Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Small business organisation and management'

The research conducted for this thesis had two broad aims. The first was to provide descriptive information about the use of computer-based information systems (CBIS) in regional small business. The second of the aims was to examine the relationships among key constructs identified from the literature and to explore how they contributed to predicting CBIS success in regional small business.In the second phase of the analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to examine the factorial constructs underlying the data. Constructs were identified that measured CEO characteristics, two measuring organisational characteristics, four measuring aspects of decision-making, and five measuring perceived CBIS success. Correlations among the constructs were examined prior to relationships among the constructs being explored using hierarchical regression analysis. The constructs were also examined in a single measurement model to determine their collective effect and relationships with the constructs measuring CBIS success based on structural equation modelling. Notwithstanding the limitations of the research, it resulted in the identification of relationships among key variables that predict CBIS success. The identification of items associated with decision-making processes, and the identification of the factorial constructs underlying the data is a major contribution to a portion of the literature that was non-existent. The final measurement model is also a significant contribution in identifying and specifying the relationships constructs measuring CEO characteristics, organisational characteristics, decision-making and CBIS success in regional small business.
Doctor of Philosphy (PhD)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Small businesses are the traditional source of local and national economic growth. Small businesses in South Africa absorb almost half the people formally employed in the private sector and contribute nearly thirty seven percent to the country's gross domestic product. Unfortunately small businesses also have the reputation of a high failure rate some literature quote figures as high as sixty six percent of all small businesses within the first six years of their existence. An Australian survey indicated that nearly sixty five percent of all business failures were caused by controllable factors, which implicates that the use of consultants, or simply better management of the small business, could have prevented the failure. This study explains why small business owners are so reluctant to make use of outside consultants and looks into the most common causes of small organisation failure. This research project is designed as an incremental development study, where an existing model is adjusted to focus on a smaller nische market. A consulting model, developed to use in large organisations, was evaluated by identifying the problem areas that most often cause small organisations to fail and then comparing them to the areas addressed in the existing model. The conclusion reached was that although this model will definitely help small business owners to improve their businesses, it doesn't address the mest common causes of small business failure and adjustments is needed to customise this product for the small organisation. Based on the available data on the most common causes of small organisational failure, a new model is developed, which addresses the specific causes of small organisation failure. The new model gives examples of what would be in place in an organisation where the relevant critical success factor is successfully implemented as well as examples of what the situation will be if the relvant factor is absent. The small business owners evaluate themselves on a scale of one to ten. The model has a dual purpose, firstly to create an awareness with the owner of the full spectrum of factors that need to receive attention in a small organisation, and secondly to give a benchmark against which progress on each of the critical success factors can be measured.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Klein besighede vorm die ruggraat van die Suid Afrikaanse ekonomie, met byna sewe-en-dertig persent van die Bruto Nasionale Produk (BNP), wat aan klein besighede toegeskryf kan word en as werkverskaffer aan bykans die helfte van alle werknemers wat formeel in diens is van die private sektor. Ongelukkig het klein besighede ook die reputasie van 'n groot mislukkingskoers met mislukkings so hoog as ses-en-sestig persent van alle klein besighede in die eerste ses jaar van die ondernemings se bestaan. 'n Australiese studie het getoon dat ongeveer vyf-en-sestig persent van die oorsake van klein besigheid mislukkings aan beheerbare faktore toegeskryf kan word. Met ander woorde hulp van konsultante, of bloot beter bestuur van die klein besigheid, kon die mislukking verhoed het. Hierdie werkstuk kyk na redes hoekom konsultante so min deur klein besighede gebruik word en na die mees algemene oorsake van klein besigheid mislukkings. Die werkstuk neem die vorm aan van 'n inkrementele ontwikkeling studie waar 'n reeds bestaande evaluasie model, aangepas word om te fokus op 'n kleiner nismark. 'n Konsultasie model, wat ontwikkel is vir gebruik in die diagnostiese fase van die konsultasieproses vir groot besighede, is ondersoek en daar is gekyk watter van die mees algemene faktore vir klein besigheid mislukking in hierdie model aangespreek is. Die gevolgtrekking was dat alhoewel die model definitief klein besigheids eienaars sal help om hul organisasies te verbeter, dit meeste van die oorsake vir mislukking in klein besighede nie direk aanspreek nie, en dat aanpassings van die model nodig is. Gebasseer op reeds bestaande navorsing oor die oorsake van klein besigheid mislukkings, is 'n nuwe model ontwikkel, wat spesifiek gerig is daarop om die mees algemene oorsake van mislukking aan te spreek. Die hersiene model gee voorbeelde van wat in plek sal wees in 'n organisasie waar die kritieke suksesfaktor suksesvol geimplementeer is asook voorbeelde van hoe die situasie daar sal uitsien indien die relevante faktor afwesig is. Klein besigheidseienaars evalueer hulself op 'n skaal van een tot tien. Die doel van die model is tweeledig, eerstens om die eienaar attent te maak op die volle omvang van faktore waaraan aandag gegee moet word, en tweedens om 'n riglyn te bied waarteen vordering op elkeen van die kritieke sukses faktore gemeet kan word.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It has been suggested that without the ability to innovate, an organisation will not be able to survive the demands of an ever-changing operating environment. This raises the question: How can organisations ensure that they are able to innovate? Organisational culture has been identified as a critical variable in answering this question. The culture of the organisation determines to a large extent the degree of innovation in that organisation. Business leaders have made attempts to nurture a culture of creativity and innovation in their organisations through the recruitment of dynamic individuals with innovative traits. However, most of their attempts seemed insufficient in achieving their goals. The primary purpose of this research is to develop a framework for organisational culture that characterises an innovative organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The secondary objective is to identify the enablers and inhibitors of innovation. Research method: The research approach starts with a review of existing literature. This is followed by the development of the theory and empirical research. Data collection was also carried out in the form of semi-structured interviews with senior and middle management in innovative SMMEs. Main findings: The analysis of the findings indicates that an organisation cannot focus on any single aspect of organisational culture. Innovation is a system in the organisation that is strongly guided by the culture of the organisation. Recommendations: Future research on this subject will benefit from the selection of a larger sample of data. Given the dynamic nature of innovation and organisational culture, it is recommended to repeat this research over time in order to explore whether the same dimensions in determining innovative organisational culture still apply. The current research can also be followed up by a study on the sources of innovation in an organisation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding: Sonder die vermoë om te kan innoveer, sal ’n organisasie nie kan oorleef in ’n bedryfsomgewing wat voortdurend verander nie. Dit laat die vraag ontstaan: Hoe kan organisasies seker maak hulle die vermoë het om te innoveer? Organisasiekultuur is geïdentifiseer as ’n kritiese veranderlike in die beantwoording van hierdie vraag. Die kultuur van ’n organisasie bepaal grootliks die mate van innovering in daardie organisasie. Sakeleiers probeer om ’n kultuur van kreatiwiteit en innovering in hul organisasies te koester deur dinamiese individue met innoverende karaktereienskappe te werf. Dit blyk egter dat die meeste van hul pogings nie daarin kan slaag om hul doelwitte te bereik nie. Die primêre doel van hierdie navorsing is om ’n raamwerk vir organisatoriese kultuur te ontwikkel wat ’n innoverende organisasie in klein, medium-grootte en mikro ondernemings (KMMO’s) kenmerk. Die sekondêre doelwit is om die moontlikmakers en inhibeerders van innovering te identifiseer. Navorsingsmetode: Die navorsingsbenadering begin met ’n oorsig van bestaande literatuur. Dit word gevolg deur die ontwikkeling van die teorie en empiriese navorsing. Data-insameling is uitgevoer in die vorm van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met senior en middelvlakbestuurders van innoverende KMMO’s. Vernaamste bevindinge: Die ontleding van die bevindinge dui daarop dat ’n organisasie nie op een enkele aspek van organisasiekultuur kan fokus nie. Innovering is ’n stelsel in die organisasie wat baie sterk deur die kultuur van die organisasie beïnvloed word. Aanbevelings: Toekomstige navorsing oor hierdie onderwerp sal baat vind by die seleksie van ’n groter steekproef van data. Gegewe die dinamiese aard van innovering en organisatoriese kultuur, word daar aanbeveel dat hierdie navorsing mettertyd herhaal word om uit te vind of dieselfde dimensies vir die bepaling van innoverende organisatoriese kultuur steeds van toepassing is. Die huidige navorsing kan ook opgevolg word deur ’n studie oor die bronne van innovering in ’n organisasie.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study was conducted to determine the need of SMMEs with regard to the availability and organisation of information. Literature on the subjects of information that is available in SMMEs and how this information should be organised was studied to determine whether it provides SMMEs with enough knowledge to find external information and extract internal information. The literature regarding information management and organisation was also studied to determine whether it can be used by a owner/manager of an SMME to organise its information in such a way that it can be retrieved and used. The study also included an empirical part with the purpose of discovering the current practices regarding the collection, organisation and use of information in SMMEs. Twenty-four structured interviews were conducted in four towns, namely Kuilsriver, Stellenbosch, Upington and Makhado (Louis Trichardt). During the interviews a questionnaire was used to investigate the uses of computers, the availability and need for information from the external and internal environment, and lastly electronic and manual systems used to organise information. When the interviews were concluded the systems were, especially the electronic folder systems, further investigated through observation. This provided an excellent opportunity to discover the usefulness of a system and even what type of information is really available and needed. It was found that SMME owner/managers are mostly aware of internal information, but do not know how to extract it or what other application possibilities it has. External information is not widely available or used. The only external information available is that which the SMMEs are required to have by law. Information organisation, although critically important to all SMMEs, was mostly not done effectively. Electronic folder structures and manual filing systems are mostly used for information organisation, but they are not effectively used because of lack of skill and no other literature or association to turn to. To assist SMMEs in the development of a folder structure system a number of guidelines are provided that will help to design a natural or structured language system tailored to the specific needs of the business.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie is gedoen om vas te stel wat klein, medium en mikro ondernemings se behoeftes rakende die beskikbaarheid en die organisering van inligting, is. Literatuur wat hierdie twee onderwerpsareas dek, is bestudeer om vas te stel of dit genoeg kennis aan die ondernemings oordra om eksterne inligting op te spoor, en interne inligting te onttrek. Literatuur wat handel oor inligtingsbestuur en inligtingsorganisering is bestudeer om uit te vind of dit deur 'n eienaar/bestuurder van 'n klein onderneming gebruik sou kon word om inligting te organiseer, sodat dit weer opgespoor kan word. 'n Empiriese studie het ook deeI uitgemaak van die algehele studie en het daarop gefokus om vas te stel wat die huidige praktyke rakende versameling, organisering en gebruik van inligting in klein ondernemings is. Vier en twintig gestruktureerde onderhoude is in vier dorpe, naamlik Kuilsrivier, Stellenbosch, Upington en Makhado (Louis Trichardt), gevoer. Gedurende die onderhoude is 'n vraelys gebruik om ondersoek in te stel na die gebruike van rekenaars, die beskikbaarheid en gebruik van interne en eksterne inligting en, laastens, die elektroniese en handstelsels wat gebruik word in klein ondernemings. Na afloop van die onderhoude is stelsels verder ondersoek deur middel van observasie van veral elektroniese leergidsstelsels. Die observasie het 'n guldige geleentheid gebied om die bruikbaarheid van die stelsel en selfs die inligtingsbehoeftes van die onderneming te toets. Daar is bevind dat die eienaars/bestuurders van klein ondernemings wel bewus is van die interne inligting, maar nie die kennis het om dit te herwin of om inligting in ander prosesse toe te pas nie. Eksterne inligting word nie algemeen gebruik nie. Die enigste wat meestal voorkom is eksterne inligting wat volgens wet in die besit van die onderneming moet wees. Inligtingsorganisering is wel as van kritieke belang aangedui deur alle klein besighede, maar in die meeste word dit glad nie effektief toegepas nie. Elektroniese leerqidsstelsels en liasseerkabinette word algemeen gebruik, maar 'n tekort aan vaardighede en literatuur om leiding te gee veroorsaak dat hulle nie effektief gebruik kan word nie. Om klein besighede behulpsaam te wees met die ontwikkeling van leerstelsels is 'n aantal riglyne verskaf. Hierdie riglyne sal die klein besighede van hulp kan wees in die ontwikkeling van 'n natuurlike- of gestruktuurde taal stelsel wat by die behoeftes van die besigheid aangepas kan word.

Business Process Management (BPM) has become a popular concept inbusiness development in recent years. Traditionally, however, researchsurrounding BPM initiatives have centered on large organizations,meaning that little is known about the effects of BPM, both positive andnegative, on a Small- and Medium sized Organization (SMO).This research identifies problems that a SMO can face when workingtoward higher process orientation and provides an explanation as to whyefforts have failed in the past. Furthermore, the requirements forimplementing BPM from a process-execution perspective wereinvestigated. The issues that arise to limit success of the BPM initiativehave been identified and discussed in relation to existing literature onBPM implementation, particularly those issues that are unique to SMOs.Through better understanding of the requirements for a successful BPMinitiative, the SMO is able to identify the areas that it need to beaddressed specifically before the organization is able to reach higherprocess orientation.

Thesis (MDF (Development Finance))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The need for Small, Micro and Medium Enterprise (SMME) growth in South Africa is beyond question. Government sees SMMEs as an important vehicle to boost the economy of the country because of the contribution they make to job creation. According to recent estimates by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), small businesses represent 98% of the total number of registered firms, employ 55% of the country’s labour force and account for 35% of GDP. Unfortunately South Africa has a low survival rate among start-up businesses compared to other developing economies. Some believe that the reason for the failure of government programmes to support small businesses is due to poor delivery. This is one of the key issues to be addressed by all business support players. The key to success is to pursue a private sector led approach where experienced business advisors and mentors can add value to the businesses of customers. The research focuses solely on support organisations within the Siyanda region. The findings support the notion that Seda, as government’s small business support vehicle, will have to utilise support organisations more in order to make a success of its mandate. The investigation has identified some recommendations that may lead to an improvement in the current environment. The first approach is to ensure that people who render small business support have business experience and understand small enterprises. Secondly, to ensure that sector programmes are focused on a particular objective and that the overall strategy remains integrated and focused. In order to achieve this, the private sector should participate and share the costs. In recommending measures to improve the promotion of small business support at a local level, it is important to focus on what works best and that is ultimately privatesector organisations.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die behoefte aan groei van Klein, Mikro en Medium Ondernemings (SMMEs) in Suid-Afrika word nie debateer nie. Die regering sien SMMEs as ‘n belangrike medium om die land se ekonomie ‘n hupstoot te gee vanweë die bydrae wat hulle tot werkskeppping maak. Volgens onlangse skattings van die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid, verteenwoordig kleinsake-ondernemings 98% van die totale aantal geregistreerde ondernemings en verskaf hulle werk aan 55% van die land se arbeidsmag, en dra hulle by tot 35% van die bruto binnelandse produk. Ongelukkig het Suid-Afrika ‘n lae oorlewingsyfer onder nuwe besighede in vergelyking met ander ontwikkelende ekonomieë. Sommige mense glo die rede vir die mislukkig van regeringsprogramme wat kleinsake-ondernemings ondersteun, is swak dienslewering. Hierdie is een van die sleutelkwessies wat aangespreek behoort te word deur alle sake-ondersteuningspartye. Die sleutel tot sukses is om ‘n privaatsektor-gedrewe aanslag te volg waar ervare sake-adviseurs en -mentors waarde kan toevoeg tot kliënte se besighede. Die ondersoek het sekere aanbevelings geidentifiseer wat mag lei tot ‘n verbetering van die huidige omstandighede. Die eerste stap is om te verseker dat mense wat kleinsake-ondersteuning bied wel sake-ondervinding het en die kleinsakebedryf verstaan. Tweedens, om te verseker dat die sektor se programme wel gefokus is op ‘n spesifieke doelwit en dat die oorkoepelende strategieë geïntegreerd en gefokus bly. Ten einde dit te bereik, moet die privaatsektor deelneem en die kostes deel. By die soeke na stappe om die bevordering van kleinsake op plaaslike vlak te verbeter, is dit belangrik om te kyk wat (elders) reeds geslaag het. Dit is alte dikwels stappe wat deur die privaatsektor onderneem word.

Due to the global warming, the increase in greenhouse gases and the resulting threat for the environment, not only private households have to rethink their behaviour towards the environment, but also companies and organisations have a responsibility towards their environment. Therefore, we investigated several small and midsize enterprises in order to understand their way of implementing strategies of eco-friendliness and thus contributing to the ‘green revolution’ which is apparently in progress. The managers and company leaders provided us with their personal experiences in implementing environmental certificates and Environmental Management Systems. We learned that the trigger point for the implementation of certificates or management systems is often a stakeholder demand. Therefore, our theoretical framework presents our personal understanding of leadership, an example of the relationship of leadership and eco-friendliness, the conflicts of interest within different roles leaders are often captured in, the presentation of personally chosen environmental certificates and stakeholder theory.

SMEs in the 21 century have to cope with an increasingly dynamic and competitive environment. In order to work effectively within this environment, SMEs have to collaborate with other enterprises in forms of virtual organisations. Despite the increased interest in the area of virtual organisation collaboration, useful information is still lacking about the risk sources of virtual organisation, where the enterprise face more complicated risk threats than those in traditional enterprise due to the new form of relationships between partners. The aim of this research was to identify a risk management contribution where this research has identified key areas of risk that SMEs are likely to face when working collaboratively in VO. It also enables SMEs to understand the relative importance of these risks. A further contribution is made by use of tools (ISM and ANP) to enable SMEs to understand the inter-relationships of risk sources. Multiple analysis techniques provide triangulation of analysis results, leading to validation of results. The secondary research showed all of the risk sources identified in the relevant literature and some of the relationships between them, whilst the primary research addressed all of the direct and indirect relationships using the Interpretive Structural Modeling. Also the primary data sources from the questionnaires and the case study shed light on the relative importance of these sources using the Analytical Network Process. Areas for further research are suggested to close the gaps and to continue enriching the research.

This study set out to provide important empirical evidence on the role of knowledge management (KM) within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in New Zealand and the United Kingdom and to explore how such companies handle their planning and strategic choices. In today’s knowledge economies the management of knowledge has become vital. In the context of SMEs, this is even more critical because they often operate under difficult conditions and are subject to global pressures from large corporations and demanding customers. In spite of the significance of SMEs as essential for any nation’s growth and success, and even though many scholars and business managers claim that knowledge management is highly relevant for SMEs, there has been little research about this concept in SMEs, in general, and in New Zealand, in particular. The few studies in the literature conclude that this concept is mostly neglected by SMEs even though it is vital and has high potential benefits for them. A quantitative research method approach was adopted. Self-completion questionnaires were sent to the senior management of firms with 100 employees or less, from a cross-section of industries. As part of this process an original knowledge management model was developed. The basic research questions were deduced from this model and the items in the questionnaire were created to answer these research questions. In New Zealand, a total of 417 SMEs were contacted by mail and 180 useable questionnaires were returned. In the United Kingdom, 1268 SMEs were contacted and 241 useable responses were received. The response rates of 43.2% in New Zealand, of 19% for the United Kingdom and of 25% in total, are satisfactory. Therefore, the basis of this study was a large (421 responses) and high quality transnational sample, which allowed for sound quantitative analyses. The claim by previous researchers that knowledge management in the SME sector is not yet fully developed appears to be supported by the results of this research. The large majority of respondents regard themselves as not familiar enough with the concept of knowledge management to actually benefit from it in practice. Even though the respondents in both countries seem to appreciate knowledge management as a relevant and useful concept with potential, many do not seem to be sufficiently informed about this concept. Few have a knowledge management initiative in place or are planning or in the process of setting up one. The responses, which vary little between the two sub-samples, point to a short-term rather than a long-term management perspective being dominant. Major barriers in terms of the deliberate creation and sharing of knowledge are a lack of time and higher importance given to daily operational activities. The respondents - predominantly senior managers - indicate that they primarily consider themselves to be responsible for ensuring that knowledge is captured and shared and relatively little responsibility is given to other employees or specialists. SMEs do apply several aspects of knowledge management, however, this is generally informal and with an operational rather than a strategic focus. From the responses it is apparent that knowledge is shared internally mostly via people-based mechanisms. More advanced measures such as the systematic collection, organisation and storage of knowledge are less common. The results indicate a number of differences between the respondents. In this regard it is most evident that the more familiar respondents are with the concept of knowledge management the more proactive they are in terms of managing knowledge on an operational and strategic level. This transnational research strongly links knowledge management to strategy and it clarifies how this concept can impact the formulation of strategy and the strategic competence of SMEs. Therefore, the results add new knowledge to the areas of SME research and strategic knowledge management.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
Access to markets is an essential requirement for smallholder farmer development. The limited access to formal value chains for smallholder farmers in South Africa is a key challenge that is facing both public and private value chain actors. Despite the substantial investments by government, the performance of smallholder farmers in South Africa remains poor. Several studies have been done to understand the key challenges facing smallholder farmer value chain integration. This study takes a unique view by understanding the challenges and opportunities facing farmer integration from a public and private stakeholder perspective, specifically analysing the Western Cape. The study showed that the most influential constraints for smallholder farmer value chain integration are access to informal and formal markets, resources and infrastructure, and the functioning of local institutions. The study also showed that the key opportunities to improve value chain integrations are in improving the non-financial and financial support provided to smallholder farmers. The results of the study are in line with the value chain theory around integration of smaller producers.

This study is about rapid growth in SMEs from an entrepreneur’s or manager’s perspective and it aim to find practices in order to enable and drive rapid growth. The purpose of this thesis is to understand how owner-led small businesses can be managed in order to maximize the profitable long term growth of the company. In order to understand this we have had a pragmatic perspective and have attempted to find practices that drive and enable fast growth. The study consists of an extensive literature study on the subject and five case studies of Swedish rapid growth companies. Each case study consisted of gathering secondary data and conducting 1-4 interviews at each company with Entrepreneurs, CEOs, CFOs and Sales managers. The result from the literature study and the case studies is a model for growth that is shown below. The model consists of eight different areas that are important to drive or enable growth in companies.  Each area in the model was identified as a driver, enabler or blocker of growth for each case study.   The conclusions from this thesis are five propositions regarding rapid growth that is listed below. ü  Proposition 1: All the areas in our analysis model can either be a blocker, an enabler or a driver of growth. ü  Proposition 2: It is possible to deliberately transform an area from a blocker, or enabler, into a driver of growth. ü  Proposition 3: It is important to make the business scalable so no area becomes a blocker of growth. ü  Proposition 4: The three areas, time monopoly, sales, and leadership could be considered as primary drivers for growth. ü  Proposition 5: The two areas culture and expansion could be considered as primary enablers of growth. The findings from this study are highly valuable for managers or entrepreneurs that want to increase growth of their companies.

Denna uppsats behandlar ämnet lärande i organisationer med avseende på små organisationer.

Vårt syfte är: att bidra med en ökad förståelse för hur lärandet påverkas av den interna kommunikationen i små organisationer. Den här förståelsen hoppas vi kan inspirera såväl praktiker som forskare, till att uppmärksamma den interna kommunikationens betydelse för lärandet inom små organisationer.

Studien består av två fallstudier av kulturorganisationerna Iaspis (samtidskonst) och Raw

Fusion Recordings (musik). Urvalet av fallorganisationer motiveras främst av deras storlek, samt att de båda verkar inom konst- och kultursektorn. Vi studerar för att verka inom denna sektor. Ansatsen är deduktiv och utgår från ett ramverk som baseras på forskning inom lärande i organisationer. Vi har genomfört sju kvalitativa intervjuer med medlemmarna i organisationerna, frågorna har vi tagit fram genom att operationalisera indikatorer som vi identifierat i det teoretiska referensverket. Den teoretiska grunden har vi hämtat hos Chris

Argyris, Donald Schön, Peter Senge och Karl Weick, bland andra. I likhet med Weick ser vi verkligheten som socialt konstruerad, varför kommunikation spelar en central roll för lärandet.

Några av resultaten som vi nått är att den interna kommunikationen påverkar lärandet på följande sätt:

-Lärandet som uppstår blir främst av single-loop-karaktär.

-Den interna kommunikationen bidrar delvis till att skapa hinder mot lärande i små organisationer.

-Innehållet i den interna kommunikationen präglas i hög grad av händelser i intressentnätverket. (Fallorganisationerna har ett starkt beroende av andra aktörer.)

-I dagsläget används inte den interna kommunikationen aktivt på sätt som skulle kunna göra organisationerna medvetet lärande.

-Den interna kommunikationen erbjuder små organisationer som Raw Fusion Recordings och Iaspis goda förutsättningar för att bli medvetet lärande organisationer.

In this bachelors thesis we hope to contribute to an increased understanding of learning in small organisations and how learning is affected by internal communication.

We have conducted two case studies: Isapis, International Artists’ Studio Program in Sweden, and Raw Fusion Recordings, an independent record label. The case selection is primarily based on organisational size, but also on the fact that both organisations operate within the arts and culture sector. We, the authors, are arts and cultural management students. We have combined the work of several scholars in the field of learning in organisations, and have created a theoretical framework from which indicators have been identified; from these we have deduced questions. These questions have then been asked to the organisational members in seven qualitative interviews. Our framework is based on the work of Chris Argyris, Donald Schön, Peter Senge and Karl Weick, among others. As does Weick we see reality as socially constructed, which amplifies the importance of communication in the learning processes. Some of the results on how internal communication affects the learning processes are:

-The learning that the internal communication leads to is primarily single-loop.

-The internal communication partly contributes to limit learning in small organisations.

-The content of that which is communicated within the organisations is very much based on occurrences in the stakeholder networks (The case organisations have a strong dependence on their stakeholders.

-Presently, the internal communication is not used in a way that could make the organisations aware of and active in the learning processes.

-The internal communication offers organisations such as Raw Fusion Recordings and Iaspis a means through which they might become active in the processes that lead to learning.

The primary objective of this treatise is to develop a framework that small businesses can use to implement IT governance. This framework for IT 6 Governance in Small Businesses, called ITGovSB, will be based primarily on the CobiT framework and the ISO/IEC 27002 information security controls. In order to achieve the primary objective, it is necessary to understand the differences between IT governance in small businesses and larger organisations. Consequently, one of the secondary objectives of the paper is to derive characteristics that define IT governance in small businesses. Another secondary objective is to implement the ITGovSB framework at a small business to evaluate its effectiveness.

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

Includes bibliographical references.
The purpose of this thesis was to create the model which could be used to optimise the operational effectiveness of the general type of small developing business/system. The small developing organisation is the system which has the same type of components as a big organisation but the structure is much simpler. These components develop a system in the Technical, Economic and Environmental areas. Each of these components has its own purpose and together these purposes optimise the entire system. The identification of the purpose of the components of the small developing organisation should be analysed by: • investigating the component's performance; • investigating the component's behavioural pattern; and • investigating the component's support requirement. Further, the analysis of the general characteristics of the small developing organisation is such that: * analysis of the performance considers only the main point of the component's operation but not the entire operational function; * the behavioural pattern (i.e. failure and repair occurrence) is random; * the evaluation of the support requirements is subjective where the statistical tools may not be applicable; • the relationship between the elements of the aforementioned three activities is often unpredictable; • the components are usually analysed according to the hierarchy of importance to the development of the entire system.

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

Метою дипломної роботи є розробка плану управління просуванням бізнесу компанії, що спеціалізується. Ми досліджували, як забезпечити вигідну роботу компанії протягом багатьох років. Відповідно до мети завдання дослідження: - Отримати знання про поведінку клієнтів та їх цінності краще, ніж інші компанії. - Просувати свої послуги та товари, а також відрізнятися від конкурентів. - Це охоплення цільових сегментів споживачів, надання їм унікальних послуг та продуктів та формування довготривалих відносин з лояльними клієнтами. - Забезпечити прибуткову діяльність компанії протягом багатьох років. - Залучення більшої кількості клієнтів та уваги в соціальних мережах.
The aim of the Thesis is to develop the Business promotion management plan of the case company. We investigated how to ensure the profitable operation of the company for many years. According to the aim the research task is: - Gain knowledge of customer behaviour and their values better than other companies. - Promote their services and products, as well as differ from competitors. - Is to reach the target customer segments, provide them with unique services and products and form long-term relationships with loyal customers. - To ensure the profitable operation of the company for many years. - Attracting more customers and social media attention.

The topic of this thesis is reward management and its application in a small-sized IT enterprise. Its goals are to properly document and describe current reward system in the company, evaluate the system and recommend improvements for the system. The first two goals are reached via thorough research of the company through semi-structured interviews, employee satisfaction survey, participant observation and document examination and the last one by applying principles from the current literature and education to the results of the two previous goals. The findings are that the reward system, despite growing organically instead of designed, is relatively effective in some areas, but needs improvement in other areas. The main improvement areas are motivation by contingent pay, communication management and performance management. Relatively well working rewards are especially non-financial reward connected to the work environment and work itself.

As a critical infrastructure, the US electricity grid supplies electricity to 340 million people within eight separate regions. The power infrastructure is vulnerable to many types of disasters capable of severing supplies of electricity. The impact on the employees and communities when small- and medium-size enterprises are shut down due to disasters can be severe. The purpose of the quantitative comparative study was to explore small- and medium-size enterprises crisis management strategies in the case of power infrastructure vulnerabilities. Perceptions of small business leaders were probed about crisis management planning relevant to three secondary factors: prior experience of crises, threat perceptions, and planning self-efficacy. Participants completed an adapted questionnaire instrument based on a five-point Likert scale for six sub-factors including resilience through planning, financial impact, operational crisis management, the perfect storm, the aftermath of survival, and atrophy. The instrument also measured three additional factors to include, prior experience of crises, threat perceptions, and planning self-efficacy, across seven types of crises. The results of this study indicated that of the 276 respondents, 104 had no crisis plans, but 172 did have crisis plans. Of those who had implemented crisis plans, 19% had specific provisions to address power outages or attacks on the electrical grid. Of the respondents who had not planned for power outages nor experienced significant losses of power, a statistically significant number acknowledged an external threat to their business. The majority of respondents indicated that long-term planning was related to resilience; however, the migration of crisis understanding into the planning process or implementation was not implemented. This heightened awareness of potential crises without the corresponding development and implementation of mitigation crisis plans requires additional research to understand drivers effecting the decision making process with crisis managers.

The purpose of this research was to compare the characteristics of both Western and Saudi senior management in Saudi Arabian business organisations. The author investigated management characteristics, and the differences between Saudi and Western managers in their styles and management practices. In addition, he investigated the underlying causes of ineffective management and ineffective organisational context and systems in Saudi Arabia. Some sources have claimed that Saudi managers are ineffective in their management styles. Yet no effort was made by these sources to compare Saudi and non-Saudi managers. In addition, no study has been made to compare non-government and government business corporations. Also, little has been said elsewhere regarding the social and organisational environments and their effects/impacts on both management and corporations. The present study has attempted to do this. Difficulties in developing management and organisation have arisen because of Saudi Arabia's rapid development from a traditional society towards industrialisation and modernisation. Field research was conducted in several cities of Saudi Arabia from June 1989 to August 1991. Methods of eliciting data included questionnaires and interviews. Data-processing was done by Loughborough University of Technology computer centre. The author found that most Saudi managers lack effective skills and relevant knowledge. They were autocratic, exhibiting an authoritarian style for their personal interests, yet demonstrating people-concern for keeping subordinates happy. By contrast Western managers were high short term task-oriented, with low people-concern, but were strongly influenced by the Saudi Arabian environment. Recommendations for change or improvement may be topics worthy for further study.

The crux of this thesis was the investigation of how safety was managed in small businesses. The research considered how management differed from the approaches championed by large employers. The concern was that, that which was good practice for some businesses may not necessarily have transposed to others, which differ in terms of number of employees, managerial complexity and access to information and advice. The research was strongly based on recently propounded and popular models and theories of business management. The McKinsey 7-S Framework® was used as a skeleton to facilitate the ordering and collection of data.

Software process improvements are required to increase the productivity of software companies. Generally, it is the aim to increase the quality of the produced software and to keep budget and time. Quality models for software process improvements were developed in context of large organisations and multi-national companies. In this study I investigated how software process improvements are done in a small software company. Ethnography was used as research method. It was the aim of this study to build up an understanding of how software process improvements are done and enabled in a small organisation. Fieldnotes were taken and later analysed using template analysis. Ethnography as the chosen research strategy proved to be applicable and feasible in software engineering research. The qualitative research strategy resulted in a detailed description of how one software company did software process improvements from a bottom-up perspective. Despite the learning potential of "how real world contingencies and possibilities interact and shape software process improvement efforts", such descriptions are rare in software engineering literature. Based on the field experiences and the analysed fieldnotes, the following results were identified: In the studied small software organisation, software process improvement efforts were pushed by the initiative of single employees. The studied company did not have enough resources to implement a complete quality model. In addition, management was heavily involved in daily work and therefore had not enough time to initiate and lead software process improvement efforts. For small software companies in a similar situation, the following guidelines can be given: First, a bottom-up approach with delegating responsibility from management to selected employees is needed. Second, management must ensure to be available if decisions must be taken. Third, improvements must be visible and feedback must be provided contemporary to gain momentum in the whole improvement effort. In some cases it might be important to create awareness of possible improvements. Here, employees should create internal lobbies by involving and convincing other employees of the improvement's importance. A joined effort will help to create enough pressure for change, so that improvement efforts get started.
Please review the chosen subjects! I'm not sure, if I have done this correctly. My thesis touches all those parts, still it is not a complete sociological study. Besides email you can reach me by phone (Germany, mobile): +49 163 4016393

The central question addressed was what motivates small business leaders to incorporate social responsibility in their companies' mission, vision, and culture. In particular, there is a knowledge gap about what motivates small business leaders to take both financial and non-financial actions to support their employees, their local economies, and their communities. Interviews with three small business owners in Michigan were coded to identify key emergent themes explaining why small business leaders contributed to their local communities. Theoretical or conceptual support for the study included Carroll's social performance model, Vroom's expectancy theory, and CCI strategies. The literature review included that of motivation and social responsibility. The interviews were coded, analyzed, and six themes emerged. The participants were concerned with being socially responsible and motivation comes from defining social responsibility and finding ways to fulfill a need. Employees play a key role in creating and continuing an environment set by the example of the owner and this is done through repetition, thus aligning business practices with being socially responsible. Lastly, connection to people helps build relationships, while being cognizant of initiatives to protect the environment, thus Going Green initiatives. After the research, the researcher developed the Small Business Community Involvement model (SBCI), based on the themes. This model can help small business leaders looking to partake in socially responsible activities. This study is significant because it will improve understanding of social responsibility in the small business sector.

Small businesses represent 99.7% of all employers in the United States and account for 63% of new jobs; however, 50% of small businesses fail within 5 years of operation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small restaurant owners used to succeed in business for longer than 5 years. The sample population for the study was the owners of 3 small restaurants in the northeastern region of the United States who have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in operating a successful business. Chaos theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data collection methods were semistructured interviews and review of company documents and archival records. Member checking of interview transcripts was used to strengthen the credibility, reliability, and trustworthiness of the findings. Based on the methodological triangulation of the data sources and using the van Kaam process, themes emerged. The principal themes that emerged were networking, customer satisfaction, and leadership. The findings from this study may contribute to positive social change by providing strategies that small business owners need to be successful and possibly improve the prosperity of the community and local economy.

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

A research study was conducted of the management theories and quality philosophies that have been expounded throughout the twentieth century. This study included the modem thinking for quality improvement and business excellence to include the modem concept of Learning Organisations. This research project was undertaken with the aim of producing a framework based on the culture of Learning Organisation Theory and including within it the external influences on such a culture. The framework consisted on a core of human values, divided into five areas that are deemed important to learning organisations. These were surrounded by the basic values of Trust, Honesty and Openness thus protecting the core from outside influence. Elements from traditional management systems theory provided the outer casing for the framework, these elements influencing the core for both good and bad. The contents of the framework were then studied in three organisations of differing background with a view to firmly establishing the elements and areas within the framework for validity in these three organisations. The common theme between all the organisations chosen was that they had all in the recent past been involved in major management and internal change. One study involved the development of a questionnaire and supporting matrices in order to identify the areas and elements of the framework, thus establishing their existence. Active research techniques were used in the other studies in order to establish both 'why' the elements are important and any interrelationship between the areas. As a result of these studies suggestions for modification to the framework were established in order to strengthen the thinking and these were encompassed in to the framework. Probably the most significant of these changes was the inclusion of 'Leadership' as being a major factor in the filtering of undesirable elements. The outcome from the research is that the aim was achieved and a framework was developed that, for the first time, was drawn up in such a way that the elements and areas can easily be recognised and an understanding of what they represent is clearly shown. The reasons as to why these elements are important are also established. This is regarded as an advancement in this field of study.

Business process management (BPM) is a philosophical approach to organisation-wide management in which the focus is on the processes through which it operates, and in particular the streamlining and optimising of these processes, for which software solutions may be used. CTexT is an intrapreneurial software organisation that has been experiencing problems with software development due to a lack of formal processes relating to customer support, versioning, configuration, quality, risk and project management. The objective of the study is to determine whether the implementation of an electronic BPM system can effectively solve CTexT's development problems and thereby improve its overall software development capacity. More specifically, the focus is on i) the effect of the resulting standardisation on creativity and innovation, and ii) implementation matters, such as the type of processes that can be subjected to an electronic system, and how CTexT can overcome the time and cost constraints of such a system. The study investigates these questions by means of a literature investigation in combination with interviews with knowledgeable respondents from other innovative and software organisations. Interviews with six employees from CTexT determine the relevance of these findings and highlight critical areas for process improvement. Since BPM systems improve organisational efficiencies and are generally employed in larger corporate contexts marked by transactional and repetitive activities where they enforce administrative rules, the conclusion is drawn that a BPM system will not be suitable for an intrapreneurial organisation, and that it is likely to cause more disruption to the creative environment than improve its operations. It is further shown that although a BPM system is theoretically applicable to software development, it generally does not seem to be applied practically in the industry, and the suitability of this process as manageable through a BPM system is seriously questioned. Instead, the research points to improvement through the application of software development methodologies and a holistic approach towards BPM. The investigation at CTexT confirms that its development problems relate to flawed methodologies and that remedies should therefore focus on improving its methodologies and controlling certain aspects of the software development life cycle by means of suitable software tools.
Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
In recent times, especially after the world economic crisis of 2009, strategy formulation and implementation have become more important than ever. However, the most important action resulting in success is the proper execution of the strategy. Bossidy and Charan (2002:57) argued that the most important reason for strategy failure is due to poor strategy execution. Management teams spend a lot of time formulating excellent strategies, but rarely spend time on strategising the execution of their strategy – this practice gap was the departure point for this study. The research study aimed to explore the perceptions of employees in a case organisation regarding the success or failure of strategy execution practices and their contribution towards the strategy. The author explored reasons for strategy failure, strategy drivers, remedies for strategy failure as well as some models and tools available to manage strategy. The author conducted a case study on an organisation by establishing execution failure or success by testing the perceptions of respondents with various statements concerning the most frequently identified strategy drivers. The author concludes with the case study results and recommendations to the case organisation.

The United States has a high failure rate of small businesses, with 30% of small business failing within the first 2 years. The objective of this case study was to explore strategies successful small business owners use to achieve profitability beyond 5 years. The purposive sample for this study included 4 owners of successful small businesses in Atlanta, Georgia, who have been in business for at least 5 years. The conceptual framework was built upon disruptive innovation and susceptibility theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. The analysis revealed 3 themes, market research, passion and determination, and innovation. Successful small business leaders use market research to understand the business environment and customers' needs. Entrepreneurs should conduct market research to develop strategies to remain successful. Innovation is essential for business success and successful entrepreneurs innovate to adapt to new business trends. Small business owners who innovate remain competitive and profitable. Business leaders will benefit from this study's findings by gaining insight into how the leaders of successful organizations implement strategies to stay profitable and competitive. Small business leaders may use the findings to enable economic development in various communities, and create valuable jobs for local residents. Social implications include the improved local and state economy and the standard of living in communities. Small business owners will be able to sustain their businesses and contribute to the prosperity of their employees, their families, health of the community, and the local economy.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006.
Although most businesses require accurate sales forecasts in order to survive and to be successful, very little attention has been devoted to examine how sales forecasting processes should be managed, and the behavioural factors associated with the management of forecasting. Sales forecasting activities and research have by and large concentrated on the techniques or on the systems used, rather than on the forecasting management philosophy, which considers the organisational, procedural, and personnel aspects of the process. Both forecasting modelling and IT systems form the basis for the forecasting process, but the third element, namely the organisation, is potentially the most important one. Researchers have argued that improvements in this area could have a greater impact on the level of forecasting accuracy than improvements with regard to other aspects. After developing predetermined forecasting standards and principles, an audit on the author's organisation was conducted. This revealed that no formal forecasting --- existed, and that a number of business practices were in effect contaminating procedures and possibly affecting the integrity of the data. Very little forecasting knowledge existed, sales were predicted very sporadically, and simple averaging techniques were adopted. Life cycles of products, trends, seasonality or any other cyclical activity were never modelled. This obviously resulted in a very poor level of forecast accuracy, affecting a number of business activities. A decision was made to research the topic of forecasting management, develop a best practice model, and apply it to the organisation. The best practice model was based predominantly on the research work of Armstrong and Mentzer. This model requires the forecasting process to be developed in two specific phases, namely a strategic phase, in which the forecast is aligned to the organisation, the internal processes and the people, and the operational phase, in which more tangible aspects of the forecasting process are identified and constructed. This new forecasting approach and a dedicated forecasting software programme were successfully implemented, improving the overall accuracy level of the forecast.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Many multi-business unit organisations are not adequately prepared to deal with and capitalise on the opportunities that exist because they have a multi-faceted company structure. Increasingly, organisations are combining their efforts to exploit business opportunities and collaboration is becoming a key strategic tool. Collaboration provides ways to tap into competencies and organisational knowledge that might otherwise be trapped in business units. It is essential that these pockets, or silos, of excellence be harnessed to promote value-creating activities. The focus of this case study is on GEA Group Companies operating within the ambit of Sub-Saharan Africa. These companies exhibit a classical multi-business unit organisation with many opportunities for intra- as well as intercompany collaboration. Informal channels for collaboration may exist, but if GEA is able to collaborate more effectively internally, growth and value creation opportunists will be easier to exploit. This study has investigated the state of the current business models of the various GEA Group companies as well as the current collaboration efforts that are in place. The study has also explored the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the various business models as well the key factors influencing collaboration efforts within GEA. Based on the results of interviews and surveys that evaluated the business models and intercompany collaboration efforts, recommendations for improvements are made and an intercompany collaboration model proposed for GEA companies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Small business owners represent 99.7% of all U.S. employer firms, employ half of the private sector employees, and provide 43% of the total U.S. private payroll. However, 50% of new small business startups fail within the first 5 years of operation. The purpose for this multiple case study was to explore what skills, knowledge, and strategies small business coffee shop owners use to succeed in business beyond 5 years. Systems theory, chaos theory, and complexity theory provided the conceptual framework for exploring the research question of this multiple case study. To identify and explore the factors for maintaining small business' operations, the population for this study was 3 small business owners of 3 coffee shops in Duval County, Florida who sustained their businesses for a minimum of 5 years. The data sources were semistructured interviews, the business' websites, social media information, and site visit observations. Based on methodological triangulation of the data sources, analytical coding, and analyzing the data using mind mapping and software, 3 themes emerged: owner networking and the business as a customer to customer networking venue, business plans' initial challenges and addressing subsequent changes, and a need for marketing differentiation. Potential implications for effecting positive social change include increasing the rate of small business success, and increasing the financial security for owners, employeees, employees' families, and their communities.

This thesis represents a qualitative study of the Information Systems Development (ISD) process and puts forward the argument that IS development leads to Organisation Development (OD). The thesis argues that an OD perspective should be incorporated into the main ISD paradigm and provide the basis for transformation in the field which is plagued by failure. The thesis reviews both the IS development and Organisation Development literature and makes connections between the two fields, as in practice they are both comparable activities. With the qualitative framework, Grounded Theory Methodology was used to guide research and analytical activities. We conducted research in 6 large and largemedium sized consultancy firms and in 5 large organisations that utilised non-traditional approaches to ISD. Fieldwork and analysis resulted in the emergence of an ISD process theory that explains how information systems are developed within the organisational context. The theory provided the basis from which we could more rigorously understand the true nature of IS development and determine the nature of a suitable OD contribution. In this thesis, the superiority of an OD-informed solution is argued in detail and contrasted to other proposals from the ISD field. The OD contribution is distinguished in: a) formulating an OD-informed ISD approach, we have termed the Total Systems Development Approach (TSD), b) defining a diagnostic model of ISD practice, c) and providing an extensive collection of OD improvement programmes and techniques that have direct application to ISD. The contribution the thesis makes is also multi-level. At one level we have contributed in rectifying the lack of research in the area of "process" in IS development. In doing so we have provided the basis from which the aspects of the ISD process can be explored in detail. The emergent ISD process theory itself confirms arguments that ISD is a complex socio-technical and organisational process. It highlights aspects of development that have been traditionally outside the ISD paradigm. Our theory helps readdress and challenge a number of elements in the ISD process. The notion of approach emerges as much more suitable for solving ISD problems than methodology. The role of the ISD consultant also emerges as requiring a range of appropriate consultation modes to deal with intervention complexity. Our results also show that the role of the client is much more involving and demanding than previously assumed. Another area of contribution is the formulation of the TSD approach which focuses on the development of the total system: the organisation, through IS or system development activities. It is holistic, iterative, it allows flexible problem-solving, collaboration and focuses on change, intervention and reflection. A final area of contribution is in establishing a link between OD content and IS development. With the advent of new types of development, OD "interventions" have an increasing applicability to ISD situations. The diagnostic model of ISD practice also utilizes an OD-perspective to facilitate diagnosis of organisational failure that leads to IS failure.