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Monks, Patrick Grant Standish. "Sustainable growth of SME's." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1488.
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South Africa and more specifically Port Elizabeth is faced with many challenges with regard to economic growth and unemployment. It is generally acknowledged that the “Small to Medium Enterprises” (SME) are the largest employers in any economy, additionally SME’s are large contributors to the gross domestic product. Successful SME’s are the catalysts of the economy and over time they can develop into large enterprises. It is clear that in order for a country to have a strong and sustainable economy it needs to have a strong and successful SME sector. Unfortunately the South African SME sector performs relatively poorly in comparison with the SME sectors around the world (Herrington, Kew & Kew, 2009). With the knowledge of the importance of the SME sector to the economy and the knowledge that the South African SME’s are generally underperforming, this study will identify how to improve the relative success rate of the SME sector in Port Elizabeth South Africa. In order to achieve this, this study needs to identify why the SME sector is not performing on a par with other SME sectors from around the globe and what initiatives need to be implemented in Port Elizabeth that will enable its SME sector to perform at the same level or better than other SME sectors from around the globe. This study identifies that the South African SME’s are provided with a number of support initiatives. Some of these support initiatives have been very effective, while other support initiatives have been unsuccessful or have failed. This study concludes by identifying a number of areas that need improvement; of these areas two are identified as being critical to SME’s success and sustainability, these two areas are: · The need to make SME’s more aware of the government / business initiatives that are available; and · Establish more effective mentoring and coaching. In order to address these critical areas, the study suggests the use of an internet portal that can be used to coordinate all the activities between the mentors and the SME’s. This internet portal will be expanded to become the core information hub and collaboration centre for the flow of information between the SME’s and any of their stakeholders. Once all this information is centralised it will be a relatively simple process to measure the success rate of the SME’s and the effectiveness of the different mentors.
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Bradley, Elizabeth Mary Bernadette. "Public financing of growth in SME's." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.397869.
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Hsu, Ya-Hui, and Sanna Seilonen. "Corporate Social Responsibility : Motivation and Implementation in SME's perspective." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Ekonomihögskolan, ELNU, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-21558.
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CSR has been a more popular subject in the last few decades. However, CSR is seldom connected with SMEs. Many scholars suggest that the reasons are: firstly the attention on CSR practice falls much more on MNCs since publics perceive MNCs have bigger impact on the society. Secondly, most SMEs do not have required resources to work with CSR and many SMEs regard CSR as a burden. However, there are more and more SMEs that start to work with CSR. Therefore the purpose of this thesis is to increase the understanding of why SMEs work with CSR and how do SMEs implement CSR strategies. The theoretical framework contains strategy, CSR pyramid, decision making process, stakeholder theory, business opportunity model of CSR for SME, legitimacy, strategy implementation and business relations. The emiprical findings contain the case firms’ view on what stimulate them to work with CSR and how they implement its CSR strategies within and outside the firms. In the analysis we have connected the theoretical framework with our empirical findings. We analyze who the decision makers are and most important stakeholders within the firm as well as what stakeholders are interested in to be able to answer our firs research quesiton. Furthermore, we describe the implemetion process of our case firms as well as to analyze what types of business relations they have wirh its supplier, which will help us to answer our second research question. The conclusions of this thesis are that it is profitability that drives SMEs to work with CSR. Furthermore, SMEs carry out its CSR strategy differently and the differences depend on how much resources do firms have and the types of relationship with suppliers.
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Martin, Lynn. "Looking for 'the right stuff' : human capital formation in SME's." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1999. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/2956/.
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In 128 small companies in the West Midlands, the way staff are selected for development is explored is explored, together with the characteristics of staff and selector. Finding that some staff are repeatedly selected for development, a comparison is made between the attributes of those being selected and of those carrying out selection. This is an attempt to define why some staff are identified as possessing 'the right stuff' while other similar staff are not. Variables such as gender, ethnic background, age and educational background are compared but relationships only found between the learning outlook of the CEO and that of his or her selected key worker(s). The learning outlook is described in terms of the preferred learning style and of the most preferred methods to learn. However, in some sectors very little selection of ethnic minority staff occurred. Part of the research reviewed the selection process, relating this to business planning and identification of training needs. Little evidence was found of the use of formal planning or of specific processes to identify training needs, selection resting firmly with informal mechanism often under the narrow control of the CEO. Given the investment by government in this sector of the economy, it seems important for those providing resources to recognise this lack of formal planning and to work to ensure that opportunities for education and training are widened to include more of those employed by the company. Similarly, where CEO ambitions are explored, it is clear that most CEO's are not committed to growth but have other varied, personal aims. Investment in all companies assuming that growth is a key factor may be an ineffective use of resources, which might be better specifically targeted rather than distributed uniformly across the whole sector.
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Ovie, Esere. "The use of social media in supply chain by SME's." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2018. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/22444/.
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Al, Jassism Wael Hassan. "An investigation of the strategic decision making process in SME's." Thesis, Brunel University, 2014. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/9172.
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Changes in the environment are a major area of concern to any firm in its strategic decision making process (SDMP). SDMP is considered to be an important component in the success of firms in the strategic management literature. This includes small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the electronic, telecom and information technology (IT) sector which are subjected to frequent and extremely dynamic environments both internally and externally, unlike many other industries. A lack of prior studies supporting an understanding of the SDMP in SMEs is evident, and coupled with the extremely volatile environmental conditions that compound the problem, makes SMES dealing in electronic, telecom and IT products and services highly vulnerable to closure. An immediate investigation into the SDMP in SMEs is needed and long overdue. This research seeks to address this gap in the knowledge. In order to address the gap this research used synoptic formalism and incrementalism to develop an understanding on how SMEs in the electronic, telecom and IT sector make decisions and what is the nature of these decisions. A Strategic Decision Making Process (SDMP) model was developed based on prior research. Decision magnitude of impact acted as the input to the SDMP, rationality and intuition acted as the process component, and decision process output as the output component. Thus these three concepts acted as the three components of a process (input-process-output) configuration. The model facilitated the development of an understanding of the functioning of decision magnitude of impact as a decision characteristic factor, its relationship to SDMP and process dimensions (rationality in decision making and intuition) as an antecedent (and hence as a predictor) of decision output variables (decision process effectiveness), quality of the decision process output through the mediation of decision dimensions. In line with the need to understand the SDMP in SMEs data were collected from managers of a large number of SMEs belonging to electronic, telecom and IT sector. The territory chosen was the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates) as this region provides a rich source of such SMEs and the environment is highly dynamic. A self-administered questionnaire was developed by adapting previously validated questionnaire scales. Pre-testing and pilot surveys were used to ensure that the contents, format and scales were appropriate. A range of decision makers in those SMEs were targeted. 464 valid questionnaires were returned, representing a response rate of over 50%. The data was coded and analysed using SPSS/AMOS, two widely used statistical software tools. The data analysis steps included reliability and validity testing (Cronbach’s alpha and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, respectively). The entire model was tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Using SEM it was possible to identify the model, test the parsimonious nature of the model, determine whether the identified model makes theoretical sense and examine the fitness of the model to the data. The predictability of decision process output by decision magnitude of impact was analysed using path analysis as part of the SEM. The research outcome showed that in the electronic, telecommunication and information technology sector, where the environment is dynamic, decision magnitude as an important independent variable influences rationality in decision making directly and decision effectiveness, quality of decision process output and firm commitment indirectly. Rationality in decision making was found act as an important medicating variable in the strategic decision making process. In the same vein it was found that intuition is not affected by decision magnitude of impact. Further, dynamism in the industry and firm performance were also seen to influence decision effectiveness, quality of decision process output and firm commitment although the influence of dynamism in the industry on firm commitment was found to be very low. Thus the main contribution of this research is the development of an understanding of the relationship between decision magnitude of impact as input to the SDMP and hence as predictor of decision process output and the SDMP process output. Furthermore, the research has advanced current knowledge on the influence of rationality in decision making and intuition as mediators between decision magnitude of impact and decision process output variables. These two aspects have been tested in an SME sector that is affected seriously by dynamism in the industry and with varying firm performance as a contextual feature. The comprehensive research outcome can be of benefit to the SMEs in the electronic, telecom and IT sector and support them in overcoming potential vulnerabilities by making strategic decisions whose magnitude of impact on the firms is high and a decision process that is rational. In addition from the point of view of methodology this research has used SEM in understanding the nature and functioning of the model as well as the operationalisation of the variables. The outcome of this research is expected to benefit the SMEs in the electronic, telecom and IT sector in their SDMP and has opened up a new area of research for other researchers and academics.
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Naidoo, Kruben. "The impact of e-loyalty on the business of SME's." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1377.
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Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006.This study investigates the impact that e-Ioyalty has on the business success of SMEs. E-Loyalty is defined as a customer's favourable attitude towards an on-line business which ultimately culminates in repeat purchasing behaviour. Eight factors (the 8Cs - customisation, contact interactivity, care, community, convenience, cultivation, choice, and character) have been identified as having a potential impact upon eloyalty. Trust and satisfaction play an important role in generating e-loyalty for electronic business, an aspect which will be elaborated upon within the ambit of the study. Although there is no universal definition of an SME, the definition given by the South African National Small Business Act (Act 102 of 1996) was adopted in this research. Furthermore, an indepth overview of business success was also presented. Business success can be described as more than profit-generation. A myriad of factors investigated influence the success of a business, more particularly; the study focuses on success factors pertaining to 'e-business'. An online survey was conducted on two SME e-business websites i.e., www.buycomputers.co.za and www.take2.co.za. Data collected from 176 online customers demonstrate that all these factors treated separately impact e-Ioyalty. However, when these factors are grouped together, only four of these constructs (i.e., 'Customisation', 'Choice', 'Cultivation', and 'Character') have a significant impact on e-Ioyalty. Furthermore, the data also returned that e-Ioyalty has an impact on two customer-related outcomes: 'word-of-mouth promotion' and 'willingness to pay more'. More specifically, the 'loyal' customer is 'less willing to pay more'. The high cost of attracting new customers on the Internet and the relative difficulty in retaining them make customer loyalty an essential asset for many online vendors.
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Holz, Horst. "An implementation strategy for integrated product lifecycle management in SME's." Thesis, Glasgow Caledonian University, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.688313.
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Hill, Rosemary. "Human resource development in small and medium-sized enterprises : barriers to National HRD." Thesis, Nottingham Trent University, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.341265.
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Adamson, Ivana. "The effectiveness of management consultants operating in small and medium (SME's) enterprises." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.281644.
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Tian, Michael Jiaming. "Comparative study on making loans to large companies and SME's in China." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/80681.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 41-45).
The SME financing problem in China has been widely acknowledged during the recent financial crisis. The SMEs compose 99% of all registered enterprises and employ more than 60% of labors in China. They contributed significantly to the economic vitality, as well as to ensuring stable employment and sustainable development of China. However, the SMEs have been short of external funding because they are considered to be riskier than large companies which maintained closer relationships to the governments and state-own-commercial-banks, which are the main financial source under the current banking system in China. Are the SMEs riskier than the large companies in terms of loan issuance? The thesis explores the issue by discussing the current banking structure in China and explaining the reasons from political, economic, social and technological perspectives. Comparing the financial indicators including ROE (return on equity), ROA (return on assets), NPM (net profit margin), ICR (interest coverage ratio), CR (current ratio) and revenue growth of selected SMEs and large companies before and after they received the commercial loans, I find that SMEs did not necessarily demonstrate worse performance than the large companies. Contrarily, the SMEs could more effectively utilize their loans to realize better business outcomes than the large companies did. To further improve the financing issue of SMEs, the thesis will raise recommendations from the perspectives of the government regulatory bodies and the local commercial banks.
by Michael Jiaming Tian.
S.M.
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Pereira, Bernardo Masteling. "Employment level and business cycles : diferences between SME's and large firms' performance." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/7571.
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Mestrado em EconomiaO nível de emprego e as suas flutuações são desde sempre um dos temas que maior debate suscita na literatura económica. Este estudo foca as diferenças na sensibilidade do nível de emprego ao ciclo económico existentes entre pequenas e médias empresas (PME’s) e grandes empresas na economia portuguesa. Qual o grupo de empresas que apresenta reduções mais significativas do número de trabalhadores em períodos recessivos? E em períodos de crescimento? Serão as PME’s com negócios mais frágeis ou as grandes empresas com mais trabalhadores? O debate sobre as respostas teóricas é intenso e encontra-se distante de um consenso. O estudo analisa quatro importantes sectores económicos - Construção, Comércio a Retalho, Serviços e Indústria entre 2000 e 2012. A base de dados é utilizada pela primeira vez na abordagem ao mercado de trabalho e é desenvolvida pelo Instituto Nacional de Estatística. No que respeita à economia portuguesa, para os setores estudados, as conclusões são claras, as grandes empresas apresentam maior sensibilidade ao ciclo económico, independentemente do sector de atividade, registando variações do nível de emprego mais significativas que as PME’s. Esta conclusão coloca em causa algumas ideias feitas sobre o contributo das PME’s para as variações de emprego abrindo a discussão sobre os factores determinantes destas diferenças na variação do nível de emprego entre PME’s e grandes empresas.
Employment level and its fluctuations are historically one of the most discussed topics in the economic literature. This study focuses on the differences in employment’s sensitivity to the business cycle existent between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large companies in the Portuguese economy. Which group of firms presents a more significant reduction in employment level during a recession? And during expansions? Are those SMEs with more fragile business or large firms with more employees? The theoretical discussion is still an open debate, being far from a consensus. The study analyses four major economic sectors - Construction, Retail Trade, Services and Industry between 2000 and 2012. The database is first used for this approach to the labor market and is developed by Statistics Portugal. Regarding the Portuguese economy for the sectors studied, the conclusions are clear, large firms are more sensitive to the economic cycle, regardless of the economic sector, recording more significant employment variations than SMEs. These conclusions call into question some well known ideas about SME’s contribution to the employment variations over the business cycle, opening the discussion on the determinants of these differences between SMEs and large companies’ performance.
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Doherty, Rohan T. "From styling to strategy : transforming an Australian manufacturing SME's perception of design." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2014. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77910/1/Rohan_Doherty_Thesis.pdf.
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This thesis explores the shift in perception of design from a styling and product-focused tool, towards a holistic strategic approach within a small to medium sized manufacturing company. This research is significant because it demonstrates how design tools and approaches can be used within business to translate theory into operational, strategic and cultural outcomes. The outcomes of this research will encourage other businesses to take on similar design-led projects with the ultimate goal of employing design as a means to create a sustainable competitive advantage.
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Coronado, Mondragon Adrian E. "Determining information systems contribution to manufacturing agility for SME's in dynamic business environments." Thesis, Brunel University, 2002. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/4285.
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Since the concept of agile manufacturing was coined in the early nineties, the study of the contribution of information systems to agility has lacked a thorough analysis. Information systems have been labelled in the academic literature as critical, key and important in achieving and supporting agility. On the other hand, there is a large number of documented cases where IS have failed to deliver expected benefits. The aim of this study has been to determine the contribution of information systems to manufacturing agility. This study required the development of a research survey with the purpose of testing seven IT/IS proficiency characteristics of agility, three characteristics of a dynamic business environment and the type of IS applications used in manufacturing organisations. The analysis of the survey suggested that the business environment does not exert great influence on the IT/IS proficiency characteristics; also no association was found with the use of a specific type of manufacturing IS and the IT/IS proficiency characteristics. The results of the analysis of the survey were further expanded in a multiple case-study. Profitable SMEs with some agile processes in place participated in a multiple case-study that covered the agility of manufacturing and other business process, business and IT strategies, and skills and expertise of employees affecting the realisation of benefits of IS. The study revealed that information systems are neither the most important, the most overwhelming, the most difficult part of the equation to achieve agility nor are they principal enablers of manufacturing. Identified principal enablers of agile manufacturing include providing training to employees, right attitude of workforce towards change, having a flexible manufacturing base and people's knowledge and skills. Moreover, the use of low performing information systems was not an impediment to moving towards agility. The results of the multiple case-study tend to indicate that information systems play a more significant role in enhancing agility once principal enablers have been implemented. Certainly, IS may be required to support manufacturing agility but that information systems are not sufficient to achieve it. The study revealed that skills and expertise of people were used as means to overcome the problems and shortcomings generated by low performing IS. A new taxonomy of enablers of agility has been defined, identifying IS as second-order enablers of agility. Also, a proposed new framework has considered the adoption of an IT strategy to influencing a business strategy as a mean of enhancing the agility of business processes already achieved through the implementation of principal enablers.
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Wren, Beverley. "Development of an employee management model to address conflict and discipline in SME's." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/646.
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The research problem addressed in this study is to determine what effect current labour legislation has on small and medium enterprises (SME’s), in particular with regard to handling conflict and disciplinary procedures in the workplace. To achieve this objective a literature study was undertaken to ascertain what labour relations practices are recommended and/or enforced by law. The literature study included a look at the effect of conflict on the workforce and the resultant cause and effect of the stress that conflict causes. The literature study was then used to develop a questionnaire to test the degree to which small to medium sized business managers, in the coastal city of George in the Western Cape, complied with the law and application of the necessary regulations governing labour relations. The empirical study results indicated a healthy adherence to labour legislation in general. The results indicated that the role-players, namely owners and managers of small to medium sized businesses, had valid arguments both for and against the weight of the labour legislation imposed on small businesses. Those businesses that had not indicated a strict adherence to regulation run the risk of costly fines and penalties being imposed on them. Such enterprises would do well to employ an independent consultant to “audit” and update employee records on a regular (6 monthly) basis. Failure to take the time to have all the correct documentation prepared could result in costly labour disputes and government intervention, which far outweighs the cost of a professional ensuring that all the necessary paperwork is correct and in place
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Nilsson, Emma, and Rambo Joinani. "Qualities of Leaders in Swedish SME's : A Qualitative Case Study on Six Leaders." Thesis, Högskolan i Jönköping, Internationella Handelshögskolan, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-26716.
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Naude, Dirk. "The degree of organisational performance measurement in SME's - A focus on ICT enterprises." Thesis, University of South Africa, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/106.
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The research was conducted to determine the degree of organisational performance
measurement in SMEs in the ICT sector within the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
Literature on performance measurement and SMEs was reviewed and provided the
theoretical foundation for the research. A qualitative approach to research was
followed using case research based on semi-structured interviews to determine the
knowledge and perceived value of performance measurement in SMEs. The study
also investigated the prominent performance measures used by SMEs and difficulties
around the implementation of these measures. The findings were related to the
literature regarding the attributes of measures, the dimensions of performance and
the characteristics of performance measurement frameworks. In conclusion, a
method for SMEs to use performance information to their advantage was proposed.
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Hu, Qing. "A critique of the consultant-client relationship in Chinese SME's Lean improvement projects." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2014. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/71189/.
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This thesis critiques the consultant-client relationship in Chinese SMEs’ lean improvement projects. SMEs, which are crucial to China’s economy, encounter many challenges during their development. Management practices, such as lean, have been developed to improve organisational performance. In their application to SMEs, resource constraints mean that business assistance from external agencies, such as management consultants, is required. Drawing on multiple theoretical lenses, including organisational learning, institutional theory and contingency theory, a research framework is established. This framework is employed to identify three research themes: organisations’ abandonment of existing practices; organisations’ learning of lean practices; and the consultant - SME client relationship during lean improvement projects. As well as the established consultants’ role, “consultants as external advisors”, a new role, “consultants in residence”, is identified. These two roles are studied through the three research themes. This thesis employs a multiple-case study approach. Consultancy-involved lean projects undertaken in five Chinese SMEs are investigated using data collection methods of semi-structured interviews, direct observation and documentation. Both within- and cross-case analyses are applied. The main contributions of this thesis are fourfold. First, it sets out the changing nature of the consultant - SME client relationship throughout the projects by comparing and contrasting the consultants’ and clients’ perspectives. Second, a framework which defines the impact of SME structural characteristics on the consultant-client relationship is developed. Thirdly, two organisational learning frameworks in relation to the two consultants’ roles are established. Furthermore, the approach employed to deinstitutionalise organisations’ existing practices is compared between the two consultants’ roles. In the conclusion, the implications of this research for academia, practitioners and policy makers are discussed. A checklist which can aid SME managers in employing consultancy services is proposed and areas for future research are identified.
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Visser, Arold, and Daniella Lu. "Incumbent leaders and their effect on the successor generation in family business SME's." Thesis, Högskolan i Jönköping, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-44018.
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Rodrigues, Rui Manuel da Silva. "As redes de cooperação como fator de competitividade das PME's." Master's thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/16324.
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As empresas atualmente atuam num mercado organizado em torno de uma rede global de capitais e informação. Para poderem estar presentes neste mercado de modo rentável e continuado, têm de ter o conhecimento que as torna capazes de responder às constantes mudanças do ambiente. Uma gestão eficiente dos processos de criação, assimilação e difusão do conhecimento permite a uma organização diferenciar, inovar e criar vantagens competitivas. No entanto, a escassez de recursos das PME’s obriga muitas vezes as empresas a associarem-se em redes de cooperação de modo a obterem o conhecimento que necessitam. A forma como estas redes podem beneficiar a competitividade das PME’s Portuguesas é o objeto deste trabalho. Enquadrados pela revisão literária e com base nos resultados da investigação aqui relatados, podemos atestar que a cooperação em rede conduz a resultados efetivos para as empresas integrantes, induzindo alterações internas que resultam em ganhos de competitividade; ABSTRACT: Companies today operate in a market organized around a global network of capital and information. In order to be present in this market in a continuous way, with profits, they must have knowledge that makes them capable to responding to environment changing. Efficient management of the processes of creation, assimilation and dissemination of knowledge enables an organization to differentiate, innovate and create competitive advantages, however, scarce resources of SMEs often compels companies to join in collaborative networks in order to obtain the knowledge they need. The way these networks can benefit the competitiveness of Portuguese SMEs is the object of this work. Framed by the literature review and based on the research results reported here, we can attest that network cooperation leads to effective results to companies’ members, inducing internal changes that result in gains in competitiveness.
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Styger, Lee Edward Jan. "A greenfield site selection model for SME's based within the rapid product development sector." Thesis, De Montfort University, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.679057.
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Analoui, Farhad, and Mohammed I. Al-Madhoun. "Empowering SME Managers in Palestine." Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/3784.
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NoSMEs create employment, wealth and a potential for future growth. In Palestine they can also mean survival and freedom. In Palestine they are not a choice but a necessity for sustainable development. But by their nature SMEs are vulnerable in a business environment characterized by uncertainty. To give the managers of SMEs in Palestine a realistic chance of success they need training to enable them to meet the challenge of running their enterprises effectively. Drawing on original research undertaken within Palestine this book explores how the challenge is being met (and considers how it might be even more successfully met) by enabling and empowering the owners and managers of these pioneering businesses.
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Lopez, Lira Arjona Alfonso. "Inter-firm knowledge transfer and experiential learning| A business sustainability approach on SME's absorptive capacity." Thesis, Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Mexico), 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3570884.
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In emerging economies, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are threatened by continuous political and economic changes. In such uncertain environments, knowledge is the distinctive factor for the achievement of a competitive advantage. However, limited funds and pressure from competitors force SMEs to seek for external sources of knowledge.
The Multinational Corporation (MNC) represents an alternative for business sustainability within the value chain, including both suppliers and clients. In the aim for pursuing such endeavor, a conceptual framework including inter-firm knowledge transfer processes from the MNC and experiential learning enhanced by the Academia is explored.
In sum, this dissertation is intended to examine the MNC’s and Academia’s role on the procurement of SMEs’ business sustainability through inter-firm knowledge transfer and experiential learning, in terms of absorptive capacity. More specifically, the impact of technical and technological knowledge transferred from the MNC on one side; and reflective learning on managerial skills and business vision from the Academia on the other side, is analyzed through SMEs’ absorptive capacity. Regarding business sustainability, the effect of the application of newly absorbed knowledge is analyzed in terms of SMEs’ selected indicators for business improvements. As a complement, a qualitative study is included in order to provide support for findings hereby obtained.
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Wessels, Althia Chavianca. "Social networks utilised by SME's within the tourist destinations of eastern Free State / A.C. Wessels." Thesis, North-West University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/9252.
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South Africa the development of small tourism businesses are extremely vital for job creation and a development of a new economy. The South African tourism industry has to look at more innovative ways for marketing their products and services to develop the small tourism businesses. The arrival of web 2.0 led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services and web applications such as social networking sites. Social networking sites have encouraged new ways to communicate and share information on the web. When it comes to online networking, websites are commonly used. These websites are known as social networking sites and function as online communities on the internet. Social networking sites are currently one of the applications of Web 4.0 developments. This means creation by the majority and web participation a necessity. The importance of customer engagement enablement is recognised. Operating systems are in cloud-computing. The communication medium became social media systems and people sell everything via desktop, mobile, tablets and iTV.
This study focuses on the Eastern Free State tourism destination and its development through social networks. The main aim of the study is to critically analyse the application and effective utilisation of social network site technologies within the Eastern Free State tourism industry and to explore this objective of social network applications used within the small businesses in Eastern Free State tourism industry. The empirical study was conducted by means of a field study using a structured questionnaire and interviews with key stakeholders. Data from 60 small tourism businesses were collected and a total of 55 businesses restricted to Eastern Free State Drakensberg were analysed in the process of collecting the peer-aided questionnaires. The biggest problems in the use of digital media are knowledge to develop a proper product that has measured marketing outcomes for the small business.Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.
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Kakar, Lisa. "Dynamic Capability as a tool in SME's : A qualitative study on successful enterpreneurs in Afghanistan." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för ekonomi, teknik och samhälle, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-79904.
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Introduction - Firms nowadays are trying to build a sustainable competitive advantage toensure their long term stay within the market. But as the business environment is rapidlychanging due to the new technology, it makes it difficult for firms to develop a competitiveadvantage. Moreover, SMEs in emerging economies are struggling with how to develop theircapacity to respond to the shift in the business environment. Purpose - The purpose of this study is to adopt Teece’s (2007) framework in the developingcountry to be able to understand and identify the capabilities that an entrepreneur needs tohave to be successful, especially emphasizing how Saffron produces SMEs in Afghanistancan perform the good competition in an unstable environment and provide factors on howentrepreneurs can get a sustainable competitive advantage using the DC framework. Method – This study was carried out by using a qualitative approach with an exploratorynature and a case study research design. The main data was collected by conducting in-depthinterviews with entrepreneurs in the saffron business. To analysis the collected data, the sixstep of thematic analysis method by Barun and Clarke (2016) was used. Findings – In the collected data, there is evidence that indicates that entrepreneurs inemerging markets can use the DC framework to gain and increase their capabilities to dealwith the uncertainty in the business environment and firms need to change theirorganizational structure from centralized to decentralized. Meanwhile, flexibility inoperations and adaptability to changes can afford SMEs with a greater possibility to gain acompetitive advantage in an unstable business environment. Further, while female'sparticipation in the value chain of the economy is more effective compared to males, theirrole in leading businesses remains marginal, therefore, firms cannot gain competitiveadvantage by systematically excluding some resources such a women’s. There is potentialloss of excluding women if international partners would prefer more diversity in products.Human resources is also a capacity of SMEs that is difficult to replicate. Hence, SMEs inemerging markets cannot gain a competitive advantage by workforce gender segregation.
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Maphiri, Mikovhe Comfort. "Business rescue in South Africa and its practical application to SME's (small to medium enterprises)." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19789.
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South African small to medium sized entities are the bread and butter of our economy. Providing much-needed employment and developing skills both formally and informally to historically disadvantaged persons are some of the most significant benefits of small to medium sized entities in a developing country such as South Africa. Unfortunately, despite these highly celebrated significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the country, South African small to medium sized entities have the lowest survival rates in the world, resulting in high rates of business failure and job losses created by these entities. The Companies Act 71 of 2008 provides for a corporate rescue system in the form of business rescue and a compromise between a company and its creditors which replaces judicial management as a corporate rescue procedure for South African companies. Business rescue provides companies in financial distress with opportunities to reorganise, strategize and come up with useful corporate reorganisation measures which are useful and efficient in saving the financially distressed company and possibly yielding a better return for the creditors than would have been the case if the company was liquidated. This study analyses whether the overall South African corporate rescue systems, past and present, have developed in line with the needs and interests of South African Small to medium-sized entities, in a manner that is efficient and sensitive to the inherent weakness of our economy as well as the distinctive needs of small to medium sized entities. A comparative study with similar procedures in the United Kingdom and the United States of America is undertaken to determine whether the evolution of South African corporate rescue laws meets the needs and interests of small- to medium-sized entities in the modern South African economy. Several inherent weakness are identified in the new business rescue regime as well as in compromises between a company and its creditors and a number of recommendations are made to improve the current provisions in the Act, for the purpose of making access and use of these corporate rescue procedures less burdensome and accessible for small- to medium- sized entities. This is done with the purpose of assisting the South African legislature in developing a corporate rescue procedure tailor-made for South African companies and not a mere cut and paste corporate rescue system unfitting to the needs and interests of South African small- to medium-sized entities.
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Upfold, Christopher Tennant. "An investigation of information security in small and medium enterprises (SME's) in the Eastern Cape." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003847.
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Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) embrace a wide range of information systems and technology that range from basic bookkeeping and general purpose office packages, through to advanced E-Business Web portals and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). A survey, based on SABS ISO/IEC 17799 was administered to a select number of SME’s in the services sector, in the Eastern Cape. The results of the survey revealed that the level of information security awareness amongst SME leadership is as diverse as the state of practice of their information systems and technology. Although a minority of SME’s do embrace security frameworks such as SABS ISO/IEC 17799 or the International equivalent, BS7799, most SME leaders have not heard of security standards, and see information security as a technical intervention designed to address virus threats and data backups. Furthermore, there are several “stripped-down” standards and guidelines for SME’s, based mostly on SABS ISO/IEC 17799, but designed as streamlined, more easily implemented options. Again, these “lighter” frameworks are scarcely used and largely unknown by SME’s. Far from blaming SME leadership for not understanding the critical issues surrounding information security, the research concludes that SME leadership need to engage, understand and implement formal information security processes, failing which their organisations may be severely impacted by inadvertent threats / deliberate attacks on their information systems which could ultimately lead to business failure.
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Cook, Mark. "Regional and firm level determinants of international competitiveness : an examination of SME's role, capability and competencies." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2436/38833.
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In our increasingly globalised world, supranational regions, nation states and individual country regions are progressively more in competition with one another. How the nation state and region can become more competitive and how this competitiveness can be measured is open to debate. This thesis presents work based upon two aspects that have been proffered as to how competitiveness at the country and region level can be explained, that is through investment (via Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)) inflows and through the development of enterprise and in particular the enhancement of the small firm in international markets. The theme that runs through the thesis is one of competitiveness and competence. The competence of the region to attract FDI and the competence of the entrepreneur and the SME to undertake internationalisation. The thesis begins by examining the concepts of national and regional competitiveness. Two of the determinants of national and regional competitiveness are then considered - FDI and the level of small firm activity/entrepreneurship. The paper analyses the empirical and theoretical work on FDI and considers how regional competencies/factors can be used to attract FDI. SME internationalisation and its impact on regional competitiveness are then examined, focussing on the resources and competences, at the level of the entrepreneur and the firm, which influence SME internationalisation. The thesis contributes to the richness of understanding of the complex relationship between the range of explanatory factors at a regional, national and supra-national level that influence inbound FDI. In particular providing a much better understanding of UK regional FDI inflows. The section on internationalisation of SMEs contributes to the understanding of entrepreneurial and firm competences through the study of small firms at the county level of Northamptonshire. This county is a relatively under-researched area in the study of SMEs and in the study of the county's SME activity in international markets it has been even more sparsely investigated.
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Qiu, Jun. "A framework for assessment of the impact of supply chains on the growth strategy of SME's." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.569272.
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Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) are facing an ever increasing pressure to think carefully and strategically of ways to compete and grow in what can only be described as a turbulent business environment. This more so for those SME's that have built their growth strategy on the development of new product where the competition is shifting from a company orientation to a supply chain based rivalry. Accordingly achieving qualities such as agility are becoming critical to the success of supply chains. Such dramatic changes make the traditional approaches to business strategy, i.e business growth strategy, which has been based on the company providing a match between its business environment and its internal capability questionable. While, the value of supply chain in determining organization's growth strategy has received some attention a practical perspectives and solution yet to be provided. This research has focused on studying and exploring the position of supply chain in the growth strategy formulation process in SME's to identify the main factors contributing to the above concept and the relationship among the strategic influencing factors from a market, dynamic capability, and supply chain points of view. The research was conducted through: an extensive literature review; three in-depth case studies to identify how practitioners think and act with respect to the position of supply chain issues in growth strategy formulation and why it is important to involve the supply chain issues earlier in growth strategy formulation. A mini-survey and semi-structured interview followed the findings of case studies to extract more evidence at a broader scope. From the above study, a conceptual framework is proposed from which a practical approach emerged to assist SME's that develop new product to think about the supply chain proactively thus future proofing their product and securing their growth strategy.
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Al-Hassan, Khalid M. "A practical maintenance framework for production equipment manufactuers and users : an analysis of maintenance strategies for SME's." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/735.
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The work presented here concerns a Practical Maintenance Framework (PMF) for Small and Medium size Enterprises (SME's) aimed, ultimately, at implementing Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). Typically, the successful implementation of TPM requires large financial and human resource commitments, which are usually unrealistic in SME's. So it is usually the larger companies that are more willing and able to dedicate resources for TPM development. The PMF introduced in this work support SME's in four ways; the Model is simple and flexible for companies to implement, and typically it does not require a significant financial commitment during its implementation. Further improvements can be achieved shortly after implementation. Finally, the Model does not involve specialist TPM teams or committees; instead there is a single team to which every person in the company will be attached to. PMF is a framework that operates in an iterative and interactive process of improvement, review and analysis. The PMF is mainly built on a quantitative measure of performance basedo n data collection and subsequenta nalysiso f Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) originally introduced by Nakajima (1988). In addition, in this research, we show how a simplified version of this OEE measure can be usefully adopted in certain circumstances to calculate the efficiency of a production line. To illustrate some of our work we present and discuss results from one of many case studies, which demonstrate the value of maintenance strategies such as PMF. Both PMF and the OEE measure are shown to be effective when used to improve equipment efficiency. Finally, the research suggests a way that can help both equipment manufactures and equipment users to cooperate with an aim to produce more efficient equipment and products.
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Chung, Ka Wai. "Leadership, innovation capability, and SME's product innovation performance :the moderating roles of reward philosophy and entrepreneurial culture." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2019. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_oa/727.
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Innovation is vital to the survival and prosperity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Such firms have the inherent liability of limited resources, which creates a barrier to their pursuit of innovative activities. To compete with larger incumbents and sustain competitive advantages, leaders, the principal decision-makers, play a key role in devising innovation strategies and have overall responsibility for firms' ultimate performance. This study draws on the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities perspective (DC) to develop a model linking leadership (resource) to innovation (dynamic capability) and product innovation performance (sustainable competitive advantage). In addition, it suggests that reward philosophy and entrepreneurial culture can enhance or hinder the effect of transformational and transactional leadership on exploratory and exploitative innovation in the context of SMEs. Using a quantitative research method, 151 valid pairs of questionnaires (i.e. 302 respondents) were collected from the top management of small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in China. The empirical findings showed that transformational leadership behaviors could foster both exploratory and exploitative innovations. Transactional leaders, consistent with the literature, could facilitate exploitative activities, but not exploratory innovation. The data analysis also indicated that different types of innovation delivered different benefits to firms. In addition, reward philosophy and entrepreneurial culture had divergent moderating effects on the relationship between leadership style and innovative outcome.
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Frost, Adam. "Going green: prospects for SME's to attain ISO 14001 and the challenges they face in the process." Thesis, Aston University, 2011. http://publications.aston.ac.uk/15708/.
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This research aimed to identify any common factors that have enabled and/or motivated SMEs to successfully implement ISO 14001 whilst the majority have not. It also identified what challenges and barriers SMEs face in doing so and how some have overcome these. The existing literature suggests that the majority of SMEs perceive their environmental impacts to be proportional to their size; have a poor understanding of environmental issues; have a poor awareness of environmental regulations; do that have the necessary expertise or leadership to address environmental issues and that SMEs with an environmental management system such as ISO 14001 are very much the minority. The main factors that influenced whether an SME had implemented ISO 14001 were: competitive advantage, regulatory compliance, supply chain pressures, leadership, expertise, resources and external support. This research used qualitative analysis of interviews with managers and directors from 8 SMEs with ISO 14001 and 4 without. All of the SMEs were based in the West Midlands or Staffordshire. Interviews were also conducted with 3 organisations offering support to businesses on environmental issues and with 1 large business who was engaging their suppliers (which included SMEs within this sample) on environmental issues. The research found that there were four main factors that enabled or motivated the SMEs to implement ISO 14001, these were: leadership, supply chain pressures, external support and SMEs' history and experience of accredited management systems. The main challenges that these business had to overcome and that prevented the other SMEs from achieving ISO 14001 were: achieving regulatory compliance, perceived financial cost, lack of perceived competitive advantage, access to relevant and affordable support and for those SMEs without ISO 14001 there was very little perceived external pressure or need for them to do so.
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Mtigwe, Bruce. "The Internationalization process of small-to-medium size enterprises (SME's) in the African context a comparative study /." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2004. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-08262004-071707.
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Kamal, Naseef, and Hampus Lundqvist. "The role of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Dynamic Capabilities during Internationalization : A comparative case study of Swedish SME's." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-388802.
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This study explores the relationship of entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities as organizations grow beyond country borders and into international markets. Through an extensive literature review of internationalization, entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities, a theoretical framework is developed that allow us to answer our research question. The study takes an abductive, comparative case study approach and is conducted on three Swedish SMEs in regard to their internationalization activites related to South Korea. The study proposes that there is an area in research that still contain a high degree of ambiguity which makes an understanding of the relationship between these two constructs difficult to define. The study’s findings report that the two constructs have complementary narratives of the same phenomenon which concedes a variety of possible relationships. The study then argues in support and rebuttal of five propositions of relationships.
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Prabawani, Bulan. "An exploratory examination of the factors influencing Indonesian SME's sustainability practices in the textile and chemical industries." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/576.
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All firms have an impact on the environment in which they operate, for example in the exploration and processing of environmental resources to make a profit. Manufacturing firms, in particular have the potential to pollute the environment with dangerous liquid and solid wastes. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) make a significant contribution to the global economy in both developing and developed countries. Individually, SMEs appear to have little environmental impact, but accumulatively, they have a considerable impact, not only economically but also environmentally. However, managing environment impact is not usually core business for SMEs.
SMEs often suffer from a lack of internal resources and capabilities. For example they can have limited access to credit given their high risk, limited warranty, and lack of managerial experience or track record in managing aspects such as financial, production, and sales data. In terms of environmental issues, SMEs often attract little attention from the media, although government does support environmental management initiatives. Consequently, SME owner managers can be indifferent to, or unable to implement, sustainability practices. Thus, natural resources become objects of exploitation or over exploitation.
Although there are many differences in sustainability definitions, all definitions have at their heart the same objective, that is, how today‘s firms‘ needs are fulfilled such that they do not harm the future. This is evident in definition of sustainability in the business field as ―one that creates profits for its shareholders while protecting the environment and improving the lives of those with whom it interacts‖ (Savitz & Weber, 2006, p.x). Thus, the concept of sustainability is not one which is solely orientated to economic aspects or profit, but also to social and natural aspects, in terms of the triple bottom line (TBL) in undertaking business.
Indonesian SMEs in the manufacturing industry are a source of significant employment; however, they suffer a range of issues. The Asian Development Bank (2005) reported that industrial waste and pollution in Indonesia is out of control, while regulation and enforcement by government is completely inadequate. Studies have shown Indonesia‘s chemical based manufacturers contribute to air pollution, contamination of water sources, and depletion of groundwater through improper and illegal disposal of solid and hazardous waste.
The focus of this thesis is SMEs sustainability: perceived benefits, drivers for and barriers to sustainability. As such this is a study of the natural, social, and economic dimensions that make up the concept of sustainability in relation to Indonesian SMEs. The literature identifies a range of natural, social and economic factors influencing sustainability and these were collated into a model. Eight case studies of SMEs in the Central Java chemical and textile industries were undertaken to refine the measures in the model of sustainability. The overall sustainability of the case study firms was also assessed while hypotheses were constructed as to the relationships between constructs and firms sustainability practices based on firm types and size, as well as industry.
A survey of 215 chemical and textile SMEs was then undertaken to test the refined model and develop a final model. The model was developed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) or a measurement model, which included some second order factors for dependent latent variables, and then followed by a structural model which combined each final measurement model. The final model was found to have a high fit (.971 CFI,/df, .041 RMSEA, and .081 RMR) with efficiency as a critical factor influencing sustainability practices.
Overall the study found that sustainability practices were not first priority for these SMEs although they were more inclined towards the present interests in the Sustainable Value framework developed by Hart and Milstein (2003). Indonesian SMEs emphasised resource consumption and civil society issues. In terms of the level of sustainability this group of SMEs were found to have moved ‗beyond the level of legal compliance‘ in terms of their sustainability practices. While Hubbard‘s (2009) Sustainability Balanced Scorecard stresses a balance between the economic as well as the natural and social dimensions of sustainability, this balance was not evident for these Indonesian SMEs. The SME owner managers were also more concerned with the social dimension of sustainability and this was at odds with their perception of the government‘s concern being with the natural dimension of sustainability. However moral mandate was evident as a driver for the natural and social dimensions of sustainability as has been found in other studies of SMEs in developed countries such as New Zealand and the Netherland.
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Copley, Paul. "A qualitative research approach to new ways of seeing marketing in SME's : implications for education, training and development." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2008. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/2150/.
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There is myriad research that explores the nature of marketing generally, and more specifically within SME (small to medium sized enterprise) contexts. Most of this research, however, focuses upon orthodox and relational marketing. Recently, it has also been argued that the literature fails to pay adequate attention to the role that critical studies might take in helping to understand marketing. Moreover, qualitative approaches to researching SME marketing have recently gained favour. This thesis takes the opportunity to employ a qualitative approach to researching SME marketing while at the same time exploring the implications for education, training and development (ETD). This research explored how the subjective individual can make sense of particular social arenas. Adopting a social constructivist approach involving the researcher and participants, this research offers some clarity to the SME marketing ETD context. To illuminate new ways of seeing, this research looked to both SME and ETD participants to be part of a study located in the North East of England. The study employed a semi-structured interview that, when transcribed, provided research texts that were then analysed through a Discourse Analysis lens. This allowed discourses to emerge from the texts that illuminated aspects of marketing in a SME context, as well as aspects of ETD. It is clear from the research that the extant nature of orthodox marketing’s central model, known as the 4Ps, is for the SME participants obvious and in the background. For the ETD participants this model is still central to how they see marketing ETD for SMEs in their role as educators, trainers and developers. However both SME and ETD perspectives include relational components, particularly networking. Critical components, in the light of Critical Theory and the turbulent business environment, can also be seen in the discourses of this thesis. The standpoints that the participants of this study combine, adapt, juxtapose or shape to fit conditions to their everyday lives, were exposed. The research texts contain metaphoric and other references that negotiate key tensions leading to confrontation and resistance to the dominant orthodox marketing form. This thesis explores the ways that participants use marketing-related discourse to inscribe their behaviours in a complex ideological system, immersed in social worlds. Marketing realities are found to be more critical than at first assumed. A schema is developed that portrays the relationships between these actors and this social arena. I therefore assess themes that emerge from the narratives of participants and within each theme discourses are used to describe participants’ world views. This thesis provides a new way of seeing marketing and develops the relational, orthodox and critical (ROC) schema of SME marketing, applied to ETD. This schema informs thinking on a range of issues such as flows of information, relationships, network coordination and specific competencies. The schema should be considered carefully before the design and delivery of any form of SME marketing ETD programme and any materials are devised. The findings of this thesis suggest that the ROC schema is potentially applicable to other marketing contexts.
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Apiri, Tonye Richard. "Loan performance and default rate of financing SME's by microfinance bank: a case study of Accoin Microfinance Bank PLC." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95646.
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Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.This study examines the default rate and performance of Microfinance bank (MFBs) loans to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria based on the case study of Accion Microfinance Bank Limited (AMFB), Lagos State. Responses from 150 employees of AMFB revealed that the causes of default rate and performance of SMEs reflect the risk and vulnerability of the SME sector in Nigeria. It further showed that MFBs apply stringent credit criteria in granting loans to SME borrowers, coupled with the existing high cost of funds. The attitude, lack of transparency on the part of SME owners and fund diversion were identified as major factors responsible for the high default rate among SME borrowers. These and other factors warrant the need for further study in the areas of the impact of MFB loans on SME development given the new revised microfinance policy framework in Nigeria.
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Smagurauskienė, Ligita. "Verslo skatinimo sistemos teritorinės organizacijos ypatumai Lietuvoje (1998-2008 m.)." Doctoral thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2011. http://vddb.laba.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2011~D_20110307_153526-12454.
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Disertacijos tikslas – atskleisti verslo skatinimo sistemos teritorinės organizacijos ypatumus Lietuvoje 1998 – 2008 m. Tyrimo objektas – teritorinė verslo paramos sistemos struktūra, jos elementai, formavimosi ir veikimo ypatumai. Šis darbas – mėginimas geografo akimis pažvelgti į dinamišką ir daugiakomponentę verslo paramos sistemą teritoriniu aspektu ir pasitelkus ankstesnių tyrimų rezultatus, mokslininkų patirtį bei tarpdisciplininius tyrimų būdus įžvelgti galimas teritorinės verslo paramos sistemos sąsajas su šalies ūkio vystymosi niuansais, kurie betarpiškai susiję ir su tvariu teritorijų vystymusi. Darbas sudarytas iš trijų pagrindinių dalių: tyrimų apžvalgos, kurioje aprašyti disertacijos tema Lietuvoje ir užsienyje atlikti tyrimai pagal tris tarpdisciplinines kryptis, darbo metodologijos, kurioje pateikiama darbo metodologija - sistemos ir jos dalyvių tyrimų metodologijos aspektai ir bendrieji tyrimo metodologijos aspektai, tyrimų rezultatų, kur pateikiami gautieji tyrimų rezultatai, atskleidžiantys formaliuosius verslo skatinimo sistemos principus, kai kuriuos užsienio šalių verslo skatinimo patirties aspektus, verslo skatinimo sistemos teritorinę organizaciją Lietuvoje, pagrindines teritorinės verslo skatinimo sistemos sąsaja su ūkio vystymosi tendencijomis. Lietuvoje taikoma aibė verslo paramos priemonių, tačiau paramos priemonių visuma neveikia kaip vientisa sistema. Veikiančios verslo skatinimo sistemos sukūrimas šalyje svarbi prielaida sėkmingam smulkaus ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]The aim of the dissertation is to reveal the features of the territorial organization of the business support system in Lithuania in 1998 – 2008. The object of the research is the territorial structure of the business support system, its elements, features of its formation and performance. This study is one of the first, in which a geographer attempts to look at the dynamic and multi-component business support system in the territorial aspect, invoking the results of the previous studies, the experience of the scientists and the methods of interdisciplinary research, it reveals the possibly existing connections between the territorial business support system and nuances of development of national economic, which are directly related to sustainable territorial development. The structure of the study is based on the aim and the objectives of the study: the overview of researches, in this part one can find the overview of studies on the dissertation topic published in Lithuania and abroad according to three interdisciplinary directions, the methodology of the study, in this part, the methodology of the study – the methodological aspects of research of the systems and its participants and common methodological aspects of research, the results of the research, in this part, the results of the research are presented revealing the formal principles of business support system, some aspects of business support in foreign countries, the territorial organization of business support... [to full text]
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Robertson, Andrew J. "A website service quality model for B2B SME's : the proposal of a two factor eight item scale to measure website quality for B2B SMEs in either information or physical product related industries." Thesis, University of Kent, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.651281.
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Siwundla, Sabelo Emmanuel. "The development of a framework to empower SME's in the Eastern Cape to overcome barriers in the adoption of e-commerce." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020971.
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The primary objective of the study was to establish the role that e-commerce can play in improving some Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) business processes and transactions. This was undertaken by investigating how SMEs in the Eastern Cape can be empowered to use e-commerce and overcome barriers in the adoption of e-commerce. The study was modelled on the concept that there are four key factors that influence the adoption of e-commerce, namely: level of e-commerce awareness, level of computer literacy, availability of Information Technology and telecommunication infrastructure, as well as trust and security of e-commerce applications. The literature study revealed that SMEs play a vital role in the development and growth of a country’s economy. The literature review also identified a wide-range of barriers hindering e-commerce development and adoption by SMEs, namely: lack of computer skills, low level of e-commerce awareness, lack of Information Technology and telecommunication infrastructure, as well as lack of e-commerce trust and security. Further, the literature study showed that Internet availability and affordability is key to e-commerce growth and development, as in developing countries Internet is not yet universally accessible. This is due to a lack of necessary policies and infrastructure enabling wide-spread Internet use. The empirical study consisted of a structured questionnaire distributed to a population of executive management, middle management, operational employees and directors/owners in various SMEs in the Eastern Cape. The structured questionnaire was aimed at gathering views about e-commerce development and adoption by SMEs in the Eastern Cape with a special focus on barriers to the adoption of e-commerce by SMEs. The results of the empirical study revealed that: E-commerce awareness needs to be created among SMEs. Awareness needs to be created among SMEs about all aspects surrounding the use of e-commerce. Improvements in the telecommunications infrastructure could reduce the unreliable connections experienced by SMEs. Skills development strategies could assist in equipping SMEs with skills required in the e-commerce environment. Non-governmental organizations, government and companies assisting SMEs could provide free Internet access to SMEs. Alternatively, Internet cafes could be placed at different places and charge reasonable fees. NGO’s and higher education institutions could help in developing electronic literacy skills among SMEs. Companies assisting SMEs with funding could provide more funds to allow SMEs interested in e-commerce to start e-commerce systems.
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Smagurauskienė, Ligita. "Territorial organization of business incentive system in Lithuania(1998-2008)." Doctoral thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2011. http://vddb.laba.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2011~D_20110307_153535-88301.
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The aim of the dissertation is to reveal the features of the territorial organization of the business support system in Lithuania in 1998 – 2008. The object of the research is the territorial structure of the business support system, its elements, features of its formation and performance. This study is one of the first, in which a geographer attempts to look at the dynamic and multi-component business support system in the territorial aspect, invoking the results of the previous studies, the experience of the scientists and the methods of interdisciplinary research, it reveals the possibly existing connections between the territorial business support system and nuances of development of national economic, which are directly related to sustainable territorial development. The structure of the study is based on the aim and the objectives of the study: the overview of researches, in this part one can find the overview of studies on the dissertation topic published in Lithuania and abroad according to three interdisciplinary directions, the methodology of the study, in this part, the methodology of the study – the methodological aspects of research of the systems and its participants and common methodological aspects of research, the results of the research, in this part, the results of the research are presented revealing the formal principles of business support system, some aspects of business support in foreign countries, the territorial organization of business support... [to full text]Disertacijos tikslas – atskleisti verslo skatinimo sistemos teritorinės organizacijos ypatumus Lietuvoje 1998 – 2008 m. Tyrimo objektas – teritorinė verslo paramos sistemos struktūra, jos elementai, formavimosi ir veikimo ypatumai. Šis darbas – mėginimas geografo akimis pažvelgti į dinamišką ir daugiakomponentę verslo paramos sistemą teritoriniu aspektu ir pasitelkus ankstesnių tyrimų rezultatus, mokslininkų patirtį bei tarpdisciplininius tyrimų būdus įžvelgti galimas teritorinės verslo paramos sistemos sąsajas su šalies ūkio vystymosi niuansais, kurie betarpiškai susiję ir su tvariu teritorijų vystymusi. Darbas sudarytas iš trijų pagrindinių dalių: tyrimų apžvalgos, kurioje aprašyti disertacijos tema Lietuvoje ir užsienyje atlikti tyrimai pagal tris tarpdisciplinines kryptis, darbo metodologijos, kurioje pateikiama darbo metodologija - sistemos ir jos dalyvių tyrimų metodologijos aspektai ir bendrieji tyrimo metodologijos aspektai, tyrimų rezultatų, kur pateikiami gautieji tyrimų rezultatai, atskleidžiantys formaliuosius verslo skatinimo sistemos principus, kai kuriuos užsienio šalių verslo skatinimo patirties aspektus, verslo skatinimo sistemos teritorinę organizaciją Lietuvoje, pagrindines teritorinės verslo skatinimo sistemos sąsaja su ūkio vystymosi tendencijomis. Lietuvoje taikoma aibė verslo paramos priemonių, tačiau paramos priemonių visuma neveikia kaip vientisa sistema. Veikiančios verslo skatinimo sistemos sukūrimas šalyje svarbi prielaida sėkmingam smulkaus ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
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Koleva, Bilyana, and Madeleine Ziegert. "The influence of social capital on SME's international market commitment : Looking at the perspective of three Swedish firms commitment to the U.S. market." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Akademin för ekonomi, teknik och naturvetenskap, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-28439.
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The question of the influence of social capital on internationalization has been an important researched topic, as one of the factors for entering and post-entry operation on a foreign market. However there is a lack of knowledge, deepening on the importance social networks and relationships have for committing to a big foreign market such as the United States. The purpose of this research is to provide a better understanding of the importance of a network of social ties when it comes to a firms’ commitment to a foreign market. This study has the goal of proving knowledge on the importance of social capital to firms’ commitment to a foreign market, by explaining better its positive and negative sides over the process. The theory in this work is being divided into three parts: internationalization of SMEs, social capital and influence of social capital on the firm’s commitment to a foreign market. The theoretical framework is based on the previous researches done in accordance to the topic of this thesis. A model is presented at the end of the theoretical framework in order to be outlined the process of analyzing the three firm cases later on. This study is using qualitative research method in order to find an answer to the research question set at the beginning of the project. Abductive method, combing the inductive and deductive approaches, is chosen as a way to interpret and explain causality on the elected topic and to develop the existing theory. Primary and secondary data have been collected through the research process by conducting interviews with firm representatives, looking at official web pages and reports. Three Swedish companies have been engaged in this research because of their successful establishment on the U.S. market. The results of this study are showing the importance social capital in the internationalization process. Networks should be considered as a crucial issue and cannot be neglected since this may lead to bad results, performance, loss of growth and position on the foreign market. However, different commitment results are coming from different approaches followed by companies. There might be both positive and negative results outlined from using social capital, which will lead to increased or decreased mode of internationalization.Master thesis
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Duarte, Rui Pedro Alexandre Marreiros. "Branding para microempresas : caso Designrut." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/10843.
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Mestrado em MarketingAs pequenas e médias empresas (PME's) e em especial as microempresas, são geralmente organizações com escassos recursos onde a gestão da marca tende a não ser uma das prioridades. Para além disso a literatura existente sobre gestão da marca em PME's é escassa, sendo grande parte da investigação realizada no contexto de grandes multinacionais. Este projeto tem como propósito auxiliar uma microempresa a implementar algumas medidas de gestão da marca que lhe permita afirmar-se nos seus mercados alvo. Foi, assim, realizada uma revisão da literatura tendo como temas principais a gestão da marca e as PME's. Estabelecida a base teórica e considerando o contexto da empresa, foi realizado um estudo qualitativo com entrevistas semiestruturadas à gerente da empresa e a três dos seus clientes. Com base na análise da informação recolhida foram elaborados dois mapas mentais da marca Designrut. O primeiro com base nas características de personalidade da marca enunciadas pela gerente da empresa e o segundo com base nas características que os clientes associam à marca. Foram comparados os mapas e destacados os pontos em comum. Foram identificados os pontos de paridade e os pontos de diferença da Designrut face aos seus concorrentes que, serviram de base para definir o posicionamento pretendido para a marca. Finalmente, foram apresentadas recomendações de ação à empresa tendo em vista melhorar o seu branding e construir uma marca mais forte. Nestas recomendações inclui-se o desenvolvimento dos elementos da marca, o marketing mix de apoio à marca e a alavancagem de associações secundárias.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and especially micro-enterprises are usually organizations with scarce resources where brand management tends not to be a priority. In addition, the literature on brand management in SMEs is scarce, and much of the research is undertaken in the context of large multinationals. This project aims to assist a micro-enterprise to implement some brand management measures enabling it to establish in its target markets. A literature review has been done on brand management main topics and SMEs. Established the theoretical basis and considering the business context, a qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews with the manager of the company and three of its customers. Based on the information collected two mental maps of the Designrut brand were developed. The first, based on personality characteristics of the brand as perceived by the manager and the second based on the customers associations to the brand. The maps were compared and the commonalities highlighted. Designrut's points of parity and points of difference over its competitors were identified and served as the basis to set the desired positioning for the brand. Finally, recommendations of action were presented to the company to improve its branding and build a stronger brand. These recommendations include the development of the brand elements, the marketing mix elements to support the brand and leveraging of secondary associations.
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Andrade, Débora Mengarda, and Danielle Fiamoncini Prada. "Customer Value Creation : How do external factors influence SME's customer value creation in a new foreign market? A case study of Axelent A.B." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Sektionen för ekonomi och teknik (SET), 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-25597.
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When companies go international some factors present in the host country act like forces that might drive the company to standardize or adapt its strategies. The choices between to standardize or to adapt to local needs are of a great importance, since it can have significant impact in the company’s performance in the foreign market. In this paper these forces are characterized in country specific and industry specific factors. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of external factors in the customers’ value creation in a new foreign market, under standardization and adaptation strategies. In order to fulfill the purpose of the paper, a qualitative research was conducted using a single case study of a Swedish SME, focusing on a single product, namely machine guarding, in connection with one foreign market, Brazil. The study shows that the factors that were most influenced in the customers’ value creation were social/cultural aspects and competition, which tend to lead the company to adapt in order to fulfill local needs and to react to the competitiveness. It was also presented that economic factors and market size did not represent any influences in the standardization or adaptation strategies of the company studied. However, other external factors, as technological, political/legal and industry structure, have shown impact to some degree, whether in adaptation or standardization strategies.
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Mandel, Eléonore. "Mythicization, Recontextualization and the Maintenance of International Business Relationships : A Processual and Interpretative Analysis of a French SME's Experience Across Four Cultural Contexts." Thesis, Paris Est, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015PESC0014.
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Ce projet de recherche décrit, analyse et propose une interprétation du processus par lequel les PME maintiennent leurs relations d'affaires dans des contextes culturels différents. La littérature en marketing sur la relation B-to-B part du postulat que les relations d'affaires durables améliorent la performance, offrent aux partenaires des niveaux de satisfaction plus élevés et un avantage concurrentiel sur le marché national et les marchés internationaux. Il a été démontré que le maintien d'une relation d'affaires requiert que les entreprises développent, selon un cycle de vie séquentiel, confiance, engagement et valeur de la relation. En contexte international, il faut surmonter des difficultés supplémentaires : gérer les importantes distances géographiques et faire face aux « frictions » inhérentes à la communication interculturelle, aux différentes échelles de valeurs et de comportements. Cette thèse se concentre sur le processus de maintien des relations d'affaires internationales dans les PME, qui est le type d'entreprise considéré comme le moins à même de surmonter les obstacles de l'internationalisation. La méthodologie choisie associe une approche longitudinale rétrospective et en temps réel afin de comparer et mettre en perspective quatre relations d'affaires internationales durables : une ethnographie focale – entre un fabricant Français et son distributeur Japonais - et trois études de cas – entre l'entreprise française centrale et un distributeur respectivement Sud-Coréen, Néerlandais et Belge. Ce travail décrypte la complexité du processus de maintien des relations d'affaires internationales à travers l'analyse et l'articulation de trois perspectives : la narration du cycle de vie de la relation reconstruit et objectivé, le processus de communication au cours de de la relation et le processus culturel de « sensemaking » des incidents critiques et événements saillants. Mobilisant l'approche interprétative, la thèse montre que les relations d'affaires internationales peuvent se maintenir bien que les expériences et les perspectives des acteurs sur leurs interactions soient différentes de part et d'autre de la relation. La communication interculturelle est le vecteur des représentations « recontextualisées » des partenaires i.e : modelées par les univers de sens inhérents aux contextes de perception distincts dans chaque relation dyadique. En dépit de recontextualisations asymétriques, les partenaires peuvent développer des attitudes compatibles d'engagement et de confiance l'un envers l'autre. Ce travail met plus particulièrement en lumière le rôle que jouent les visions mythifiées de la relation d'affaires - les représentations constamment élaborées, réinterprétées et recontextualisées de certains aspects de la relation, qui sont ainsi favorablement ou défavorablement déformés. Il apporte une contribution à la littérature en proposant un modèle du processus de maintien de la relation d'affaires internationale. Il suggère que les concepts d'engagement et de confiance méritent davantage d'attention en associant des approches processuelles, interprétatives, et psychologiquesThis research project documents, analyzes and offers a processual interpretation of how business relationships are maintained in SMEs across cultural contexts. The B-to-B relationship marketing literature posits that long-lasting business relationships enhance performance, offer business partners higher levels of satisfaction and a competitive advantage in domestic and international markets. Maintaining business relationships is shown to require the development of trust, commitment and relationship value between the firms through a sequential lifecycle. In international contexts, additional difficulties must be overcome due to operating at large geographical distances and facing frictions inherent to cross-cultural communication, value incongruence and behavioral differences. This thesis focuses on the relationship maintenance process specifically in SMEs as this organizational type is considered to be least able to overcome the internationalization hurdles. The chosen methodology combines a retrospective and invivo longitudinal approach, comparing and contrasting four long-lasting international business relationships among SMEs: the focal ethnography involves a French manufacturer with a Japanese distributor; followed by three comparative case studies between the French pivotal firm respectively with a South Korean, Dutch and Belgian distributor. This work deciphers the complex process of international business relationships' maintenance through the analysis and articulation of 3 perspectives: the narrative of the objectivized reconstructed relationship lifecycle, the relationship communication process and the dyadic cultural sensemaking of critical incidents and salient events. Using the interpretative approach, the thesis shows that international relationships can be maintained in spite of different experiences and perspectives from each side of the dyad concerning their interactions. The cross-cultural communication mediates the partners' representations, which are ‘recontextualized', i.e: shaped by the universes of meaning existing in the dyads' distinct perceptual context. In spite of asymmetrical recontextualizations partners can develop compatible attitudes of commitment and trust toward each other. This work particularly sheds light on the role played by the mythicized visions of the business relationship— constantly shaped, reinterpreted, and recontextualized representations of certain aspects of the relationship that are favorably or unfavorably distorted.. It contributes to the literature by proposing a model of the international business relationship maintenance process. It suggests that the concepts of commitment and trust deserve further attention through a combination of processual, interpretative and psychological approaches
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Maia, Maria Manuela Barros. "O Valor do Design para a Indústria Portuguesa e a Inovação e as Políticas Industriais dos anos 90." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/2406.
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Mestrado em Sociologia Económica e das OrganizaçõesAbordam-se nesta dissertação quatro áreas de conhecimento: design, competitividade, inovação e políticas industriais. As políticas industrias portuguesas assumiram, para o período analisado, a existência de uma relação entre design e competitividade. Tendo como objecto as empresas industrias portuguesas (PME's), pretende-se discutir esta assunção através da reflexão sobre o valor do design para a inovação, tratando: desenvolvimento de produtos, tecnologia, I&D, organização e performance financeira. A compreensão dos traços mais determinantes da industrialização portuguesa e do desenvolvimento do design em Portugal, faz assentar esta discussão numa base que permite identificar e compreender o entendimento que foi feito do design nas políticas industriais. O design deterá um papel efectivo na construção da competitividade da industria portuguesa se for realizada a sua instrumentalização completa. Esta reflexão avança com perspectivas para um modelo competitivo para Portugal integrando design.
Four areas of knowledge are approached In this essay: design, competitiveness, innovation and industrial politics. The Portuguese industrial politics have assumed, for the analysed period, the existence of a relation between design and competitiveness. Having in mind the industrial enterprises (SME's) as the main goal, it is important to discuss the assumption through the consideration of the value of the design regarding innovation, taking into account: product development, technology, R&D, organization and financial performance. The understanding of the most important facts of the Portuguese industrialization and development of the design in Portugal allow us to identify and perceive the role of design in the industrial policies. If the design's role is fully implemented. It will have an effective impact in the construction of competitiveness in the Portuguese industry. This consideration aims at the achieving a competitive model in/for Portugal wich would also include design.
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Tomás, Rafael da Fonseca. "Export intensity and financial performance of Portuguese Small and Medium Enterprises (SME)." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/8723.
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Mestrado em FinançasO objectivo desta investigação é estudar a intensidade exportadora das Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PME) em Portugal. A relação entre a intensidade exportadora e o desempenho financeiro é analisado em detalhe. A análise empírica é baseada na amostra das PME da indústria transformadora obtida através dos dados contabilísticos do Sistema de Contas Integradas das Empresas (SCIE). São analisados dois modelos de intensidade exportadora das PME, linear e probit, tendo em conta dois tipos de variáveis dependentes: (i) a percentagem das vendas no mercado externo (considerando-se; e (ii) uma variável binária que mede a predominância exportadora (valor 1 para percentagens de vendas externas superiores a 50%). Como variáveis explicativas foram testadas variáveis relacionadas com as características das empresas (por exemplo, dimensão, nível tecnológico, custos salariais) e com o desempenho financeiro (por exemplo, endividamento, autonomia financeira). Os resultados são mistos dependendo do modelo e da amostra estudada, no entanto, no geral, o retorno sobre os activos, a produtividade, o resultado líquido e o rácio da dívida têm uma relação positiva com a intensidade exportadora. A dimensão e o nível tecnológico também têm um impacto positivo. O salário médio por trabalhador tem um efeito negativo na intensidade exportadora, sugerindo uma competitividade internacional baseada nos custos.
The purpose of this investigation is to explain the export intensity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Portugal. The relation between export intensity and financial performance is analyzed in detail. The empirical analysis is based on a sample of SME firms from the manufacturing sector obtained from the firm-level accounting data Sistema de Contas Integradas das Empresas (SCIE). Two models of export intensity of SMEs are analyzed, linear and probit, considering two kinds of dependent variables: (i) the percentage of foreign sales (considering; and (ii) a binary variable that measures the predominance (value 1 for percentages of foreign sales higher than 50%). As explanatory variables are tested variables related to company characteristics (e.g. size, technological level, wage costs) and to financial performance (e.g. debt, financial autonomy). Results are mixed depending on the model or sample studied, however, in general, return on assets, productivity, net result and debt-to-equity ratio have a positive relationship with the export intensity. Size and technological level also impacted positively. Average wage has a negative effect on export intensity, suggesting an international competitiveness based on costs.
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Ebrahimi, Mohsen. "Support of SME´s in their Digital Transformation Journey : A study of the effectiveness of the SSM and EAM frameworks supporting family-owned manufacturing SME's taking on the digital transformation challenges." Thesis, Tekniska Högskolan, Jönköping University, JTH, Datateknik och informatik, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-49942.
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Digital Transformation (DT) opens up to new opportunities for companies by providing organizational flexibility and improving their business models. Due to lack of resources in form of financial power and qualified employees, family-owned manufacturing companies have a hard time reaching DT. However, these companies try their best to reach DT and along the road various challenges arise. The challenges that arise, result in a complex situation that is hard to understand. Organizations with complex situations have difficulties to perform successful IT initiatives that are required to reach DT. The aim of this study was to identify challenges that family-owned manufacturingSMEs (FOMSMEs) encounter when striving for DT. Another aim of this research was to investigate how useful Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is in helping family-owned manufacturing SMEs to understand their own complex situation. Also, the managerial practice called Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) has been investigated regarding its usefulness in helping family-owned manufacturing SMEs to reach DT faster and easier. As a fourth and final aim in this study, an artefact has been created with suggested actions that address the identified challenges that FOMSMEs encounter when striving for DT. By interviewing employees who have participated in IT initiatives at a family-owned manufacturing SME, this research has been able to answer the research questions. Several challenges were identified; communication errors, old systems and exceeding deadlines in projects. All of these challenges can, with the help of SSM, be associated with the identified root challenge: Lack of overview of IT-landscape and strategy. The informants’ thoughts of usefulness of SSM in family-owned manufacturing SMEs were positive. In contrast, the informants’ thoughts of usefulness of EAM in family-owned manufacturing SMEs were negative. The argument expressed by the informants was that as long as the owner family makes most of the decisions, a new managerial practice as EAM will not be useful in family-owned manufacturing SMEs.
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Guerrero, Alexandra Eugenia Arellano. "Interações e transbordamentos de conhecimento: elementos dinamizadores de aprendizagem para PMEs." Universidade de São Paulo, 2008. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/3/3136/tde-30052008-173032/.
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As interações e transbordamentos de conhecimento (spillovers) são elementos essenciais nos processos de aprendizagem, geração de inovações e competitividade da empresa. Para as pequenas e médias empresas (PMEs), esses elementos adquirem importância devido às dificuldades competitivas que lhes são características. Surge então a necessidade de verificar como as PMEs aprendem e adquirem novas competências e novos conhecimentos e de conhecer quais os elementos relevantes para esses processos. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é descrever e analisar as interações e transbordamentos de conhecimentos chaves, que conduzem as PMEs a processos de aprendizagem. Para alcançar esse objetivo foram estudadas PMEs que participam e participaram de programas de apoio à competitividade. As atividades de inovação e exportação, atividades estratégicas para a competitividade de grandes empresas, transnacionais e cadeias globais, ajudaram na escolha dos programas de apoio investigados: incubadoras de base tecnológica e consórcios de exportação. Os objetivos desses programas que delimitaram o estudo foram aumentar a competitividade de empreendimentos inovadores para o desenvolvimento de produtos igualmente inovadores, no caso das incubadoras, e aumentar a competitividade das PMEs e sua participação em mercados externos, no caso dos consórcios de exportação. Dessa forma, a pesquisa foi delimitada as PMEs inseridas no CIETEC, a maior incubadora de base tecnológica do Brasil; as PMEs que participam do Programa Setorial Integrado . PSI, e dos consórcios de exportação, programas da APEX-Brasil. Foi feita ainda uma última delimitação, se escolheram dois casos representativos desses programas, em um mesmo setor e que já apresentassem resultados para análise, o PSI Calçados de Jaú e o consórcio de exportação APEMEBI-Brazon de Birigui. O estudo é uma abordagem qualitativa com aplicação direta de questionários desenvolvidos especialmente para cada tipo de empresa pesquisada, incubada e consorciada. Também foram realizadas entrevistas com diretores de entidades públicas e de apoio, pesquisadores e professores de universidades, centros de pesquisa e institutos de ensino. Os resultados do trabalho apontam que o CIETEC, o PSI Calçados e o consórcio de exportação promovem interações chaves para os processos de aprendizagem, geração e difusão de novos conhecimentos nas PMEs. No caso de empresas incubadas ressalta-se a importância da interação Universidade-Empresa para o desenvolvimento de produtos inovadores, e a capacitação tecnológica das PMEs. No caso do PSI e do consórcio de exportação, observa-se que as interações com clientes e fornecedores (principalmente internacionais) capacita tecnologicamente e prepara as PMEs para exportar. Os resultados da pesquisa também mostram que os transbordamentos de conhecimento são elementos essenciais, nos processos de aprendizagem das PMEs, devido a que possibilitam o acesso a conhecimentos externos. Finalmente, se conclui que os transbordamentos de conhecimento e as interações das PMEs com outros agentes podem ser definidos como elementos dinamizadores nos processos de aprendizagem dessas empresas, especialmente quando inseridos em ambientes nos quais há possibilidades aumentadas de inetrações e existem conhecimentos inerentes ao local.The interactions and spillovers of knowledge are essential elements in the learning process for the generation of innovations and the competitiveness of firms. Those factors acquire a great importance for Small and Medium Enterprises . SME.s, because of the competitive difficulties which characterize them. Then arises the need to verify how SME.s learn and acquire new skills and knowledge; and what are the relevant elements to these processes. The main purpose of the thesis was to describe and analyze the key interactions and spillovers of knowledge that leading to the learning process of SME.s. To achieve this goal, SME.s involved in support programs to competitiveness were studied. The activities of innovation and export, strategic activities for competitiveness of large enterprises, transnational and global chains, helped in the choice of the researched support programs: technology-based incubators and consortia exports. The goals of these programs that delimited the study were: to increase the competitiveness of innovative entrepreneurships to the development of innovative products, in the case of incubators; and increasing the competitiveness of SME.s and their participation in the foreign markets, in the case of consortia export. Thus the search was bounded to the SME.s included in the CIETEC, the largest technology based incubator of Brazil; the SME.s participating in the Integrated Sector Program - ISP, and the export consortia, which are programs of APEX-Brazil. It was also made a final demarcation; from those programs in the same sector, two representative cases were chosen, which already produced results for the analysis: the ISP footwear of Jaú and consortium of export APEMEBI of Birigui. This work is a qualitative approach with direct application of questionnaires developed especially for each type of surveyed companies: incubated and consortium. There were also conducted interviews with directors of public agencies and support, researchers and professors of universities, teaching and research institutions. The main results of the work indicate that the CIETEC, the ISP footwear, and export consortia promote key interactions to the process of learning, generation and dissemination of the new knowledge in SME.s. In the case of incubated companies it is emphasized the importance of university-industry interaction to the development of innovative products, and technology training of SME.s. In the case of ISP and the consortia export, it was observed that the interactions with customers and suppliers (mainly international) train technologically the SME.s and prepare them to export. The results of the research indicate too that the spillovers of knowledge are essential elements to the process of learning of SME.s because possibility to access to external knowledge. Finally, the spillovers of knowledge and interactions of SME.s with others agents can be defined as dynamical elements in learning processes of these companies, especially when placed in environments in which there are increased possibilities of interactions and the are knowledge inherent to the local.
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Maas, Gideon Johannes Pieter. "Kreatiwiteit in Suid-Afrikaanse klein- en mediumgroot ondernemings." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/505.
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Thesis (PhD (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 1996.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The development of small to medium enterprises (SME's) has various advantages for a country's economy, inter alia the creation of job opportunities. South African SME's are expected to realise these advantages, as set out in the national strategy for SME's. The turbulent national and international environment offers unique challenges to SME' s, but could also be the cause of them not meeting expectations. One possible way to secure dynamic behaviour of SME's in such a turbulent environment is to stimulate creativity. The question arises whether South African SME's are creative, and what can be done to promote their creativity. This study therefore focuses on two issues, namely creativity and SME' s. Creativity is discussed on the basis of existing theories and definitions. The primary aim of the discussion is to identify elements which can explain creativity in SME's. The following four elements are discussed: • characteristics of creative persons; • creative processes; • an environment which can support creativity; and • manifestations of creativity. The second issue under discussion framework of D'Amboise and Muldoney is SME's. An adapted (1984) was used as basis to discuss characteristics of 8ME owners, 8ME behaviour practices, and how 8ME's interact with the task environment. Conclusions regarding 8ME owners and 8ME behaviour patterns indicate that an entrepreneurial approach is conducive to creativity, and that 8ME's that interact dynamically with the environment tend to be creative. These conclusions are then integrated. Characteristics of 8ME owners, 8ME behaviour practices, creative processes, and manifestations of creativity are discussed. It was not possible to provide a list of manifestations, and therefore only an instrument for identification and classification is provided. Evaluation is subjective, which supports findings in the literature that objective evaluation is probably not possible. The integrated 8ME profile is an adapted conceptual model which serves as basis for the empirical research. This model suggests that there could be associations between characteristics of 8ME owners and 8ME behaviour practices, and manifestations of creativity. It was decided on a questionnaire for data collecting, because it is inter alia less expensive, and less time consuming for 8ME owners to complete. Questionnaires were forwarded to 3310 addresses, and 342 usable questionnaires were returned. Telephone inquiries confirmed that the low response could not be attributed to either the study or the questionnaire, but rather to factors unique to 8ME's, such as owners' limited time. After the descriptive statistics were reported, a stepwise logistic regression for binary dependant variables (creativity) and multiway analysis for categorical and ordinal explanatory variables were executed in an explorative way, in order to identify possible predictors of creativity. These predictors were then compared with the descriptive statistics to establish possible deficiencies. The most important deficiency is that the present profile of SME owners is not in equilibrium with predictors, and is therefore regarded as the most important reason why SME's are not creative. There is greater equilibrium between SME behaviour factors and predictors, but this is neutralised by non-creative SME owners. Internal (SME's) and external interventions which can create an environment conducive to creativity in SME's, are finally discussed. This approach can be visualised as an iceberg, which implies that manifestations of creativity are only perceptible if the imperceptible phase has a sound basis. This development approach is not an instant, but rather a long term process. If, however, deliberate efforts are not made to promote creativity in SME's, they will not be able to meet expectations, which could have serious consequences for the economy.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit word algemeen aanvaar dat die ontwikkeling van klein- en mediumgroot ondernemings (KMO's) verskeie voordele vir 'n land se ekonomie kan inhou, onder andere die skep van werksgeleenthede. In Suid-Afrika word dit van KMO's verwag om hierdie voordele te realiseer, soos in die nasionale strategie vir KMO's uiteengesit. Die omgewing, wat nasionaal en internasionaal turbulent is, bied egter unieke uitdagings aan KMO's, maar kan veroorsaak dat hulle nie aan verwagtinge kan voldoen nie. Een moontlike manier om dinamiese optredes van KMO's in so 'n omgewing te verseker, is stimulering van kreatiwiteit. Die vraag ontstaan of KMO's in Suid-Afrika kreatief is, en op watter aspekte klem gelê moet word om kreatiwiteit te bevorder. Hierdie studie het daarom twee fokuspunte, naamlik kreatiwiteit en KMO's. Kreatiwiteit is bespreek aan die hand van bestaande teoriee en definisies. Die primêre doel van die bespreking was om elemente te identifiseer wat kreatiwiteit in KMO's kan help verklaar. Die volgende vier elemente is bespreek: • eienskappe van 'n kreatiewe persoon; • kreatiewe prosesse; • 'n omgewing wat kreatiwiteit kan bevorder; • manifestasies van kreatiwiteit. KMO's was as tweede fokuspunt bespreek. 'n Aangepaste raamwerk van D'Amboise en Muldoney (1984) is as basis gebruik om eienskappe van KMO-eienaars, KMO-gedragspraktyke, en KMO's se interaksie met die taakomgewing te bespreek. Gevolgtrekkings oor KMO-eienaars en KMO-gedragspraktyke het daarop gedui dat 'n entrepreneuriese benadering bevorderlik is vir kreatiwiteit, en dat KMO's wat dinamies in interaksie is met hul taakomgewing is meer geneig tot kreatiwiteit. Gevolgtrekkings betreffende bogenoemde fokuspunte is daarna in 'n KMO-profiel geintegreer. Eienskappe van KMO-eienaars, KMO-gedragspraktyke, kreatiewe prosesse, en manifestasies van kreatiwiteit is bespreek. Ten opsigte van laasgenoemde was die voorsiening van 'n lys nie moontlik nie, en is slegs 'n instrument vir identifisering en klassifisering voorsien. Die beoordeling is subjektief, maar in die literatuur is aangedui dat objektiewe beoordeling waarskynlik nie moontlik is nie. Die geintegreerde KMO-profiel is omskep in 'n konseptuele model wat as basis dien vir 'n empiriese ondersoek. Hierdie model dui moontlike assosiasies tussen eienskappe van KMO-eienaars en -gedragspraktyke, en manifestasies van kreatiwiteit aan. Daar is besluit om die vraelysmetode te gebruik om data in te samel, omdat dit onder andere goedkoper sou wees, en tydsgewys meer prakties vir KMO-eienaars om in te vul. Vraelyste is na 3310 adresse gestuur, en 342 bruikbare vraelyste is teruggekry. Tydens die data-insamelingsproses is deur telefoniese navrae vasgestel dat die lae respons nie aan die studie of vraelys toeskryfbaar was nie, maar eerder aan faktore eie aan KMO's, soos KMO-eienaars se beperkte tyd. Nadat die beskrywende statistieke gerapporteer is, is stapsgewyse logistiese regressie vir binêre afhanklike veranderlikes (kreatiwiteit) en meerrigtingtabel-analise vir kategoriese en ordinale verklarende veranderlikes op 'n eksploratiewe wyse uitgevoer om moontlike voorspellers van kreatiwiteit te identifiseer. Hierdie voorspellers is daarna met die beskrywende statistieke vergelyk om moontlike leemtes te bepaal. Die belangrikste leemte is dat die huidige profiel van KMO-eienaars nie in ewewig is met voorspellers nie, en daarom as die belangrikste rede beskou word waarom KMO's nie kreatief is nie. Daar is 'n groter mate van ewewig tussen KMO-gedragsfaktore en voorspellers, maar dit word deur nie-kreatiewe KMO-eienaars geneutraliseer. Intervensies op interne (KMO's) en eksterne gebiede wat 'n positiewe omgewing kan skep vir kreatiwiteit in KMO's, is laastens bespreek. Hierdie benadering word as 'n ysberg gevisualiseer, wat impliseer dat manifestasies van kreatiwiteit slegs sigbaar is indien 'n gesonde basis in die onsigbare fase gelê is. Hierdie ontwikkeling kan egter nie eensklaps geskied nie, maar is eerder langtermyn van aard. Indien daar egter nie 'n daadwerklike poging aangewend word om kreatiwiteit in KMO's te bevorder nie, sal hulle nie aan die verwagtinge kan voldoen nie, wat nadelige gevolge vir die ekonomie inhou.