Preece, C N (1993) A study of the management of promotion for competitive advantage in UK construction firms. PhD thesis, Heriot-Watt University, UK.
Abstract
This empirical research study focuses on the application of promotional management in UK construction firms. Relevant theories are reviewed and a model is developed. Promotion is seen within the context of the strategic and marketing management of the firm. The study provides an insight into the management organisation, processes and relative importance of promotional techniques for competitive differentiation through research involving construction firms and their promotional design and public relations consultants and advertising agents. The research examines the effectiveness of promotion, through surveys of client organisations and professional architectural, quantity surveying and other advisors. The combination of theoretical prediction and empirical research indicates an emphasis by construction firms on personal contacts and sales presentation across the design and management services offered, supported by other non-personal promotional techniques. Clients and their professional advisors rely on word-of-mouth recommendations from previous clients and to a much lesser extent on the promotion of construction firms. Problems of promotion identified in the research concern promotional material used as direct mail or in pre-selection presentations. These can be specified in terms of a lack of tailoring, targeting of efforts, and competitive differentiation through communication of specific benefits or the problem solving skills of the management team. Firms recognise the importance of good personal relationships with clients. However promotion is not given a sufficient priority in a highly competitive and dynamic environment.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Male, S |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | advertising; architect; client; construction firms; management of the firm; marketing; professional; public relations; quantity surveying; skills |
| Index terms: | problem solving, differentiation, agent, public relation, management service, word-of-mouth, relative importance, surveying, client organization, construction firm, survey, management of the firm, marketing, effectiveness, architect, competitive advantage, promotion, advertising |
| Subjects: | business, organization, client relations, data collection methods, risk assessment, profession, practitioner, health monitoring assessment and metrics, participation process, decision-making and reasoning, performance management, management, professional development, market analysis |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Information Management, Business Strategy, Health and Safety, Risk Management, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Quality Management, Human Resources, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here