Given our rapidly changing world, companies are virtually forced to engage in continuous performance monitoring. Though Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) may at times seem to be the real driving force behind social systems, economies and organizations, they can also have far-reaching normative effects, which can modify organizational behavior and influence key decisions - even to the point that organizations themselves tend to become what they measure! Selecting the right performance indicators is hardly a simple undertaking. This book describes in detail the main characteristics of performance measurement systems and summarizes practical methods for defining KPIs, combining theoretical and practical aspects. These descriptions are supported by a wealth of practical examples. The book is intended for all academics, professionals and consultants involved in the analysis and management of KPIs.

This second edition of Architecting Experience offers actionable insights into the practice of conversion science; the methodological application of strategy, measurement and analysis in pursuit of transactions with consumers produced through the design, development and delivery of content, interfaces and experiences.Whether working as a marketer using content to motivate purchase intent, a maker using interfaces as the conduit to connect directly with consumers, or a publisher seeking to sell consumption of the content itself, success requires approaching these efforts with meaningful data and analytics, clearly developed consumer insights and sound consumer engagement strategies.This edition of Architecting Experience develops the reader's ability to understand, develop and apply the data, insights, planning, technical infrastructure and organizational approach required to reach conversion goals through content and experience delivery.

This book explores the rapid growth of the sharing economy, specifically of Airbnb, in recent years and how it has challenged traditional economies in many countries around the globe. With almost 5 million listings in more than 190 countries, many consider Airbnb as one of the most disruptive developments in tourism over the past decade. While this is a book about Western Australia as a case in point, the issues addressed in this book speak to the broader development of the sharing economy and its effects experienced nationally and indeed internationally. Thus, through the adoption of a case-specific analysis of the growth and impact of Airbnb, the book significantly contributes to closing existing knowledge gaps on the Airbnb phenomenon by exploring not only stakeholder perceptions of the sharing economy and Airbnb, the extent of Airbnb supply and demand, and how this differs from conventional accommodation demand, but also what policy responses have been employed in other tourism destinations worldwide. Western Australia in this regard serves as an exemplar case to shed light on the Airbnb phenomenon. This book presents a comprehensive global study that has investigated the Airbnb phenomenon from a supply, demand, stakeholder, and government response perspective and thus offers new empirical insights, which are of interest to government agencies and the tourism sector and are a valuable source of data to inform current policy debate.

This book offers a comprehensive analysis of Chinese consumers from multiple perspectives, from the megatrends to their values and psychological changes. The book examines in detail the digital and mobile transformation of the consumers, the way their lifestyle, social interactions and shopping habits have changed, and the opportunities they offer to marketers. The analysis and insights are based on the author's first-hand observations of the metamorphosis of the consumers and consumption in China over the last fifteen years.

A true revolution has rocked the space industry, as Silicon Valley and new startup companies around the world have shaken up the status quo. This has in turn triggered a hefty response among traditional aerospace companies, launching the sector into the new Space 2.0. This book explains how and why this remarkable change has happened, starting from the industry's origins during the Space Age and working its way to the present day. No other industry in the world has experienced the dramatic shift in technology and services as rapidly as the field of satellite services and rocket launch systems has. This book analyzes the dynamic shift over the past decade in how satellites are designed, manufactured, launched, and operated. It also turns an eye to the future, discussing the amazing feats and potential issues we can expect from this shifting arena by 2030. With its beginner-friendly writing style and plethora of illustrations, this book serves as a perfect introductory text to students and professionals alike wishing to learn more about the key trends in the field of space applications and launch systems.

Contemporary consumer society is increasingly saturated by digital technology, and the devices that deliver this are increasingly transforming consumption patterns. Social media, smartphones, mobile apps and digital retailing merge with traditional consumption spheres, supported by digital devices which further encourage consumers to communicate and influence other consumers to consume. Through a wide range of empirical studies which analyse the impact of digital devices, this volume explores the digitization of consumption and shows how consumer culture and consumption practices are fundamentally intertwined and mediated by digital devices. Exploring the development of new consumer cultures, leading international scholars from sociology, marketing and ethnology examine the effects on practices of consumption and marketing, through topics including big data, digital traces, streaming services, wearables, and social media's impact on ethical consumption. Digitalizing Consumption makes an important contribution to practice-based approaches to consumption, particularly the use of market devices in consumers' everyday consumer life, and will be of interest to scholars of marketing, cultural studies, consumer research, organization and management.

Changes in the economy and greater competition force us to adapt our business practices and to take greater account of the needs of consumers and the social problems they care about. Consumers are placing an increasing weight on the social responsibility of the organisations they choose to purchase from and associate with, and businesses must adopt corporate social responsibility practices into their marketing strategies. This book demonstrates the concept of CSR and how it is included as an element of value-based marketing. Using research from the Polish market, the author explores the concept of value-based marketing, how organisations are implementing CSR and analyses the effect on consumer behaviour. It examines consumer awareness of CSR practices and the effect this has on their purchasing decisions and brand loyalty, making the argument that disregarding CSR can be detrimental to businesses success and profit. Providing both empirical and theoretical perspectives, this book will be a useful reference for scholars and upper-level students across business disciplines including marketing, CSR and business ethics.

This book explores the paradox of the hospitality industry: customers demand not only personal and innovative tourism products and services, but also cost-effective ones. Enterprises have the option to meet the former demand by offering authentic products and services while the latter could be achieved through standardization. Although it seems ideal to combine both concepts, they seemingly contradict each other leading to suppliers facing an authenticity-standardization paradox. The authors identify, analyze, and provide solutions for this authenticity-standardization paradox based on a series of case studies of restaurants in China. This book will be of interest to scholars, business owners, and consultants.

Ethnic-themed restaurants are informal but powerful ambassadors for a country's culture and contributors to local and national economies. Communicating authenticity and quality are essential characteristics in the development of a competitive and effective marketing strategy for restaurants. This book analyses how authenticity and quality perceptions are both constructed and communicated within the ethnic dining sector. Drawing on qualitative research methods, the book explores examples from the Greek food industry to analyse restaurateurs' and consumer constructed meanings of authenticity, how it is transmitted and received. It follows by exploring the marketing implications of consumer constructs and effective promotional methods to aid restaurateurs to better engage with customers whilst also respecting their culinary culture. It also guides the reader through the use of NVivo for research purposes, and its utilisations to facilitate the inductive and interpretive analysis. This book offers a valuable resource for researchers across marketing, including consumer behaviour, food marketing, marketing research and communications. The data analysis tools explored are also transferable to a wide range of sectors outside of food and dining.

Investigating how international market actors create market morality on a global level, this book reflects on the unresolved questions and debates regarding the relationship between business and society. The author explores how market actors in international business communication are unified in their attempts to make markets moralised. Providing detailed case studies and empirical evidence based on interviews with practitioners, Moralising Global Markets is a useful read for anyone interested in international business, and for those researching morality, ethics and corporate social responsibility.

This book is an annual research report prepared by the cruise industry experts and scholars at home and abroad invited by Shanghai International Cruise Business Institute based on the current development situations of the international cruise industry, is an important part of the "X Book Series" of the Social Science Academic Press (China). This book consists of five parts, i.e., "General Report", "Special Articles for High-quality Tourism: Common Value and Government Management", "The Cruise Industry", "Policy Suggestions" and "Appendix", and it has richer and more perfect contents in comparison with the previous versions. Under the Book, the development environment of the cruise industry at home and abroad during 2017-2018 as well as the development situations, strategic paths and future trends is analyzed in the form of the General Report and the current development trend of the cruise industry in China is introduced based on the top ten hot topics. With the economic development trend from the high-speed growth to the high-quality development in China, the new topic "Special Articles for High-quality Tourism: Common Value and Government Management" is presented in the Book to discuss the quality development patterns and paths of the cruise tourism in China, the high-quality development mechanism of the cruise tourism as well as the cruise tourism market cultivation and standardization system, so as to better enhance the quality of the cruise market development in China. In Part 3 "The Cruise Industry" and Part 4 "Policy Suggestions" under the Book, the whole picture of the cruise economy in China in the new era is presented, problems during the industrial development are analyzed and corresponding policy suggestions are given.

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the changes that have taken place in the systems and practices of Japanese management over the last quarter century, identifies the positive and useful attributes that ought to be maintained, and clarifies the behavioral principles that form the groundwork of their strengths. Observing the changes in the business environment brought about by the forces of intensifying globalization, the book presents a highly effective management model that builds on the superior aspects of Japanese-style management while overcoming its weaknesses. It is a multi-layered human-resources management model that combines the mutually complementary aspects of the Japanese and Anglo-Saxon systems, incorporating the strengths of both systems. This hybrid model is aimed at increasing workplace motivation, promoting the creation of new value, and enhancing performance and can be used successfully in many countries around the world. It will be of interest to business strategists and consultants, scholars, and entrepreneurs.

This portrait of contemporary tourists proposes that these travelers create consumption audio-portraits and self-explanations (identity constructions) through their purchases and use of travel-related services. Their configurations of destinations, accommodations, travel modes, in-route and destination activities, meal choices, sites/attractions visited, and their travel companions inform others and themselves about who they are. These understandings of self through travel are statements of being-where I've been and what I've done tells me and others who I am. Also, one's definition of self (being) affects tourists' future configurations of travel-related buying and consumption. Thus, tourism-related behavior and being represent virtuous and sometimes vicious consumption systems. Consequently, most tourists are identifiable by who they are and what they know about where they have been and what they have done via their summaries of their trips. The chapters in this volume provide tools and evidence useful for deep understanding of tourists' buying, consumption, and being through examinations of consumers' self-descriptions of personal markers of their trip configurations. This volume's core tenet is that thick descriptions and case-based models are essential steps for highly useful research and deep understanding of tourism behavior.

This book is an analysis of the developments associated with the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) five years after Xi Jinping announced both the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the 21st Maritime Silk Road (21MSR). Together, these two dimensions constitute the B&RI, providing the so-called Chinese 'project of the century' with regional, inter-regional and global reach. This book aims at assessing the impact of the B&RI in all these dimensions and levels of influence. This is a current and promising theme, not only in the short and medium terms, but also within a broader timescale, reflecting Chinese strategic thinking itself, since Chinese philosophy and culture are oriented towards long-term and inter-generational perspectives. Likewise, both the title of this publication and the way it has been organized result from the empirical perception that China asserts a conservative attitude towards foreign affairs, redesigned in multiple dimensions, to create a perception of domestic unity and global prestige. In this vein of thought, the B&RI is already influencing and will continue to influence, directly or indirectly, the current economic and political order.

This book explores the distinct nuisances and obstacles that are brought on by the tourism and travel industry within Caribbean small island developing countries (SIDS). The author explores best practices and measures that can be used to overcome or alleviate the hardship faced by the industry by giving voice to the nations that are often overshadowed or restrained by their developed counterparts. This book reflects on and assesses the transformative power that tourism has in Caribbean small island developing states, while unearthing the threats that affect the longevity and economic viability of the industry in general. It is an important and overdue text focusing on this unique group of islands and will inform students and researchers on the struggles and opportunities they face.

This book focuses on the growth of entrepreneurship in Oceania. This means focusing on cultural endeavors as well as digital and technology-based forms of entrepreneurship. It is the first to explore how Oceania has a distinctive type of business appeal given its strategic position in the world. Whilst other regions such as North America, Europe and Africa have been studied in terms of entrepreneurial endeavors, there is a lack of research on Oceania despite it being a unique and important region. This book thus fills this gap by taking a progressive approach as to how entrepreneurship in Oceania is managed, emphasizing the growth of new economic segments and changing geo-political powers.

This open access book explores the impact of Covid-19 on universities, and how students, staff, faculty and academic leaders have adapted to and dealt with the impact of the pandemic. Drawing on experiences from Britain, Australia and Sweden, it showcases how Covid has challenged routines and procedures in universities, and thrown them into a disarray of ever-changing events and short-term adaptations. The authors pay particular attention to how students, staff, faculty, and leaders have coped with Covid, through a series of autobiographical portraits of their strains but also heroic efforts in the harshest of circumstances. This important book explores the exceptional ramifications of the pandemic but also how universities may contribute to a fairer and more robust society and concludes with a set of prescriptions for universities that aim to be proactive and resilient forces in society. It will be of interest to scholars interested in higher education, governance and organizational studies. This is an open access book.

In an era of globalization, technological innovation, and social transformations, universities face the challenge of training students with the competencies needed to meet the demands of the market and to successfully integrate into today's workforce. This book looks at the university as a dynamic source of essential competencies and explores various skill management models, methodologies and innovations applied by educational institutions around the world. The demands of today's society represent a major challenge for universities and their teaching staffs. Professors need to adapt their teaching methods to meet these new challenges. For example, universities need to prepare new generations of students with the ability to select, update and use knowledge, rather than processing facts and formulas. Students need to be capable of learning in different contexts and modalities throughout their professional careers and learn to adapt their knowledge to new situations. In response, a conceptual and methodological change has taken place in the university organizational culture and in student curriculums. This book presents a variety of cases and observations on the competencies developed in the curriculums of universities around the world, with the aim to assure that graduates leave fully prepared to face the challenges of the new economy.

"A must-have book for anyone interested in marketing to learn, step by step, how marketing is actually done." Jaideep Prabhu, Professor of Marketing at the Cambridge Judge Business School, Cambridge University "This book is a great read that will help you add value to your business, customers and partners like no other. It guides you through the latest tools and techniques and breaks them down into simple to use templates that you can apply to your marketing activities." Margaret Jobling, Chief Marketing Officer of NatWest Group We are living in a period of hyper-change; economic shocks, political upheavals, natural disasters, and global health pandemics are part of 'normal' life. Existing marketing models are designed for a "business as usual" mode so how do you prepare for this new environment? You need The New Marketing Playbook: a dynamic set of action-oriented marketing tools, techniques and principles to keep you at the top of your marketing game. With its easy to understand and actionable marketing framework, your organisation will be able to navigate a dynamic and changing environment in order to grow and thrive. It's a 'must have' playbook you can keep coming back to that combines theory, practise, insights, and case studies that will help transform your marketing activities to unearth undiscovered insights about your customers. It will also help you develop new propositions and customer experiences to meet their needs, create compelling communication and engagement strategies, and measure and improve your marketing with a roadmap of strategies your organisation should take. What got us here, won't take us there. Discover The New Marketing Playbook.

There is broad consensus on the need to shift to a new paradigm of lifestyles and economic development, given the un-sustainability of current patterns. Given this, research on consumer behavior is to play a crucial role in shedding light on the motives underpinning the adoption of responsible behaviors. Stemming from a thorough discussion of existing approaches, this book argues that the perspective of analysis has to be modified. First, acknowledging that a profile of the responsible consumer does not exist since all of us can be more or less sustainable and environment-friendly: the sustainability of an individual should not be considered as given, being something dynamic that changes according to both subjective and contextual factors. Moreover, the book hypothesises that integrating dimensions and perspectives that have been so far overlooked by mainstream research will help deconstruct responsible behaviors adopting a flexible and holistic approach. Relevant policy implications are discussed, and empirical research on responsible behaviors is illustrated. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of consumer behavior, sustainable consumption, environmental psychology and environmental studies in general.

How can marketers navigate the growing array of marketing specialties, multiplying media options and data sources, and increasing content saturation to improve effectiveness and return on investment? How can they provide consumers with seamless experiences of value across channels that overcome behavioral barriers and actually deliver results? In The Activation Imperative, William Rosen and Laurence Minsky provide a straightforward guide for marketers to move beyond building brands to activating them-from simply projecting what a brand is to optimizing what it does-to move people closer to transaction. Drawing on years of research and experience with the world's most sophisticated brands, Rosen and Minsky share a unifying cross-discipline marketing approach designed to impact critical behaviors and more effectively drive business results. They reveal how today's more personalized and trackable communications illuminate tremendous diversity in paths-to-purchase and explain how to leverage this data to develop more effective strategies and creative targeted to individual inflection points. With actionable advice and best-in-class examples, Rosen and Minsky offer marketers a road map to manage today's increasingly fragmented marketing landscape to more effectively and efficiently build brands and business.

This book presents hidden champions in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Turkey that have been studied as a joint project between CEEMAN and IEDC-Bled School of Management, Slovenia. This is an outcome of extensive research undertaken by over 30 researchers and covers 15 countries from Russia to Albania; covering many contexts, political systems, cultures and infrastructures. The reader is provided with a detailed introduction to the concept of hidden champions and describes the cases studied in this project. This book is an invaluable resource providing a culmination of interdisciplinary, cross-study chapters ranging from leadership to performance drivers; from organization to culture and governance; from innovativeness to sustainability and further to the financial aspects of hidden champions business models. These meta level chapters are followed by 15 country-specific chapters which provide an overview of each country's history, economic indicators and vignettes of the cases involved in this study.