Ανάπτυξη πελατοκεντρικής στρατηγικής με μεθόδους πολυκριτήριας ανάλυσης: εφαρμογή σε ένα μεγάλο ελληνικό εκδοτικό οργανισμό

Αλεξόπουλος, Σπυρίδων Κ.

Doctoral Thesis

Author

Αλεξόπουλος, Σπυρίδων Κ.

Date

2013-02-20

Abstract

Scientific research regarding decision support in the publishing sector is not particularly extensive. This thesis suggests a multicriteria methodology for the elaboration of a comprehensive publishing strategy, effectively leading to rational actions’ choices. For that purpose, a customer-oriented approach, resulting from the discovery and satisfaction of reader’s needs and desires, must be combined with analysis of the company’s characteristics and potential, through the elaboration and drafting of the appropriate additive value model for the decision maker. Reader satisfaction analysis is illustrated through a real world application, i.e. customer-oriented strategy planning for the leading monthly IT magazine in Greece. This study implements the MUSA multicriteria satisfaction analysis method to evaluate reader satisfaction, in order to support the editor in making decisions while planning his editorial strategy. Reader satisfaction was analyzed based on a tree containing seven main criteria and thirty-two sub-criteria. Readers proved to be very satisfied and non-demanding, which results in narrower margins for efficient improvement suggestions. However the evaluation of the MUSA results led to putting forward suggestions that could support the editor in making amendment decisions. Some of these suggestions were successfully implemented within the scope of a new strategy. This revealed the need for two separate editions, an IT magazine for pupils and students as well as an IT magazine focused on women. The decision maker received suggestions on what these new publications’ features should be, deriving from the study’s quantitative results. Interaction between the researcher and the managers led to the realization of twelve distinct actions to be evaluated, which correspond to twelve publishing products. From said actions’ analysis of consequences, a set of nine criteria was determined, which reflect the publishing company’s policy. We defined the order of preference, chose and described the value of each criterion, as well as the method of evaluation and the source of information for each criterion. The decision maker’s total preference model elaboration followed. Criteria were ranked in order of importance and comparisons were made between actions to be chosen. MACBETH was chosen as method of multicriteria analysis, both for weighting the eligibility of criteria and for evaluating candidate publishing actions. “Profitability” proved to be the most important criterion, followed by “Public opinion influence” and “Brand name boosting”. Product “Television channel” gathered the highest score, followed by “Sunday paper”, “Electronic newspaper’s publication” and “Development of applications for mobile phones and hand-held devices”. Sensitivity and stability analyses were carried out to the results. Finally, results were presented and supported before the decision-maker. Thesis is completed with a synopsis of conclusions made, and suggestion of proposals for further scientific research.