DBA dissertation: Digital environments create three types of value for companies

29.3.2016

Elina Kukkonen M.Sc. (Econ.) will be the first candidate to defend a dissertation completed under the Aalto Executive DBA – Doctor of Business Administration program begun in 2013. The subject of her DBA dissertation is customer relationship management in the digital business environment. Her research identifies three types of value that companies gain from customer relationships: financial, social and visitor value.

"A company gains significant customer value from customer recommendations in social networks, as well as from purchases. Value is generated by the customer's online behavior in advertisement-funded websites and services in particular. In addition, each consumer and corporate customer is more often part of an expanding digital network, and the importance of networks in customer purchasing decisions is growing," sums up Elina Kukkonen.

A major opportunity lies in the use of customer data and analytics in customer relationship management within a networked environment. In her DBA dissertation, Elina Kukkonen benefited from several years of management experience in the media sector. Her strengths lie in brand and marketing expertise in both the printed and digital media.

What is the Aalto Executive DBA - Doctor of Business Administration program?

The Aalto Executive DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) program is designed for experienced executives who wish to complete a doctoral degree alongside their work.  This working-life oriented program involves applied research. The DBA, which is recognized around the world, is offered by several leading institutions, such as Harvard Business School.

Like the Aalto Executive MBA and Aalto MBA degree programs, the DBA is not part of the Finnish degree system. However, it is conferred by the accredited Aalto University School of Business. The Aalto Executive DBA program can be completed, alongside work, in three to six years. This fee-based program was launched at the beginning of 2013.

Henrikki Tikkanen, Professor of Marketing at Aalto University, is the academic director of the DBA program.

Defense of DBA dissertation

The DBA dissertation of Elina Kukkonen M.Sc. (Econ.), "Gaining more Value from Customer Relationships in the Digital Business Environment", will be examined by Aalto University School of Business at 12 noon on Friday 1 April 2016 at the address Aalto University Executive Education, Mechelininkatu 3 C, Helsinki. Professor Jari Salo will act as the custos and Associate Professor Johanna Frösén will be the opponent.

DBA dissertation orders and inquiries

The DBA disseration can be read in electronical format in Aalto University library pages

Elina Kukkonen, Tel. +358 10 665 2333, elina.kukkonen@almamedia.fi

Additional information

Mikko Laukkanen
Academic Director, D.Sc. (Econ. & Bus.Adm.), Aalto University Executive Education
Tel. +358 10 837 3732
mikko.laukkanen@aaltoee.fi

Henrikki Tikkanen
Professor, D.Sc. (Econ.), Aalto University
Tel. +358 50 5734174
henrikki.tikkanen@aalto.fi

Program website
www.aaltoee.com/aaltoexecutivedba

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