Search results

The main purpose behind this work is to explore the methods already proposed in various literatures to overcome the issues associated with VAr management in a competitive environment. Managing reactive power support service in competitive electricity market environment has become an important constituent of ancillary services. The characteristics of VAr generation/absorption do not allow its transmission over a long distance. The issues associated with the localized nature of reactive power must be considered during the valuation, planning, pricing and allocation of VAr producing/absorbing resources. In this review work, the key issues associated with the reactive support and the techniques used to tackle these issues in various utilities across the globe are been discussed in brief. In the literature, numerous renowned authors propose various methods to manage reactive power with various types of structural and operational scenarios. These methods are also discussed briefly in this paper. The experience with VAr management in some matured electricity market is also discussed in this paper.

Discussion of various issues associated with reactive power management and methods/techniques to overcome these, has been carried out in this paper. The methods were proposed in various literatures related to reactive power management by some of the renowned authors and adopted by various electric utilities.

The review work may be useful for utilities to develop a quick insight on reactive support services to control the voltage profile and also, it may be a useful asset for the researchers working in this area.

The paper is organized with different sections to elaborate the issues and associated methods. This paper is a single piece of work, which addresses reactive power planning, pricing for VAr support, market issues and valuation of VAr utilization.

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the locational marginal price (LMP) at each distributed generation (DG) bus based on DG unit contribution in loss reduction. This LMP value can be used by distribution company (DISCO) to control private DG owners and operate network optimally in terms of active power loss.

This paper proposes proportional nucleolus game theory (PNGT)-based iterative method to compute LMP at each DG unit. In this algorithm, PNGT has been used to identify the share of each DG unit in loss reduction. New mathematical modeling has been incorporated in the proposed algorithm to compute incentives being given to each DG owner.

The findings of this paper are that the LMP and reactive power price values for each DG unit were computed by the proposed method for the first time. Network can be operated with less loss and zero DISCO’s extra benefit, which is essential in deregulated environment. Fair competition has been maintained among private DG owners using the proposed method.

PNGT has been used for the first time for computation of LMP in distribution system based on loss reduction. Incentives to each DG unit has have been computed based on financial savings of DISCO due to loss reduction. Share of active and reactive power generation of each DG unit on change in active power loss of network due to that DG unit has been computed with new mathematical modeling. The proposed method provides LMP value to each DG unit in such a way that the network will be operated with less loss.

The purpose of this paper is to measure the extent to which selected contextual variables have an impact on the adoption of strategic pricing by industrial service firms, and determine the effect of the adoption of strategic pricing on company performance.

Data were collected from 154 industrial service firms operating in four different service sectors through a mail survey. Moreover, qualitative research through 20 in-depth interviews was carried out.

The study’s main findings indicate that market orientation along with a leading position in the market and market growth boost the development of strategic pricing. On the other hand, technological and market turbulence hinder this development, while the overall impact of turbulence is reduced in market-oriented firms. Finally, a positive impact of strategic pricing on company performance was found.

The adoption of strategic pricing requires attention to a variety of factors, while this adoption can improve both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the company’s performance. The significance of these findings notwithstanding, the context of the study does limit generalization of its findings to other industrial service sectors and national contexts.

The current study represents one of the first attempts to empirically examine the aforementioned topics in an industrial service context.

In most highly competitive markets, the use of certain strategic and tactical pricing practices is a key factor in determining profitability. Discusses the extent to which these practices can benefit a firm. Evidence from research conducted in the markets of two groups of industrial distributors (paper merchants and engineers′ distributors) suggests that price wars are inevitable under certain market conditions, and that a strong and defensible position in the market is a necessary prerequisite for control of price levels. The purchase of market share by investment, rather than competition, emerges as the preferred strategy for firms wishing to make a long‐term commitment to remaining in a highly competitive market.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the external antecedents of pricing information acquisition in an integrative manner. The study develops understanding of determinants of information acquisition as a crucial prerequisite of successful pricing strategies within German small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

A large scale survey of sampled 2,542 SMEs was conducted. A total of 220 questionnaires were completed, reflecting a response rate of 9 per cent. This was acceptable considering the sensitivity of pricing issues. A final sample of 173 usable questionnaires were obtained.

The result indicates that external antecedents of pricing information acquisition practices have a positive impact on SME pricing performance, and pricing performance is positively related to firm performance.

The study indicates that external antecedents of pricing information acquisition are strategic pricing capabilities, which should receive attention by SME managers.

This study bridges significant obstacle to knowledge generation and theory development of the important issues of pricing information acquisition in SMEs.

The quality and efficiency of design and design services is declining. The authors propose that the problem is a systems delivery problem and not a technical competence issue. The purpose of this paper is to use a recently developed best value delivery methodology originally created for contractors to deliver design services. The authors have tested the process resulting in increased performance.

A deductive approach is used. Well documented, published and logical industry structure and the best value delivery model concepts are discussed. The methodology is to identify the deductive logic, and confirm it with test results. The methodology is to take a well‐proven delivery system that worked on construction, modify the existing design delivery model to match the construction model, and test the new model. Owing to the deductive nature of the methodology, the normal reliance on literature of existing practices and inductive exploratory research are not required.

Results confirm that design inefficiencies may be a systems problem. More research and testing is required to further substantiate the findings presented in this paper.

A system solution that creates a win‐win result will have a tremendous potential in the designer industry.

Reviews the concepts and models of corporate internationalization. Introduces new data measuring exporter internationalization among a sample of medium‐sized firms in the UK. Analyses the export policy differences between firms with different internationalization characteristics. Shows that the internationalization concept provides a greater insight into exporter policy differences than do common prescriptive approaches, which can be used to evaluate and predict export behaviour.

While existing research has established various methods for pricing, the impact of a manager’s individual psychological profile on his/her price setting behavior is relatively unexamined. This is especially critical in the context of pricing decisions implemented in response to competitive forces. This paper aims to explore how a manager’s price responses to price cuts by a competitor are affected by his/her cognitive style, gender and entrepreneurial attitudes.

In the first study, a simulation-based pricing environment is used in a lab setting to capture the dynamics of pricing decisions made in response to competitive price cuts. Participants’ price responses are captured in the form of the magnitude of price change implemented in a simulated environment in response to a competitor’s price reduction. The second study extends the scope of inquiry by using a national sample of business professionals and replicates and reinforces the findings of the first study by capturing participants’ attitudinal response on the decision to reduce prices in reaction to competitive price reductions.

The results of both studies indicate significant effects for cognitive style, gender and entrepreneurial attitudes. Individuals with stronger entrepreneurial attitudes and analytical cognitive styles, and females are less likely to engage in reactive price reductions.

The findings of this study indicate that managers’ propensity to engage in price changes in reaction to competitors can be linked to their psychological profile and gender.

Given the existence of the relationship between price reactions of managers and their cognitive style and entrepreneurial attitudes, the training and development of pricing professionals may need to take these individual-level factors into account.

This is the first study that has linked managers’ propensity to engage in price changes in reaction to competitors to their gender and psychological profile.

Examines attitudes to the marketing management of exports. Analyses the results of a survey of export marketing policies in medium‐sized manufacturing companies in the North of England. Stresses the importance of having a structured export policy as part of an overall business plan. Discusses various methods of capturing market data on exports, including Government statistics and trade association reports. Identifies key areas of a coherent export marketing plan – market factors, volume factors, company factors and marketing factors. Examines the differences in characteristics and policies adapted by active and reactive exporters. Outlines the merits of a variety of export pricing and invoicing methods. Concludes that companies must adapt export strategies and theories to suit their own individual needs, rather than accept an industry‐wide export programme.

Pricing has tended to be the least creative element of marketing strategy, despite the fact that evidence from successful firms points strongly to the integral role of pricing in performance. Suggests that effective pricing has much to gain from an understanding of the entrepreneurial process, and its dimensions: innovativeness, proactiveness and risk‐assumption. Because firms today operate in increasingly turbulent environments, a reluctance to be entrepreneurial in pricing could lead to stagnation or even demise. Also provides a checklist for practising managers to use to determine the extent of entrepreneurial pricing behaviour within their firms.