Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Business Managemnet'

As the baby boom generation approaches and enters traditional retirement ages, the owners of small professional service firms are being inundated with advice concerning how to implement a business succession plan. While much of the advice may be valuable and sound, a significant portion of this advice appears to be derived from a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores, or fails to address, the needs, desires, and personal characteristics of the business owner. Small business succession planning advice often involves growing the business into a self-perpetuating organism. However, many small business owners may not want to do what is necessary to manage a business for optimum succession planning. The researcher used a quantitative research methodology to identify antecedents to business succession planning in small, relationship-dependent service businesses. The research combines concepts from the Theory of Planned Behavior and from the family business succession planning literature to identify potential owner characteristic and situational antecedents to business succession planning. The study focused on a sample population of owners of small financial-services businesses affiliated with one broker-dealer. Most of the sample population offers tax and accounting services in addition to their financial services. The population is in the business of planning for their customers but to a large extent neglect or choose not to plan for their own ultimate exit from the business. While business owners face many choices and obstacles in preparing their firms for their eventual exit, this study indicates that the decision to pursue business succession planning by the owners of small, relationship-dependent service businesses is overwhelmingly driven by the business owners’ perception of the availability of a qualified successor. Thus the decision to pursue business succession planning by this sample population is more likely to be a reaction to circumstances than a proactive choice driving the owners’ business decisions.

The purpose of this study was to examine many factors associated with family-owned businesses that lead to business success and profitability. The panel data used in this study came from the 1997 and 2000 waves of the National Family Business Study (NFBS). Many independent variables from the 1997 wave (e.g., age, gender, managerial activities, business size, home-based, business problems) were tested to predict business success and profitability (dependent variables), which were variables from the 2000 wave. Some of the descriptive analyses indicated that, compared to female managers, male managers perceived less business success, participated more in managerial activities, managed older businesses, experienced more business problems, and experienced fewer business cash-flow problems. Compared to businesses that are not home-based, home-based businesses reported less perceived business success, less business profitability, were smaller businesses, experienced fewer business problems, had fewer business liabilities, and had managers with poorer health and less education. Overall, the ordinary least squares regression analyses yielded results indicating that managerial activities, home-based businesses, business age, business problems, and business cash-flow problems were all statistically significantly associated with perceived business success. Business size was shown to be significantly associated with business profitability. Implications of the findings, limitations of the current study, and recommendations for future research were presented in the final section.

Being exposed to serious games showed that some simulations widely vary in quality and learning outcome. In order to get to the bottom of best practices a detailed review of business management simulation literature was conducted. Additionally, an industry analysis was performed, by interviewing 17 simulation companies, testing a range of full and demo games, and conducting secondary research. The findings from both research efforts were then collated and cross-referenced against each other in order to determine three things: firstly, the practices and features used by simulation companies that have not yet been the subject of academic research; secondly, the most effective features, elements and inclusions within simulations that best assist in the achievement of learning outcomes and enhancement the user experience; and finally, 'best practices' in teaching a business management course in a university or company with the assistance of a simulation. Identified gaps in the current research were found to include the effectiveness of avatars, transparent pricing and the benefits of competing the simulation against other teams as opposed to the computer. In relation to the second and third objectives of the research, the findings were used to compile a business plan, with detailed recommendations for companies looking to develop a new simulation, and for instructors implementing and coordinating the use of a simulation in a business management context. (author's abstract)

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Navy Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) lacks a business process framework for the development of Business Continuity Management (BCM) plans. In the event business processes are deprived of automation for a prolonged period of time, the NAVSUP enterprise requires alternative methods to maintain the delivery of these products and services produced by these processes with minimum customer disruptions and financial losses. The purpose of this study was to review existing methodology to assess mission criticality of NAVSUP products and services and associated business processes. The analysis will lead to the development of a BCM plan and the associated information flow applied against a single Navy supply chain segment, Re-Engineered Maritime Allowance Development (ReMAD). This analysis will include recovery time and recovery point objectives. ReMAD and ERP interfaces as well as the ReMAD contingency plan will provide a context to lean on for the development of a business process framework for the plan. Currently, the ReMAD contingency plan’s system recovery timelines and recovery point objectives are not sufficient to continue with the processing of Maritime allowances.

The main objective of this thesis is to map some of the business process management, business process reengineering methodologies and compare it according to several criteria. Part of this thesis is survey of the state of business process management in Czech Republic and Hungary.

Over 390,000 businesses failed in the United States in 2014. The primary cause for most business failures is poor planning, and budgets are a primary means of planning. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine to what extent, if any, budget planning, budget control, and the age of the business significantly predict financial performance in small businesses. The target population consisted of small business leaders in the Midwest. Churchill and Lewis's theory on the relative importance of selected management factors of small businesses through 5 stages of development formed the theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected through a self-developed online survey using existing Likert-scale measures for each variable based on prior research about those variables. A convenience sample of 86 Midwest U.S. small business leaders identified through SurveyMonkey's crowdsourcing pool resulted in 77 participants with useable responses. Standard multiple linear regression determined the extent to which budget planning, budget control, and age of the business predicted the value of financial performance. The model as a whole was able to significantly predict financial performance. The linear combination of predictor variables (budget planning, budget control, and business age) accounted for approximately 12% of the variation in financial performance. Budget planning significantly predicted financial performance, even when budget control and business age were held constant. Better planning using budgets may help leaders improve the financial health of their small businesses, potentially reducing business failures and job losses. Financially strong and healthy small businesses can create jobs and improve the economic health of local communities.

Family business is the most prevalent form of business organisation and accounts for about 70% of all companies in European countries. Studies of this sector attract an unusually diverse group of researchers and practicioners. A review of the growing literature reveals that most of the recent family business studies generally discuss succession issues which may be of particular concern to family businesses, and they often lack a firm empirical basis. furthermore, there exists a shortage of studies that establish linkages between family business succession issues and business performance. The importance of this study is acknowledged by the fact that it gives empirical evidence that links the succession issues and the state of performance in small and medium sized family businesses in the UK. Specifically, this thesis tries to develop a multifaceted concept of succession and investigates its relationship with multiple dimensions of financial performance, such as return on capital employed (ROCE), return on shareholder equity (ROSE), profit margin, return on total assets (ROTA), sales growth, progit growth, employment growth and employee productivity. In the research, propositions were generated based on Morris el's (1997) model of perspectives on the relationships between succession issues, characteristics of the transfer and post-transition performance. Morris et al's model classifies succession issues into three dimensions, namely preparation of heirs, nature of family and business relationships and planning and control activities. In this study, apart from these three dimensions, an additional dimension, focusing on compensation issues, was incorporated based on the literature. One primary hypothesis is to investigate whether business performance is associated with the four latent dimensions of underlying succession issues. In addition, this study focuses on the influence of business objectives on business performance. The literature suggests that family considerations and business performance can be competing goals in the family businesses (eg Dunn, 1995). Therefore it is very important to investigate whether business objectives have any impact on business performance. A stratified sample of 924 small and medium sized family controlled businesses was selected from the FAME (Financial Analysis Made Easy) database. 169 Usable responses were received, making the response rate 18.3%. With the sample, a variety of statistical techniques were used to analyse the data. Factor analysis and reliability analysis were employed to build up a succession issue scale. Hierarchical cluster analysis was involved for grouping family businesses, according to their commonalities on succession issue views, plus the subsidiary factors of business age and business size. Finally one way ANOVA and correlation analysis were conducted to determine the relationships between family business succession issues and business performance. Further development of the research was undertaken in two steps. First the assumed influence of subjective variables, such as business objectives on the business performance was investigated. A second postal survey was sent to the 169 companies which replied in the first survey and seventy usable responses were received (the response rate was 41.4%). Secondly, in depth interviews (six case studies) were conducted with incumbent managers and potential successors, which reveal that succession issues and business objectives both have significant relationships with various dimensions of performance, ie profitability ratios, growth ratios and efficiency ratios. It is therefore suggested that business owner-managers use multidimensional conceptualisation to consider succession issues and business objectives to better balance requirements for both family and business to achieve competitive advantage in running their business. Avenues for future research are also addressed at the end of the thesis.

This portfolio considers the manner in which family businesses network. Networks are vital for small and micro-businesses but within current research mono-rationalist approaches, where the business is studied in relative isolation from the social component, predominate, despite an acceptance that in family businesses a family and a business co-exist. The report and papers within this portfolio argue that alternative perspectives on family business networks exist and can form appropriate frameworks for research. Specifically, an expansion of current network theory to include factors not directly relevant to the business but which by existing may influence the business is proposed, characterised here as theories of multiple rationalities. Multi-rational perspectives on family business networks offer, it is argued, greater understanding of the co-existence of family, friendship and business networks. This portfolio contains four components. A report sets family business research in context and summarises the over-arching conclusions of the portfolio. Output One comprises a literature review using secondary sources to examine current developments in family business research. Notably, discussion surrounding multiple-rationalities in the strategy literature is pertinent to the study of networks and provides the basis for the schematic model developed in Output One. Output Two considers family businesses in a peri-urban area, providing evidence to support the use of multi-rational approaches and concludes with two illustrative case studies which allow the additional network links visible using multi-rational perspectives to be viewed. Output Three presents a case study of a family with a distinct and on-going pattern of business start-up, whose approaches to networking are explored from a multi-rational perspective. In addition to the business implications, the implications for policy and business support research are considerable. If family businesses draw on networks for business support, understanding networks should form a vital part of both policy and the business support landscape.

Based on available studies on business and management fields of study as upwardly-mobile university field of study choices as a basis, this study seeks to test this hypothesis of upward mobility. In doing so, it endeavours to identify correlations between field of study choice and educational background and between field of study choice and gender. The base data is taken from a survey of all domestic first-time students at Austrian universities in the 2011/12 winter semester (N=27,575). This data was subjected to a correspondence analysis, which allowed us to visualise and interpret the relations between the positions of these fields of study in the university space. The results indicate a clearly structured (stratified) university space. Our supplementary regression analysis shows that the upwardly-mobile higher education choice hypothesis can be confirmed for the fields of study studied. Our analyses also confirm the feminisation hypothesis for the business and management fields of study studied: women significantly more frequently select fields of study which lead to a career in a pedagogic (business education), social (social economy) or language (international business and management) context. In the group of fields of study explored, business education fields of study had both the highest share of first-time students and the highest level of feminisation. In contrast, economics fields of study, which was included in the analysis in addition to the business studies and management fields of study, have a significantly higher share of male students and the lowest share of higher education climbers. (authors' abstract)

The process of economic innovation in Vietnam since the late 1980s presented its human resources in the private sector with constant challenges in terms of continuous improvement for operating effectiveness and efficiency. The challenges have been met by substantial investment of resources in business and management training. Returns from this training, however, have not received due attention. The study sets out to examine the reality of acquiring and utilising business and management training in local private businesses in Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s economic centre. In doing so, the study is expected to provide a better understanding of the characteristics of business and management training in Vietnam, and how this human resources development activity assists private businesses in a transitional economy. Based on Kirkpatrick’s evaluation framework, findings of the study revealed not only different approaches to business and management training but also the limited effects of the training on the trainees and private companies. Knowledgemania, or training for the sake of pursuing knowledge, was still very prevalent among the group of ‘Oriental’ companies whilst a more practical approach towards training aimed at meeting explicit business objectives was adopted by companies exposed to Western management practices. The research revealed that among the factors facilitating or hindering learning transfer within the case study companies, the ability to manage the training process and cultural values were the most influential. The research study also introduced two refined frameworks for training evaluation, aimed at small family and larger private businesses respectively. These refined frameworks incorporate not only the spirit of simplicity and practicality of Kirkpatrick’s framework but also relevant contextual factors. These frameworks are, therefore, able to serve as evaluation tools to reveal both training outcomes and spot the opportunities to further improve management of training. The experience and process of developing the frameworks gained in this research may assist future researchers when undertaking training evaluation in other business contexts.

Diversity management is of strategic importance in all organisations throughout the world. Its importance is derived from the belief that workplaces by nature consist of diverse employees, who in one way or another are different in terms of race, gender, religion, or any other difference that may have an impact on the business and its employees. The differences among people need to be managed. This study investigated the influence of diversity management initiatives on business and social outcomes in South African businesses. Literature reviews on diversity management and multicultural education in various parts of the world have revealed an impact on the influence of diversity management initiatives on business and social outcomes. However, existing South African literature on diversity management does not conclusively expose the effects of diversity management on business and social outcomes, hence the need for this study. The study was based on a conceptual framework, which included variables on diversity management initiatives, diversity management models, institutional development theory and business and social outcomes. Hypotheses for the study were also developed and tested. In testing the hypotheses, the empirical data collected was subjected to a series of statistical tests, using STATISTICA version 13. MANOVA tests were conducted to determine the existence of differences among variables and the extent to which the variables differed was measured by means of ANOVA tests. Tukey post hoc tests (Tukey HSD) were used to determine practical significance among variables. The study was also subjected to Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient analysis tests to ascertain the existence of relationships between all diversity management initiatives and business and social outcome factors. The analysis was concluded by conducting an exploratory factor analysis. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to confirm or reduce the number of factors and the number of factors was subsequently reduced. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient test was also done for the extracted factors, after which a regressions analysis test was conducted to confirm the existence of relationships between the extracted diversity management initiatives factors and business and social outcomes factors. This formed the basis for the development of a proposed diversity management model. The model of the implementation of diversity management initiatives is an important contribution to the study because it shows the different aspects that guide the process of implementation. The model is based on the implementation of a formal diversity management change strategy and programme of action; employment equity plan and strategy; and the recruitment and empowerment of women and people living with disabilities. The study was not without limitations. Challenges with regard to access to respondents were experienced and this was one of the delays in data collection. Another challenge experienced was that the study did not include qualitative research approaches, which could have been used for in-depth responses. The study provides an important milestone for the use of diversity management initiatives in South African companies.

Abstract Although the need for change was recognized a couple of decades ago, the construction industry is still struggling with its productivity development and customer satisfaction. Usually, construction improvement initiatives focus on developing practices related to project management and delivery processes. However, this study views the general underperformance of the industry from the perspective of how the construction business is managed and conceptualized in practice. The objective of this thesis is to understand the role of business models in construction business management. This objective is pursued by addressing specific research questions in four individual publications, two of which contribute to the research objective from a more conceptual and two from a more empirical viewpoint. The exploratory study follows the qualitative research tradition and exploits the case study approach. The primary method for data collection has been interviews. This study demonstrates the applicability of the business model concept to the analysis and development of the construction business. However, its use requires a comprehensive understanding of the concept and proper alignment of its elements in practice. The results of this study indicate that the current business models of construction companies are too similar to enable value-based competition. Indeed, the conventional business models neglect the customer perspective and thus revolve around internal efficiency rather than customer value creation. Consequently, construction businesses are usually managed on a project-by-project basis without the governing effect of specific customer-oriented business models and a clear long-term vision or business purpose that would go beyond the objectives of growing and surviving. A better understanding of business models provides a starting point for managers to reform the construction business and the whole industry. Explicitly defined business models provide a foundation for consistent management practice and process development. New possibilities for customer value creation can be exploited as the limitations of the current thinking are overcome and business models are approached from the viewpoints of the customer and value creation
Tiivistelmä Rakennusalalla on edelleen vaikeuksia tuottavuuden kehittämisen ja asiakastyytyväisyyden parantamisessa, vaikka tarve muutokseen tunnistettiin jo pari vuosikymmentä sitten. Yleensä alan kehityshankkeet kohdistuvat projektien johtamiseen ja projektitoimituksiin liittyviin käytäntöihin. Tässä tutkimuksessa rakennusalan yleisesti heikkoa suorituskykyä tarkastellaan kuitenkin liikkeenjohdon näkökulmasta eli miten rakennusyrityksiä johdetaan ja miten liiketoiminta käsitteellistetään käytännössä. Väitöskirjan tavoitteena on ymmärtää liiketoimintamallien roolia rakennusliiketoiminnan johtamisessa. Tavoitteen saavuttamiseksi vastataan neljään tutkimuskysymykseen erillisten osajulkaisujen avulla. Kaksi näistä julkaisuista edistää ymmärrystä liiketoimintamallien roolista enemmän käsitteellisestä näkökulmasta ja kahdessa korostuu empiirinen näkökulma. Tutkimus on toteutettu laadullisena tutkimuksena, jossa hyödynnetään tapaustutkimusta. Aineistonkeruu on pääosin tehty haastatteluin. Tämän tutkimuksen mukaan liiketoimintamallikonsepti soveltuu myös rakennusliiketoiminnan analysointiin ja kehittämiseen. Tämä kuitenkin edellyttää liiketoimintamallikonseptin laaja-alaista ymmärrystä ja sen elementtien asianmukaista yhteensovittamista myös käytännössä. Tutkimustuloksista voidaan päätellä, että nykyiset liiketoimintamallit, joiden mukaan rakennusyritykset toimivat, ovat liian samankaltaisia soveltuakseen arvoperusteiseen kilpailuun. Nämä tavanomaiset liiketoimintamallit eivät sisällä asiakasnäkökulmaa ja täten ne keskittyvät etupäässä sisäiseen tehokkuuteen asiakasarvon tuottamisen sijasta. Näin ollen rakennusliiketoimintaa johdetaan yleensä projektiperusteisesti ilman, että päätöksentekoa ohjaisi määritellyt asiakassuuntautuneet liiketoimintamallit, selkeä pitkäntähtäimen visio tai kasvu- ja eloonjäämistavoitteita pidemmälle asetettu päämäärä. Liiketoimintamallien parempi ymmärrys antaa lähtökohdan rakennusliiketoiminnan ja koko alan uudistamiseen. Selkeästi määritellyt liiketoimintamallit luovat perustan liiketoiminnan johdonmukaisuudelle ja prosessien kehittämiselle. Monia huomiotta jääneitä arvonluonnin mahdollisuuksia voidaan puolestaan hyödyntää, kun vältetään takertumasta vallalla olevan ajattelutavan rajoitteisiin ja suunnitellaan liiketoimintamallit toimiviksi arvonluonnin ja asiakkaan näkökulmista

No business can effectively be managed without the proper management and information that reflects and creates the milieu it operates in. Business performance management creates the framework in which a structured approach can be followed in setting the scene for a predictive and controllable environment. Business intelligence creates the information structures; information relationships and a reflection of the value chain of the business. By combining the two methodologies it creates a total business solution that harmonises all aspects of value creation in an objective manner. The aim of this study is to conduct a thorough theoretical study on the relevant aspects involved in business performance management and business intelligence, and to assess the relationship of business performance management and business intelligence within the South African natural resource' mining and manufacturing sector. The various processes of business performance management and business intelligence are discussed in the literature study. During the literature research several approaches to business performance management implementations and the pros and cons of business performance management are discussed. A broad look at business intelligence is done, with key focus on delivering of information.
Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The purpose of this study was to determine the key factors involved in operating a successful independent management consulting business. For those working in the independent management consulting industry or looking to begin, this study aimed to provide information to help define what success means and identify the most important contributors to achieving that success. The study gathered data via online survey and semi-structured interviews from people who have owned an independent management consulting business. Trends in the data were identified and compared with current research to determine the key factors in operating a successful independent management consulting business.

Separation of concerns has long been considered an effective and efficient strategy to deal with complexity in information systems.One sort of concern, like security and privacy, crosses over other concerns in a system. Such concerns are called cross-cutting concerns.As a result, the realization of these concerns is scattered through the whole system, which makes their management difficult. Aspect Orientation is a paradigm in information systems which aims to modularize cross-cutting concerns.This paradigm is well researched in the programming area, where many aspect-oriented programming languages have been developed, e.g., AspectJ.It has also been investigated in other areas, such as requirement engineering and service composition.In the Business Process Management (BPM) area, Aspect Oriented Business Process Modeling aims to specify how this modularization technique can support encapsulating cross-cutting concerns in process models.However, it is not clear how these models should be supported in the whole BPM lifecycle.In addition, the support for designing these models has only been limited to imperative process models that support rigid business processes.Neither has it been investigated how this modularization technique can be supported through declarative or hybrid models to support the separation of cross-cutting concerns for flexible business processes. Therefore, this thesis investigates how aspect orientation can be supported over the whole BPM lifecycle using imperative aspect-oriented business process models. It also investigates how declarative and hybrid aspect-oriented business process models can support the separation of cross-cutting concerns in the BPM area.This thesis has been carried out following the design science framework, and the result is presented as a set of artifacts (in the form of constructs, models, methods, and instantiations) and empirical findings. The artifacts support modeling, analysis, implementation/configuration, enactment, monitoring, adjustment, and mining cross-cutting concerns while supporting business processes using Business Process Management Systems. Thus, it covers the support for the management of these concerns over the whole BPM lifecycle. The use of these artifacts and their application shows that they can reduce the complexity of process models by separating different concerns.
Att separera angelägenheter har länge ansetts som en effektiv och ändamålsenlig strategi för att hantera komplexitet i informationssystem. Sådana angelägenheter, till exempel säkerhet och enskildhet, kan skära tvärs över andra angelägenheter i ett system, och de kallas därför övergripande angelägenheter. Hanteringen av dessa kan vara utspridda genom hela systemet, vilket ökar komplexiteten. Aspektorientering är ett paradigm som syftar till att modularisera övergripande angelägenheter. Detta paradigm är väl utforskat i programvaruområdet, där många aspektorienterade programmeringsspråk utvecklats. Paradigmet har också undersökts i andra områden som kravhantering och tjänstesammansättning. I ärendehanteringsområdet (BPM) syftar aspektorienterad processmodellering till att inkapsla övergripande angelägenheter i processmodeller. Det är dock inte klart hur dessa modeller bör stödjas i hela ärendehanteringslivscykeln. Dessutom är existerande stöd för att utforma dessa modeller begränsat till tvingande processmodeller som enbart stödjer rigida affärsprocesser. Det har inte heller undersökts hur denna modulariseringsteknik kan stödjas genom deklarativa eller hybridmodeller för att hantera separation av övergripande angelägenheter för flexibla affärsprocesser. Därför undersöker denna avhandling hur aspektorientering kan stödjas i hela ärendehanteringslivscykeln med hjälp av tvingande aspektorienterade affärsprocessmodeller. Den undersöker också hur deklarativa och hybridaspektorienterade affärsprocessmodeller kan stödja separation av övergripande angelägenheter i BPM-området. Avhandlingens resultat bygger på designvetenskaplig forskning, och de presenteras som en uppsättning av artefakter (i form av konstruktioner, modeller, metoder och instansieringar) och som empiriska iakttagelser. De framtagna artefakterna stödjer modellering, analys, genomförande, konfiguration, övervakning och modifiering av övergripande angelägenheter i affärsprocesser. Artefakterna erbjuder stöd för hantering av dessa angelägeheter för hela ärendehanteringslivscykeln. Användningen av dessa artefakter och deras tillämpningar visar att de kan minska komplexiteten i processmodeller genom att separera övergripande angelägenheter.

The absence of adequate crisis management strategies in small firms could result in a premature small business closure. A qualitative multiple-case study was used to explore the crisis management strategies that 3 small business owners have used to survive an unexpected operational interruption. The small business owners in this study were from different industries in the southeast region of the United States and each owner owned a business for more than 5 years and had survived at least a single crisis. The theory of crisis management and crisis intervention theory were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Data collection occurred through semistructured face-to-face interviews with small business owners; observations; and a review of company documents comprised of business plans, insurance policies, floor plans, and emergency exit routes. Data were thematically analyzed and then triangulated to ensure trustworthiness of interpretations. The findings included 3 emergent themes: the importance of developing survival strategies; transparency, open communication, and relationship building; and creative thinking as a survival strategy. Recommendations for action include securing adequate insurance coverage, investing in a worker's compensation policy, and maintaining transparent and fluent communications with vendors and consumers. Small business owners who implement survival strategies may contribute to positive social change by continuing to create employment opportunities that improve economic conditions in local communities.

The aim of this thesis is to use qualitative research to investigate and analyse how human resource risks are understood and managed in practice and how to efficiently manage HR risk in a cost effective way. The research – adding to a very limited corpus in the literature – was conducted in public sector organisations in the UK. The author argues that HR risk management should be conducted in a systematic way. The Managing HR risk framework proposed in this thesis could be used as a practical guide to enable HR practitioners to manage HR risk more effectively. The thesis finds that, in order to effectively manage HR risk, a culture change is required at both HR department and organisational level; the prevailing risk averse culture should change to a more flexible, strategically-focused and less formalised process. From the analysis of case studies, the author notes that HR practitioners should be aware of their position in a HR conflict; they need to be neutral, fair, and supportive during the process of managing HR risks. It is concluded that qualitative factors will influence the process of managing HR risk such as power, organisational culture, management style and skills/competencies… It further suggested that organisational isomorphism learning enables organisations to learn from past experiences, and to improve HR risk management. It also recommended that simulations offer an excellent vehicle for improving the process of managing HR risk by equipping HR practitioners with the right skills and experience. Through the analysis of the results of interviews, two valuable case studies, and simulation, this thesis offers new directions for the future research of human resource risk management: Simulation could be used to help HR practitioners to improve the ways of managing HR risk, simulation use real-life cases for training to improve players’ or decision makers’ understanding of holistic events, and apply new skills, attitudes in practice.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the business management process for small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) and to develop an automated product management system for integrated business processing. Due to the relatively small scale of operation of these companies, they experience difficulties in applying readily available tools in the area of product management. The target of the analysis is to develop a prototype software system for automatic product management. Moreover, this software developed for this thesis is applied to a real business case---that of Inshore Fisheries, a small scale integrated fishing operation in Atlantic Canada. The system consists of six components that are grouped into two categories of input and output analysis. The Input category includes production operations and customer ordering. The Output category includes four performance reports: (1) order invoices, (2) production worksheets, (3) inventory tracking, and (4) periodic income statements. The entire system is implemented using Visual Basic 6.0. The database is designed using Microsoft Access. The four performance reports in the output are designed using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Furthermore, a GUI integrates all components together to form a complete business processing system. Based on the results of the application of this system to Inshore Fisheries, this software solution can be applied to other SMEs by making specific modifications but without revising the basic principle and system design of the software system. This system possesses a great amount of flexibility and extendibility for practical business process decision-making.

Britain produces some of the best designers in the world, and UK fashion education systems provide a continuous flow of exceptional talent into the industry. However, the numbers of British designer brands being created are low in comparison to the high number of graduates being educated. Often fashion start-ups are not able to sustain a presence in the market place after their intial entry, and are not able to realise and recognise their growth potential.

This research explores oil palm renewable energy businesses based on the Feed-in Tariff (“FiT”) for biomass and biogas in Malaysia, from the perspective of Business Models. It has a particular focus on Business Models and the concept of Sustainability, particularly Renewable Energy Business Models for Sustainability. This thesis aims to investigate and model “Successful” and “Sustainable” FiT-based Oil Palm Renewable Energy Business Models in Malaysia to capture Economic, Environmental and Social value for a wide range of stakeholders, and increase the deployment of oil palm renewable energy in the country. The research is conducted by adopting an Interpretivist Research Paradigm involving qualitative research using semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions. A total of fifteen (15) semi-structured interviews were carried out, involving research participants selected using purposive sampling from stakeholder groups. Two (2) focus group discussions were held to gain feedback on the interview guide and then on the data findings, from the three (3) focus group members with experience and expertise in oil palm renewable energy in Malaysia. This research has further contributed to the understanding of Renewable Energy Business Models, particularly Renewable Energy Business Models for Sustainability of oil palm renewable energy businesses based on the FiT in Malaysia. As this research has found, “Successful” and “Sustainable” FiT-based Oil Palm Renewable Energy Business Models can capture Economic, Environmental and Social value for a wide range of stakeholders and increase the deployment of oil palm renewable energy in Malaysia through: • the introduction of an Energy Conservation Promotion Fund (ENCON Fund); • the introduction of activities to promote awareness of oil palm renewable energy; • the promotion of local technology and expertise; • the promotion of Combined Heat and Power (CHP); • the introduction of a location-specific bonus tariff for Sabah in East Malaysia; • the development of a green grid; • the promotion of bio-fertiliser as a value-added product; • a One-stop Centre to coordinate the processing of all the project applications; • grid interconnection based on simple, clear and transparent requirements; • having at least 50% of the feedstock supply internally generated. Although this research is specifically tailored to FiT-based oil palm renewable energy businesses in Malaysia, other types of FiT-based renewable energy businesses may also find this research useful to them for embedding sustainability and for overcoming at least to some degree the barriers facing their businesses, by following and replicating the research process. By also investigating the issues and challenges confronting the FiT scheme in Malaysia for oil palm biomass and biogas, leading to conclusions and recommendations for the stakeholders including policy makers and renewable energy developers, this research has further contributed to the understanding and advancement of the FiT scheme in Malaysia. This will benefit not only the government and its regulatory agencies, and renewable energy developers in Malaysia but also key stakeholders in other palm oil producing nations wishing to embark on a similar FiT scheme.

Thesis (Master of Business Administration)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2005.
Thesis Advisor(s): Nancy Roberts, Richard L. Dawe. Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-208). Also available online.

Business Process Management (BPM) is management technique which seeks to constantly innovate business processes to improve customer service while reducing costs. It is introduced into organisations alongside software called Business Process Management Systems (BPMS). BPM monitors and measures processes to find opportunities for improvement of these processes. The system enables the capture of business processes by rendering them as process models; these are used to link to information, to deliver this information to staff, to automate tasks where possible, and to turn tasks into work flows which appear on manager's and staff's desktops as 'to do' lists. This thesis presents a case study of the implementation of BPM and a BPMS into a large insurance company in New Zealand. The initial research objective was to identify critical success factors (CSF's) for BPM and use Action Research (AR) in conjunction with ethnography to track the presence of the CSF's and to develop strategies to compensate for any lack in CSF's. The pilot BPM project in the organisation was successful, although it did require radical change in the business unit. However, the BPM project failed to embed BPM techniques in the rest of the organisation and was ultimately cancelled. At this point the research objective shifted to understanding the forms of power and resistance that had emerged over the course of the implementation. To understand these, a theoretical framework was developed with Rescherian process philosophy as its ontological foundation and Foucauldian concepts of power/knowledge as its epistemological foundation. The axiological foundation is that the self-formed in this processual reality is formed in the grid of power relations in which it is situated. The key findings of the research are that the concepts of culture and values are not sufficient to explain the forms of resistance that emerge when BPM and its associated Information Systems (IS) are implemented. Instead, a processual analysis using Foucauldian concepts of power and resistance proved to be a richer and more explanatory framework. This analysis found that the insurance industry is a technique of bio-power. This form of power relies on techniques of pastoral power to produce ethical, self-regulating, risk-managing subjects, both consumers and suppliers of risk mitigation products. These subjects are seen as self-governing, guided by conscience, and capable of unique responses to situations so that the manager is primarily a coach. BPM, on the other hand, is a technique of disciplinary power which produces disciplined, docile, utile subjects. These subjects are seen as requiring the three elements of hierarchical observation, normalising judgment and examination to ensure productivity and quality so that the manager is primarily an enforcer. These two forms of managerial subjectivity are opposed so that the introduction of the form of disciplinary power relations required by BPM generated resistance from the existing predominant forms of pastoral power. Ultimately this predominant form of power successfully resisted the introduction of disciplinary power. I suggest that this framework may prove useful for predicting resistance in future BPM projects.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a growing need for a framework that explains the important steps in creating and managing a small business in a very simplistic, flexible and holistic way. The aim of this research report is to design a framework which will guide the entrepreneur and small business owner in the set-up and management of a small business. The research report explores the logic of constructing the framework. It starts with the core business transactions which justify the existence of the business. For a better understanding of the interactions in the transactions, a system approach is followed. Dynamic complexities focus on causality and feedback to describe how entities influence each other. A growth loop is established with a balancing loop. On the basis of these interactions the framework is constructed with the product and the market on opposite sides. From the product there are growing actions in the form of marketing. From the market a condition is created which is measured in financial terms. These interactions are the core of the framework. A second level is added with strategic intent and external analysis to indicate direction and to measure the market's response. The research report continues to describe the development of a small business in terms of the three layers of the framework: transaction, basic business level and extended business level. The transaction indicates the core and the reason for the business's existence. It is a description of the value exchange process. The basic business level is the platform in which the business is operating. The extended business level is how the platform is used. For each of the entities indicated on the framework an existing business model is used to explain the area. The framework is, therefore, not presenting a new model, but only a new way of how existing business models are related to each other. The framework can be used in various ways. First it can be used to establish a startup business by building it step by step from the inner layer to the outer layer. Secondly it can be used to evaluate an existing business. Each part of the business can be evaluated and determine whether the necessary structures are in place. Thirdly it can be used for a turn-around on a struggling business. To do it means first . to evaluate the business and then use the framework to build the business structure. To assist in this process of evaluation and building a business structure, a set of worksheets are presented in the study to help an entrepreneur to think through every important step of the business. To test the above assumption that the framework can support the construction of a business structure, a small business was selected and evaluated. The evaluation was done in the format of an interview with the owners and the structure of the framework was followed. The study is concluded with recommendations on areas that need further research. The worksheet I guideline recommendation is that the worksheets and guidelines be developed with a specific aim in mind, for example design a new business or evaluate an existing business. The application recommendation is to explore the use of a rating system to do a quick evaluation of the business based on the entrepreneur's "gut feeling". The structural recommendations are first to explore strategic mapping to summarise the results of the design or evaluation into an existing model. The second recommendation is to investigate the development of the different entities in the framework in line with the business life cycle and thereby adding a depth dimension to the framework.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is 'n groeiende behoefte na 'n raamwerk wat die belangrike stappe om 'n klein besigheid te skep en te bestuur, in 'n baie simplistiese, buigsame en holistiese manier verduidelik. Die doel van die navorsingsverslag is om 'n raamwerk te ontwerp wat die entrepreneur sal lei in die opstel en bestuur van sy besigheid. Die navorsingsverslag gee aandag aan die logika hoe die raamwerk saamgestel word. Die raamwerk bestaan uit die kern besigheidstransaksie wat die bestaan van die besigheid regverdig. Om die interaksies in die transaksie beter te verstaan, word 'n stelselbenadering gebruik. Dinamiese kompleksiteite fokus op oorsake en die terugvoer hoe verskillende entiteite mekaar beinvloed. 'n Groeiende sirkelaksie en 'n uitbalanserende sirkelaksie word gevolg. Op grond van hierdie interaksies is die raamwerk geskep met die produk en die mark aan teenoorgestelde kante. Van die produk is daar 'n groeiende aksie na die mark in terme van bemarking. Van die mark is daar 'n terugvoeraksie na die produk in terme van finansiele maatstawwe. Hierdie inleraksies vorm die kern van die raamwerk. 'n Tweede vlak word bygevoeg in die vorm van strategies voorneme en eksterne analise om rigting aan te toon en die mark terugvoer te meet. Die navorsingsverslag gaan voort om die ontwikkeling van 'n klein besigheid te beskryf in terme van die drie vlakke: transaksie, kern besigheidvlak en uitgebreide besigheidvlak. Die transaksie toon die kern en die rede vir die besigheid se bestaan aan. Dit is die beskrywing van die waarde uitruilingsproses. Die kern besigheidsvlak is die platform waarop die besigheid funksioneer. Die uilgebreide besigheidsvlak is die manier hoe die besigheid die platform gebruik. Vir elk van die entileite wat in die raamwerk aangetoon word, word 'n bestaande besigheidsmodel gebruik om die detail te verduidelik. Die raamwerk moet daarom nie gesien word as 'n nuwe model nie, maar net as 'n manier hoe bestaande besigheidsmodelle in verhouding tot mekaar staan. Die raamwerk kan in verskeie maniere gebruik word. Eerstens kan dit gebruik word om 'n aanvangsbesigheid stap-vir-stap volgens die verskillende vlakke in die raamwerk te bou. Tweedens kan dit gebruik word om 'n beslaande besigheid te evalueer. Elke deel van die besigheid kan beoordeel word en so bepaal of die nodige strukture in plek is. Derdens kan dit gebruik word om 'n omkeer op 'n sukkelende besigheid te doen. Om dit te doen sal beteken om eerstens 'n evaluasie te doen op grond van die raamwerk en dan die nodige strukture te bou of herbou. Om die proses van bou en herbou te ondersteun stel die studie werksblaaie voor wat gebruik kan word. Die doel hiervan is om die entrepreneur se denke deur die belangrlkste stappe te lei. Om die bogenoemde aanvaarding te toets dat die raamwerk gebruik kan word om die bou van 'n besigheidstruktuur te ondersteun, was 'n klein besigheid geselekteer en ge-evalueer. Die evaluasie was gedoen in die vorm van 'n onderhoud met die eienaars en die struktuur van die raamwerk was gebruik. Die navorsingsverslag word afgesluit met aanbevelings oor areas wat verdere ondersoek nodig het. Die werksblaaie en riglyne aanbeveling is dat die werksblaaie en riglyne vir 'n spesifieke doel ontwerp word, byvoorbeeld die ontwerp van 'n nuwe winkel of die evaluasie van 'n bestaande winkel. Die aanwendingsaanbeveling is om 'n evalueeringstelsel te ontwikkel waar 'n evaluasie gegrond op 'n entrepreneur se aanvoeling kan plaasvind. Die struktuuraanbevelings is om eerstens strategiese kaartering te ondersoek om die resultate van die ontwerp of evaluasie in 'n bestaande model op te som. Die tweede aanbeveling is om die ontwikkeling van die verskikkelende entiteite van die raamwerk in Iyn met die besigheidslewensiklus te ondersoek en sodoende 'n diepte dimensie by die raamwerk te voeg.

COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DO PESSOAL DE ENSINO SUPERIOR
A empresa familiar em seu desenvolvimento passa por fases em que seus pressupostos culturais são postos a prova por seu próprio crescimento, pela adição de novos profissionais e o desenvolvimento de subculturas. Essa é a premissa deste trabalho onde o gerenciamento cultural do crescimento de uma empresa familiar será estudado.Para tanto foi utilizado o método de estudo de caso: a análise da rede de salões de beleza Beleza Natural e com base na tipologia de Schein (2004), observação participante e entrevistas.Concluiu-se que a migração de uma organização familiar e carismática para um modelo supostamente meritocrático e racionalista apresenta riscos que devem ser considerados mais atentamente pela organização. Aponta também para a centralidade das questões de governança organizacional e regulação familiar como requisitos para o sucesso desta transição.
The family business organization development challenges the previously cultural assumptions. This is caused by the addition of new employees and the changes in business environment experimented by the organization during its growth. This is the focus of the present dissertation. It was used a case study methodology: The Beleza Natural beauty salons and according with Scheins ´s (2004) methodology, interviews and active observation. The conclusion shows the risks of the transformation of one family business organization towards a meritocratic and rationalistic organization. It highlights the importance of corporate governance and the regulation of family´ s professional relationship as a key to the transition success.

Business-to-business (B2B) marketing involves several components including the marketing management decision-making process and the buying behaviors of the B2B clientele and the end users. Disregarding customer knowledge management (CKM) and inaccurate analysis of data cost companies billions of dollars per year. The objective of this exploratory single-case study was to develop an in-depth analysis of the problem that some marketing managers have limited knowledge of how to use CKM strategies to improve B2B customer engagement. The dynamic capabilities and technological opportunism theories comprised the study’s conceptual framework. Data collection consisted of participant observations, member checking, and semistructured interviews with 4 Dallas-based, managers at various levels of responsibility within a single B2B company. The data analysis entailed using an adaptation of Giorgi’s systematic text condensation and inductive coding techniques of reoccurring themes. The themes that emerged indicated a need to improve marketing strategies. These themes included developing a division wide marketing plan, devising a CKM tool, and initiating organization wide CKM protocols and training. Beneficiaries of this research are marketing managers, marketing practitioners, organizational strategy and policy makers, and students of business administration. Implications for social change include specifying the strategies that business leaders need to improve sustainability.

Under 1990-talet kom Kaplan och Norton fram med styrningsfilosofin balanserat styrkort som innebär att managers uppmanas att inte enbart ta hänsyn till finansiella mått utan bör använda sig av både finansiella och icke-finansiella mått för att kunna styra företag. Det här konceptet med balanserat styrkort har sedan det togs fram utvecklas och i början av 2000-talet finns den tredje versionen av balanserat styrkort som tillsammans med avancerad teknologi bildar konceptet business performance management. Det innebär att den information som ligger till grund för de rapporter som består av finansiella och icke-finansiella mått hämtas från en central databas i det verksamhetsöverskridande business performance management systemet. En anledning till det är att business performance management knyter samman balanserat styrkort med avancerad teknologi som möjliggör att managers därmed har möjlighet att få tillgång till en gemensam version av verkligheten, det vill säga en gemensam mental bild hur företaget presterar. Dessutom möjliggör den avancerade teknologin att managers oavsett om beslut tas som är strategiska, taktiska eller operativa att de har tillgång till den information som beslutsunderlagen baseras på i rätt tid.

Den information som beslutsunderlagen baseras på måste bestå av en tillfredställande god kvalitet för att möjliggöra att managers tar korrekta och optimala beslut. Det är därför av väsentlig betydelse att kvaliteten hos beslutsunderlagen håller en tillfredställande god kvalitet för att undanröja risken att managers inte tar otillfredsställande beslut som sedan innebär onödiga kostnader för företaget. Dessutom möjliggör en tillfredställande god kvalitet hos informationen som beslutsunderlagen baseras på att företagets managers kan ta beslut som leder till att de kan agera mot förändringar som sker i den omgivande företagskontexten. Att förbättra kvaliteten hos den information som ligger till grund för beslutsunderlagen behöver därmed vara något som företag prioriterar så att informationen håller en tillfredställande god kvalitet. Kvalitetsledningsfilosofin total quality management (TQM) har i denna studie används för att ta reda på hur informationskvaliteten hos beslutsunderlagen som tas fram via business performance management kan förbättras. Total quality management tar ett verksamhetsövergripande grepp om hur kvaliteten kan förbättras inom företag.

Företag prioriterar ofta inte att förbättra kvaliteten hos den information som de har till sitt förfogande för att ta beslut utan utgår ofta från att informationen är korrekt och om den inte är det så har något fundamentalt fel inträffat. Det leder till att företag ofta i de projekt som de utför förbiser vilken kvalitet informationen har utan använder sina resurser till andra arbetsuppgifter. För att kunna förbättra informationskvaliteten hos beslutsunderlagen behöver kvalitetsförbättringar bli ett prioriterat område inom företag. Företag har större möjlighet att uppnå en tillfredställande god kvalitet hos beslutsunderlagen om företagsledningen tillsätter en kvalitetsansvarig. Den person som blir kvalitetsansvarig tar tag i de stridigheter som behövs för att få tillgång till de nödvändiga resurserna. Denna person stödjer även de projektgrupper som arbetar med att förbättra informationskvaliteten. Det förutsätter att den kvalitetsansvarige har mandat att ta de nödvändiga besluten för att kunna förbättra kvaliteten hos beslutsunderlagen.

During the century of 1990 come Kaplan and Norton with the balance scorecard philosophy. The purpose of this philosophy is to encourage managers to not only take consideration in financial measurements, but also to use both financial and non-financial measurement to manage companies. This concept with balanced scorecard have developed since it's beginning and in the beginning of the 21st century the third version of balanced scorecard developed with advanced technology which established the concept business performance management. This means that the information that the reports builds on have both financial and non-financial measurement which are collected from a central database in the company´s overall business performance management system. One reason to why business performance management ties balanced scorecard with advanced technology is to give managers possibilities to get a common version of reality, this means a common mental picture of how the company performs. Besides the advanced technology render possibilities that give managers, regardless if the decision has been taken at strategic, tactic or operative level, access to information that basic data for decision-making is based on in right time.

The information that basic data for decision-making is based on must have a satisfied good quality to enable managers to take correct and optimal decision. It is therefore important that the quality of basic data for decision-making holds a satisfied good quality to remove the risk that managers is taking non-satisfactory decisions that means unnecessary costs for the company. Besides enable a satisfied good quality of the information, which basic data for decision-making is based on, so that managers at companies can take decision that leads them to take action against changes around the company's context. To improve the information quality that basic data for decision-making is based on should be something that companies prioritize so that information holds a satisfied good quality. The quality management philosophy total quality management (TQM) has in this study been used to investigate how information quality in basic data for decision-making can be improved. Total quality management gives a company an overall view of how the quality can be improved in the company.

The companies not often prioritize improvement of the information quality that they have to their disposal for taking decision, instead they often assume that information is correct and if it is not there it has occurred a fundamental mistake. This leads to that the companies often in their projects overlook witch quality the information has and use their resources to others working tasks.  Too improve the information quality at basic data for decision-making needs quality improvement be a prioritized area within the companies. Companies have more possibilities to reach a satisfied good quality at the basic data for decision-making if the company management adds a person that is responsible for the quality. The person that will be responsible for the quality takes the necessary fights to get access to the necessary resources. This person even supports the project groups that work with improvement of information quality. To have responsibility for the quality this person has mandate to take the necessary decisions to improve the quality of the basic data for decision-making.

Whatever uncertainties and complexities the future might hold, companies will be faced with a dynamic environment and will have to cope with the resulting challenges through strategy management. The objective of work presented in this thesis is to develop a better understanding of the effect of a business process based approach to strategy management. This understanding adopts a business process perspective and extends the design view to integrate financial and operational performance measures by embracing the organisation as the unit of analysis. The work presented in this research, following an in-depth review of literature, developed a set of requirements for a Dynamic Strategy Management Process. These requirements suggest that strategy management is viewed as a business process. The research continued by critically evaluating the existing strategy management frameworks, models, methodologies, tools and techniques, which have been classified according to their scope. This rev iew concluded that although approaches reviewed collectively met all the requirements, individually none of the approaches fulfilled all of these requirements. Hence, to fulfil these requirements, PROPHESY (Process Oriented Performance Headed Strategy) was developed which is documented in detail in a workbook format. PROPHESY process was tested using two alternative approaches: The broad approach was conducted using a structured and close-ended questionnaire as well as holding workshops with a total of forty managers. Narrow approach was conducted through implementation of the PROPHESY in case studies with four manufacturing companies. All feedback from these participants was used as a basis for improving the process. The research concludes with interesting observations on the positive impact of business process based strategy management approach. It also concludes that operations strategy should focus on creating value that is independent for each business unit. This means developing horizontal strategies that have objectives of coordinating business processes and developing objectives that encourage the sharing of resources and skills.

The thesis seeks to offer knowledge and insight into management and business in the South American state of Venezuela. We have been at pains to context this characterization; so the thesis begins with sections devoted to the history, society and economy of Venezuela and seeks to emphasize factors which have served to shape business practice and values. This is followed by presenting the results of the first episode of field work, interviews carried out in Germany with managers having business and management experience in Venezuela this material being used to form a preliminary characterization. This concludes Part I of the thesis. In Part II the results of quite extensivef ieldwork on Venezuelai tself are presented.T his fieldwork was in the form of numerous company visits and executive interviews, supplementedb y periods spent as an observeri n one or two Venezuelano rganizations and by interviews with others having relevant knowledge of business practice in Venezuela, for example, consultants and management educators. The discussion illuminates some key features including personalism, the importance of social networks, the emphasis on the human aspects of management, and the expectation of employees that bosses will be both decisive and paternal. We also highlight factors that have tended to restrain entrepreneurialism and management proactivity, including the effects of oil wealth.

Over the years Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) has gained momentum and is becoming the standard for providing systematic business solutions. Likewise, the requirements for identifying business services are fast changing and a solution to the service identification problem needs a robust approach. It is known that this task of identifying candidate services is the first and the most important step in developing service-oriented business systems. The recent approaches of identifying candidate services have some shortcomings (defined data type size, unrepeatable approach, inapplicable to all enterprise information system and unadaptable to business factor change). Some approaches focus on fixed cases or certain types of organizations (single or collaborating organizations) neglecting the enterprise systems which are either (open or closed) single or collaborating enterprise information system, which makes some past approaches not applicable to some real-life business cases. This thesis focuses on solving the headline issues and introduces a new approach for service identification applicable to different organization’s business processes. The thesis also proposes a new step-by-step algorithm and methodology that identify business services derived from data-set from any given business case.

Thesis (S.B. and M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1999.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-90).
by Joyce P. Lo.
S.B.and M.Eng.

Small business owners face challenges associated with leading change, and many times lack the necessary resources to manage it properly. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to determine what challenges leaders of small businesses face in managing change, what strategies and practices those leaders employ, and how the leaders of small businesses measure success in managing change. This study also determined what advice leaders of small businesses would suggest for managing change. Four research questions were created to assist with this process, and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted in various cities throughout the state of Michigan. The participants were small business owners of privately held American companies that had been in business for a minimum of 5 years. Twelve interview questions were asked to answer the 4 research questions. Many themes emerged. Some of the challenges that participants face while managing change are resistance to change, communication issues, lack of confidence, lack of resources, lack of knowledge/experience, absence of strategy, conflicts of interest, and lack of emotional intelligence. The participants shared many different strategies for successful management of change and also offered their lessons learned over the years. The main overall theme presented by all of the participants in this study was the importance of knowledge and experience for management of change in small businesses.

Purpose - The purpose of this thesis is to advance the understanding of risk exposure and management for different roles in business ecosystems. The following research questions have been derived to fulfill this purpose: RQ1: Which risks are different business ecosystem roles exposed to, and in what way? RQ2: How can business ecosystem actors mitigate risks? Method – A single case study has been conducted on a business ecosystem surrounding the development of autonomous cars in the EU. An abductive and qualitative approach has been applied, which allowed the combination of existing literature and new empirical findings as to the foundation for building new theory. Data was collected through 21 semi-structured interviews and analyzed through comparison between codes on risks, roles, and risk mitigation strategies. Findings – The already existing literature on business ecosystem risks was confirmed and nuanced. On top of this, two new risks were found, disintermediation risk (the risk of being fully or partially excluded from the ecosystem) and accountability risk (the risk of being responsible for other business ecosystem actors output to a third party). The findings also declare that risks vary between actors, but also due to other factors such as investment in the ecosystem and an actor's relative size to other actors. Finally, suggested risk response strategies for each risk were derived. Theoretical implications - We have contributed to the literature on risks within business ecosystems by adding two new risks: disintermediation risk and accountability risk. We have also contributed to the overall literature on business ecosystems by combining the two sub-streams risks in business ecosystems and roles in business ecosystems. In addition to the theoretical implications for the business ecosystem literature, we have contributed to the risk management literature by applying it in the new context of business ecosystemsto extend the applicability of the risk management literature. Practical implications - Our findings shed light on how risks are distributed between different roles and can therefore provide guidance in this issue. The current study also contributes to the understanding of how risks vary with respect to other factors than roles, which could be valuable knowledge for managers. Finally, practical guidance on how risks can be mitigated is presented which is valuable for any actor in a Business ecosystem.

The goal of this paper is to describe process management and a possibility of its implementation in the real medical organization. The first part is devoted to a description of the basic concepts, principles, definitions and procedures of process management, which form the paradigm. The second part deals with the application of process management in the real dental clinic and presents an analysis of the current state and its improvement recommendations, conceptual and process modeling, description of basic levels of medical information systems and recommends criteria for information system selection. Diagrams are created in programs PowerDesigner and Cacoo.com are also included in this paper.

The paper examines the characteristics of quality management, business process management and process maturity models. Presents a prototype of web-based tool to support the implementation of CMMI for Services, its concept, implementation and application in the selected company. It analyzes the main activities of the company and suggests improvements in accordance with the CMMI model.