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A key issue for B2B industrial firms is to better understand the drivers of customer value and contract renewal decisions, due to the long-term supplier-customer relationships. When the B2B firm is operating across national boundaries, there is added complexity to the renewal decision, because the drivers are also influenced by cultural considerations. The purpose of this paper is to examine the main drivers of customer value creation and contract renewal intentions, for a large B2B firm operating in both the USA and Japan and compare the two data sets.

The company, which provided the data for the study, is a US Fortune 100 firm in the facilities management industry, operating worldwide. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire from a sample of the firm’s customers in two of its largest markets, the USA and Japan. The authors used PLS to analyze the data, and compare and contrast the drivers.

The findings highlight both similarities and differences across the two countries for the most influential drivers of customer value and contract renewal. Although no differences were found when examining the effect of relational drivers on contract renewal, differences were observed for utilitarian drivers: product quality and price.

The authors expected the relational drivers of contract renewal to be stronger in the high-context culture of Japan, but found that there were no differences with the US market. While relational drivers are important in the decision-making process in both countries, it seems that managers should focus more on price considerations in Japan. In contrast, product quality is relatively more important in the USA, when negotiating contract renewals with customers.

Noticeably absent from the B2B services literature is its application to international markets. In particular, research is lacking on the specific drivers of customer value and contract renewal intentions in the USA and Japan, despite the importance of long-term on-going contractual relationships in these markets. This study has provided additional insights into the complex world of contract renewal between international buyers and sellers of large industrial systems.

The purpose of this paper is to provide tests to apply and establish what factors are relevant in determining whether or not an employee had a reasonable expectation of renewal of a fixed‐term contract as envisaged in section 186(1)(b) of the 1995 LRA.

The paper draws from case studies to examine whether these actionable conducts can be defined in a precise way.

The common law scenario, has been materially altered by the provisions of section 186(1)(b) of the 1995 LRA that the employers' non‐renewal of the contract or offer to renew the contract whilst the employee reasonably expected the employer to renew the contract therefore it constitutes a dismissal.

The common law interpreted that where a fixed‐term contract expires, where an express term in the contract stipulates that there is no expectation to renew the contract in the mind of the employee concerned that the contract will be renewed again; the employer will have no contractual remedy available to him. This paper calls upon common law to use and pro‐actively manage labour law responsibilities and further refine the existing dismissal tools.

This paper contributes the rethinking of labour rights is necessary because the social, economic and political environments in which they were first conceived have been fundamentally affected by modern globalization and the expansion of the network society.

December 14, 1972 Master and servant — Redundancy — Dismissal — Renewal of contract — Sale of hotel — Acceptance by employee of same wages — Wages subsequently reduced without employee's agreement — Whether renewal of contract by conduct of purchaser — Whether renewal “by agreement with employee” — Redundancy Payments Act 1965 (c 62) ss. 3 (2) (a), 13 (2).

Liberalisation of the European electricity sector has allowed the industrial consumers to freely choose their electricity suppliers. Proliferation of different contract proposals for such supply means that all proposals need to be carefully evaluated for correct supplier renewal choice. The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology for the evaluation of heterogeneous proposals of electricity supply that would help industrial consumers to be ready to face supply contractors.

The method relies on a three‐stage analysis: characterisation of electricity consumption in the industrial process; demand forecasts based on energy drivers and consumption characterisation; and finally a detailed tariff analysis. The method is illustrated through a case study of a renewal contract of an Italian industrial plant with a 20 percent incidence of electrical energy cost on the final product. The investigation also includes a sensitivity analysis on combustible basket price and the distribution of daily working load.

The evaluation of 14 proposals for the case study was carried out and the best offer for the case study company was selected. However, the overall price variation is 4 percent among different proposals and the electrical energy price shows an increase of 12 percent compared with the previous year. This suggests limited effectiveness of the competitive market in the Italian context.

The method can be considered as a practical guide for the electrical energy contract renewal process of any industrial consumer that would help minimize its cost.

The proposed method is based on an innovative investigation of the consumption characterisation of the industry based on energy drivers. This approach allows the industries to develop their own strategies for the contract renewal. The analysis presented here could be expanded to include more specific supply clauses for a more comprehensive analysis.

December 15, 1972 Master and Servant — Redundancy — Redundancy payment — Dismissal — Renewal of contract or re‐engagement — Change in ownership of business — Termination of contract one week later — Whether contract of employment renewed on same terms and conditions — Whether employee entitled to redundancy payment from previous employer — Redundancy Payments Act, 1965 (c.62), ss.3(2), 13(2).

To minimize customer churn, many service providers offer consumers the option of automatic contract renewal at the end of a contract period. Such agreements are known as rollover service contracts (RSCs). This research quantifies the effect of RSCs and other related factors, such as incentives, on consumers' service choice decisions.

The study adopts choice-based conjoint analysis to assess the effect of RSCs on consumers' choices and to determine whether effect size varies when selecting a cell phone network or gym/leisure club provider, which represent lower-priced utilitarian and higher-priced hedonic services.

It was found that RSCs produce negative perceptions and intended behaviors for the majority of consumers across different product types. Nevertheless, as explained by social exchange theory, many individuals may be persuaded to enter into a RSC on the basis of reciprocity if they are offered an incentive such as a price discount or free product add-on.

In the marketing domain, this is the first comprehensive study to quantify the role of contract type among a range of other factors in consumers' decision-making when selecting a service. The authors' results offer context-specific implications for service marketers. First, RSCs are perceived more negatively in high-priced hedonistic categories, especially among those with lower incomes. Second, price discounts are more effective than product add-ons for motivating hedonic purchases, while product add-ons work better with utilitarian services.

Seeks to examine the extent to which management contracts used by international hotel firms in Thailand mirror those used in the USA.

The study builds on previous research carried out in the late 1990s that highlighted new developments in the content and operation of hotel management contracts in the USA. Using a series of semi‐structured interviews with Thai hotel owners/representatives and international hotel firm executives, the focus is on establishing current management contract practices in Thailand.

The use of management contracts in Thailand, in substantive terms, largely mirrors practices in the USA. There were some detectable differences that existed which appear to be due to the relative lack of experience of Thai owners in dealing with international hotel firms.

This study was essentially exploratory and was limited to a sample of management contracts representing around 20 per cent of all such contracts in Thailand. Future research should focus on examining the motivations of parties, methods of selecting and evaluating international hotel firms, and the specific issues parties confronted in implementing management contracts in Thailand.

Although at an early stage, this research suggests that Thai hotel owners need to gain greater knowledge of the practices of international hotel firms in other markets with a view to improving their bargaining power.

This study provides evidence of the influence of hotel management contract practices and trends in the USA on the relatively youthful hotel market of Thailand.

April 21, 1967 Master and servant — Redundancy — Dismissal — Renewal of contract — Employees served with notice — Subsequent request by employer to stay on to finish a job — Refusal by employee having new employment — Offer accepted by other employees for short time — Whether employer “offered to renew” contract — Whether unreasonable refusal — Whether “contract of employment . . . renewed” — Redundancy Payments Act, 1965 (c. 62), ss.2(3), 3(2), 56(1).

The purpose of this monograph is to examine the various ways in which the contract of employment may be terminated at common law other than by the common law of wrongful dismissal or statutory unfair dismissal and redundancy. Wrongful dismissal has already been discussed in another monograph and unfair dismissal and redundancy will feature in a subsequent one.