Marketing/communications.

Public affairs information service.

The mandatory social security coverage proposal : potential impacts on rural and urban areas /

Title from cover.

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Text mimeographed, t.-p. printed.

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Marketing in indigenous and Asian small firms in the West Midlands.

This study is concerned with examining the application of marketing during the start-up, development and growth of small firms in the West Midlands. As an exploratory study, it provides evidence to support the central hypothesis of the thesis that whilst many small firms have the potential to progress through to the successful growth stage of development, they fail to do so because of their owner-managers' orientation towards production and selling and because they do not apply formal marketing during the initial stages of business development. A comparative approach to studying marketing in indigenous and Asian firms is adopted in an attempt to fill a gap in the literature on the characteristics and differences in the formation and development processes of these two groups of enterprises. The study has three main objectives and is based on qualitative research techniques of in-depth interviews, case studies and longitudinal studies among sixty-six firms representing the key activities of the small firms sector of the local economy. Firstly, it investigates owner-managers' orientation in developing and managing new and established businesses and explores the sources of, and changes in their orientation during the various stages of development. Secondly, it assesses the owner-manager's awareness and understanding of what constitutes the marketing function and investigates what aspects of marketing are applied during the different stages of business development. Finally, the study monitors and evaluates the outcomes and implications of applying formal marketing techniques in a small sample of firms over a period of two years. The thesis concludes by using the findings of the study to contribute additions to existing models of growth and by proposing new models of evolution and application of marketing in small firms.

Feature LDA:a supervised topic model for automatic detection of web API documentations from the web

Web APIs have gained increasing popularity in recent Web service technology development owing to its simplicity of technology stack and the proliferation of mashups. However, efficiently discovering Web APIs and the relevant documentations on the Web is still a challenging task even with the best resources available on the Web. In this paper we cast the problem of detecting the Web API documentations as a text classification problem of classifying a given Web page as Web API associated or not. We propose a supervised generative topic model called feature latent Dirichlet allocation (feaLDA) which offers a generic probabilistic framework for automatic detection of Web APIs. feaLDA not only captures the correspondence between data and the associated class labels, but also provides a mechanism for incorporating side information such as labelled features automatically learned from data that can effectively help improving classification performance. Extensive experiments on our Web APIs documentation dataset shows that the feaLDA model outperforms three strong supervised baselines including naive Bayes, support vector machines, and the maximum entropy model, by over 3% in classification accuracy. In addition, feaLDA also gives superior performance when compared against other existing supervised topic models.

Motivations for servitization:the impact of product complexity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the commonalities and differences in manufacturers’ motivations to servitise. Design/methodology/approach – UK study based on interviews with 40 managers in 25 companies in 12 sectors. Using the concept of product complexity, sectors were grouped using the Complex Products and Systems (CoPS) typology: non-complex products, complex products and systems. Findings – Motivations to servitise were categorised as competitive, demand based (i.e. derived from the customer) or economic. Motivations to servitise vary according to product complexity, although cost savings and improved service quality appear important demand-based motivations for all manufacturers. Non-complex product manufacturers also focus on services to help product differentiation. For CoPS manufacturers, both risk reduction and developing a new revenue stream were important motivations. For uniquely complex product manufacturers, stabilising revenue and increased profitability were strong motivations. For uniquely systems manufacturers, customers sought business transformation, whilst new service business models were also identified. Research limitations/implications – Using the CoPS typology, this study delineates motivations to servitise by sector. The findings show varying motivations to servitise as product complexity increases, although some motivational commonality existed across all groups. Manufacturers may have products of differing complexity within their portfolio. To overcome this limitation the unit of analysis was the strategic business unit. Practical implications – Managers can reflect on and benchmark their motivation for, and opportunities from, servitisation, by considering product complexity. Originality/value – The first study to categorise servitisation motivations by product complexity. Identifying that some customers of systems manufacturers seek business transformation through outsourcing.

Teachers' perceptions of the usefulness of Individual Education Plans (IEP)

Since 1997 federal special education policy mandated that all classroom teachers take part in planning and implementation of Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for students with disabilities. This legislation has given teachers new responsibilities because it requires greater participation in the IEP process. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the usefulness of Individualized Education Plans (IEP). ^ Eighty seven certified Miami-Dade County Public School teachers, 60 general education teachers and 27 special education teachers were surveyed using an updated version of Rheams' (1989) The Teacher Perceptions of the Usefulness of IEPs. Subjects completed a survey form containing a demographic cover page, 18 Likert-scale statements and 3 open ended questions. This study looked at differences in perceptions by teacher group affiliation (general and special), grade level taught (elementary and secondary), and years of experience (<=5 and >5 years). The dependent variables were teacher preparedness; feasibility of IEP implementation; relevancy of IP to classroom instruction; and legal, professional and personal accountability with regard to the IEP. ^ Results of the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed that (a) special education teachers held a more positive perception of overall IEP usefulness than general education teachers, (b) special educators held more positive perceptions concerning issues of feasibility and preparedness, (c) elementary level teachers viewed the IEP more positively than secondary level teachers, specifically in the areas of preparedness and feasibility. ^ Findings of this study indicate that general and secondary educators have not embraced the legislation and incorporated it into their planning and instruction. These findings provide policymakers, institutions of higher education, and school administrators with insight as to how to better translate policy into classroom instructional practice. Consideration should be given to implementing (a) honest communication and shared decision making with regard to IEP directed curriculum and instruction, (b) updated pre and in-service IEP development and implementation training, and (c) opportunities for collaboration and increased plan time, especially on the secondary level. ^

The feasibility and acceptability of trial procedures for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a structured physical activity intervention for people diagnosed with colorectal cancer : findings from a pilot trial of cardiac rehabilitation versus usual care (no rehabilitation) with an embedded qualitative study

Funding This work is supported by the National Institute for Health Research—Health Service and Development Research, Project reference number: NIHR—HS&DR Project:12/5001/09.

Short-term Trading in Long-term Funds: Implications for Financial Managers

Most hospitality firms do not consider managing stock portfolios to be a main part of their operations. They are in the service business, using their real assets and the services provided by employees to create valuable experiences for guests. However, the need to focus on stock investments arises through those employees. Employees consistently rank benefits, including retirement benefits, among the top five contributors to job satisfaction and as a key consideration in accepting a job.1 It is not surprising, then, that more than 90 percent of companies with 500 or more employees offer retirement plans. The five largest hotel companies in the U.S. have over $10 billion in assets under management in their retirement plans, making these plans a key component in retirement investment decisions.

Aplicação de um value stream map nos serviços após venda automóvel

O projeto desenvolvido tem como objetivo principal a melhoria da eficiência na prestação de serviços de reparação de chapa e pintura na Caetano Auto Colisão, através da aplicação de ferramentas associadas à filosofia Lean. Apesar das ferramentas e técnicas lean estarem bem exploradas nas empresas de produção e manufatura, o mesmo não se verifica em relação às empresas da área dos serviços. O Value Stream Mapping é uma ferramenta lean que consiste no mapeamento do fluxo de materiais e informação necessários para a realização das atividades (que acrescentam e não acrescentam valor), desempenhadas pelos colaboradores, fornecedores e distribuidores, desde a obtenção do pedido do cliente até à entrega final do serviço. Através desta ferramenta é possível identificar as atividades que não acrescentam valor para o processo e propor medidas de melhoria que resultem na eliminação ou redução das mesmas. Com base neste conceito, foi realizado o mapeamento do processo de prestação de serviços de chapa e pintura e identificados os focos de ineficiência. A partir desta análise foram sugeridas melhorias que têm como objetivo atingir o estado futuro proposto assim como tornar o processo mais eficiente. Duas destas melhorias passaram pela implementação dos 5S na sala das tintas e pela elaboração de um relatório A3 para o centro de lavagens. O projeto realizado permitiu o estudo de um problema real numa empresa de serviços, bem como a proposta de um conjunto de melhorias que a médio prazo se espera virem a contribuir para a melhoria da eficiência na prestação de serviços de chapa e pintura.

Relatório de estágio curricular: Gabinete de Desenvolvimento Económico e Empresarial

Este relatório de estágio, inserido na Unidade Curricular Dissertação/Projeto/Estágio do Mestrado em Línguas e Relações Empresariais, tem como objetivo relatar e descrever as atividades realizadas ao longo deste período de 5 meses, tendo começado no dia 12 de janeiro de 2015 e terminado no dia 30 de junho. Este estágio decorreu no Gabinete de Desenvolvimento Económico e Empresarial da Câmara Municipal de Santa Maria da Feira, sob a supervisão da Dr.ª Cláudia Gonçalves, atual chefe do gabinete. Ao longo deste relatório serão relatadas as atividades realizadas durante este período, seguidas de um estudo de caso à Zona Industrial de Rio Meão no concelho de Santa Maria da Feira e, por último, a conclusão e as considerações finais sobre esta experiência profissional.

O impacto da educação em empreendedorismo sobre intenção e comportamento empreendedor

Apesar do amplo crescimento de iniciativas de educação em empreendedorismo nas últimas décadas, não existe ainda consenso quanto à eficácia destas ações, quer em termos de resultados económicos, quer no desenvolvimento de caraterísticas pessoais. A heterogeneidade de objetivos, e público-alvo e a não existência de métodos bem definidos e padronizados de avaliação, dificultam a obtenção de um entendimento geral sobre este fenómeno. Para além disso, muitos dos estudos apresentam uma série de limitações metodológicas e tendem a concentrar-se no contexto americano. Para colmatar estas lacunas, a presente investigação assume como propósito geral analisar a eficácia da educação em empreendedorismo no desenvolvimento da intenção e comportamento empreendedor, através de três unidades de análise: alunos e ex-alunos de uma unidade curricular de empreendedorismo e empreendedores de negócios nascentes. É utilizado uma metodologia mista: quantitativa, para as unidades de análise um e dois, e qualitativa, para a terceira unidade de análise. Os resultados demonstram que a educação em empreendedorismo não aumenta a intenção empreendedora dos alunos, nem o comportamento empreendedor dos ex-alunos. No entanto, verifica-se que a perceção de controlo do comportamento, o conhecimento relativo para o empreendedorismo e o contexto institucional (ou seja, a forma como os alunos internalizam os instrumentos e iniciativas de apoio ao empreendedorismo) aumentam com a participação na unidade curricular. Também, a educação em empreendedorismo é essencial na fase de arranque da própria empresa dotando os empreendedores de conhecimentos e competências que lhes permitem ter um maior controlo e confiança sobre a realização de todo o processo inerente à criação e desenvolvimento de uma ideia de negócio. Este estudo, ao utilizar uma abordagem integrada para a educação em empreendedorismo, permite compreender as diferenças que se devem considerar quando se planeia um programa deste tipo. Por conseguinte, os objetivos de um programa de empreendedorismo devem ser ajustados aos diferentes públicos-alvo, sendo importante perceber se os destinatários participam de forma voluntária ou obrigatória.

Beyond the bottom line: redefining the value of design in SME formation

For SMEs to operate in the complex and globalised economic landscape of today engaging with innovation can sustain competitive advantage. Within Design Management, design is being increasingly posited as a strategic resource to facilitate the absorption of new design resources and leverage design knowledge in ways that support SMEs through such economic pressures. Evidencing the relationship between design and economic performance is complex, leading to extensive current research and industry efforts to show how design adds economic value. Despite the value of such efforts, it is important to recognise that innovation means different things to different organizations, especially for start-ups and SMEs. Within the rising tide of design-led innovation, there is a gap being explored in how design can effectively capture and evaluate its contribution within the complex and diverse situations of business development it engages. In seeking to address this gap, this paper presents findings from research undertaken within Design in Action (DiA), an AHRC-funded knowledge exchange hub. Presenting DiA as a single case study, the paper offers methodical reflection on five case example start-up businesses funded by DiA in order to explore the value that design-led innovation approaches offered in their formation.

Estratégias e práticas de marketing relacional na Russell Bedford International

O presente relatório propõe-se a retratar a experiência como Assistente de Marketing e Business Development na empresa Russell Bedford International, sediada em Londres, entre Outubro de 2012 e Fevereiro de 2013. O relatório encontra-se dividido em três capítulos: entidade de acolhimento, actividades desenvolvidas e enquadramento teórico. A Russell Bedford International (RBI) é uma rede global de empresas de contabilidade, auditoria, consultoria fiscal e empresarial. A empresa tem representação em mais de 100 países na Europa, América, Médio Oriente, Africa, Índia e Ásia, contando com mais de 90 associados, mais de 20 correspondentes, 600 parceiros, 5000 empregados e 290 escritórios. O presente documento apresenta os principais desafios e estratégias, do ponto de vista do Marketing, que a empresa enfrenta num contexto business-to-business, marcado pela importância das relações e pela internacionalização.