Improving customer equity through value creation and value appropriation

Customer equity is increasingly being considered as a market-based asset that can improve financial performance and market valuation of firms. There has been a trend therefore within organizations to design internal processes which can facilitate maximal achievement of customer equity. From a managerial perspective, it is important to know how such processes come together to influence equity perceptions of the firm\u27s customers. Value theory categorizes processes into two components: value creating and value appropriating. In this dissertation, I evaluate how marketing-related VC and VA processes interact in shaping customer equity of a firm. I develop a framework that identifies several VC and VA organizational processes based on the work of Srivastava and his colleagues (1999) and other relevant extant research. I also propose outcomes to measure effectiveness of VC and VA processes. Using data collected from B2B firms in India, I estimate the efficiency of firms in converting VC and VA inputs into VC and VA outcomes. I call these efficiencies as value creation efficiency (VCE) and value appropriation efficiency (VAE). I then test how VCE and VAE work together to affect CE outcomes. The floodlight analysis of interaction effects between VCE and VAE show that the effect of VC processes on value and relationship equity assessment by customers depends on VA processes being moderately efficient. On the other hand, the effect of VC processes on brand equity assessment by customers depends on the presence of high level of VA efficiency. The overall message is that unless a firm is efficient in transforming VA processes into VA outcomes, it may not gain equity benefits from VC processes

Multi-Functional Optoelectronic Heterostructure Devices Based on Transfer Printing of Nanomaterials

School of Energy and Chemical Engineering (Energy Engineering)Heterostructure devices, combining different electronic properties of semiconductors, offer novel electronic functionalities, which are critically required in emerging applications in high performance and multi-functional electronics. Previously, heterostructure devices have attracted a great attention due to the enhancing performances, adding functionalities and broadening absorption range, through components modulation, resulting in many applications in high electron mobility transistors, non-volatile memory, light emitting diodes, and broadband photodetectors. However, traditional semiconductor heterostructures present significant challenges due to the lattice constant mismatch with other substrates and generation of defects during the direct growth and deposition processes. To address these challenges, a transfer printing was introduced to heterogeneously integrate various nanomaterials onto arbitrary substrates, whereby the bonding at heterointerfaces with a large lattice mismatch is facilitated by van der Waals forces during the transfer printing processes. The transfer printing can provide a freedom of material choice, from zero to three dimensional materials, in the formation of heterostructures without the restriction from lattice mismatch, which enabled various heterostructure devices with unique physical properties. In this thesis, we demonstrate multi-functional optoelectronic heterostructure devices based on transfer printing of nanomaterials. First, in chapter 1, we briefly introduce the research trends in electronic devices and basic concept of transfer printing methods and multi-functional heterostructure devices. In chapter 2, we demonstrate a new type of heterostructure device based on black phosphorus and n-InGaAs nanomembrane semiconductors. The device offers gate-tunable rectification and switching behaviors. In addition, the proposed heterojunction diode can be programed by the modulation of forward current due to the capacitive gating effect. Furthermore, the device is photoresponsive in a spectral range spanning the ultraviolet to near infrared. In chapter 3, we describe the fine patterning technique of silver nanowires on various substrates using vacuum filtration and transfer printing process. This technique provides very simple and cost-effective fabrication for fine patterning of AgNWs electrode for optically transparent and mechanically flexible optoelectronic device applications. This patterning technique can be applied to other nanomaterials such as CNT and graphene and combination of nanomaterials to realize highly flexible and transparent optoelectronic devices. In chapter 4, the large-area MoS2 film and pattering process is demonstrated by shadow mask assisted transfer printing process. The liquid exfoliated MoS2 flakes can be easily patterned by vacuum filtration with polyimide shadow mask. Patterned film is transferred to arbitrary substrate by using transfer printing process for high performance and flexible electronic applications. Therefore, the heterostructure devices made by transfer printing are advantageous in scalability and avoids complicated fabrication process for multi-functional applications.ope

Quantitative Model for Supply Chain Visibility: Process Capability Perspective

Currently, the intensity of enterprise competition has increased as a result of a greater diversity of customer needs as well as the persistence of a long-term recession. The results of competition are becoming severe enough to determine the survival of company. To survive global competition, each firm must focus on achieving innovation excellence and operational excellence as core competency for sustainable competitive advantage. Supply chain management is now regarded as one of the most effective innovation initiatives to achieve operational excellence, and its importance has become ever more apparent. However, few companies effectively manage their supply chains, and the greatest difficulty is in achieving supply chain visibility. Many companies still suffer from a lack of visibility, and in spite of extensive research and the availability of modern technologies, the concepts and quantification methods to increase supply chain visibility are still ambiguous. Based on the extant researches in supply chain visibility, this study proposes an extended visibility concept focusing on a process capability perspective and suggests a more quantitative model using Z score in Six Sigma methodology to evaluate and improve the level of supply chain visibility

When More is More and Less is More: Depth and Breadth of Product Reviews and Their Effects on Review Helpfulness

With the growth of online shopping coupled with mobile technology, user-generated product reviews have become an important source of information for product diagnosticity. A significant academic endeavor has been made to comprehend what information factors of reviews help prospective customers better diagnose products. One such factor is review depth that is estimated by the number of a review’s words. We propose review breadth as an additional factor based on a review’s number of topics—the more review breadth, the more diverse information. By conducting the statistical and predictive analyses, we demonstrate that review breadth reliably measures a review’s information. This study makes academic and practical contributions. For academic researchers, review breadth is worth considering as a factor to estimate a review’s information over and above review depth. Based on the two information factors of review breadth and review depth, practitioners can recommend more helpful product reviews to their prospective customers

34R. Impact of Technology on Diabetes Self-Care Management

The goal of this study is aimed at using technology to make information more accessible and encourage positive self-care behavior changes to manage one’s diabetes. By combining the theories of diffusion, self-efficacy, goal setting, and technology in healthcare we expect the results of this study will help deepen our understanding about how technology might enhance our ability to positively influence patient behavior

Structure-activity relationships of fluorene compounds inhibiting HCV variants

Approximately 71 million people suffer from hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection worldwide. Persistent HCV infection causes liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, resulting in approximately 400,000 deaths annually. Effective direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have been developed and are currently used for HCV treatment targeting the following three proteins: NS3/4A proteinase that cleaves the HCV polyprotein into various functional proteins, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (designated as NS5B), and NS5A, which is required for the formation of double membrane vesicles serving as RNA replication organelles. At least one compound inhibiting NS5A is included in current HCV treatment regimens due to the high efficacy and low toxicity of drugs targeting NS5A. Here we report fluorene compounds showing strong inhibitory effects on GT 1b and 3a of HCV. Moreover, some compounds were effective against resistance-associated variants to DAAs. The structure-activity relationships of the compounds were analyzed. Furthermore, we investigated the molecular bases of the inhibitory activities of some compounds by the molecular docking method.11Ysciescopu

Multidirectional Cylindrical Piezoelectric Force Sensor: Design and Experimental Validation

A common design concept of the piezoelectric force sensor, which is to assemble a bump structure from a flat or fine columnar piezoelectric structure or to use a specific type of electrode, is quite limited. In this paper, we propose a new design of cylindrical piezoelectric sensors that can detect multidirectional forces. The proposed sensor consists of four row and four column sensors. The design of the sensor was investigated by the finite element method. The response of the sensor to various force directions was observed, and it was demonstrated that the direction of the force applied to the sensor could be derived from the signals of one row sensor and three column sensors. As a result, this sensor proved to be able to detect forces in the area of 225° about the central axis of the sensor. In addition, a cylindrical sensor was fabricated to verify the proposed sensor and a series of experiments were performed. The simulation and experimental results were compared, and the actual sensor response tended to be similar to the simulation