performance. Significant relationships between three of the six dimensions of internal market orientation and the three dimensions of external market orientation are identified and the impact of internal market orientation on the retention of employees and their behaviour is also identified. The research findings contribute to marketing theory by providing empirical evidence to support the long held assumption that internal marketing has an impact on marketing success and offers an explanation of the mechanism by which this influence operates. For marketing practitioners, the research findings offer additional information on which services marketing strategies may be formulated

Modelling and optimisation of design of non-conventional instrument transformers

In this paper, we have proposed, modelled and optimised several designs of non-conventional instrument transformer (NCIT) for high voltage overhead transmission lines (400kV). We have discussed several parameters and investigated how they influence the sensitivity of our NCIT, consisting of magnetic shape memory (MSM) element, magnetic circuit and an LVDT (linear variable differential transformer). One of the most used conductors in these lines, 528-Al1/69-ST1A ACSR conductor (old code MOOSE), was modelled together with the MSM element and the magnetic circuit in ANSYS APDL. Based on the obtained results we have given suggestions on how NCIT could be designed taking into account a choice of the most appropriate material for this application. The way how the model was developed was presented as well as calculations of errors in the model in ANSYS APDL for electromagnetic problems

The role of product involvement in e-service evaluations

This paper provides conceptual and empirical insights into consumers' evaluations of online services and their consequent behavioural intentions. We show that behavioural intentions in online contexts are driven primarily by two factors, namely online service satisfaction and perceived service quality. Perceived sacrifice and service quality are found to have an indirect effect on online service satisfaction through their influences on perceived value associated with the online service. In addition, we examine the moderating effects of product involvement and discuss the implications of our research findings. Copyright © 2008 Inderscience Publishers

Dynamic Capabilties and Organisational Performance

This paper presents a conceptual framework for the dynamic capabilities organisational performance relationship. It implies that the organisational resource-base (e.g. marketing and research and development capabilities) mediates the relationship between dynamic capabilities and organisational performance. Furthermore, marketing strategic orientation plays an important role in the development and deployment of dynamic capabilities and consequently affects organisational performance indirectly. This research area is relevant to both marketing managers and academics alike as environmental turbulence calls for control and adjustment of the organisational resource base in order to maintain or increase organisational performance

Internal market orientation determinants of employee brand enactment

This study aims to explore how the adoption of internal market orientation (IMO) can enhance front-line employee brand enactment within an interpersonal service setting. Insights from equity theory and the person – environment paradigm are drawn upon to develop a theoretical model describing the impact of IMO on employee – organization fit, employee – supervisor fit and employee – job fit and the consequences of IMO on employee brand knowledge and brand identification. Second, the role of various types of fit and brand knowledge/identification for front-line employee brand enactment is confirmed

Doing business research:a guide to theory and practice

For anyone involved in developing a research project, this textbook provides an integrated, accessible and humorous account that explains why research methods are the way they are and how they do what they do. Unrivalled in its nature Doing Business Research addresses the research project as a whole and provides: - essential detail of philosophical and theoretical matters that are crucial to conceptualising the nature of methodology - a pragmatic guide to why things are important and how they are important - a huge range of things to consider that the reader can use to develop their research project further - a resource book, providing extensive suggested reading to help the researcher do their research

Open Source Software in Complex Domains: Current Perceptions in the Embedded Systems Area

With Nokia’s 770 and N800 Internet Tablets heavily utilising Open Source software, it is timely to ask whether – and if so to what extent – Open Source has made ingress into complex application domains such as embedded systems. In this paper we report on a qualitative study of perceptions of Open Source software in the secondary software sector, and in particular companies deploying embedded software. Although the sector is historically associated in Open Source software studies with uptake of embedded Linux, we find broader acceptance. The level of reasoning about Open Source quality and trust issues found was commensurate with that expressed in the literature. The classical strengths of Open Source, namely mass inspection, ease of conducting trials, longevity and source code access for debugging, were at the forefront of thinking. However, there was an acknowledgement that more guidelines were needed for assessing and incorporating Open Source software in products