Similarities in earlier research between leadership styles and communication forms were found, partly concerning relations and partly concerning work assignments. Our approach was based on the notion that there could be a correlation between the manager2019s choice of communication mode (informal/formal) and leadership style i.e. Relation-Oriented Behaviour Leadership style/Task-Oriented Behaviour Leadership style. A gender perspective was used in the research. The method was quantitative with a questionnaire to women managers (N=78) in the private and the public sectors.

The structures of organizations have gone through a dramatic change over the last years; as a result customer service is no longer a small side activity but a critical part in customer relationship management. Development in information technology has created opportunities as well as challenges for organizations when it comes to providing a customer service with capacity of sensing and responding to customers' needs. Previous research shows a relationship between customer response capability and customer knowledge processeses, this study investigates and confirms this relationship. However, findings show that dedication and understanding for customers needs has a direct impact on both customer response capability and customer knowledge processeses, this result indicates that customer knowledge processes and customer relationship management are difficult to differentiate. Furthermore, this study explores IT-related resources impact on customer response capability and customer knowledge processes.

The aim of this thesis is to describe how service companies through adjustment of the customer?s zone of tolerance can influence customer?s perception of the service during the processes of service delivery and create customer satisfaction. The method used was case study approach utilizing personal interviews, which were conducted at two service companies. The study showed that the aspects of the service that have greatest importance for the customer?s assessment of the service and customer satisfaction among others are personal treatment and that personel behave in the way that makes the customer feel itself taken good care of and unique.

Studiens syfte är att få kunskap om hur den inre organisatoriska kontexten kan påverka förstalinjechefers ledarskapsbeteende gentemot underställda och hur den inre kontexten kan påverka ledarskapseffektiviteten.Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ forskningsansats där tre stycken avdelningschefer samt en HR-chef i en organisation har intervjuats.Studien fokuserar på hur kontexten påverkar, begränsar, förstärker eller styr en organisations avdelningschefer till att använda en viss form av ledarstil eller beteende. De ledarstilar vi har utgått från är ett uppgiftsorienterat- samt relationsorienterat ledarskap. I studien har vi funnit att den inre kontextens variabler påverkar både ett uppgiftsorienterat- och ett relationsorienterat ledarskapsbeteende hos avdelningschefer. Vi har kunnat urskilja hur variabler i den inre organisatoriska kontexten påverkar avdelningschefers ledarskapsbeteende är individuellt. I studien har vi använt engagemang samt sjukskrivningsstatistik hos de underställda som mått på ledarskapseffektivitet.

This thesis studies the customer relationships and customer accounting methods used by a Swedish fashion company. The aim is to test the empirical applicability of the relationship based framework developed by Lind and Strömsten and to explain potential differences between empirical observations and theory. The framework is based on the categorization of four customer relationship groups and the appropriate customer accounting methods to be used for each relationship. The fashion company, that recently assessed the profitability of its customer base in an aim to implement a new customer strategy, is the object of the qualitative case study. The case study reveals that all customer relationships are to be found at Whyred, except the connective customer relationship.

The debate about women and equality is a very burning issue in the Swedish society today. There are a lot of articles, TV-programs, books and web sites treating the position of female leaders today. There are also a lot of myths strongly attached to our minds hindering the equalization process between men and women.The main purpose of our study was to look at women as leaders and identify potential tendencies in businesses sectors dominated by mainly men or women. We also wanted to find out whether leadership behavior is more or less oriented towards relations- or task in any of the chosen sectors. It was even in our interest to see if our chosen respondents supported the myths in our society about male and female qualities.We interviewed 20 women in four different sectors, two dominated by men (Computer/It, Transport) and two dominated by women (School, Healthcare).

This paper examines how companies in a transparent industry work to satisfy the customer in an extended way, to offer value added products that in the end enables the customer to be loyal to the company. We have studied the insurance industry in Sweden and have focused on five different insurance companies. Four of them, Folksam, Länsförsäkringar, Trygg-Hansa and Dina Försäkringar, where we have focused on Ölands Försäkringar which is part of the Dina Försäkringar group, are some of the largest insurance companies in Sweden. The fourth company is Swedbank which is a bank that has started to offer insurances.Our results demonstrate that it is important for the company to see the customer not only in a profitability aspect; the company has to find out what the customer gets in return. In that case the possibility for the customer to change company decreases and the chance that the customer becomes loyal increases.

AbstractTitle: The Moment Of Truth; A study of service quality assuranceAuthors: Fanni Helminen and Linda ElsborgLevel: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, C-level.Advisor: Lars- Johan Åge and Jens Eklinder FrickDate: 2014- JunePurpose: Quality assurance has become a vital concept and an important tool to ensure that employees are able to deliver high service quality. The purpose of this study will be to elucidate how service companies can apply the use of sevenfundamental features supporting service quality in their quality assurance; recruitment and selection; training, teamwork; empowerment; performance appraisals and rewards; communication, and culture (of the organization). Furthermore, we will illustrate how the type of business entity, organizational structure and organizational resources afflicts the seven features.Method: Method: We will, from a hermeneutic point of view, apply and qualitative deductive research method. Data have been collected through a case study. The data have been transcribed and the analytical method has been selected based on the conducting purpose.

Banks find themselves at a highly competitive market where it is important to achieve high customer satisfaction if they want to attract customers and stay competitive. Some studies suggest that the gap between customer expectations and perception within the five quality dimensions influences the customer satisfaction. With SERVQUAL the authors of this thesis have investigated the suggested relationship and have discovered no indications of a relationship between the gap and customer satisfaction. Instead the results indicate that there is a relationship between perceived service and customer satisfaction. The thesis also indicates that the most important quality dimension for the bank customer is reliability.

The main purpose of this work was to examine the information behavior of nonfiction publishing Company editors. Three problem areas were presented and expressed in the following questions:- What is the information need of the editor in every day work?- Which sources of information do the editors use when they are looking for information and how do they make use of them?- Are there any factors that have an influence on the information behavior of the editors and in what way do the factors effect the information behavior of the editors in their everyday work? And finally, do the editors experience any factors as barriers to information behavior?Six editors, all with academical background, all employed in different publishing companies were interviewed. The result of this study have been analysed within a theoretical framework influenced by the work of Tom Wilson, Lars Höglund and Olle Persson and Block and Lagberg. The result shows that the editors had various regular needs of information in their every day work.

Our purpose with this thesis was to study how tourism providers deliver quality to their customers. We chose to carry out two case studies where we interviewed an owner of a camp site, and a municipal manager employed at another camp site. The questions were based on customer needs, service quality and dissatisfaction. The study gave us some useful aspects. The respondents told us that it was very important to the tourist providers to listen to the customer´s specific needs and to give them personal attention.

The Swedish telecommunication market was prior to the official deregulation 1975 characterized by Telia?s former monopoly position. This thesis studies how the deregulation of the market, and the thereby increasing competition, has affected Telia and how it has influenced Telia?s marketing strategies.The theoretical framework, from which the conclusions will be made, is a combination of the theory about strategic learning behaviours by Slater et al, and Grönroos? theory about a marketing continuum. The empirical work material is the result from two interviews with former key figures at Telia, and a briefing of Telia?s annual report between the years 1993 and 2006.Research findings indicate that Telia has gone from being product oriented with a strong technical focus, to becoming gradually more market oriented with competition orientation but foremost customer orientation as their most distinguished learning behaviours.

Groupon is a popular group-buying website where they act as an intermediary between buyers and sellers. The company has grown rapidly and was established in Sweden in the year of 2010. The aim of this study is to investigate if businesses that have been marketed in Stockholm and that have been co-operating with Groupon have been affected in terms of customer loyalty and profitability. Furthermore the study also examines consumer?s opinions, purchase behavior and loyalty against Groupons business partners.

Customer information is to be seen as an essential part in service development. The company should be aware of how their customers experience their services. The company can get access to customer information through complaints from their customers. All information obtained from the customers is not possible to use when developing new and existing services. The information has to be analysed before it is possible to use it for service development.This paper describes if Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) uses their customers as a source of knowledge when developing new and existing services and in that case how.

The aim of this study is to examine the information behavior of younger seniors with a special focus on the Internet. Using a qualitative method consisting of a case study, including observations, diaries, questionnaires, and information diaries, we were able to compare the information behavior of the seniors in their use of the Internet, with the information behavior in their everyday life. The result of the study shows that the respondents led very active lives and used many different information sources in everyday life. They did not only seek information, but also assimilated it, often with a purpose to mediate it to other people. The motives behind the information use in everyday life were mainly connected to their life situations.