Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Owner/managed'

Planning by owner-managers of small business has not received the attention from researchers a sector of such importance deserves. Using the forestry sector in Victoria as a sample, an investigation into the background and the planning undertaken by the owner-managers of small businesses was designed and implemented. The people consulted by the owner-manager as part of the planning process were identified as well as the topics discussed. A range of approaches to planning were identified and grouped into non-planners, partial planners and formal planners. The sample was divided into Consultants and Contractors based on the type of work undertaken and the equipment used. Further sub-sets were identified. Contractors were split into Labour Intensive Contractors and Capital Intensive Contractors and the Consultants were also divided by age into

Why of the population of small owner-managed firms, some choose to sell a portion of their sales abroad while seemingly similar others facing similar market conditions remain focused on their domestic market? Various explanations to this question have come from the extensive literature looking at the export behaviour of the firm, the internationalization process of the firm and international entrepreneurship. The results from these literature however, are generally fragmented, inconclusive and limited in geographic scope with the majority focusing on the US or European firms. Moreover, despite this large body of work, there is only a comparatively limited amount of information addressing the issue from the perspective of the small owner-managed firm. This therefore leaves a gap in our knowledge regarding the internationalization behaviour of these firms especially those from developing countries. For indeed, because of the context specific nature of most of the studies looking at internationalization, it becomes increasingly difficult to generalize findings across geographic borders especially from developed to developing countries where socio-economic conditions are different. Recognizing the drawbacks in the literature, we have proposed to shed light on the issue from a non US/European perspective. Seeing the theoretical limitations in the field, we have developed a theoretically rigorous but parsimonious conceptual model to capture the export behaviour of small owner-managed firms from a developing country perspective. Theoretical insights from the Resource-based theory, Process theory of Internationalization, Network theory, Entrepreneurship theory and International New Venture theory among others were drawn upon in building our theoretical framework. The basic argument behind the model is that: the decision to initiate exporting is a function of stimuli (latent or manifest) inducing entry into international markets. However, stimuli alone cannot result in the firm becoming an exporter. The resources and capabilities which the firm possess will determine how it interprets these stimuli in making the decision to initiate exporting. Importantly, we argue that these stimuli have to be brought to the attention of the entrepreneur before a decision can be made of whether to export or not. To empirically validate our theoretical model, data were collected from exporting and nonexporting small owner-managed firms in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors in the Jamaican economy. Data were analysed using quantitative techniques and descriptive mini-case studies. Our quantitative techniques involved econometric models of the qualitative genre (logistic regression) and descriptive statistics such as the mean and chisquare. Mini-case studies were also used to provide further empirical validation to our findings based on qualitative responses. The results from the analysis indicate that the model matches well with the empirical data. Firms possessing the following resources: a standardized product, a high quality product, foreign travel experience of the entrepreneur and the previous professional experience of the entrepreneur are more amenable to export. Firm size is also found to be a significant variable in determining export initiation. We also found that non-exporters do not respond to export stimuli because of their preoccupation with their domestic market. They also have a strong perception that their product is not for sale in the export market. Our major contribution is the building of the integrated model and empirically validating it using data from a non European/US context which is a departure from the general trend in the literature.

This thesis begins by thoroughly reviewing classical theories of adoption such as the diffusion of innovation theory, and the technology acceptance model, and subsequently analyses literature on pertinent theories which have been highlighted as drivers of adoption such as the Resource-Based View, Firm Strategy, Culture and the Digital Divide. Prior to this however, the afore-mentioned classical adoption theories were contrasted with the Post-Internet debate which explored Information Asymetry and Disintermediation. Having conducted this review it was determined that the leadership/ownership role had not been sufficiently emphasized in technology adoption, therefore this work sought to more clearly identify these personal factors in combination with the previously explored factors. The overarching theory of Organizational Decision-Making was used to provide a framework to identify drivers of decision-making processes in general and then apply these to the internet adoption context. This thesis aims to identify the combination of antecedents of technology adoption for travel firms and distil factors to identify the key determinant of the adoption of the internet for sales and marketing purposes in small, owner-managed travel firms. It examines the firm characteristics which are associated with adoption behaviour such as strategy and resources, as well as external factors such as culture and the digital divide. In addition to external and firm factors, personal factors such as ownership and leadership are explored at various stages of adoption. A predominantly qualitative methodology was used to interview travel agencies in the context of Jamaica. All firms which have similar characteristics in terms of ownership and management structure, in particular where owners are themselves the managers and provide leadership for the organization, were interviewed. The owner-managers of these firms were interviewed to gather deep perspectives from local industry experts on industry challenges, current technology involvement and future directions. Exploratory descriptive quantitative methods were used to analyze firm characteristics and their relationships to internet adoption for sales and marketing as well as the intention to use these technologies in firms, while a deeper exploration into owner-managers was achieved through qualitative enquiry. A pilot study and 2 phases of data collection were carried out. The findings indicate that the leadership role is more significant than has been previously posited. The contribution to knowledge is new in that it takes a unique approach to an understanding of technology adoption in firms by creating a comprehensive conceptual framework for adoption based on previous research and then creates a model that shows the factors and variables that drive adoption at each stage of the adoption process from a personal leadership perspective as well as the organizational perspective. Ultimately it is hoped that this focus on each stage of adoption will provide insights into firm adoption behaviour as a consequence of leadership characteristics.

The commercialization of hospitality established arguably the oldest profession. Historically small commercial hospitality establishments, known as inns in the western world, were of ill repute. Perhaps connected to their reputation, this category of accommodation facility has been seriously neglected as an area of academic inquiry, particularly from the perspective of the host. While there has been a huge growth in the interdisciplinary field of tourism studies in recent decades, little attention has been paid to the role of the host in the host-guest relationship at whatever level of analysis. This thesis seeks to redress the balance. Hospitality is a basic form of social bonding. This type of bonding, where a hierarchy between strangers is implicit (as with hosts and guests), may be termed ‘nexilitas’; nexilitas is a form of social bonding in liminal circumstances. To that extent it is comparable to ‘communitas’ which describes social bonding between equals in certain liminal circumstances. The difference is that nexilitas is a form of bonding between individuals in a complex power relationship. The host controls the hospitality space, but custom also empowers the guest with certain expectations, especially in the commercial context. The thesis identifies the various forms of hospitality – traditional ‘true’ or ‘pure’ hospitality, social hospitality, cultural hospitality and commercial hospitality – and discusses these critically in their historical and cross-cultural contexts, with emphasis on the perspective of the host. The passage of hospitality is then traced through the three phases of preliminality, liminality and post-liminality and discussed along the themes anticipation, arrival and accommodation and finally departure of the guest. While the historical and ethnographic review is mainly based on written histories and the experiences of other anthropologists as guests as well as ethnographers, the passage of hospitality draws on the multi-sited auto-anthropological experiences of the author, both as host and as ethnographer of contemporary South African hosts in small owner-managed commercial hospitality establishments.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Excessive shrinkage threatens the viability of retailers, especially grocery retailers because they operate on low profit margins. One possibility is for retailers to dismiss employees who are perceived to be responsible for excessive shrinkage, but South African law generally requires that the employer prove individual culpability or poor performance to justify a dismissal. In most cases, retailers are not able to identify the exact causes of shrinkage or those employees who may be responsible for the shrinkage. Pep Stores has developed a novel group dismissal model, using a poor performance process, in terms of which a store's entire staff complement is dismissed on the basis of collective responsibility for failing to avoid excessive shrinkage. The Pep model is attractive to retailers because it overcomes the retailer's inability to produce evidence relating to excessive shrinkage. This Study Project seeks to determine whether collective responsibility for shrinkage may be introduced in owner-managed grocery stores and, if not, whether adaptation of the model or new technology might facilitate its introduction. A further objective is to determine whether the applicability of the Pep model correlates to factors such as the size, activity level and complexity of retail stores. Three barriers to the application of the Pep model in grocery retail stores were identified: firstly, the determination of an "acceptable level of shrinkage" that is reasonably attainable; secondly, the conducting of sufficiently accurate stock takes to support dismissals and, thirdly, the existence or creation of circumstances allowing the implementation of collective responsibility for shrinkage. Grocery retailers have no difficulty in identifying an attainable "acceptable level of shrinkage" or in conducting highly accurate stock takes and stock counts. Circumstances allowing the imposition of collective responsibility for shrinkage were, however, clearly not present. Collective responsibility was precluded by the specialised nature of the employees' tasks and a lack of co-responsibility arising from employees' inability to directly observe each other. However, an adapted Pep model is applicable in grocery retail stores at departmental level if the departments are insulated from fraud or error by receiving clerks and cashiers. This insulation may be achieved by implementing joint receiving procedures that involve each department in receiving departmental stock and an increase in cashier monitoring. The introduction of Radio Frequency Identification Technology will ultimately facilitate the implementation of the Pep model through the enhanced insulation of departments. This enhanced insulation is achieved through the ability to track the movement of individual items in stores and the reduction of receiving and cashier error and fraud as a result of the automation of aspects of these functions. This technology, however, is unlikely to be implemented in the short term given the significant cost of RFID tags and the technical and organisational constraints to adoption. Perceptions on the applicability of the Pep model are correlated in smaller stores to total store floor areas, while the applicability of the model in larger stores is correlated to the size of staff complements. This suggests that the model may be ideally applicable in smaller stores, where the total store floor area is relatively smaller and in larger stores, where the staff complements are relatively larger.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oormatige voorraadverlies bedreig die lewensvatbaarheid van kleinhandelaars, veral kruidenierswarehandelaars, omdat hulle met klein winsmarges werk. Een moontlikheid is dat kleinhandelaars werknemers ontslaan wat gesien word as die verantwoordelikes vir oormatige voorraadverlies, maar die Suid-Afrikaanse reg vereis oor die algemeen dat die werkgewer indiwiduele skuld of swak prestasie bewys om ontslag te regverdig. In die meeste gevalle is kleinhandelaars nie in staat om die presiese oorsake van voorraadverlies, of die werknemers wat vir die voorraadverlies verantwoordelik mag wees, te identifiseer nie. Pep Stores het 'n vindingryke groep-ontslagmodel ontwikkel, met gebruik van 'n swakprestasieproses, ingevolge waarvan 'n winkel se hele personeel ontslaan word op grond van kollektiewe verantwoordelikheid weens versuim om oormatige voorraadverlies te vermy. Die Pep-model is aantreklik vir kleinhandelaars, want dit oorkom die kleinhandelaar se onvermoë om bewys te lewer in verband met oormatige voorraadverlies. Hierdie navorsingsprojek probeer vasstel of kollektiewe verantwoordelikheid vir voorraadverlies ingestel kan word in eienaarbestuurde kruidenierswinkels en, indien nie, of aanpassing van die model, of nuwe tegnologie, die invoer daarvan sou kon fasiliteer. 'n Verdere doelstelling is om vas te stel of die toepaslikheid van die Pepmodel korreleer met faktore soos die grootte, bedrywigheidsvlak en kompleksiteit van kleinhandelwinkels. Drie struikelblokke vir toepassing van die Pep-model in kleinhandelkruidenierswinkels is geidentifiseer: eerstens, die bepaal van 'n "aanvaarbare voorraadverliesvlak" wat redelik haalbaar is; tweedens, die uitvoer van voldoende akkurate voorraadopnames om ontslag te steun en derdens die bestaan of skep van omstandighede wat die implementering van kollektiewe verantwoordelikheid vir voorraadverlies moontlik sal maak. Kruidenierskleinhandelaars ondervind geen probleme met die identifisering van haalbare "aanvaarbare voorraadverliesvlakke" of met die uitvoer van hoogs akkurate voorraadopnames en - tellings nie. Omstandighede wat die oplê van kollektiewe verantwoordelikheid vir voorraadverlies moontlik maak, was egter duidelik nie aanwesig nie. Kllektiewe verantwoordelikheid is uitgesluit weens die gespesialiseerde aard van die werknemers se take en 'n gebrek aan mede-verantwoordelikheid weens werknemers se onvermoë am mekaar direk waar te neem. 'n Aangepaste Pep-model is egter toepasbaar in kruidenierskleinhandelwinkels op departementele vlak indien die departemente van bedrog of foute deur ontvangsklerke en kassiere afgeskerm word. Die afskerming kan bereik word deur die implementering van gesamentlike ontvangsprosedures wat elke departement betrek by die ontvangs van departementele voorraad en verskerpte kassiermonitering. Die invoer van Radiofrekwensie-identifikasietegnologie sal uiteindelik die implementering van die Pep-model fassiliteer deur die verhoogde afskerming van departemente. Hierdie verhoogde afskerming word bereik deur die vermoë om die beweging van indiwiduele items in winkels na te speur en die vermindering van ontvangs- en kassierfoute en -bedrog as gevolg van die outomatisering van aspekte van die funksies. Hierdie tegnologie sal egter waarskynlik nie oor die korttermyn toegepas word nie weens die aansienlike koste van RFIO-etikette en die tegniese en organisatoriese beperkings op die invoer daarvan. Persepsies oor die toepasbaarheid van die Pep-model word in kleiner winkels gekorreleer met die totale winkelvloeroppervlak, terwyl die toepasbaarheid van die model in groter winkels gekorreleer word met die grootte van die personeelkorps. Dit suggereer dat die model ideaal toepasbaar mag wees in kleiner winkels waar die totale winkelvloeroppervlak relatief kleiner is en in groter winkels waar die personeelkorps relatief groter is.

The incidence of foodborne disease in England and Wales shows a continuous rise throughout the latter part of the twentieth and early twenty first centuries despite regular inspections by Environmental Health Officers (EHOs). In order to ameliorate this, the concept of a risk based system of food safety management, HACCP, was introduced. This thesis describes the research to determine the effectiveness of EHOs in identifying and controlling the significant risks of foodborne disease in micro owner/managed catering businesses (MO/MCBs) over a 14 year period which marked the transition from prescriptive to risk based legislation. By deconstructing and itemising inspection reports on 80 premises the EHOs' findings are collated and any trends revealed, thereby quantitatively demonstrating the propensity of EHOs to identify these risks. The MO/MCB perception of authority, in particular EHOs, is explored by a series of indepth discussions with a focus group of 12 participants, taken from the original 80 businesses, thus exposing any cultural issues which relate to the effectiveness of identifying and controlling risk. The results show that significant risks are rarely identified by EHOs in food safety reports prior to the introduction of the risk based legislation and that there is little change afterwards, it further shows that a major factor is the unwillingness of the MO/MCBs to confide in EHOs regarding food safety problems. The findings of this research highlight a weakness in the concept of HACCP in this sector in that MO/MCBs do not have the scientific expertise, and EHOs do not have sufficient knowledge of the systems within the business, to comprehensively identify the significant risks in the businesses. This demonstrates the need for a cooperative rather than a confrontational approach to enforcement in order to effectively identify and control the significant risks of foodborne illness within the MO/MCB sector.

Der Anteil der externen Nachfolge bei eigentümergeführten bzw. Familienunternehmen nimmt stetig zu. Eine Möglichkeit ist dabei ein Management-Buy-In, bei dem ein externer Manager die Position des Altinhabers übernimmt. In einer solchen Situation kann die Nachfolge in Form einer Relay Succession erfolgen, eine zeitlich gestaffelte Übergabe vom alten an den neuen Inhaber. In dieser Arbeit werden die Relay Succession, ihre Vor- und Nachteile, relevante Einflussfaktoren und Prozessempfehlungen in qualitativen Fallstudien untersucht.

Bibliography: leaves 354-371.
xii, 371 leaves ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Graduate School of Management, 1997?

This paper investigates whether there is a difference in the investor returns of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The analysis covers companies listed in the financial and industrial sectors during the period January 2002 to June 2007 and looks at overall returns, returns through share price changes and returns through dividend distributions. The purpose is to gain insight into whether ownership structure has an effect on company returns and to expand the information base that investors can draw on when assessing opportunities. In performing this research company management and ownership information has been used to categorise companies as owner-managed or non-owner managed and then share price data, dividend distributions have been used to calculate investor returns on a quarterly basis. This allowed descriptive analysis and hypothesis testing to be performed on the data to identify differences and then the statistical significance of any of these differences. The results obtained indicate that there are no statistically significant differences in the overall returns between the two groups but that differences between the two groups of companies do exist, primarily in the makeup of the returns rather than an overall difference in returns. In drawing these conclusions, it became apparent that further questions have arisen, particularly related to the reasons for the difference in nature of the returns. This begs for further investigation.
Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
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