Master of Science in International Business

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A Study of the Impact of Employability Criteria on the Employment Level of Minority Ethnic Groups in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Dublin.
(Griffith College, 2020) Sopiriala, Tekena-Lawson
Studies carried out by previous authors suggested a perceived labour market inequality towards minority ethnic groups (persons from outside the EU) within the Irish labour market which was deemed to be caused by different forms of taste-based discrimination and prejudicial views against minority ethnic individuals. My research was aimed primarily at identifying the particular employment criteria that have impacted the employment level of minority ethnic groups and test if the same situation argued by previous researchers still exist today. The review of the available literature built the base from which the conceptual framework was built which served as a guide in carrying out my primary research. The study was based built around specific concepts like how cultural differences influence recruitment, the effectiveness of employment equality policies and factors that influence decision making in the recruitment process. The data was collected through semi-structured telephone interviews with recruiters and HR officers on what goes on during the recruitment process and how various employability criteria impacted their decision making. The findings showed that the major employability criteria that has impacted the employment level of minority ethnic nationals are societal culture in terms of communication, legal right to work in terms of legal right to work in many SME’s and the rating of educational qualifications based on countries where they were obtained. The findings also contrasted with the views of previous researchers in that the cause of perceived labour market inequality is not due to prejudice but rather difficulties in cultural assimilation and factors outside the scope of employment equality policies available in Dublin based SME’s. I have therefore recommended additional primary research be done from the job seekers point of view and a need divide minority ethnic groups into smaller distinctive groups based on culture and nationality as they each have different characteristics.
A Study of the Impact of Employability Criteria on the Employment Level of Minority Ethnic Groups in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Dublin.
(Griffith College, 2020) Sopiriala Tekena-Lawson
Studies carried out by previous authors suggested a perceived labour market inequality towards minority ethnic groups (persons from outside the EU) within the Irish labour market which was deemed to be caused by different forms of taste-based discrimination and prejudicial views against minority ethnic individuals. My research was aimed primarily at identifying the particular employment criteria that have impacted the employment level of minority ethnic groups and test if the same situation argued by previous researchers still exist today. The review of the available literature built the base from which the conceptual framework was built which served as a guide in carrying out my primary research. The study was based built around specific concepts like how cultural differences influence recruitment, the effectiveness of employment equality policies and factors that influence decision making in the recruitment process. The data was collected through semi-structured telephone interviews with recruiters and HR officers on what goes on during the recruitment process and how various employability criteria impacted their decision making. The findings showed that the major employability criteria that has impacted the employment level of minority ethnic nationals are societal culture in terms of communication, legal right to work in terms of legal right to work in many SME’s and the rating of educational qualifications based on countries where they were obtained. The findings also contrasted with the views of previous researchers in that the cause of perceived labour market inequality is not due to prejudice but rather difficulties in cultural assimilation and factors outside the scope of employment equality policies available in Dublin based SME’s. I have therefore recommended additional primary research be done from the job seekers point of view and a need divide minority ethnic groups into smaller distinctive groups based on culture and nationality as they each have different characteristics.
An exploration of the determinants of the Irish dairy sector’s performance over the next ten years in the post milk quota era
(Griffith College, 2015) Colin Fogarty
The removal of the EU milk quotas on April 1, 2015 after more than 30 years since their establishment is viewed as a significant growth opportunity for Ireland and the EU overall. The primary reason for deciding to end milk quotas is due to the considerable increase in consumption of dairy products in recent years, especially on the world market. With this trend projected to continue into the future, the previous quota regime is viewed as a measure that prevented Irish producers from responding to growing world demand. The objective of this thesis is to develop a ten year forecast for Ireland in a post EU milk quota era. The central question that this dissertation leads from is establishing the impact that the abolishment of EU milk quotas is having on the current milk price in Ireland. From there, a short to medium assessment of how Irish dairy production is likely to evolve in the next one to four years is projected, followed by a forecast of Irelands long-term prospects up to and including 2025. The target markets of Irish dairy produce are then assessed including Ireland’s production strategy. Finally, an in-depth assessment of how farming structures will change as a result of EU milk quota removal is then forecasted.
An exploration of the determinants of the Irish dairy sector’s performance over the next ten years in the post milk quota era
(Griffith College, 2015) Fogarty, Colin
The removal of the EU milk quotas on April 1, 2015 after more than 30 years since their establishment is viewed as a significant growth opportunity for Ireland and the EU overall. The primary reason for deciding to end milk quotas is due to the considerable increase in consumption of dairy products in recent years, especially on the world market. With this trend projected to continue into the future, the previous quota regime is viewed as a measure that prevented Irish producers from responding to growing world demand. The objective of this thesis is to develop a ten year forecast for Ireland in a post EU milk quota era. The central question that this dissertation leads from is establishing the impact that the abolishment of EU milk quotas is having on the current milk price in Ireland. From there, a short to medium assessment of how Irish dairy production is likely to evolve in the next one to four years is projected, followed by a forecast of Irelands long-term prospects up to and including 2025. The target markets of Irish dairy produce are then assessed including Ireland’s production strategy. Finally, an in-depth assessment of how farming structures will change as a result of EU milk quota removal is then forecasted.
Analysing the Perception of White-collar Gig Employees who chose the Gig Economy Over Conventional Work.
(2020) Basak, Srijani
Gig Economy has captured a lot of attention in the way things work and how the future of employment looks like with its advancements, it has captured high academic attention with never ending debates of labour regulation, future of work, job quality and impact of technology. But amongst all this, most research is done with the blue-collar sector of the Gig in mind, this paper tries to put some light on the less talked white-collar sector and how the Gig Economy has affected them or the way they work. This paper studies the challenges and perks of working in the gig economy by analysing the perspective of the white-collar employees who are a part of this Economy and who chose the Gig Economy after working on a traditional work for more than five years. The study proposes to look into the Gig Economy sector through the glasses of the white-collar executives to help organisations to understand them and their approach towards work better. This would also help the employees who want to transition towards the gig economy in taking their first steps. This work also envision the possibility of future study of the organisations hiring the Gig workers to understand their perspective or the impact of region and culture on the perspective of the gig worker and their working conditions.
Archetypal branding of Wall’s ice-cream to Millennials in Ireland.
(Griffith College, 2015) Mellett, Gráinne
Modern-day marketers are operating in a global, twenty-four hour market place, inundated with similar offerings. To succeed is to differentiate oneself from the competition, and in order to do so a company needs to become a brand; they need to go beyond the logo and develop a meaning system – a personality. One approach to the personification of brands is archetypal theory which helps a company develop a consistent brand around an archetype that acts as a “guiding star” or “true north” for all communications and enables a deeper emotional connection with consumers. This research explores how a suitable archetype for a brand is identified as applied to Unilever’s Heartbrand ice-creams in Ireland. This was achieved with a multi method approach that examined the brand the company had built alongside the brand they hoped to become, as well as consumers’ perceptions of the brand. This research discovered that the company had built a consistent brand in their previous communications to consumers prior to focusing their marketing efforts on branding, but that since turning their focus towards brand era marketing they had diluted their meaning system. The implications of this research were twofold. Firstly, that archetypal branding would serve to bring the company back on brand for all current and future campaigns; and that the archetype that their “true north” should be built around was a combination of the Trickster and the Enthusiast. And secondly, that there is sufficient potential for this approach to play a role in the creation and management of brands.
Archetypal branding of Wall’s ice-cream to Millennials in Ireland.
(Griffith College, 2015) Gráinne Mellett
Modern-day marketers are operating in a global, twenty-four hour market place, inundated with similar offerings. To succeed is to differentiate oneself from the competition, and in order to do so a company needs to become a brand; they need to go beyond the logo and develop a meaning system – a personality. One approach to the personification of brands is archetypal theory which helps a company develop a consistent brand around an archetype that acts as a “guiding star” or “true north” for all communications and enables a deeper emotional connection with consumers. This research explores how a suitable archetype for a brand is identified as applied to Unilever’s Heartbrand ice-creams in Ireland. This was achieved with a multi method approach that examined the brand the company had built alongside the brand they hoped to become, as well as consumers’ perceptions of the brand. This research discovered that the company had built a consistent brand in their previous communications to consumers prior to focusing their marketing efforts on branding, but that since turning their focus towards brand era marketing they had diluted their meaning system. The implications of this research were twofold. Firstly, that archetypal branding would serve to bring the company back on brand for all current and future campaigns; and that the archetype that their “true north” should be built around was a combination of the Trickster and the Enthusiast. And secondly, that there is sufficient potential for this approach to play a role in the creation and management of brands.
Cultural Branding and Storytelling : In the context of the skiing industry
(Griffith College, 2015) John Ward
In this dissertation the concept explored was the use of cultural branding in conjunction with storytelling in the marketing of destinations, with ski destination acting as the main context for discussion. This dissertation also examines how storytelling is used in the marketing within the ski industry. This paper explored which storytelling practices and brand theories could be best suited to the field of tourism marketing, with a focus on ski destinations. It is identified within this paper how storytelling can be used in the marketing of destinations, and how it can be used to connect brands to a wider audience. The process data of collecting data for this paper was through a series of open-ended interviews with experts with professional backgrounds from branding, national tourism, storytelling, and the ski industry. The results indicate that there are doubts over whether the principals of cultural branding are best suited to the marketing of destinations, although there is a scope for more research to be conducted. This research also found that storytelling is an effective tool for the marketing of destinations and for brands to communicate and emotionally connect with mass markets by triggering subconscious motivations through the use of storytelling. Marketers working within the ski industry are recommended to identify their strongest brand assets in order to understand the motivations on their customers and to encourage their customers to create their own user generated content in order to promote their brand story.
Cultural Branding and Storytelling: In the context of the skiing industry.
(Griffith College, 2015) Ward, John
In this dissertation the concept explored was the use of cultural branding in conjunction with storytelling in the marketing of destinations, with ski destination acting as the main context for discussion. This dissertation also examines how storytelling is used in the marketing within the ski industry. This paper explored which storytelling practices and brand theories could be best suited to the field of tourism marketing, with a focus on ski destinations. It is identified within this paper how storytelling can be used in the marketing of destinations, and how it can be used to connect brands to a wider audience. The process data of collecting data for this paper was through a series of open-ended interviews with experts with professional backgrounds from branding, national tourism, storytelling, and the ski industry. The results indicate that there are doubts over whether the principals of cultural branding are best suited to the marketing of destinations, although there is a scope for more research to be conducted. This research also found that storytelling is an effective tool for the marketing of destinations and for brands to communicate and emotionally connect with mass markets by triggering subconscious motivations through the use of storytelling. Marketers working within the ski industry are recommended to identify their strongest brand assets in order to understand the motivations on their customers and to encourage their customers to create their own user generated content in order to promote their brand story.
Customer Retention Strategies in Panda Retail Company at Saudi Arabia
(Griffith College, 2021) Deepak Mysore Srinivasa
Retention strategies or loyalty program is defined as systematic marketing initiatives that rewards and encourages loyal purchasing behavior among the consumers. Such purchasing behavior of the consumer ultimately benefits the company in the end. The present work focuses on studying various customer retention strategies in Panda Retail Company at Saudi Arabia. The research tries to assess the impact of customer retention strategies of panda retail stores on the purchasing behavior of their consumers. The proposed work is descriptive approach and applies sampling technique for selecting a sample of valid 205 respondents. Data is collected from secondary sources, and paired t-test was applied for analyzing the data by using SPSS software. The paper concludes that retention strategies are a good option for retail stores for retaining and attracting consumers and they should practice it regularly.
Exploring generational perceptions of pro-environmental packaging advantages: A case study of the packaging innovation of ‘compressed’ deodorants in Germany
(Griffith College, 2015) Susanna Besier
Over the past decades, public concerns about the environment have kept increasing. Conscious consumption has therefor become more and more important to consumers. Progressively, sustainable product advantages have become the decisive reason for buying a good. However, the actual influence of sustainable packaging innovation on consumers’ buyer’s decision has hardly been studied so far. Therefore, this study aims to find out, if the pro-environmental advantage of a sustainably packaged personal care product can be the distinctive factor in a consumer’s buying decision. The special case of Unilever’s ‘compressed’ deodorants was used in order to examine consumers’ motivators and barriers when buying a pro-environmental good. An additional key aim of the study was to explore, whether this newly packaged deodorant is seen as a trustworthy measure to promote sustainability or as being a greenwashing ‘portion-shrink’. A single case study design with two embedded units of different age generations were used to conduct 22 qualitative interviews. The respondents belonged either to the Babyboomer generation or the Generation Y, also known as Millennials. The data revealed that the main influencing factors in selecting a sustainable packaged deodorant were not pro-environmental advantages of the product’s packaging, but aspects such as quality, convenience and price. Relating to the sub-question, whether the ‘compressed’ deodorant could be seen as a credible measure to promote sustainability, it was found out that consumers needed additional information in order to be able to evaluate the correctness of the statement claimed ‘same effect – smaller size’. If sufficient information is not provided, the smaller packaging cannot function as a more reliable measure to promote sustainability. It seems that although the packaging innovation of ‘compressed’ deodorants could be seen as a proper measure to support sustainable consumption, consumers seem not yet ready to choose pro-environmental product advantages in favour of convenience or quality aspects.
Exploring generational perceptions of pro-environmental packaging advantages: A case study of the packaging innovation of ‘compressed’ deodorants in Germany.
(Griffith College, 2015) Besier, Susanna
Over the past decades, public concerns about the environment have kept increasing. Conscious consumption has therefor become more and more important to consumers. Progressively, sustainable product advantages have become the decisive reason for buying a good. However, the actual influence of sustainable packaging innovation on consumers’ buyer’s decision has hardly been studied so far. Therefore, this study aims to find out, if the pro-environmental advantage of a sustainably packaged personal care product can be the distinctive factor in a consumer’s buying decision. The special case of Unilever’s ‘compressed’ deodorants was used in order to examine consumers’ motivators and barriers when buying a pro-environmental good. An additional key aim of the study was to explore, whether this newly packaged deodorant is seen as a trustworthy measure to promote sustainability or as being a greenwashing ‘portion-shrink’. A single case study design with two embedded units of different age generations were used to conduct 22 qualitative interviews. The respondents belonged either to the Babyboomer generation or the Generation Y, also known as Millennials. The data revealed that the main influencing factors in selecting a sustainable packaged deodorant were not pro-environmental advantages of the product’s packaging, but aspects such as quality, convenience and price. Relating to the sub-question, whether the ‘compressed’ deodorant could be seen as a credible measure to promote sustainability, it was found out that consumers needed additional information in order to be able to evaluate the correctness of the statement claimed ‘same effect – smaller size’. If sufficient information is not provided, the smaller packaging cannot function as a more reliable measure to promote sustainability. It seems that although the packaging innovation of ‘compressed’ deodorants could be seen as a proper measure to support sustainable consumption, consumers seem not yet ready to choose pro-environmental product advantages in favour of convenience or quality aspects.
Implementation of female leadership characteristics within the German football industry – Illusion or possible option?
(2015) Jackwerth, Michaela Christine
In this study, it was shown that female leadership traits are of use within a male dominated industry but in combination with male leadership skills only, a socalled androgynous leadership style. These findings were related to the time this thesis was written. The dissertation examined the use of female leadership characteristics within the German football industry, differences between male and female leadership styles in general as well as within the chosen male domain. Furthermore, situations in which female characteristics are of benefit were identified. In order to identify stereotypical way of thinking related to gender in leadership positions within the football industry in Germany an experiment was being conducted, followed by an in-depth face-to-face interview with persons from different departments of one football club. Half of the participants were female to create a fair and equal unit of analysis. The majority of the participants, women as well as men, were of the opinion that the female leadership style, as one, cannot be used within the football industry but in comparison with masculine traits. This special form of leadership style is the so-called androgynous leadership style. Referring to the research findings, the German football industry will not be prepared to have the female leadership style only within the near future but evidence for the acceptance could be identified.
Implementation of female leadership characteristics within the German football industry – Illusion or possible option?
(Griffith College, 2015) Michaela Christine Jackwerth
In this study, it was shown that female leadership traits are of use within a male dominated industry but in combination with male leadership skills only, a socalled androgynous leadership style. These findings were related to the time this thesis was written. The dissertation examined the use of female leadership characteristics within the German football industry, differences between male and female leadership styles in general as well as within the chosen male domain. Furthermore, situations in which female characteristics are of benefit were identified. In order to identify stereotypical way of thinking related to gender in leadership positions within the football industry in Germany an experiment was being conducted, followed by an in-depth face-to-face interview with persons from different departments of one football club. Half of the participants were female to create a fair and equal unit of analysis. The majority of the participants, women as well as men, were of the opinion that the female leadership style, as one, cannot be used within the football industry but in comparison with masculine traits. This special form of leadership style is the so-called androgynous leadership style. Referring to the research findings, the German football industry will not be prepared to have the female leadership style only within the near future but evidence for the acceptance could be identified.
The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on the Buying Intentions of Millennial Consumers of Fast Fashion in Ireland: A Case Study of International Millennial Students in Dublin Colleges.
(Griffith College, 2021) Chinedu Ifechukwude Ezegbu
The current study explores the effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of fast fashion brands in Ireland on the buying intentions of millennial consumers. It involves international millennial students from three colleges in Dublin within the ages 24-30 who in 2021 are the youngest millennials based on Cone Communications’ research showing millennial variables. Millennials are perceived to be ethical and show the most awareness of business activities than other generations. However, despite this, they are consumers of fast fashion which is known for its sustainability issues. The research’s objectives are three-pronged: firstly; critically evaluating the CSR awareness level of millennial college students who are consumers of fast fashion. Secondly; the extent to which CSR activities of fast fashion firms affect these millennials’ buying intentions are determined and explored. Thirdly, factors that are most critical in influencing these millennials’ decisions to purchase from fast fashion brands are identified. To achieve these objectives and provide the study with the necessary structure, the under-listed research questions were put forward: What is the level of awareness of international millennial students in Dublin colleges regarding CSR initiatives of fast fashion brands in Ireland?; Does the social responsibility of fast fashion businesses have any real influence/effect on these millennial consumers’ intentions to purchase? and What factors are most critical in influencing the intentions of these millennial consumers to purchase from fast fashion brands? The research is exploratory and adopts a case study approach. It is qualitative in nature and the primary data collection method - semi-structured interviews were conducted for 9 participants from three colleges in Dublin. Also, the sampling method utilised for the sample selection is non-probability sampling– purposeful sampling. Qualitative Data Analysis was adopted to analyse the participants’ data and consumer buying behaviour theories such as Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Perceived Consumer Effectiveness (PCE) and were used to shed more light on the behaviours of this cohort. The research findings illustrate a good level of CSR awareness of the respondents as they recognise that fast fashion brands should have social responsibility. However, they are predominantly unaware of CSR initiatives of fast fashion brands in Ireland and factors like product price, quality and design/style are shown to play much more prominent roles in guiding the international millennial students’ purchasing intentions and not CSR activities of these brands.
The Impact of Financial Statement Analysis on Investing and Management Decision Making. A case of Allied Irish Bank Group Plc.
(Griffith College, 2019) Akpan, Usoroh Idemete
This research work was carried out with the aim of analysing the impact of financial analysis on investing and management decision making: A case study of Allied Irish Bank Group Plc. The problem of financial reporting is not a recent issue; therefore, several committees were set up to mitigate on these loopholes especially after the collapse of Enron and WorldCom. The study was anchored on the asymmetric information theory. The research is purely empirical with both primary and secondary data for the study sourced from the management of Allied Irish Bank Group Plc and the 2018 audited annual report of the company respectively. Descriptive statistics was used in analysing descriptive data from the primary survey while chi-square was used in testing the hypotheses of the study by developing a contingency table which took into consideration different variables to support the research objectives. The result of the hypotheses showed that; financial analysis is the best yardstick for measuring management efficiency in the absence of new project, financial statement analysis arriving at previous dividend payment does not influence the choice of investors in Allied Irish Bank Group Plc, financial statement analysis does indicate the good performance of an organisation, that there is a positive correlation relationship between profit after tax and proposed dividend of Allied Irish Bank Group Plc and lastly there is a positive correlation in the price movement between Allied Irish Bank Group Plc and Bank of Ireland (Its peer) . The study among others recommended that the bank should continuously review its mid to long-term strategy as this will in turn create value for the company which will encourage investors and shareholders.
The Impact of Financial Statement Analysis on Investing and Management Decision Making. A case of Allied Irish Bank Group Plc.
(Griffith College, 2019) Usoroh Idemete Akpan
This research work was carried out with the aim of analysing the impact of financial analysis on investing and management decision making: A case study of Allied Irish Bank Group Plc. The problem of financial reporting is not a recent issue; therefore, several committees were set up to mitigate on these loopholes especially after the collapse of Enron and WorldCom. The study was anchored on the asymmetric information theory. The research is purely empirical with both primary and secondary data for the study sourced from the management of Allied Irish Bank Group Plc and the 2018 audited annual report of the company respectively. Descriptive statistics was used in analysing descriptive data from the primary survey while chi-square was used in testing the hypotheses of the study by developing a contingency table which took into consideration different variables to support the research objectives. The result of the hypotheses showed that; financial analysis is the best yardstick for measuring management efficiency in the absence of new project, financial statement analysis arriving at previous dividend payment does not influence the choice of investors in Allied Irish Bank Group Plc, financial statement analysis does indicate the good performance of an organisation, that there is a positive correlation relationship between profit after tax and proposed dividend of Allied Irish Bank Group Plc and lastly there is a positive correlation in the price movement between Allied Irish Bank Group Plc and Bank of Ireland (Its peer) . The study among others recommended that the bank should continuously review its mid to long-term strategy as this will in turn create value for the company which will encourage investors and shareholders.
The influence of brand image on Generation Y consumers at electronic dance music festivals by creating a sensory and relational experiential environment linked to global brands.
(Griffith College, 2015) Hudson, Lauren E
This study shows that global brands can enhance their overall brand image by becoming involved in the sensory and relational EDM experience, depending on the type of brand, its personality and whether the Generation Y festivalgoer enjoyed consuming the brand within the festival experience. The dissertation focused on exploring a global brand’s involvement in the sensory (visual and sound) and relational (social) experiential environment of an electronic dance music festival in relation to enhancing brand image among Generation Y. The approach was taken from a social constructivist point of view that is exploratory and interpretivist in nature. The inductive research was conducted through a triangulation method, combining qualitative and quantitative data. The participant observational qualitative data was conducted through the experience of the researcher, by observing two global beverage brands, Red Bull and Heineken, at the EDM festival, Ultra Europe. Quantitative studies were explored through conducted surveys based on the research objective and conceptual framework. The surveys were completed using a non-probability purposive sampling method with 20 participants for the Heineken survey and 46 for the Red Bull survey, which was distributed via social media. The research uncovered the positive relationships and themes between the EDM experience, brand involvement and brand image based on the investigative studies of Red Bull and Heineken at Ultra Europe. Limitations to this research were evident due to the small sample size and bias of the researcher. Suggestions are made that in order to enhance the overall brand image in the sensory and relational experiential environment of an EDM festival, the global brand must already be seen as youth-conscious or energetic among Generation Y. If this is not the case, assumptions are made that the brand should consider taking an active involvement within the experience. Although this study lacks firm conclusions as the research is exploratory and interpretivist in nature, the data presents and analyses each factor of the created conceptual framework in relation to the research objective. This conceptual framework can be used for future studies, as assumptions are made that the framework is insightful in measuring how global brands should become involved in the sensory and relational experiential environment of an electronic dance music festival.
The influence of brand image on Generation Y consumers at electronic dance music festivals by creating a sensory and relational experiential environment linked to global brands.
(Griffith College, 2015) Lauren E. Hudson
This study shows that global brands can enhance their overall brand image by becoming involved in the sensory and relational EDM experience, depending on the type of brand, its personality and whether the Generation Y festivalgoer enjoyed consuming the brand within the festival experience. The dissertation focused on exploring a global brand’s involvement in the sensory (visual and sound) and relational (social) experiential environment of an electronic dance music festival in relation to enhancing brand image among Generation Y. The approach was taken from a social constructivist point of view that is exploratory and interpretivist in nature. The inductive research was conducted through a triangulation method, combining qualitative and quantitative data. The participant observational qualitative data was conducted through the experience of the researcher, by observing two global beverage brands, Red Bull and Heineken, at the EDM festival, Ultra Europe. Quantitative studies were explored through conducted surveys based on the research objective and conceptual framework. The surveys were completed using a non-probability purposive sampling method with 20 participants for the Heineken survey and 46 for the Red Bull survey, which was distributed via social media. The research uncovered the positive relationships and themes between the EDM experience, brand involvement and brand image based on the investigative studies of Red Bull and Heineken at Ultra Europe. Limitations to this research were evident due to the small sample size and bias of the researcher. Suggestions are made that in order to enhance the overall brand image in the sensory and relational experiential environment of an EDM festival, the global brand must already be seen as youth-conscious or energetic among Generation Y. If this is not the case, assumptions are made that the brand should consider taking an active involvement within the experience. Although this study lacks firm conclusions as the research is exploratory and interpretivist in nature, the data presents and analyses each factor of the created conceptual framework in relation to the research objective. This conceptual framework can be used for future studies, as assumptions are made that the framework is insightful in measuring how global brands should become involved in the sensory and relational experiential environment of an electronic dance music festival.
The influence of subjective norms on Bretons’ attitudes: The case of AB fresh foods.
(Griffith College, 2015) Lucie Le Goff
The aim of this study was to identify subjective norms that shape individuals’ decisionmaking processes, and analyse their power of influence, especially concerning organic fresh foods purchases. In order to understand this social influence, fifteen Breton organic food buyers have been interviewed with intent to collect their personal opinions. Data on their buying habits also have been collected and strongly supported the fact that fresh foods are the most popular products. Three main consumer profiles could have been reached from this qualitative survey, which could be defined as regular consumers, irregular consumers and consumers in conflict, according to their shopping habits and the perceived pressure over their purchases that modify their behaviour. Social status was not deemed to play an important role, but the presence of children could be considered as a crucial factor. While external factors related to product characteristics, such as price, taste, origin or label, have an impact on consumers’ perception of organic products, family members and friends could reinforce or, on the contrary, mitigate individuals’ beliefs. Peers from furthest referent groups, colleagues, fellow members in associations or sports clubs for instance, did not have the same power on individuals, because their opinion seemed to be less legitimate. However, within the circle of friends and family, a two-way influence was possible, since some individuals were aware of their own power of influence. Generally, this research showed that these consumers have positive beliefs and attitudes toward organic foods as well as the AB label, but their knowledge level about what it implies was not widespread. Only the cluster of consumers in conflict demonstrated distrust and scepticism, as they had to face divergent views from different sources of information. These new consumption patterns are difficult to analyse, as there are lots of different .opinions and ways to behave, which are inherent to accessibility issues. Thus, the main issues resulting from this research was the lack of information easily at the disposal of individuals, and their lack of deeper research on this subject. Besides, financial and geographical accesses also restrain the popularisation of such products.

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