Open Access

Zuerst bestand das Instrument aus drei Dimensionen mit untergeordneten Faktoren. Im Zuge der Experteninterviews wurden die drei bestehenden Dimensionen bestätigt und weitere wurden hinzugefügt. Insgesamt wurden zwei weitere Dimensionen ausgewählt. Die folgenden Dimensionen bilden die Basis für das Instrument: Produkt-/ Dienstleistungs-Exzellenz, Zuverlässigkeit von Prozessen, Individuelle Stärken, Kultur und Führung. Zwischen vier und sechs Faktoren wurden den jeweiligen Kategorien untergeordnet. Die Experten haben die von ihnen gewählten Faktoren zusätzlich definiert, um ein allgemeines Verständnis zu schaffen. Wie zuvor angeführt, besteht das Instrument aus einem Teil der Gewichtung. Die Probanden mussten die Faktoren gewichten, um Standard-Gewichte zu erhalten. Jedoch wird empfohlen, die Gewichtung erneut durchzuführen, da die Berechnung nicht proportional durchgeführt werden konnte. Dies wurde durch die individuellen Einteilungen und überschneidenden Auswahlen verursacht. Der letzte Teil des Interviews war die Zuteilung der Faktoren zu den Fähigkeiten Anpassungsfähigkeit oder/ und Widerstandsfähigkeit. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Faktoren eher die Anpassungsfähigkeit (62%) fördern. Family businesses contribute a significant part to the economy all over the world. Overall, 90% of Austrian businesses are family businesses, if the sole traders (about 60%) are included. However, a family business has to deal with many changes, problems or even crises, which can be caused through VUCA or also through the “Three-Circle-Model”. Therefore, a family business has to be resilient, which means that it has to be resistant and adaptable regarding certain occurrences and changes. The aim of this master thesis is the assessment and display of organisational resilience in family businesses by developing an instrument to enable further measures for the improvement of organisational resilience in certain areas of the family business. Hence, eight interviews with experts regarding organisational resilience and eight interviews with experts regarding family businesses were executed in order to adapt and confirm the theoretical developed instrument. Furthermore, the adapted instrument was tested by four CEOs of family businesses in order to confirm the practical feasibility and ask for improvements. The theory-based instrument had the following structure, which was retained for the adapted instrument, and was developed with Microsoft Excel: weighting of the dimension groups and factors, rating of the dimension groups and factors as well as transformation into adaptability and resistance. Before, it consisted of three different dimension groups and sub-ordinated factors. In the course of the expert interviews, the three existing dimension groups were confirmed and many more were added. Two additional dimension groups were selected. The following dimension groups build the basis: product/ service excellence, process reliability, individual strengths, culture and leadership. Between four and six factors were sub-ordinated to these categories. The experts had to define the selected factors as well in order to generate a common understanding. As it is listed above, the instrument consists of a weighting part. The experts had to weight the factors to define fixed weights. However, it is recommended to execute the weighting again because it could not be proportional calculated, which is caused by many different classifications with overlapping choices of the experts. The last part of the interview was the allocation of the factors to the competences adaptability or/ and resistance. The primary market research revealed that the factors rather support the adaptability (62%).

The French pharmaceutical market is the 5th largest market for human medicines worldwide and hence provides high potential for Stölzle Glass Group. Though the market conditions in France are very challenging, as differentiation from competition through quality or price can hardly be reached in the pharmaceutical glass packaging industry. To reach the company’s growth and awareness target, Stölzle needs a brand positioning concept which differentiates the company from its competitors long-term. Thus, the objective of this master thesis is to develop a B2B brand positioning concept in the French pharmaceutical market. The first part of this thesis deals with the theoretical background of a brand positioning concept. At the beginning, B2B brand management is described with a special focus on the international pharmaceutical industry. Afterwards, the definition of brand positioning and the five steps of a brand positioning concept are explained. In the first stage, brand positioning objectives and possible positioning strategy approaches are presented. Following that, brand positioning ideas and their requirements are described. Subsequently, the implementation of the brand positioning concept through integrated marketing communication is shown. The final chapter includes strategic and operative controlling measures. The second part of this thesis includes the practical implementation of the brand positioning. Firstly, an analysis of the BU Pharma and an environmental analysis of the French pharmaceutical market, the target group and the competition are provided. Then, the findings of the primary market research are outlined which have been conducted through a quantitative research. In addition, the results of the image analysis are interpreted separately for the French as well as German/Austrian pharmaceutical market to generate comparative values. Based on the theoretical part and the internal and external analysis, a brand positioning concept for Stölzle is developed. Four positioning alternatives are created which are evaluated by Marketing and Sales with a value benefit analysis. One positioning alternative is advised for Stölzle which best fulfils the positioning requirements. Subsequently, communication activities are suggested to implement the brand positioning. At the end of this thesis, controlling measures and further recommendations for Stölzle are stated.

The increasing awareness of products as well as the fast access to comparison methods makes it easy for customers to select the goods with the most value to them. The understanding of customers’ preferences therefore is of increasing importance. This thesis deals with the measurement of preferences according to specific customer groups in foreign markets. For this reason, a model with the consideration of customers’ behaviour and cultural values, as well as the existing and defined attribute of the analysed product has been created. The defined goals of the company Nextsense are the generation of new product ideas as well as new branches for possible market entries. The first chapters build the theoretical base for the model and cover the elements of organisational buying behaviour as well as the introduction of several preference measurement methods. Furthermore, a strong emphasis on the creation of fictive archetypes of customers, the personas, has been made. The theoretical section of the thesis is concluded by the model in theory, which tries to function as a guide for the practical application. The empirical part, beginning with chapter 6, focuses on the development and application of the created model. With the practical description of the templates, which are created in Microsoft Excel, the thesis supports the company to implement the model. As a practical example an attempt has been made to identify a set of preferred attributes for Nextsense’s product CALIPRI C10 in the American automotive industry. Chapter 9 reflects the empirical part and proved the applicability of the model. However, the critical point of measuring preferences requires continuous monitoring due to the dynamic characteristics and the consideration of a bigger sample size is recommended in order to deliver more accurate information about the customer. Nevertheless, the model supports the targets of Nextsense and provided product ideas out of the elicitation of customers’ data. Further recommendations referring to the application and monitoring of the model conclude the final chapters of the thesis.

In times when the usage of social media is continuously growing among the population, especially in competitive markets, social media can represent a powerful new communication tool for suppliers in order to reach new contacts, create new leads and to differentiate oneself from the competition. Therefore, the present thesis aims to create a social media concept for communication in the US semiconductor Industry exemplified by the yield management software supplier DR YIELD software & solutions GmbH. Besides an extensive literature research regarding the science of B2B marketing, international communication and social media communication, the US market has been investigated towards its peculiarities regarding its semiconductor industry and the social media behavior on the US market in order to be able to communicate effectively in a foreign market. Moreover, a competitor analysis has been conducted that shall give a better insight of the current social media usage and activities of DR YIELD’S competitors. Furthermore, in order to fill the remaining knowledge gap about the usage of social media in the US semiconductor industry, a primary market research in form of interviews has been conducted. The results have shown that DR YIELD’s target group does not only use social media for private purposes, but also for professional aims such as the research of potential suppliers which makes social media a suitable tool for DR YIELD to generate new leads in the US market. Based on the research as stated above, a social media concept tailored for the US semiconductor industry has been created that gives – besides an analysis of the initial situation and DR YIELD’s target group – recommendations regarding the strategy, the consequent actions, a budgeting plan and controlling measures.

The technological progress of the past decades and especially new media have affected our way of living remarkably. Those recent developments in the communication and interaction offer a variety of new opportunities for marketers to reach their customers. To go in line with the trend, AVL List GmbH, an Austrian B2B company in the automotive industry, has introduced new media activities in a first step. Due to a lack of information and studies about the changes in the behaviour of their customers, AVL List GmbH was not able to develop a comprehensive new media concept so far. Therefore, the purpose of the master thesis is to remove the information deficit and furthermore to develop a comprehensive new media concept to enhance the contact frequency to the customers. First, an extensive literature research about the B2B automotive industry, new media and the business buying process is examined. On this basis, the theoretical aspects for the development of the new media concept are outlined. In a second stage, an individual new media concept for AVL List GmbH is evolved. Within a secondary research, the customers, competitors, market trends as well as competencies and performance regarding new media are examined to gain insights about the current situation. Furthermore, an additional primary market research with the customers of AVL List Gmbh in form of interviews is executed to remove the information deficit and to unravel the new media behaviour of the customers. The results provide evidence, that in general, customers have a positive attitude towards new media and that the focus on specific new media channels can help to increase the contact frequency to the customers. Following, these findings build the starting point for the development of the new media concept with the objective of an increase in the contact frequency to the customers as well as the strategy of delivering high quality content distributed over specific new media channels. Those channels are unravelled within a value-benefit- analyses with their specifications described in the actions. The loop closes the concept with the controlling phase, where specific KPIs point out attainment or room for adaptation and improvements. By the application of the present evolved new media concept, AVL List GmbH is able to bundle their resources, focus on the requirements of their customers and furthermore increase the contact frequency to their customers.