Hasil untuk "Business"

Lelia Voinea, Ana-Maria Badea, Răzvan Dina et al.

Plant-based diets are increasingly attracting attention as they play a significant role in human health and environmental sustainability and are believed to be key components of sustainable food systems. In the present study, both pros and cons of the adoption of plant-based diets are analyzed using a bibliometric method integrated with a qualitative examination of the scientific literature. For the bibliometric study, Bibliometrix software was utilized, examining 3245 scientific articles, downloaded from the Scopus database, and printed between the years 1957 and 2025. The analyses were conducted using R software, version 4.4.1, with access to the Bibliometrix package, version 4.1. The results indicate a remarkable rise, in the last two decades, in the scholarly focus on the influence of plant-based diets on the individual’s health condition as well as the environment. Keyword co-occurrence studies and international collaborations demonstrate a dominance of research focus in both the United States and Europe, with significant contributions from the Asia–Pacific region. Furthermore, the current work offers qualitative identification of the benefits of plant diets from various perspectives like nutritional, economic, ecological, and cultural. It also explores the main dissuaders from adhering to these diets, including perceived nutritional hazards, cost perceptions, low availability, and social prohibitions. Findings emphasize that, in spite of all the barriers, plant food-based diets have a wide-ranging ability to provide tangible benefits at both the individual and population levels, and documented in the scientific literature are recommendations of expert-led education programs, economic incentives, and judiciously framed public policies to overcome these barriers and to make this transition possible towards sustainable food choices. Findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the current lines of inquiry and stage the subsequent work on how to motivate sustainability among the general population.

Юлія Нежид

Статтю присвячено актуальним питанням, що пов’язані з диджиталізацією системи обліково-інформаційного забезпечення в умовах сьогодення. Доведено важливість цифрової трансформації у контексті сучасного бізнес-середовища включаючи вплив війни на цей процес. Розглянуто і проаналізовано найпопулярніші програмні рішення та онлайн-сервіси, які зараз використовуються для забезпечення системи обліково-інформаційного забезпечення. Визначено та схарактеризовано основні цифрові технології, які можна впроваджувати у сферу обліку як окремо, так і в кооперації. Продемонстровано ключові перешкоди, які впливають на процес диджиталізації обліку. Наведено перелік основних переваг диджиталізації обліку в умовах війни, що підкреслює її важливість у процесі забезпечення ефективного та безперервного управління діяльністю підприємства.

Chun-Wei Huang, Si Ying Yau, Chiao-Ling Kuo et al.

Study region: The Choushui River Fan, Taiwan. Study focus: Groundwater overdraft has led to not only groundwater depletion but also environmental disasters, such as subsidence and seawater intrusion in the Choushui River Alluvial Fan, Taiwan. The influence of land subsidence is gradually shifting from the coast to the center of the fan and threatening Taiwan high-speed rail. However, it remains a great challenge to manage and model the groundwater aquifer due to numerous unregulated wells. This study maps and locates private wells using deep learning technologies. We trained and validated convolutional-based deep learning neural networks (DNNs), using street view images. We applied the DNNs to a land subsidence area along the Taiwan high-speed rail, termed the Golden Corridor in Taiwan. The results showed that DNNs can recognize pumping wells with at least 90% accuracy. The testing cases showed their capability to recall all the pumping wells in three road segments along the Golden Corridor. Finally, we spatially estimated potential pumping of a subsidence area using the fine-trained DNNs. New hydrological insights for the region: Given the prevalence of unknown private pumping in the Choushui River Fan, our image data-driven computer vision approach not only eases labor-intensive private well investigations but also advances hydrologic understanding for groundwater modeling. We enhance comprehension of unknown sinks and provide their spatial distribution to improve groundwater modeling.

Alwan Azhari, Tuti Anggraini

Customers experience many problems in making direct transactions through ATM outlets such as waiting for queues at banks, remote home locations, checking bank statements and several other problems. The research aims to see the effect of virtual account billing, payment transactions, and e-statements on customer convenience in applying m-banking. This study used quantitative research methods and distributed questionnaires to 100 respondents of Sharia Banking study program students of North Sumatra State Islamic University 2019 and then processed on the SPSS application Version 29.0. This study shows that simultaneously all variables used, namely virtual account billing, payment transactions, and e-statements simultaneously have a significant influence shown by the results of the F value of the table of 20.782 > 2.70. Partially, payment transaction variables and e-statements have a significant effect on customer convenience. While the virtual account variable has no influence on the ease of customers in applying m-banking.

Steven S. Posavac, Heidi D. Posavac, Donald R. Gaffney et al.

This article promotes the development of clinical consumer psychology; the study of how dysfunctional and maladaptive cognitive and behavioral processes interact with individuals’ consumer experience and behaviors. The article is organized around three primary discussion points: (a) A definition of clinical consumer psychology, supported by illustrative examples of recent research. (b) The delineation of 10 broad priorities for future work that can be used to generate specific research possibilities. (c) How the field will benefit if researchers work within the clinical consumer psychology paradigm, and the bi-directional relationship whereby research in this vein would benefit both fields in which judgment and decision processes are focal (e.g., consumer psychology, marketing, and social cognition) as well as clinical psychology.

Kuo-Shu Yuan, Tung Ng, Tung-Ju Wu

This study aims to investigate the non-linear relationship between abusive supervision and employee innovation behavior and further examine how job performance moderates this relationship. Two hundred and seventy-six employees across three industries (restaurant service, tourism, and financial service) in China participated in this study and completed the survey at two time points. The results of curve regression show as follows: (1) There exists a non-linear relationship between abusive supervision and innovation behavior, and (2) job performance moderates the non-linear relationship between abusive supervision and employee innovation behavior. For employees who perform well at work, there exists a U-shaped relationship between abusive supervision and innovative behavior. Whereas, for employees with poor job performance, when abusive supervision reaches a certain level, it will promote employee innovation behavior; and the excess of abusive supervision will inhibit employee innovation behavior, showing an inverted U-shaped curve relationship. The finding suggests it is important for managers to understand the stakes arising from abusive supervision. That is, managers should manipulate the right level of abuse supervision to promote employee innovation behavior.

M.S. movahedifar, M. Taghvaee Yazdi, Mohammad Salehi

Background and Objectives: Today, the creation of shared value between institutions, organizations and businesses is one of the important factors of economic growth and business development and improving stakeholder relations. Therefore, this study aimed to design and validate a tool to measure shared value creation in technology businesses with a practical purpose. The main goal of the researcher in the present study was to answer this question: what are the dimensions of the common value creation evaluation tool for technology businesses? The study further attempted  to design and validate psychometrics co-value creation tools for technology businesses.Methods: The research adopted a mixed method (grounded theory). Qualitative statistical population consisted of CEOs and board members in the field of information technology and technology businesses and new technology-based businesses. Through purposeful sampling method in accordance with the law of saturation of opinions, 14 people were selected. Statistical community in the qantitative part included more than 2773 companies active in the information technology industry, which are available on the website (www.ictkey.ir) and, consequently, the same number of top and senior managers; Also, due to lack of accurate transparency of information about the statistical community and considering the sample size formula without a statistical population in terms of proportion of 408 first, second and third tier managers working in the field of technology businesses, especially in the field of IT&ICT and new areas of technology, the public and private institutions or companies in Tehran were included by simple random sampling. The primary tool was extensive study of theoretical foundations, previous research, related articles and interviews with experts, which eventually led to the design of the initial questionnaire. Then, face validity and quantitative and qualitative content were examined and its reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha method and combined reliability with a value above 0.7. Finally, the confirmatory factor analysis of the mentioned tool was confirmed using SPSS21 and Samartpls3 software.Findings: Findings indicate that in formal and quantitative validity content, the effects score of items less than 1.5 and content validity ratio less than 0.62 and content validity index less than 0.79 were removed, which included categories such as internal and external stakeholders, mental integrity and agreements, social psychology, resources and benefits, foresight & futurism, win-win cultural feature, analysis, initiation and pioneering. The results of confirmatory factor analysis test showed that the dimensions of shared value creation include 12 dimensions describing: interactive processes, technology performance/ functionality, customer focus, sustainable value, co-creation requirements, value creation, culture, decision making, economics, value learning, Policies and rules and regulations, opportunities and indicators include 28 components such as needs assessment/needs building, participation and production of shared value, satisfaction and indexable, operation of smart tools/tools, paradigm/technological view, customer, service-based, Based on continuous processes, and model and strategy, social and legal areas, infrastructure, information acquisition and sharing, policy/governance, value generation and absorption, stimulus, benefit sharing, cultural variable, online and up-to-date proposing system, financial, optimal consumption, investors, defining and applying the concept of value, university and higher education, fostering creative manpower, protecting intellectual property, government support policies, motivating and brainstorming individuals, creation opportunities.Conclusion: In evaluating the validity of the structure, the factor load value of all items, appropriate values above 0.4, the reliability of both criteria (Cronbach's alpha, combined reliability), all dimensions above 0.7, the mean extracted variance and all dimensions greater than 0.5 were obtained and approved. Finally, the findings of this study indicated that the designed tool included 12 dimensions and 28 components that had appropriate and strong credibility and reliability and can be used to assess the joint co-creation of value in technological businesses for business excellence and development and creating a new business and economic environment. 

USMAN, A., CHOUDHRY, M. A.

Static Transfer Switch (STS) is required for high-speed transfer of essential load to the alternate power source when the main source fails due to power disturbance (PD). A fast and accurate PD detection method is required to ensure transfer time recommended by Computer Business Equipment Manufacturers Association (CBEMA) and IEEE Std. 446. This study encompasses the machine learning technique to reduce detection time for the disturbance on the preferred source. The 10 sample frames of acquired voltage signal were first differentiated and then distinctive features, i.e., Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) and Energy (E) were extracted from the resultant frames. The features were fed to the Linear Support Vector Machine (L-SVM) classifier to detect the occurrence of PD events. The proposed approach achieved 100% accuracy for PD detection and detection time was significantly reduced. The system is robust in terms of unbalanced and marginal PDs. The system was validated using both simulated and real voltage signals. The proposed algorithm is easy to implement on an embedded system. Hence, detection time according to STS requirements can be achieved under various power system conditions.

Mauricio Alberto Balarezo Noboa

La economía creativa es considerada como la generación de riqueza basada en el talento, la propiedad intelectual, la conectividad y la cultura en un país, elementos que son apuntalados desde la innovación y el uso de la tecnología. Las actividades creativas aportarían más de dos billones de dólares anuales a la economía mundial. Este estudio pretende conocer las tendencias de los estudiantes de administración de empresas para implementar proyectos creativos, también trata de identificar aquellos elementos de apoyo que deberían provenir tanto de la academia como del Estado hacia el desarrollo de este sector. Se utilizó el método exploratorio descriptivo, estudio de caso en la Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas de la Universidad Central del Ecuador, aplicando encuestas a estudiantes de los últimos niveles pertenecientes a sus tres carreras. El cuestionario se basó en las actividades de la clasificación sectorial de las industrias creativas de la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre Comercio y Desarrollo (UNCTAD). Entre los resultados se menciona que los estudiantes tienden por la implementación de  proyectos de servicios de publicidad, los relacionados con actividades de I+D y artesanías. Los elementos de apoyo que son necesidad de los estudiantes de esta rama son la formación en propiedad intelectual, capital semilla, asistencia técnica en diseño de prototipos y políticas de Estado apropiadas.

Daniel Gonzalez, Szeifoul Afadlal, Kristin Lizal et al.

Background: It is known that eye enucleation causes various morphological and functional alterations in the central nervous system (CNS). The purpose of this study was to examine the sub-chronic effects of monocular enucleation on the distribution of the calcium binding proteins calbindin D28k (CB) and parvalbumin (PV) as well as the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity in the superior colliculus (SC) of Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty young adult (8 weeks) male Wistar rats from SLC (Shizuoka, Japan), weighing 200-250 grams, were housed in separate cages under controlled conditions with a constant temperature kept in 12:12 light/dark cycle and ad libitum water and food. In this study the rats were divided into two groups, a control and an enucleated groups. The experimental group received unilateral eye enucleation and was allowed 1, 4 or 12 weeks recovery before sacrificed. Results: Unilateral enucleation over a period of 1 week or more caused a decrease in the number CB-immunoreactive (CBIR) neurons. This loss was associated with an increase in GFAP-IR astrocytes in the superficial gray layer and the optic layer of the SC with contralateral side predominance. In addition, the CB-IR neurons illustrated a smaller soma and poor dendritic arborization. Conversely, the GFAP-IR astrocytes were hypertrophied with longer foot processes on the contralateral side of enucleation. Interestingly, the number of PV-IR neurons was elevated for up to 4 weeks in enucleated rats versus shamoperated rats. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the importance of calcium-binding protein homeostasis and reversible glial response for maintaining variability of neuronal function in sub-cortical visual centers following optic nerve deafferentation. Keywords: enucleation, superior colliculus, calbindin D28k, parvalbumin, glial fibrillary acidic protein

zumaroh zumaroh

At present, Islamic banking in Indonesia is growing up fastly and very fantastic with the unique financial management system. The global monetary crisis have brought it’s cleverness in the Islamic banking development besouse the world societies, the experts, and the prudence makers desire to apply shariah concept seriously. The Islamic financial institutions (including Islamic banking) appear as one of Shariah concept applications with no refusal. Even it’s excepted because of the real influence, so that Islamic banking is prospecting in the future. Its offers the real investment and benefit (revenue) by profit – lost sharing system. The interest-free concept in Islamic banking operation makes it different from conventional banking that based on interest-fee. Besides, the application of Good Corporate Governance in Islamic banking is expected to be able to increase the precious for stakeholders. The GCG aplication is excpected to increase publics trust to Islamic banking financial management system, maintain the growth of Islamic financial industries and the stability of whole financial system, and bring the Islamic finance institutions into of playing field level that equal with other international finance institutions.

Untung Setiono, Hermanto Siregar, Lukytawati Anggraeni

n 2012, the electronic payment system transactions reached IDR 104.830 trillion or increase 46,52% from the previous year.  PT. XYZ is the  pioneer in the electronic payment system Indonesia  and still one of the leading companies in electronic payment system interbank, through ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) and EDC (Electronic Data Capture) in Indonesia.  In 2012 the company spent USD 3,4 million on software tandem from a foreign vendor.  Therefore it is important to study (1) policy on the modal structure of the company, (2) the working capital policy of the company, (3) the monetary performance relationship of the company based on the 2 policies.  The method used to analyze the data is multiple linear regression analysis; this method is used to calculate the relationship between the structure variable of the capital and working capital.  The result is; 1) the structure policy on the capital of the company is in accordance with the Pecking Order theory where the company uses their own capital before applying the long term debt to the others, 2) the inefficient policy on the company’s working capital is because most of the active asset is in monthly deposit bonds and even extended  the active debt, 3) the relationship between short term debt and liquidity ratio is negative while the total debt (short and long term) has a positive correlation with the solvability/leverage ratio of the company.  The research recommends the management to decrease the active asset and uses it for long term investment not only for timed deposit. Keywords:  ATM, EDC, capital structure, financial performance      Abstrak Voulme transaksi dalam menggunakan sistem pembayaran elektronis pada tahun 2012 mencapai Rp104.830 triliun atau meningkat sekitar 46,52% dari tahun sebelumnya. PT XYZ adalah salah satu perusahaan pionir dalam sistem bidang pembayaran elektronis di Indonesia dan tetap menjadi pemain utama dalam sistem pembayaran elektronis antar bank, ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) dan EDC (Electronic Data Capture). Di tahun 2012 perusahaan membeli software tandem dari vendor luar negeri dimana menghabiskan dana USD 3,4 juta, dengan pembelian ini maka dari itu penting untuk di teliti: 1) kebijakan struktur modal perusahaan, 2) kebijakan modal kerja  perusahaan dan 3) hubungan kinerja keuangan perusahaan berdasarkan dua kebijakan tersebut. Metode yang digunakan adalah analisis regresi linier berganda, mengukur hubungan variabel struktur modal dan modal kerja perusahaan. Pada penelitian telah menemukan: 1) kebijakan struktur modal perusahaan sejalan dengan teori Pecking Order, dimana perusahaan lebih menggunakan dana modal sendiri sebelum menggunakan hutang jangka panjang pada pihak lain, 2) kebijakan modal kerja perusahaan kurang efisien, dikarenakan sebagian besar asset lancar adalah dalam bentuk deposito berjangka bulanan dan bahkan melebihi hutang lancer itu sendiri, dan 3) hubungan antara hutang jangka pendek dan rasio likuiditas adalah negative, sedangkan total hutang (jangka pendek dan jangka panjang) berkorelasi positif dengan rasio solvabilitas/leverage perusahaan. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan manajemen untuk lebih mengurangi asset lancer mereka dan lebih menggunakan asset tersebut untuk investasi jangka panjang, bukan hanya untuk deposito berjangka. Kata kunci: ATM, EDC, regresi, struktur modal, kinerja keuangan

Elena Alcalde Peñalver

La obra Current Approaches to Business and Institutional Translation, editada por Daniel Gallego-Hernández, supone un compendio novedoso de las principales aportaciones del congreso sobre traducción económica, comercial, financiera e institucional celebrado en la Universidad de Alicante en mayo de 2014. La obra resulta de interés para traductores que estén iniciándose en estos ámbitos de especialidad, traductores con experiencia, docentes e investigadores, pues aporta información práctica sobre cuestiones terminológicas que pueden resultar difíciles de abordar, consejos prácticos para conseguir un mayor nivel de especialización y con distintos tipos de clientes (entidades financieras, instituciones públicas, organismos internacionales), y metodologías de investigación y de trabajo que se pueden adoptar para futuros estudios. 

E. V. Gruzdeva

This article presents an analysis of the most important issues in priority development areas, including the commitment of the Kamchatka region in which such territory is focused primarily on the development of tourism. The relevance of the article due to the increase in the activity of creation of territories of operahouse development in Russia.Goal/objectives. The purpose of this article is to identify both advantages and disadvantages of priority development areas as a mechanism of economic development. To achieve this goal, the author formulated and solved two tasks – analysis of theoretical questions of development of territories of priority development and evaluation of a practical example of creating such a site.Methodology. The theoretical basis of the research was normative legal acts devoted to the question of priority development areas and strategic documents of the Kamchatka region. As a methodological basis of applied methods: analysis, synthesis, analogy, comparison, induction and deduction.Results. Found that despite the existing shortcomings and limitations, the creation of territories of priority development is an eff ective tool for the development of entrepreneurship.Conclusions/significance. Creation within the country's territory, favorable for attracting long-term investment, is a widespread global practice to attract large companies. In Russia, this tool is relatively new, but is already actively used for the development of entrepreneurial activities in troubled regions.This tool provides its residents with sufficient opportunities to gain competitive advantage, accordingly, is a critical study of all questions of implementation and follow-up work of priority development areas, given companies' business activities both within and outside the area.

Olena V. Iarmosh, Anastasiya O. Mikhailichenko, Olena S. Parkhomenko

The article gives a general description of “crowdfunding”, and presents his interpretation proposed by various scholars. The authors have investigated crowdfunding as an alternative financing of startups, features and main obstacles to the functioning of Ukrainian crowdfunding platforms. The crowdfunding scheme allows to finance a developer project, including an arbitrary amount of donors, while having a minimum amount of contribution. The peculiarity of Ukrainian crowdfunding is there are only a few Kraudfanding platforms, which are more directed to humanitarian, social, environmental and cultural projects, the cost of which is relatively small. At the same time, Ukrainian projects, which have a purely commercial purpose, are placed on foreign platforms, and that leads to exit of successful business over the territory of Ukraine. In order to overcome such an outflow of ideas and funds, it is necessary to create a legislative framework in the field of crowdfunding in matters of responsibility and preservation of rights and obligations of the participants, as well as formation of a culture of national financing among Ukrainians.

Prescott C. Ensign, Jonathan Fast, Stefan Hentsch

Sulastri sulastri, Chichi Andriani, Yuki Fitria

The purpose of this research was to observe the effect of the age of the organization department in Padang State University on performance through human capital, structural capital and relational capital. The sample is all of department in Padang State University, which is 33 departments. The data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using partial least squares (PLS). The results showed that the age of the department is not direct and significant impact on the department performance. While the age departments significantly affect the department's human capital, structural capital and relational capital. Furthermore, the human capital, structural capital and relational capital significantly positive affect the department performance. This research failed to prove the existence of variable human capital, structural capital and relational capital as a mediating variable but serves as an intervening variable. Its means that age of department performance cannot determine performance without increasing the human capital, structural capital and relational capital.

Widayanti Widayanti, Eko Nusantoro, Kusnarto Kurniawan

Tujuan penelitian ini untuk memperoleh informasi atau temuan empiris tentang meningkatkan aktualisasi diri melalui layanan penguasaan konten pada siswa kelas VII SMP Negeri 2 Lebaksiu Tegal. Populasinya adalah seluruh  kelas VII SMP Negeri 2 Lebaksiu Tegal yang berjumlah 286 siswa dan sampel yang berjumlah 28 siswa menggunakan purposeive sampling. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan skala aktualisasi diri. Instrumen tersebut telah diujicobakan untuk digunakan dalam penelitian menggunakan validitas dengan rumus product moment oleh Pearson dan reabilitas instrument dengan rumus Alpha. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan yakni analisis deskriptif persentase dan Uji t ( t-test). Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa terdapat peningkatan aktualisasi diri melalui layanan penguasaan konten, dengan nilai thitung = 17,960 > ttabel = 2,052. Simpulan dari penelitian ini yakni aktualisasi diri dapat ditingkatkan melalui layanan penguasaan konten. Oleh karena itu, diharapkan guru pembimbing dapat lebih mengintensifkan layanan penguasaan konten kepada siswa sebagai strategi alternatif untuk membantu siswa meningkatkan aktualisasi diri. The aim for this research was to get information or empirical finding about increasing effect of self actualization as the result of content mastery. Population of this study was 7 grade students of the VII class in SMP Negeri 2 Lebaksiu Tegal which consist of 286 students. 28 students was selected using purposive sampling technique. Data collection techniques using self actualization scale. The instrument has been tested for validity using Pearson product moment and reliability of the instrument with alpha formula. Data analysis used pearson product moment, descriptive percentage, and t-test. The result showed there was increasment of self actualization through mastery of content service with tcount = 17,960> ttable = 2,052. From this reasearch it can be concluded that self actualization could be increased through mastery of content service. It is hoped that the teacher as a guide can be more intensively applicate mastery of content service to the students as an alternative strategy to help students increase self actualization.

Reza Aghaee, Milad Aghaee, Asghar Aghaee

This study aims to consider the relationships between job fatigue, organizational citizenship behavior and organizational atmosphere. The evaluation of each variable is a kind of decision making problem which has systematic transaction between variables. So, Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) is suitable for defining the cause and effect relationships between variables. We can use this method as a way for managing interdependencies in a set of variable. This study has applied the ideas of 10 experts and specialist of human resource management in Iran-Khodro Diesel. The results showed that job fatigue effects on organizational citizenship and organizational atmosphere, organizational atmosphere effects on job fatigue and organizational citizenship behavior, organizational culture effects on job fatigue, organizational citizenship behavior and organizational atmosphere. On the other hand, organizational citizenship behavior is the most impressible and organizational culture is the most effective variables.

F. J. Herbst, C. L. Forrest

Companies within the FMCG sector are continually trying to create value from their brands by increasing their margins and/or selling more of their products. Taking cost out of the value chain gives the company a competitive advantage, but this advantage is short lived as competitors also reduce costs. Differentiating a product through enhanced features and benefits also provides a competitive advantage, but is also subject to imitation by rivals. As competition increases, companies are looking for new avenues to differentiate themselves. Relationship marketing has, as a result, increased its prevalence as a competitive tool to provide that point of difference. This research investigated the factors that influence the relationships between a Coca-Cola sales representative and his/her customers within the Cape Town region. This article was developed after studying literature as it pertained to customer relationship marketing. From the literature the foundation blocks in developing buyer-seller relationships were studied. The research methodology tested the impact of certain factors on the ability to build a relationship between buyer and seller and then tested the validity of those answers using underlying determinants of a relationship. These determinants included the ability to communicate, the ability to trust, the degree of loyalty and the ability to influence a customer. The response to the questionnaires was extremely high (over 95%) and provided for a robust evaluation of data. The research showed that there was a positive correlation between the profile of a sales representative and a customer. It is easier for a sales representative to build a relationship with a customer who is a similar age. It is however easier for the sales representative to influence a younger customer. Gender plays no role in a sales representative’s ability to build a relationship. With respect to education, a stronger relationship exists between a customer and sales representative of a similar education. Again it is easier for a representative to influence a customer who has a lower level of education. Race does have an impact on the ability to build relationships. The research showed that an African sales representative should service an African customer. There was a positive link between matching sales representatives and customers who come from similar areas and have the same religion. There was no correlation between the degree of the relationship that a Coca-Cola sales representative in the Western Cape region has with a customer and the sales growth within the outlets. This final conclusion must be read in the context of the relative high market share that the Coca-Cola Company has in the Western Cape.