Nowadays, the improvement of factors, such as transportation, communication, and technological advancement, is allowing SMEs to move towards international markets faster than before. Combining those factors with knowledge gained inside firms, software SMEs are able to follow the trend of internationalizing their activities. Depending only on one side of knowledge to expand abroad, will probably inhibit SMEs to survive in the foreign atmosphere. Moreover, the insufficiency of market 5  knowledge and the lack of international experience prevent SMEs to meet the basic requirements to establish relationships outside the home country. The dependence only on the domination of internal knowledge and the uniqueness of the product, may provoke software firms for an excessive ambition to internationalize - which can lead to tangling the way to establish a network abroad.

La thèse s'interroge sur l'existence du rationnement du crédit de PME vietnamiennes. Ce sujet est important car ces entreprises sont à l'origine de l'essentiel de la croissance du pays. La thèse présente les théories pouvant expliquer le rationnement du crédit dans les PME des pays en voie de développement. Elle détaille les spécificités des PME et du système du crédit au Vietnam. A l'aide d'un questionnaire, nous avons analysé les déterminants du rationnement et des caractéristiques des crédits proposés aux PME. Les données ont été traitées en utilisant les méthodes de l'économétrie des variables qualitatives. Les principaux résultats obtenus sont : les caractéristiques du chef d'entreprise (niveaux d'instruction, l'année d'expérience, ancien fonctionnaire, etc.), les caractéristiques économiques et juridiques de l'entreprise (la taille, le chiffre d'affaire,..), caractéristiques financières de PME (profitabilité, taux d'endettement...?), et caractéristiques du prêt sont importantes pour expliquer l'acceptation ou le refus du crédit bancaire. Nous avons également analysé l'impact de ces caractéristiques sur l'exigence de garantie, et la satisfaction à l'égard du service bancaire. / The purpose of this research work is to analyse the existence of credit rationing of Vietnamese SMEs. This subject is important because these firms are the main source of the country's economic growth. The research presents theories which explain the credit rationing in SMEs within developing countries. It also outlines the characteristics of SMEs and the credit system in Vietnam. We analysed the factors affecting the rationing and the characteristics of loans offered to SMEs using data collected from our questionnaire. We then processed the data, analysing the qualitative variables using econometric methods. The results of this piece of research show that there are several important factors which explain the acceptance or refusal of bank credit to SMEs. These factors include : the characteristics of the entrepreneur (education, experience, civil-servant status, etc.), the economic and legal characteristics of the firm (size, sales volume,...), the financial characteristics of the SME (profitability, debt ratio,...), and the characteristics of the loan. We also analysed the impact of these characteristics on the attitude of the bank relative to the demand of collateral, and on the different satisfaction levels of the SME's regarding the banking service.

The first differentiated tax policies for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa were introduced in 2001. Several relief measures have followed, the most recent being the introduction in the 2008/9 budget of a presumptive turnover tax system and venture capital incentives for investments in high-growth and high-tech SMEs. The present study uses a qualitative systematic literature review to assess the effectiveness of using differentiated tax policies to address the constraints that have been imposed on South African SMEs. It draws on international experiences in the use of differentiated tax policies to address constraints imposed on SMEs. Thereafter it focuses on differentiated tax policies in South Africa and considers the effectiveness of using differentiated tax policies to address constraints that have been imposed on SMEs. Research in other countries indicates that when differentiated tax policies are used in isolation, they are not very successful in bringing about changes in the level of entrepreneurial activity. However, these policies can assist in creating an environment that is conducive to the growth of SMEs and can alleviate the constraints faced by SMEs. The effectiveness of differentiated tax policies in the alleviation of the constraints imposed on small and medium enterprises can be improved by means of various non-tax policy measures. The National Treasury has used differentiated tax policies to target two specific constraints for SMEs, namely access to equity finance and easing of the tax compliance burden. This study concludes that the current differentiated tax policies for small and medium enterprises that are articulated in tax legislation do not address the constraints identified by the National Treasury effectively. The findings of this study cast doubt on the ability of the differentiated tax policies in South Africa to alleviate the constraints that SMEs face in this country. Furthermore, it poses the question whether the main objective of the policies is not to collect more revenue by broadening the tax base. The study focuses on the differentiated tax policies that came into effect before August 2008. The effectiveness of the differentiated tax policies that were proposed in the 2008/2009 budget (venture capital incentives and presumptive turnover tax) will depend on the details of the tax legislation that is promulgated. Future research could determine the effectiveness of these differentiated tax policies in addressing the constraints with which SMEs are faced. Copyright / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Taxation / unrestricted

A growing consensus on suitability of Strategic Entrepreneurship (SE) for firms to face challenges in a competitive environment is anchored on the argument that SE is an intersection of entrepreneurship and strategic management associated with opportunity-seeking and advantage-seeking behaviours. However, this concept is flawed by failure of firms to simultaneously combine opportunity-seeking and advantage-seeking behaviours to attain and sustain performance, a situation that raised contentions on the relevance of constructs chosen to build SE. Recently, other scholars suggested that SE is more than interface between strategic management and entrepreneurship and treat this fusion as a debatable idea. This argument presents a conceptual gap which triggered this study. This study examined three constructs namely: Market Orientation (MO), Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and Networking Capability (NWC), which are collectively referred to as dimensions of Strategic Entrepreneurial Response (SER) as appropriate constructs to enhance simultaneous opportunity-seeking and advantage-seeking behaviours. With the understanding that these constructs were collectively used for the first time to study SER, this study examined if their individual dimensions could successful measure SER, and if they are related to SME performance. Also, examined how much variance in SME performance is explained by scores of the dimensions of SER and whether the interaction of the dimensions of SER explains a significant amount of variance in performance to enhance simultaneous opportunity-seeking and advantage-seeking behaviours. In the course of the study, a cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from SME’s in Tanzania of which 291 SME owners/managers were randomly selected and interviewed in three types of industries namely: manufacturing, service and retail. A factor analysis after oblique rotation revealed 9 factors and explained 68.16% of total variance. The identified factors were customer orientation, competitor orientation (market orientation), pro-activeness, risk taking, competitive aggressiveness (entrepreneurial orientation), relational skills, internal communication, coordination and partner’s knowledge (networking capability). Subjecting the nine factors into the second order factor analysis converged into a single component suggesting successful measuring SER. The findings confirmed a relationship between dimensions of SER and SME performance suggesting that emphasis on market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and networking capability enhance SME performance. However, the interaction of the three dimensions only market orientation and entrepreneurial orientation explained significant amount of variance in SME performance, with large amount of variance accounted for by the market orientation. The findings suggest that emphasis on market orientation is a firm’s strategic choice to generate strategic information which forms a seedbed of opportunities from which entrepreneurial oriented firms identify and proactively seize to build competitive advantage. Contrary to previous studies, which emphasized that opportunity seeking is a domain of entrepreneurial orientation, this study argues that previous studies underplayed the role of market orientation on opportunity seeking. This study views entrepreneurial orientation as more driven by opportunity exploitation which is more of advantage seeking than opportunity seeking. This study suggest that sustained market orientation and entrepreneurial orientation cultures build opportunity seeking and advantage seeking behaviors crucial to create and sustain SME performance. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Business Management / unrestricted

Des événements auxquels sont confrontées les PME, la transmission est l'un des plus importants. Celui-ci va en effet affecter les fondements, la propriété et le pouvoir de gestion, remettant en cause la relation Cédant/Repreneur/Salariés. En effet, chacune des parties prenantes agit selon des processus différents. Alors que le cédant doit réussir à faire le deuil de son entreprise, le repreneur doit limiter les résistances au changement et se faire accepter. Enfin, le personnel en place doit faire preuve de coopération. Cette recherche vise à s'intéresser plus particulièrement aux salariés clés du cédant qualifiés ici de Noyau dur humain. Plus précisément, il s'agit d'évaluer l'impact du maintien du Noyau dur dans le succès de la transmission/reprise. Afin d'appréhender le concept de Noyau dur, il a été retenu la théorie des Actifs Spécifiques Humains (ASH) et plus précisément la théorie des Actifs Spécifiques Humains Imparfaitement Transférable (ASHIT) ainsi que le Mix social. Basés sur une étude de cas multiples, les résultats soulèvent l'existence d'un Noyau dur humain « latent » et montre l'intérêt de maintenir le Noyau dur humain de l'entreprise qui représente une extension fructueuse du concept de Noyau dur humain du cédant. Au final, un outil d'aide à la gestion et au pilotage des PME reprises axés sur le management du Noyau dur humain a été proposé. / Of all the events with which SMEs are confronted, takeover is one of the most important. It can have an effect on foundations, property and power of management, while bringing into question the seller / buyer / employee relationships. Indeed, each of the stakeholders acts according to different processes. While the assignor has to manage the mourning of his company, the rescuer has to limit resistances to change and be accepted, and staff, for their part, have to cooperate. This research takes a particular interest in the key employees of the assignor, qualified here as ?human hard core?. More precisely, it looks to estimate the impact of the preservation of the Hard core in the success of a takeover. In order to comprehend the concept of Hard core, the theory of the Human Specific Assets (HAS) has been considered and, more exactly, the imperfectly Transferable Human Specific theory of Assets (ASHIT) as well as the social Mix. Based on a study of multiple cases, the results raise the idea of the existence of a "latent" human hard core and show the advantages of maintaining the human hard core of the company which represents a fruitful extension of the concept of human hard core of the assignor. Finally, a support tool to assist the management and piloting of SMEs which centered on the management of the human Hard core was proposed.

No description available.

Purpose – The purpose is to develop a greater understanding of what is requested by customers with regards to e-commerce and mobile payments and how managers attitude can affect the technological adaption process. Furthermore, a suggested framework will be presented on how SMEs can adapt to these changes. Problem – The move towards the cashless society has changed the business environment and increased the demand for mobile payments and e-commerce. The transition to implement new technologies requires resources in terms of time, money and knowledge. Therefore, this process can be challenging for SMEs. Design-Methodology-Approach – Primary data is collected through case studies and secondary data from previous research conducted. Two SMEs within the retail business in Jönköping is investigated using semi-structured interviews. The combined data is analyzed together with previous literature within the field. Findings – The findings show that customers’ demand of e-commerce and mobile payments has increased. A positive correlation between managers’ attitude towards new technology and the implementation process is found. To adapt to these technological changes, it is important for SME managers to invest equally in knowledge and technology.

With the advent of the internet and the development of Information and Communication technology, new reinvented forms of Trade Promotion Organizations have emerged. The globalization of today’s trading environment has forced economies to prioritize the development of the export competitiveness of their SMEs sector, as to be able to survive amidst the fierce global competition. The digital economy has created new means and channels of overcoming barriers of trade faced by SMEs due to their size and limited resources. To this end the International trade center has launched the Global Trade Point Network in 1993. The objective of this new electronic form of TPO is to assist firms in developing countries to explore business opportunities effectively by providing them with targeted market information and facilitating exporting procedures at a relatively low cost. With the expanding number of interconnected Trade Points, The GTPNet is rising to be the main global network for trade-related information streams. This study explored the extent of usefulness of these trade points in providing SMEs with real export opportunities as well as boosting their export competitiveness in Egypt, due to it being the one country with the highest number of operating trade points. The study used a mixed sequential methodology, combining both a semi structured interview based qualitative analysis followed by a questionnaire based large scale survey. This study was built around the theory of stages of internationalization, to reflect the fact that SMEs in the new evolving digital environment, are still in need of acquiring export market knowledge throughout the different stages of the internationalization process through secondary sources. Export market-knowledge as a firm resource boosts its competitive position and in turn to increased commitment to the export operation. On a theoretical level, a perceived usefulness construct for International trade points has been developed using exploratory factor analysis that paves the way to empirical tests of the different recommendations in the export promotion literature. The domain incorporates a new factor pertinent to the unique nature of International trade points, as being dependent on an electronic matching system supported by a global network, the proposed definition and usefulness of International trade points provides a conceptual framework in an area where little prior research has been conducted. Based on the findings, Egyptian Small and Medium Enterprises did not appreciate this new developed service due to their lack of e-readiness and resilience to engage in this process. From a practical perspective, the study has supported the findings of previous empirical studies, that pointed out that Export promotion Organizations are not targeting the real potential disadvantaged firms as committed exporters with high export intensity were the main recipients of successful trading opportunities through International Trade Points, as well as the ones that perceived these governmental sponsored organizations to be more useful. Moreover, the study revealed the shortcomings in the performance of International trade points, which are to a great extent attributable to their inefficient governmental organizational and managerial structure.

This master thesis deals with the analysis of the possibilities of Cloud Computing for information system solutions in small and medium businesses. The main objective is to analyze these options, identify key areas for the transition to the cloud and propose an approach to develop Information system in this direction. The main contribution of this work is the practical experience which is involved in a view of the problems being solved and an emphasis on aspects that have been verified in practices. The main text of the work is divided into five chapters. The first chapter defines the basic concepts and limitations on which further work is based. The second chapter deals with the current form of IS in SMEs, its description and identifying problems. The third chapter analyzes the Cloud Computing from the perspective of the suitability of various models for SMEs, identifies the major trends that affect the Cloud Computing and describes some basic elements on which Cloud Computing is based. It also analyzes the issue of security. The fourth chapter deals with the state of Cloud Computing market and identification of key problem areas which need to be solved in various stages of market development. The last chapter uses several case studies to show a meaningfulness and readiness of Cloud Computing for running information system. In the end the recommended approach to the adoption of cloud services is defined.

It is possible for firms to survive within declining industries. However, growth through internationalization within this stage of an industry’s life-cycle has not been sufficiently explored in the past. As SMEs supposedly face many barriers during this process, the purpose of this thesis is to research the internationalization of SMEs within declining industries, with a focus on finding what is the biggest challenge to their internationalization. A multiple-case study and semi-structured interviews were used to explore internationalization in a declining industry, the watch industry. A theoretical framework was built and compared to both the primary and the secondary data collected throughout this study. The analysis shows that finding the right distributor is the biggest challenge throughout SMEs’ internationalization. It also finds trade shows related to declining industries not to be effective promotion tools for firms from this industry. Finally, this thesis finds smartwatches not to be perceived as a threat by traditional watch brands, due to the different values associated to these products.