Dissertations / Theses: 'Small businesses'

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Stewart, K. Shelette. "Formal business planning and small businesses: a survey of small businesses with an international focus in Atlanta." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 1995. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/1694.

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This study examined the extent to which small businesses, with an international focus, are employing formaI business planning techniques and the extent to which such techniques contribute to the success of these businesses. The study was based on the hypothesis that small business success is associated with formal business planning. Indicators of both formal business planning, the independent variable, and small business success, the dependent variable, were developed. Survey research was conducted to generate and analyze data gathered from one hundred business owners/operators of small businesses, with an international focus, located within the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). A five-page questionnaire was developed and a survey analysis grid was designed. The researcher found that those businesses practicing formal business planning techniques were more successful than those not employing them. The conclusions drawn from these findings suggest that formal business planning contributes to the success of small businesses with an international focus.

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Dolva, Gun M. "Ecocentrism and small businesses." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2023. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2631.

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This thesis explores human and nature relationships in small businesses from a nature-first, ecocentric perspective, and uses the findings to construct a collaborative framework to enhance these relationships. Accordingly, this study fills several gaps identified in emerging literature discussing the importance of understanding human and nature relationships, ecocentrism and the management of pro-environmental practices in small businesses. By framing this thesis within a nature-first perspective, this study responds to the UN conviction that the concept of Harmony with Nature needs to be adopted and non-anthropocentric relationships with nature are necessary to achieve this. To create a suitable conceptual framework for this study, the researcher therefore drew on ecocentric philosophies and a nature-first research approach that aimed to enhance the protection of nature by understanding and improving human and nature relationships. The methodology used involved in-depth interviews with participants from café and construction businesses, followed by thematic analysis of the transcripts. The results were finally triangulated with collaborative learning theories and used to develop a collaborative learning framework that could be used to enhance human and nature relationships in small businesses. The findings demonstrated that while participants were anthropocentric in their perspectives, attitudes, and behaviours about and towards nature, they were also concerned about its destruction, and motivated to do more personally and at work to reduce this destruction. While they were able to act on ideas to reduce their impact on nature in their personal lives, they were however, only able to do so at their workplaces if they had permission. These findings are notable for identifying that lack of action is not necessarily related to knowledge or motivation to act, but rather to having opportunities to act. Participants identified that the main enablers improving their knowledge, motivation, and ability to act included the use of media, individual and group learning, and opportunities to share with and support each other. Findings also revealed that without external support and stakeholder collaboration, small businesses cannot effectively increase their pro-environmental practices. Additionally, an unexpected finding was the identification of eco-grief in the participant cohort, particularly of those in the construction industry. This was associated with individuals witnessing destruction of nature and feeling unable to prevent it occurring. This finding suggests that improving the ability of individuals to act to reduce their harm to nature can also improve mental health at workplaces. Understanding and being able to measure the level of this human and nature emotional relationship is an important area requiring further research, not only academically or to reduce human damage to nature, but also as it offers an innovative tool for the management of organisational cultures. This thesis makes several contributions. First, by focusing on small privately owned businesses, this thesis also contributes to gaps in the understanding and management of ecocentric mindsets and behaviours in such businesses. Second, the evidence based framework, such as that developed in this thesis, has important implications for emerging environmental sustainability debates. Third, this work contributes to emerging academic and practical actions intended to address gaps in this field, including those concerning how to enhance Harmony with Nature perspectives and behaviours. This includes the research methodology of this thesis which shows how ecocentric theory can be coupled with a nature-based approach to identify and classify ecocentric perspectives, attitudes, and behaviours, and what influences these factors.

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Parkhurst, Michael. "Founder succession in small businesses." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3556877.

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The purpose of this study is twofold. The first is to replicate and expand on previous studies by Rubenson and Gupta (1992, 1996) who introduced a contingency model for the initial succession of an organization. The second purpose is to verify that their model is applicable to organizations that are substantially smaller than the original 54 Fortune 1000 companies that were studied. The researcher used a qualitative research methodology to answer the following research questions. 1. Is the Contingency Model of the Initial Succession proposed by Rubenson and Gupta (1996) transferable to organizations of smaller size and lower revenues? 2. Were the founders of small sized organizations planning for their eventual succession? 3. What other factors came into play beyond those outlined by Rubenson and Gupta (1996) during the succession process?

The qualitative research methodology employed was a grounded theory research design utilizing personal interviews with the first successors of an organization. The researcher used a combination of structured and unstructured questions during the interviews of 15 successor CEOs about the process of succession from the founder to them as the next organizational leader. Participants in this study were chosen by a combination of purposeful sampling and chain referencing methods. All the participants and organizations in this study met the following criteria: (a) the interviewed successor must be the first leader after the founder, (b) the organizations must have been between $5 and $200 million dollars in annual revenue at the time of succession, (c) the organizations must have had 200 employees or less at the time of succession, and (d) the succession must either be in process or have happened within the last 5 years.

The results of this study suggest that founders who maintain a controlling equity position in their organizations are able to set the date and method of their succession with impunity. Only 6 of the 12 sub-factors in the model for the initial succession were confirmed in the sample population of this study. It is the authors conclusion that the proposed model by Rubenson and Gupta (1996) as it is currently constructed had minimal explanatory power in the target population of this study. Additionally, 6 themes were discovered during the interview process: founders are thinking in terms of how to cash out of the business rather than their legacy; founders are not planning for succession until it is thrust upon them by illness, old age, or by their family; founders did whatever they wanted because they were the majority shareholder; successors are not inclined to confront the founder; founders have a high level of self identification with the organization; and founders hung onto the organization because it was their hobby.

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Lammin, Susan. "Safety management in small businesses." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2000. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/34434.

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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.

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Kpalou, Jean-Yves Gaba. "Difficulties experienced by small business managers in marketing their businesses." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018635.

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The small business sector in today‘s world is considered seriously by researchers, scholars, policy-makers and governments as an important answer in addressing problems of unemployment, poverty alleviation, and redistribution of wealth. Promoting and encouraging the development of the small business sector is without any doubt a key factor for economic growth. However, this sector faced a high rate of businesses failure due to the many challenges among them, for example, the lack of marketing strategy and implementation in the conduct of the business. Several researches show the important role of marketing in a business but unfortunately it is still not a strong component in many organisations especially within the small business sector.For this reason the aim of this study was to investigate the difficulties experienced by small business managers in marketing their businesses. Taking the aim of this study into consideration, the primary objectives were to firstly look at the practice of marketing in small businesses and secondly to identify the difficulties of marketing experienced by small business managers.The literature study provided a brief overview of the small business sector, followed by a presentation of the practice of marketing in an organisation especially within small business enterprises. Moreover a discussion of the difficulties experienced by small business managers in marketing their businesses was also addressed through the literature review. The literature classified those difficulties into two types; (a)internal factors (lack of marketing planning and strategy, cost of marketing, lack of marketing expertise, perception of marketing) and (b) external factors (lack of knowledge of the market environment).The empirical study was conducted to evaluate the practice of marketing in small businesses and to see what marketing difficulties were experienced by small business owners and/or managers. Data were collected by means of a survey, using a questionnaire. Respondents were identified using the snowball sampling technique through the database of the Nelson Mandela Bay Chamber of Commerce. The data gathered from 67 usable questionnaires were analysed and interpreted. The results of the empirical study revealed that the biggest problems experienced by small business managers in the sample were the heavy cost of marketing followed by the lack of marketing expertise and finally the lack of marketing segmentation strategy. This study contributes to the enhancement of the literature on small business marketing with a focus on the difficulties experienced by owners and/or managers in implementing marketing. As a result this study presents recommendations and suggestions to assist managers in marketing their businesses.

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Hussin, Husnayati. "Alignment of business strategy and IT strategy in small businesses." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1998. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/6979.

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Strategic use of IT among SMEs has gained much attention recently as both reseachers and practitioners view this as one of the avenues for smaller firms to compete successfully. However, very little empirical work has been done to understand the issue. This study helps to fill this gap in the important research area by exploring the alignment of business strategy and IT strategy among UK man facturing firms with less than 150 employees. A mail survey of Chief Executive Officers generated 256 responses to an eight page questionnaire. Factor analysis of the nine business strategy and the nine IT strategy variables yielded three business strategy factors and three IT strategy factors which could be sensibly identified with strategy areas and which clearly showed a fit between the two sets. Based on these two set offactors, the measurement of IS alignment was explored using two methods: (1) the 'moderation' or interaction approach, and (2) the 'matching' or difference approach. The finding of this study provides support for past observation that the `moderation' approach of measuring fit' is more meaningful when the performance criterion is included in the research model. By using a multistep cluster analysis, two distinct groups of SMEs are identified based on the alignment between quality-oriented, product-oriented, and market-oriented business strategy and IT strategy which support these strategies. The group of SiviEs which has a high degree of alignment for the three strategy areas are found to achieve better organisational performance than the group of SÄLIEs with a low degree of IS alignment. Interestingly, the findings of this study also indicate that the degree of alignment between business strategy and IT strategy is related to the level of IT sophistication and the level of CEO's commitment to IT. In summary, this study has extended our understanding of IS alignment and has provided useful insights for CEOs of small and medium-sized companies in planning their IT utilisation.

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Hajjar, Bandar M. H. "Financing small businesses in Saudi Arabia." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1989. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7118.

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The overwhelming dependence of Saudi Arabia on oil exports as the only source of national income has exposed the Kingdom's economy to serious exogenous shocks. In order to reduce the impact of this external disruption, the Government, through successive five-year development plans, established the basic physical infrastructure necessary for developing the real and financial sectors. At the same time, it encouraged the private sector through various incentives to participate in the development process. As government spending started to decline after 1982, the Government urged the private sector to take a more prominent role in the future development process. So as to sustain economic growth. Small businesses, as a large segment of the private sector, can play a significant role in this. This study aims to provide guidelines to assist planners, decision makers and bankers in Saudi Arabia to design a programme which will ensure effective participation of small businesses in the development process. To achieve this goal, the study concentrates on identifying the main obstacles encountered by small businesses in their efforts to finance their projects internally, or to have access to external sources of finance. It also seeks to identify the main constraints that prevent the government credit institutions and commercial banks from providing adequate finance to small businesses. By linking the demand side for finance, represented by small businesses, with the supply side, represented by commercial banks and government credit funds, the gaps in the lending system as a result of the imbalance between these two sides are identified. Options for filling these gaps are then considered.

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Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki M. C. P. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Strategies for assisting small retail businesses." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70667.

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McKinnon-Russell, Tiffany Suzanne. "Transformational Leadership Principles within Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/891.

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Small businesses in the United States experience a high rate of failure. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and explore consistent strategies small business owners in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania used to lead successful companies. Transformational leadership theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. A mixed purposive sample of 20 small business owners participated in semistructured face- to-face and telephone interviews. Each of the participants possessed a minimum of 3 years of successful business operation and employed fewer than 500 individuals. Using Moustakas' modified van Kaam analyses, 6 main themes emerged: characteristics and experiences, leadership behaviors, managing operations, managing employees, employee behaviors, and achieving success. The study findings highlighted the need for small business owners to nurture the leader-follower relationship to inspire and motivate employees. Further, the results indicated the importance of utilizing integrated business practices to influence employee and business performance. The findings in this study promote positive social change by identifying strategies to empower nascent and existing entrepreneurs. Small business owners can apply these results to improve the leader- follower relationship within their organizations, and boost overall business success.

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Stovall, Barbara. "Sustainability Strategies for Successful Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5660.

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Small businesses struggle to survive for longer than 5 years because owners lack knowledge of strategies to sustain financial capital. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small business owners used to maintain financial capital to ensure survivability for longer than 5 years. The sample included 3 successful service- related small business owners located in the southeastern United States. Systems theory and the theory of entrepreneurship provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data collection involved face-to-face, semistructured interviews and a review of company websites and organizational documents. Member checking enhanced the credibility of the findings. Themes included personal preparation, customer services, and sustaining strategies. Findings may contribute to entrepreneurs' and small business owners' knowledge of financial strategies to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years, which may benefit the overall wealth of the community by increasing employment opportunities, economic growth, and financial stability. Implications for positive social change include providing operation survival practices for new small business owners, business preparation skills, developing and maintaining internal and external customer service relations, and sustaining accessible financial capital.

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Cummings, Jennifer. "Financial Strategies for Sustaining Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5318.

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A failure of a small business has a negative impact on the economic health of the community where the small business operates. Small businesses are significant entities in economies around the world, but small businesses have a high failure rate. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what financial strategies small business manufacturing leaders use to increase productivity and profitability to sustain the business for longer than 5 years. The population for this study was three small manufacturing business owners in Pennsylvania who have been in business over 5 years and have used financial strategies to increase productivity and profitability. The theory of planned behavior was the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and direct observation. Methodological triangulation was used to analyze the data. Four themes emerged after the data was coded in NVivo: the importance of company data, planning for a sustainable future using capital expenditures, cash flow management, and owner/employee collaboration in decision-making. The potential for positive social change includes increasing the survival rates of small businesses. The increase in small business survivals may potentially contribute to increases in employment rates in the community of small manufacturing businesses, leading to increased family incomes and improved overall economic health of the community.

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Essel, Bernard. "Employee Retention in Small Retail Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7924.

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Retail small business leaders face the challenges of retaining their employees. Retail small business leaders are concerned with ineffective retention strategies, which can increase employee turnover and collapse their businesses. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory the objective of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore small retail business leaders' strategies to retain employees. The participants comprised 5 small retail business leaders from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who had 5 to 10 years of employee retention experience. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and business documents. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5-phase process; 5 themes emerged to include frequent communication between management and employees, employee compensation and welfare, employee engagement, employee recognition, and employee advancement. The implications for positive social change include the potential small business leaders to explore effective retention strategies, which can result in stable employment for employees and their families.

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Robertson, Jacqueline Renee. "Leadership Strategies to Sustain Small Fitness Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7331.

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The development and sustainability of small businesses impact the U.S. economy. Owners of small businesses created 65.9% of new jobs between 2000 and 2017. Over 99.9% of known U.S. firms were small businesses. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the leadership strategies small fitness business owners implemented to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. The conceptual framework for this study was the servant leadership theory. The population for the study included 5 owners of small fitness businesses in the southeastern region of the U.S. who used leadership strategies to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and analysis of data from their business performance plans and financial statements. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5-step process. A transcription and coding software, methodological triangulation, and member checking were used during data analysis. Good business practices, leader characteristics, and leader relationships were the themes identified during data analysis. Company reputation, customer-service management, financial management, and marketing were minor themes of effective business practices, while adaptable, motivated, and work ethic were minor themes of leader characteristics and family-like and industry networks were minor themes of leader relationships. The implications of this study for positive social change relate to improving the economy, health, and overall well-being of community members through sustained small fitness business owners who provide jobs and access to preventive healthcare options.

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Stricker, Bette Eckard. "The effects of Department of Defense acquisition reform on women-owned small businesses and small disadvantaged businesses." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 2004. http://library.nps.navy.mil/uhtbin/hyperion/04Dec%5FStricker.pdf.

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Yaru, Usman Isa. "Strategies for Small Business Enterprise Success in Ireland: A Case of Three Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3854.

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In 2012, only 50% of Irish small firms survived in business for more than 5 years. The purpose of this qualitative, explorative case study was to explore strategies some Irish small firm owners use to succeed in business beyond 5 years. The case population consisted of 3 small business owners operating in Lucan, County Dublin, Ireland who had been managing a profitable small business venture beyond 5 years from beginning operations. The conceptual framework was the competitive theory of entrepreneurial orientation. Data collection included semistructured interviews with the 3 participants, which also involved member checking and triangulation with business documents to strengthen credibility and trustworthiness of interpretations. Three broad themes emerged after completing a 5-stage qualitative data analysis: an embedded and consistent entrepreneurial attitude, internal management of firm-specific dynamics, and management of external elements affecting the business' operating environment. The firms' owners developed schemes to counter the effects of consumers' lower purchasing power from economic downturns by enabling customers to purchase products through flexible financing arrangements. The findings of this study may contribute to positive social change by informing the efforts of small business owners to sustain their operations beyond the first 5 years. Increasing the rate of business success can lead to employment of more people, better standards of living for employees, and concomitant benefits for their communities.

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Kotzé, Irma. "An analysis of business–related factors on small businesses / Irma Kotzé." Thesis, North-West University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/4502.

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The study was based on the evaluation of specific business–related factors concerning small businesses in the formal sector. The purpose of this study was to gain a clear understanding of the current education level of employees in the small business industry. Income and business related costs applicable to small businesses and formal business support was also evaluated in terms of its availability to small businesses. By means of investigation it was possible to conclude to what extent small businesses contribute towards economic growth in South Africa. The South African government is definitely aware of the important role which small businesses play in economic growth and poverty reduction. Small businesses were analysed to determine the education level of both employees and business owners. The contribution which business owners made to training and development of their employees was also investigated. The income over a period of five years were analysed to determine the financial sustainability of the businesses. The impact of business related costs and the global economic recession were also investigated to determine the future sustainability of small businesses. The empirical research was conducted at a financial institution in Klerksdorp to assess the contribution which small businesses made towards economic growth and development. Small businesses' contribution towards education and training must be reconsidered as limited opportunities exist within small business for training. Small business owners cannot afford to send their employees away to obtain training and mainly make use of on–the–job training. SETAS must focus more on small businesses when it comes to training and alternative training methods must be reconsidered. The implementation of complex labour legislation and the minimum wages law make unskilled labour very expensive for small business owners. This must be reconsidered as small businesses cannot afford to employ additional employees. Formal business support available to small business owners were perceived not to be marketed very well although the lack of internet access may contribute to the limited knowledge in this regard. The South African government must reconsider its strategy to utilize small businesses to create jobs and to develop skills.
Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

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Wilson, Steven L. "Antecedents to business succession planning in small relationship-dependent service businesses." Thesis, Oklahoma State University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10142120.

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

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Jamaluddin, Askiah Binti. "Decision-making for business growth: small family businesses in Selangor, Malaysia." Thesis, Curtin University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/653.

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In Malaysia, approximately 90% of the businesses are categorized as small businesses. Although the majority of the small businesses are family owned, they make a significant contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product. Therefore, the prevalence of small family businesses has a potential economic and social impact that is realised in terms of reducing unemployment rates and growing the family income.The objective in this study was to explore and analyse decisions made about business growth in various types of Malay small family businesses in Selangor, Malaysia. The researcher investigated decisions made in both business and family realms. The importance of the study was in adding to the existing knowledge on decision-making about business growth in small family businesses; specifically, the Malay small family business. Furthermore, the results have been used to construct an original research outcomes model (ROM) that provides a unique contribution to the policy and practice of small family business development. Similarly, the ROM can be used to continue research into small family businesses.A qualitative methodology using a case study approach was a valuable strategy allowing the researcher to obtain in-depth information about decisions for business growth. The participation of seven small family business owners and selected family members by means of face-to-face interview techniques allowed for the collection of insightful data of family and business activities; the first-hand data enhanced the originality of the result. Interview data were transcribed and a thematic analysis technique applied to acquire research patterns; firstly, using within-case analysis and, secondly, cross-case analysis. Research results supported much of the extant literature that identified the owner of small family business as the key person in decision-making. The findings extended current knowledge by demonstrating how actual decisions are made implemented in small family businesses. Use of family discussion was identified as a main advantage as a precursor to authoritative decision-making by the owner.Finally, in identifying factors which underlie the decision-making in order to maximise business growth, the results of the study have provided benefits for small business researchers, policy makers, small business advisors, small family business owners and family members involved in the business.

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Foley, P. "Marketing management policies and small businesses : An investigation of the factors contributing to small business success." Thesis, Leeds Beckett University, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.379432.

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Yu, Xing 1974. "Comparing electronic commerce solutions for small businesses." Thesis, McGill University, 2001. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=31562.

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E-commerce is a new way of doing business. It is becoming increasingly important to everybody. The objective of this thesis is to compare various design approaches and to find out the best solution for small businesses. Some commonly used technologies in developing e-commerce systems are introduced in the first three chapters. The topics covered are from Web standards and protocols to Web planning and design, from Web servers to server side programming, and most importantly, Java technology and IBM's WebSphere. Based on these technologies, two solutions are presented: building from scratch with Java servlets and building with IBM's WebSphere. We develop an online store with each of the solutions. The last part of the thesis is a comprehensive comparison. Time, complexity, performance and cost are evaluated in this comparison. A simple conclusion is drawn afterwards with our suggestions to small businesses regarding which solution they should choose.

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Al-Asadi, Rami Isam. "Survival strategies of small businesses in Damascus." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.445232.

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Williams, Jon. "Exploring Crisis Management in U.S. Small Businesses." Thesis, Northcentral University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10109613.

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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.

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Clegg, David Edward. "Implementing computer aided design in small businesses." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 1992. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/19477/.

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The lack of real and speedy success in the implementation of Computer Aided Design (CAD) in small firms has been a cause for concern for the author for some years. Whilst much has been written about the implementation of Management Information Systems and about Advanced Manufacturing Technology in large firms, the literature on small firms is very sparse, and the implementer has nowhere to go for guidance. This research looks at the implementation of CAD in six small firms against the background of the current literature in associated areas. It focusses on the aspects of implementation most commonly featured in the implementation texts, developing some 32 Propositions on the basis of the six cases. A review of the propositions suggests a parallel between their sequence and what may be regarded as a "traditional" business plan, which addresses the questions:- where are we now? - where do we want to go?- how do we plan to get there?- what steps must we take?- how will we know when we get there? The link between the propositions and the structure is strong, and the consequence is clear. If the propositions indicate a structure, then a structure developed specifically to incorporate the propositions should result in a methodology for implementation. The framework for this methodology is developed, based upon five phases or stages:- strategy- company audit- design- action- review. The framework has been tested and amended, and the inputs to the phases have been identified. Sources for these inputs have also been specified where necessary. The framework provides a significant step forward in the understanding of Computer Aided Design implementation in small firms. In particular:- it is constructed using "hard" data- it provides guidance on a "best" way of implementing- it forms the basis of an implementation "toolkit"- it addresses the needs of the small firm, which can least afford specialist help and can least afford failure.

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Kotyk, Viktoriia, and Вікторія Романівна Котик. "Accounting and reporting of the small businesses." Thesis, National Aviation University, 2021. https://er.nau.edu.ua/handle/NAU/50101.

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1. Pro rozvytok ta derzhavnu pidtrymku maloho i serednoho pidpryiemnytstva v Ukraini: Zakon Ukrainy vid 22.03.2012 № 4618-VI [On Development and State Support of Small and Medium Business in Ukraine: Law of Ukraine of March 22, 2012 No. 4618-VI]. zakon.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/4618-17 (accessed 10 April 2020) [in Ukrainian]. 2. Liutyi, I.O., & Romaniuk, M.V. (2007). Problemy ta perspektyvy sproshchenoi systemy opodatkuvannia subiektiv maloho pidpryiemnytstva v Ukraini [Problems and prospects of a simplified tax system for small business entities in Ukraine]. Finansy Ukrainy – Finance of Ukraine, 6, 31-38 [in Ukrainian]. 3. Derzhavna kaznacheiska sluzhba Ukrainy [State Treasury Service of Ukraine]. treasury.gov.ua. Retrieved from: https://www.treasury.gov.ua/ua (accessed 10 April 2020) [in Ukrainian].
The world experience proves that the small businesses is a key component for developing a state economy. That is why relationships between small business entities and the state should be based on parity. Government support for small businesses allows not only successful and profitable business activity, but also it creates additional workplaces and increases the solvency of the population. For the development and sustainable functioning of the small enterprises, we need clear, easy-to-use and understandable accounting schemes to guide sustainable operations. So, it is necessary to form a single accounting information system that includes accounting, tax accounting, operational and technical accounting data which represents objective information.
Світовий досвід доводить, що малий бізнес є ключовою складовою розвитку державної економіки. Ось чому відносини між суб’єктами малого підприємництва та державою повинні базуватися на паритеті. Державна підтримка малого бізнесу дозволяє не тільки успішну та прибуткову ділову діяльність, але й створює додаткові робочі місця та підвищує платоспроможність населення. Для розвитку та стійкого функціонування малих підприємств нам потрібні чіткі, прості у використанні та зрозумілі схеми бухгалтерського обліку для керівництва сталого функціонування. Отже, необхідно сформувати єдину бухгалтерську інформаційну систему, яка включає дані бухгалтерського, податкового обліку, оперативного та технічного обліку, що представляють об’єктивну інформацію.

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Chamberland, Kenneth Joseph. "Success Factors of Veteran-Owned Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/573.

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Small business failure rates equate to 30% within 2 years and 50% after 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that veteran-owned small businesses used to sustain a business beyond 5 years in central Florida. Using a purposeful sampling technique, 13 central Florida veteran small business owners consented to interviews about their operating processes. Analysis of the veteran-owner managerial practices revealed common nodes and themes regarding small business longevity factors. Based on constant comparison coding, 4 small business themes emerged: business operating practices, market research, business adversities, and external small business assistance avenues. The experiences of veteran small business owners emulated the general systems theory and the triple-loop learning theory in identifying, organizing, and initiating process changes for small business operational permanence. This study has social change implications for aspiring veteran small business owners: Successful veteran entrepreneurship can promote positive social values, stakeholder satisfaction, and employment opportunities by exploring small business operating strategies, conducting market analysis, overcoming adversities, and petitioning external small business veteran programs.

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Patterson, Joanna. "Cyber-Security Policy Decisions in Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4551.

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Cyber-attacks against small businesses are on the rise yet small business owners often lack effective strategies to avoid these attacks. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies small business owners use to make cyber-security decisions. Bertalanffy's general systems theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. A purposive sample of 10 small business owners participated in the interview process and shared their decision-making methodologies and influencers. The small business owners were vetted to ensure their strategies were effective through a series of qualification questions. The intent of the research question and corresponding interview questions was to identify strategies that successful small business owners use to make cyber-security decisions. Data analysis consisted of coding keywords, phrases, and sentences from semi structured interviews as well as document analysis. The following themes emerged: government requirements, peer influence, budgetary constraints, commercial standards, and lack of employee involvement. According to the participants, budgetary constraints and peer influence were the most influential factors when making decisions regarding cyber-security strategies. Through exposing small business owners to proven strategies, the implications for social change include a reduction of their small business operating costs and assistance with compliance activities.

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Bush, Malissa A. "Strategies Affecting the Sustainability of Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1961.

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Small business owners bolster the emergence and growth of local communities. However, many small businesses do not survive beyond 5 years. Based on systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by small business owners to develop and maintain viable and long-lasting businesses. Using a multiple case study design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 retail business owners in DeKalb County, Georgia who were able to develop and maintain viable and long-lasting businesses. These small business owners provided detailed information on strategies used to sustain their businesses. Semistructured interviews allowed for in-depth conversations with each participant. The use of field notes, as well as member checking of interview transcripts, facilitated the verification and triangulation of key themes. Three prominent themes emerged from the thematic analysis of data collected from the interviews: assessing capital, providing good customer service, and choosing a good location. The respondents' strategies provide guidance for small business owners hoping to stay in business for the long-term. New and existing small business owners may benefit from the study by expanding knowledge gained from successful strategies; thereby, contributing to job creation and business growth in local economies.

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Evans, Linda Faye. "Strategies for Providing Loans to Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6786.

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Between 2007 and 2013, the number of loans banks provided to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) declined. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that senior bank lending officers used to improve lending to SMEs. The sample size consisted of 4 senior small business lending officers who have in lending for 5 or more year in Houston, Texas. The conceptual framework used was agency theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 4 senior bank lending officers from a bank in the Houston, Texas area, a review of documents from lending officers, and other artifacts from the Small Business Administration. Data were analyzed with the support of software to generate themes. The data analysis included process coding of the data collected from the participants. Member checking and methodological triangulation enhanced the credibility of the findings in this study. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: the barriers and challenges lenders face when lending to business owners, bankers' strategies to overcome challenges in lending to their customers, and lenders' use of relationships and lending experience to provide loans to their customers. The findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing insights that can be used by senior lending officers related to strategies for providing loans to SMEs. The results of this study may also contribute to increased job creation for local residents, which can positively impact the economic viability of the Houston area.

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Cook, Kimberly Diane. "Effective Cyber Security Strategies for Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3871.

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Disruptive technologies developed in the digital age expose individuals, businesses, and government entities to potential cyber security vulnerabilities. Through the conceptual framework of general systems theory, this multiple case study was used to explore the strategies among owners of 4 retail small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Melbourne, Florida, who successfully protected their businesses against cyber attacks. The data were collected from a review of archival company documents and semistructured interviews. Yin's 5-phased cycles for analyzing case studies provided the guidelines for the data analysis process. Three themes emerged from thematic analysis across the data sets: cyber security strategy, reliance on third-party vendors for infrastructure services, and cyber security awareness. The study findings indicated that the SME owners' successful cyber security strategies might serve as a foundational guide for others to assess and mitigate cyber threat vulnerabilities. The implications for positive social change include the potential to empower other SME owners, new entrepreneurs, and academic institutions with successful cyber security strategies and resources to affect changes within the community. SME owners who survive cyber attacks may spur economic growth by employing local residents, thus stimulating the socioeconomic lifecycle. Moreover, implementation of these successful strategies may catalyze consumer confidence, resulting in greater economic prosperity.

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Ragab, Soha Elaskalani. "Information Technology Adoption by Small Businesses Owners." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2576.

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Small business owners need effective strategies to increase profitability. One such strategy is the adoption of information technology (IT). The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by small business enterprise (SBE) owners to implement IT solutions for increased profitability within 3 years of opening their business. The population consisted of 3 small business owners in Orange County Southern California who were profitable by their third year of business. The conceptual framework for this study was based upon general systems theory. Data for this study were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Transcript review and member checking were included for validity and reliability purposes. Methodological triangulation, achieved through analysis of business plans, financial documents, and probability trends documents allowed identification of 4 emergent themes: Essential strategies small business owners use to implement IT solutions for increased profitability, the essential relationship between network orientation and successful IT implementation, the relationship between IT consultants and successful implementation, and the relationship between internal IT resources and successful implementation. The findings from this study could impact social change because when SBEs are profitable, SBE owners will contribute to the affluence of their workers, communities, local economies, and society.

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Dupree, Lee. "Valuation Strategies for Small Businesses' Intangible Assets." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7135.

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Small business owners who attempt to sell their businesses may not receive full value if they do not adequately value their intangible assets. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore effective strategies business leaders used to value intangible assets when considering the sale of their businesses. The participants for this study were 5 business owners in a metropolitan area in the southeastern United States who had successful valuation experiences during the sale of their businesses. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with participants, methodological triangulation, observations, and review of company documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, coding narrative segments, and reviewing secondary data. The themes that emerged from data analysis include collecting and using company data concerning intangible assets; hiring a reputable accounting firm to assist in valuation; understanding the values of brand, customer base, and goodwill; and choosing the appropriate asset valuation approach. To accurately value the intangible assets of their businesses, the most significant and recurring theme in the participants' responses was the need for assistance from a reputable accounting firm. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to enhance the economic investment in local areas where business owners appropriately value intangible assets.

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Smith, Peter George. "Competitive Strategies of Minority-Owned Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6499.

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Leaders of minority-owned businesses earn less revenue on average than their nonminority counterparts, even when both sets of leaders operate in the same industries. Among the factors leading to this earnings discrepancy is the lack of access that leaders of minority-owned businesses have to high-revenue opportunities. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that some leaders of minority-owned small businesses use to compete for contracts in high-revenue industries. The study population comprised 3 owners of minority-owned small marketing consultancy firms headquartered in the Southeastern United States. Teece and Pisano’s dynamic capabilities view served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and the review of company documents. The data analysis process included member checking to ensure credibility of the interpretation of the information gathered during the interviews, and methodological triangulation of the data sources to establish data validity. Four themes emerged from the analysis: positioning and targeting, capabilities and competencies, pricing and returns, and relevancy and longevity. The themes are critical success factors for competing for contracts in high-revenue industries and may be beneficial to the leaders of minority-owned small businesses in seeking contracts in similar or parallel industries. Leaders who apply the study findings may earn incremental revenues to effect positive social change through additional job creation and community development activities, benefiting local economies and residents.

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Rivers, Oneeka Rena'. "Change Management Implementation Strategies for Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7729.

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Most organizational change initiatives fail because managers lack effective change management strategies. The purpose of this single case study was to explore change management strategies that outpatient care facility managers used to positively affect process improvements. The population consisted of 6 managers who completed change initiatives at a military, outpatient medical facility in Texas and 6 of their team members. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and organization documents, then analyzed based on the conceptual framework of Lewin’s change theory. Rowley’s 4-step process for analysis—organizing; getting acquainted with; classifying; coding and interpreting; and presenting and writing up the data—was used to identify 4 major themes through data saturation. From the data analysis, the following strategy themes emerged: building effective teams, establishing the foundation for the change, communicating throughout the change process, and solidifying the change. Managers in the healthcare industry can use the findings of this study as a guide to improve the outcomes of their process improvement initiatives by implementing the strategies provided by the manager participants. Thus, the findings of this study may be used to affect positive social change to improve patients’ quality of healthcare and community healthcare outreach programs through increased efficiencies and reduced expenditures.

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Modilim, Patrick Modilim. "Strategies for Growing and Sustaining Successful Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3050.

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Small business manufacturing enterprises represent viable means of creating employment, stimulating economic growth, and accelerating development. Many newly formed small business enterprises do not continue beyond 5 years after formation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by small business manufacturing leaders in Lagos, Nigeria to sustain their businesses, using general systems theory as the conceptual framework. The sample comprised 3 small business leaders who have sustained their business enterprises beyond 5 years after formation in Lagos, Nigeria. The data collections were through semistructured, in-person interviews and the review of business feasibility and planning documents, handbills and contract documents. The results from computer-aided qualitative data analysis, methodological triangulation of the data sources, and Rowley's 4 step analysis led to the emergence of 10 major themes: minimizing debt and overhead expenses, proper record keeping, skills, and expertise are essential for small business success. Small business leader participants in the study achieved longer-term successes by engaging in research, strategic planning, and preparation before launching their business ideas. Applications of findings from this study might influence positive social change if future and current small business leaders' implementation of the strategies identified leads to the longer-term success of their business enterprises. Successful business enterprises provide continued employment for the business leaders and their employees, better living standards for the community by offering goods and services, and enhanced quality of life for the community because the government can now provide improved social amenities with increased tax revenues.

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Barosy, Wileen. "Successful Operational Cyber Security Strategies for Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6969.

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Cybercriminals threaten strategic and efficient use of the Internet within the business environment. Each year, cybercrimes in the United States cost business leaders approximately $6 billion, and globally, $445 billion. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the operational strategies chief information security officers of high-technology companies used to protect their businesses from cyberattacks. Organizational learning theory was the conceptual framework for the study. The population of the study was 3 high-technology business owners operating in Florida who have Internet expertise and successfully protected their businesses from cyberattacks. Member checking and methodological triangulation were used to valid the data gathered through semistructured interviews, a review of company websites, and social media pages. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which supported the identification of 4 themes: effective leadership, cybersecurity awareness, reliance on third-party vendors, and cybersecurity training. The implications of this study for positive social change include a safe and secure environment for conducting electronic transactions, which may result in increased business and consumer confidence strengthened by the protection of personal and confidential information. The creation and sustainability of a safe Internet environment may lead to increased usage and trust in online business activities, leading to greater online business through consumer confidence and communication.

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Burgess, Stephen Keith 1958. "Business-to-consumer interactions on the Internet : a model for small businesses." Monash University, School of Information Management and Systems, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8027.

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Foster, Tracy A. "Budget Planning, Budget Control, Business Age, and Financial Performance in Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3605.

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

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Kouadio, Gbogbo Nina Marie-Laure. "Difficulties experienced by small businesses in accessing finance." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018633.

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Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) significantly contribute to the growth of the economy and the employment sector. However, it is indicated that SMEs lack access to the financial products and services that are critical to their growth. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the difficulties experienced by small businesses in accessing finance. An online questionnaire survey was considered an appropriate measurement method for this study. The targeted population of the study included all small businesses operating in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole. Thus, some 208 companies were identified as part of the study sampling frame. A total number of 66 questionnaires were returned out of the 208 targeted companies - giving a response rate of 29 percent. The quantitative data were processed using a STATISTICA program, leading to appropriate descriptive statistical analyses, including frequencies, means, medians and standard deviations. In order to obtain a better understanding of the difficulties experienced by small businesses in accessing finance, hypotheses were also formulated and a t-test was used to establish the statistical significance of certain demographic variables and company characteristics regarding the problems experienced by small businesses in accessing finance. The results of the empirical study revealed that the major difficulties faced by small businesses in their access to finance were the lack of collateral and security, the high cost of borrowing interest and the delay in feedback from the financial institutions. Further, by testing the hypotheses, it was also revealed that the ethnic group of the applicant, the total years of business experience of the applicant and the annual turnover of the business have an impact on the access to finance. Based on the relevant literature study and the empirical results, recommendations were made in order to address the identified problems. However, the unavailability of an exhaustive small business database in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole did not allow the research to draw on a larger representative sample. Thus, this limitation has impeded in-depth statistical analysis that would have allowed the research to obtain more accurate findings. Further studies could investigate the reasons why in many cases financial institutions reject the funding of small businesses.

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Yousuf, Shahzad. "Financing small businesses : a comparative study of Pakistani-immigrant businesses and UK-indigenous businesses in the travel trade." Thesis, Cranfield University, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1826/3694.

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This research is about financing practices of Pakistani-immigrant and indigenous-owned small travel agents. The study provides an understanding of the capital structures of businesses owned by both groups and compares these to draw similarities and differences between both groups. The research integrates the "ethnic enclave" immigrant theory, the capital structure theory in particular the Pecking Order Hypothesis, the role of "networks" in business financing, and the business life-cycle theories. The research question and the research hypotheses emerged from the literature reviewed. Ten case studies, five Pakistani businesses and five indigenous businesses, confirmed the hypotheses which formed the basis of a survey of a large sample of sixty businesses, thirty in each group. The case study data is considered invaluable since it provided the real evidence of the sensitive nature of financial information in these businesses. The methodology adopted was a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The findings of the study show that there are more similarities than differences among the capital structures of both groups of businesses. The nuclear family plays a crucial role throughout the life-cycle of the business in both groups. The role of family labour is not as prominent as among other industries such as Confectionery, Tobacconists, and Newsagents (CTN's). Informal sources of finance are preferred over formal sources by both groups of businesses due to their availability and lower cost. The Pecking Order Hypothesis theory applies to both groups of businesses. The main sources of formal finance were high street banks, bank overdrafts and loans. Pakistani businesses were not disadvantaged in any way by the formal providers of finance. This research is the first to report on the comparative capital structures among both groups of businesses. However, although considerable contribution has been made by this research to the small business finance literature further research should be conducted into the area.

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Amankwah, Benjamin. "IMMIGRANTS’ SMALL BUSINESSES: THE GHANAIAN EXPERIENCE IN COLUMBUS, OHIO." Connect to this document online, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1095437052.

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Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Geography, 2004.
Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], v, 69 p. : map. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-69).

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Stark, Fredrik, and Nisha Purohit. "Managers' Goal-Setting Strategies : Focus on Small Businesses." Thesis, Jönköping University, JIBS, Business Administration, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-952.

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Abstract

Background:

Goals and goal-setting are two aspects that occur everyday in business life however little is known about the effect of strategic goal-setting. To a cer-tain extent, this affects all of us either directly or indirectly, everyday through strategic decisions that are made by business managers all around the world. A company’s performance of a company can be measured in many ways. A firm’s performance can be financially successful if the com-pany’s strategy is well planned. Strategic planning consists of developing goal-strategies, which aim at contributing to the firm’s performance.

Problem:

A small business manager’s view on the goals-setting strategies is important since the manager in a small company can influence the business more than compared to a manager in a larger firm. As the personality differs among managers, the level of planning and proactiveness would differ as well. Sev-eral studies have focused on the relationship between goal-setting and per-formance but the level of proactiveness has not been has not been consid-ered to a larger extent.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate managers’ goal-setting strategies, focusing on goal-specificy, planning, proactiveness, and financial perform-ance in small businesses in the Jönköping region, Sweden.

Method:

To fulfill the purpose of this thesis both qualitative and quantitative re-search approaches have been used. As 173 interviews were already carried out in an earlier study, we created a strategy on how to use the collected in-terview data. Theories from different research areas were combined with hypotheses to create a framework for this paper. The theories and the hy-potheses were analyzed in light of the empirical evidence, the interview and we used the SPSS to test our hypotheses.

Result:

The results from the first three hypotheses were not found to be too unex-pected as we assumed that planning, the level of goal-specificy and proac-tiveness to a large extent, depend on a managers’ strategies and ambitions. The final two hypotheses have helped us discover new patterns and add to previous theories. We have made two main contributions by conducting this master thesis. The first one is that a high degree of planning does not imply a higher level of financial performance. The second one is that family businesses do not show a lesser degree of planning compared to non-family businesses.

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Koornhof, Herman. "A framework for IT governance in small businesses." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/994.

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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.

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Wang, Yanwu. "Chinese Immigrant Small Businesses in Sweden - Uppsala Perspective." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-243339.

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Immigrant small business (ISB) in Sweden has brought much attention to some researchers in the past decade. However, most of ISB researchers in Sweden are dealing with immigrants as a whole group rather than study them separately by regions or countries. It is hard to know the specific characteristics of ISB with different ethnic background. In this paper, I study one ethnic group, Chinese immigrant’s, small business by case study approach, to answer the research questions: reasons of self-employment, factors of influencing start-ups and business growth. According to empirical findings, prosperity achieving, career changing, and migration are the three main reasons of self-employment; network and local language skill are the two key factors influencing Chinese ISB start-ups; good market opportunities, higher industry rivalry, shortage of successor, and lack of development ambition are the four factors influencing business growth. With the empirical findings, I examine the previous influential ISB theories, which include minorities theory, ethnic enclave economy, and mixed embeddedness. I find ethnic enclave and mixed embeddedness theories can explain some of empirical findings, but not all of them, which means Chinese ISB in Sweden has specific characteristics which need further investigation.

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Almobaireek, Wafa. "Marketing orientation among small businesses in Saudi Arabia." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.243765.

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Dhanah, Darlington. "Small businesses and job creation in South Africa." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27441.

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There is a paradigm shift from traditionally relying on big businesses for stimulating economic growth and job creation to small businesses in both developed and developing economies. Developing countries in the last 3 decades have accelerated their support for small businesses in a bid to alleviate dire poverty levels they are faced with. Theoretically small businesses are believed to be more labour intensive compared to larger businesses and thus the shift. (Thorsten Beck, Asli Demirguc-Kunt, and Ross Levine, 2003: 2; Beck et al. 2003: 1). Empirically there are ample success stories emanating from China, Pakistan, Brazil just to mention a few, showing a fairly similar trajectory of increased economic participation by small businesses resulting in their significant contribution to GDP and employment creation. However, South Africa has not necessarily followed a similar trajectory to its BRICS counterparts and thus this paper looked at small businesses and job creation in South Africa. It narrowed down to impediments that have stood on the way of small businesses' ability to create jobs. The study was exploratory, descriptive and quantitative in nature. The results to this study are in alignment with previous studies on the subject matter and this study singled out access to finance, HIV Aids, operational costs and government taxes and regulations as statistically significant in explaining variation in the proportion of small businesses that create jobs. This study ultimately recommended that over and above dealing with the above listed impediments directly, government should especially focus on consumer vulnerability and financial conditions on a macro-economic level as these have a direct impact on small businesses.

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McCullough, Ian. "Small Businesses and Their Perceived Value of Design." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1416910622.

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Escobar, Sebastian. "Essays on inheritance, small businesses and energy consumption." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Nationalekonomiska institutionen, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-320724.

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Essay 1: People’s planning to evade the inheritance tax curtails its merits. However, the extent of planning remains a matter of argument. According to popular belief, it is widespread, but few estimates have been presented. This study estimates the extent of estate size under-reporting, a form of inheritance tax planning, using the repeal of the Swedish tax on spousal bequests, in 2004, and a regression discontinuity design. The results show that, on average, estate sizes were 17 percent lower, and the share of estates that completely escaped tax payments was 26 percent larger due to under-reporting. As a consequence, government revenues from the tax were only half of what they would have been without under-reporting. Moreover, preferences and means for under-reporting were not only prevalent among the wealthy, but also among those receiving relatively small inheritances. The study contributes to a growing literature on tax avoidance and evasion by estimating the extent of estate size under-reporting, its effect on government revenues and by showing that it was widespread in the population.
Essay 2: There is an ongoing debate about whether or not inheritance and estate taxes are effective in raising revenues and in contributing to a more equal society. The different views on transfer taxes are largely dependent on beliefs about whether people plan their wealth to avoid these taxes. In this paper, we follow Kopczuk (2007) and study people's planning response to the onset of terminal illness. An extension of Kopczuk’s work is that we can effectively control for responses in wealth caused by terminal illness but unrelated to tax planning. We do this by exploiting a tax reform in Sweden that removed the incentives for people to plan their estates to avoid inheritance taxation. We find some evidence of long-term terminal illness inducing responses consistent with tax planning, but that these are not widespread or efficient enough to reduce the overall tax burden in the study population. Our results, similarly to those of Kopczuk, show that people appear to postpone some decisions about their estates until shortly before death.
Essay 3: Small businesses form an essential part of all economies, making it necessary to understand the conditions under which they operate. This paper contributes to that understanding by studying how survival, income and profits of small businesses change when their owners receive inheritances. Using a difference-in-differences strategy and Swedish registry data on small businesses and estate reports, it is shown that survival rates increase with almost three percentage points when the owners receive inheritances of, on average, SEK 275,000. However, the profits of the surviving small businesses and the income of their owners do not increase, indicating that the inheritance did not increase survival by making investments possible, investments to increase profits and income, but by enabling small business owners of lower ability to subsist. The study contributes to the literature on the conditions for small businesses by providing causal evidence on the effect of increased access to capital among existing businesses. It thereby complements the rich literature on the role of capital for small business start-ups.
Essay 4: This article shows that a simple monetary incentive can dramatically reduce electric energy consumption (EEC) in the residential sector and simultaneously achieve a more desirable allocation of EEC costs. The analyses are based on data from a policy experiment conducted in 2011 and 2012 by a private housing company in about 1,800 apartments. Roughly 800 of the tenants (treatment group) were subject to a change from having unlimited EEC included in their rent to having to pay the market price for their own EEC. This change was achieved by installing EEC meters in each apartment. Tenants in the other 1,000 apartments (control group) experienced no policy change and were subject to apartment-level billing and metering during the entire study period. Using a quasiexperimental research design and daily data on EEC from 2007 to 2015, we estimate that apartment-level billing and metering permanently reduce EEC by about 25%. Moreover, we show that households reduce EEC immediately after being informed that they will be billed for EEC, the reduction is larger when the production cost is higher, and the reduction in EEC comes almost exclusively from households with very high EEC before the policy change. Finally, we show that apartment-level billing and metering are cost-effective, with a cost per reduced kilowatt hour of US$0.01, and for each invested dollar, the social value of reductions in air pollution, including CO2 emissions, is $2.

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Hanley, Aoife. "The supply of bank lending to small businesses." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/23035.

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The aim of my research is to examine issues relating to the supply of credit to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) using a unique UK dataset containing loans and overdrafts from a major UK bank to its small business clients from 1998 until 2000. With this research aim of investigating the supply of credit to SMEs in mind, I constructed several application scorecards that used the information generated from over 7,000 first time applications by business start-ups. The aim of these scorecards was to predict the risk of default of these businesses at least 6 months later using all in-house information about the borrowers’ credit histories. Additionally, I investigated the difference in interest margins between first-period borrowers and applicants for credit who applied in subsequent periods. I also estimated the difference in loan acceptance rates between borrowers with and without pre-existing entrepreneur-bank relationships in order to establish how important relationships are in reducing risk and influencing the likelihood that a borrower will receive finance. In a final empirical part, I investigated the difference in the collateral requirements that the bank demanded from new, small business borrowers compared to the terms that were granted to established business borrowers. My main conclusion is that small businesses are ‘informationally captured’ by the bank i.e. are unable to transfer to a competing bank for subsequent loans, once the first lending period has elapsed. This inference is based on findings where as the level of information about the borrower increases, so also does the cost to the borrower of his finance in terms of interest margin and collateral. My study is the first to use a relatively large scale UK dataset to estimate the probability of default for business start-ups.

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Samuel, Petra. "Strategies for Integrating Technological Innovations in Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3834.

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The effective integration of technological innovation is vital to the success of small businesses and can catapult growth and profitability. Some business managers and supervisors, however, may not have a firm understanding of strategies for integrating technological innovations in businesses; this lack of knowledge may result in employee frustration and costly roadblocks to achieving business objectives. This case study was conducted to identify the strategies used by business managers and supervisors to integrate technological innovations in small businesses. Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation and Rogers' theory of diffusion of innovation served as the conceptual framework. Ten business managers and supervisors from Castries, St. Lucia, participated in semistructured interviews. Participants who were selected using purposive sampling worked in a small business in St. Lucia for atleast 5 years, were part of senior management, and used strategies for integrating technological innovations in a small business. Two of the themes that emerged from data analysis were integration challenges relating to technological innovation complexity, and technology cost regarding hardware, upgrades and software procurement. Findings from this study may contribute to positive social change by providing business managers and supervisors insight about strategies and innovative solutions they can use to develop better business practices, increase tax revenues, and employment opportunities, improve profitability, and boost the economy.

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Harrison, Janet Harrison. "Securing Government Contracts for Women-Owned Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3889.

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Research indicates a variety of factors may inhibit the award of federal contracts to women-owned small businesses; however, a dearth of research exists on the topic from the perspectives of women who own small businesses. The purpose of this case study was to identify the capabilities needed by female small business owners in Atlanta, Georgia to win federal contracts. The framework was based on the theory of representative bureaucracy and the effects of gender differences on individuals' entrepreneurial perceptions. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with 6 women who owned small businesses and competed for federal contracts. Results of the thematic data analysis revealed 3 overarching themes: intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors, and contract procurement experiences. Each of these themes reflected qualities fundamental to participants' successful procurement of federal contracts. Significant intrinsic characteristics included adaptability, work ethic, and networking skills. Stakeholders may use study results to foster positive social change by providing women with resources they need to compete for federal contracts. Female entrepreneurs could improve communities by using strategies from this research to reduce unemployment and increase income for themselves and their employees. Social implications include the development of additional training programs to teach women how to complete contract applications, which may increase their participation in federal contract procurement and positively contribute to the economy.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Small businesses'

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